Emerald’s POV
A loud ringing echoed in my ears, and my cheek felt hot and painful.
I hesitantly lifted my trembling hand to my face. My eyes burned, and tears welled up right away, but I wouldn’t let myself cry.
"Emerald," my mother’s voice quivered with anger. "You’ve gone too far."
"Ivana!"
Suddenly, my father’s voice thundered through the room. Those were the first words he had spoken, and to my surprise, they were not aimed at me.
I shifted slightly to look at him. His jaw was clenched, and his face was still hard and cold.
My chest ached painfully. I recognized that look. It meant he was deeply disappointed in me. That hurt more than anything my mother had said, but I also felt a bit of relief. Unlike my mother, he wasn’t tearing me down with words.
He said nothing. In that moment, his silence felt kinder than any words could have.
My mother turned sharply to face him, her expression still burning with rage. "Why are you stopping me?" she demanded. "Didn’t you hear what she just said?"
Her voice rose further as she pointed accusingly at me. "She dared to speak to me like that. Her mother."
My father slowly rose from his seat. The atmosphere in the room shifted instantly. Even my mother fell silent for a second.
Richard Hugo had always possessed a terrifying kind of authority. He was not loud like my mother. He rarely raised his voice. But when he spoke, people listened.
"That does not justify hitting a grown woman," he said coldly. "You can speak without using your hands." His voice was calm now, but somehow even more intimidating than when he had shouted.
"She crossed the line." My mother scoffed.
My father’s expression stayed unreadable. "Your temper is not the issue right now, Ivana. Finding a solution is."
My mother laughed bitterly. "A solution?" Then she turned to look at me again, her gaze sharp and merciless.
"She dragged this entire family into her affairs, so she should be the one finding a solution." Her voice dripped with contempt. "Look at how brainless you have been."
Each word landed heavily.
"Instead of coming to work for the Hugo Group, you chose to waste six years of your life dating nonsense."
My hands tightened at my sides as the pain in my chest deepened.
"You practically slaved yourself away for a riff-raff." Her eyes narrowed. "A man with nothing. And what did you use to help him build his precious company?"
Her voice sharpened. "Your connections. The Hugo name. This family’s resources." She sneered. "You gave him everything he needed to build the company he used to humiliate you tonight."
I stared at her in silence. Truthfully, I wasn’t surprised. This was who my mother had always been: sharp, critical, and merciless.
She had been that way for as long as I could remember, long before I understood why.
From the moment she joined the Hugo family, there had been something restless and cutting about her, as though she were always battling enemies no one else could see.
My father sighed softly, then looked between us. "Sit."
The single word held enough authority to silence any protest.
My mother sat first, reluctant but obedient. I followed, lowering myself onto the sofa across from them.
A suffocating silence settled over the room before my father turned to me, his gaze steady, cold, and calculating.
"Had you met Michael King before tonight?" The question stunned me. For a moment, I only stared at him. Michael King? What did he have to do with this?
I slowly shook my head. "No." My voice was quieter than I meant it to be. "Tonight was the first time I met him."
My father studied me for several seconds before asking the question that tightened my stomach. "Why did he stop you tonight?"
I froze for a beat. Even now, I could still feel the warmth of Michael’s hand around my wrist.
"I... don’t know." I swallowed.
My father kept his gaze on me, so I said carefully, "He acted on his own. I don’t know why he stepped in."
My father leaned back, his expression turning thoughtful. "That is strange."
My mother frowned. "What is?"
Father kept his eyes on me. "Michael King rarely involves himself in matters that do not concern him."
Unease settled in my chest as I remembered the way Michael had looked at me tonight—calm, focused, unreadable, as if the chaos around us meant nothing.
Mother broke the silence with a scoff. "If she has any sense, she’ll make sure Michael King doesn’t invest a single cent in Mercer Technologies."
I looked at her, but her expression stayed cold.
"She shouldn’t let that filthy peasant live comfortably after pushing her aside." Her eyes narrowed. "I’m sure that crafty man invited Michael King to that event for a reason."
Father’s face hardened. "I don’t want Emerald getting involved with Michael King."
She turned to him. "Why not?"
His voice stayed calm. "Because men like him are dangerous."
The room fell quiet again. My father rarely spoke about anyone that way.
He continued, "When I considered approaching him about an investment, I had him investigated."
Even my mother looked surprised.
My father’s expression darkened. "I found nothing."
I frowned. "What do you mean?"
He looked at me. "There isn’t a single serious flaw attached to Michael King."
Mother’s frown deepened.
Still, Father went on. "No scandals. No controversies. No public enemies. No questionable deals." His voice lowered. "That isn’t normal. A man with that much power should have blood somewhere on his hands."
His gaze sharpened as he leaned forward slightly. "But Michael King is too clean—almost as if he appeared out of nowhere."
Even Mother had fallen silent. Then she scoffed. "The bigger problem is whether a man like that would want her anywhere near him after tonight."
Then she turned her cruel, unforgiving gaze on me. "No one wants to be associated with a woman whose reputation has been destroyed so publicly."
Her words stung, but I had no strength left to respond. The truth was, I wanted nothing to do with any man anymore—not Kelvin, and not Michael.
My heart still bore the wounds of betrayal and humiliation, making it feel impossible to trust anyone at this moment.
My father finally spoke again. "I’ll contact my lawyers tonight."
My mother and I both turned to him.
"We’ll file lawsuits against Kelvin Mercer and Maya Cruz for public defamation, manipulation, and character assassination." His expression darkened. "If they thought they could use my daughter and destroy her reputation without consequences, they have severely underestimated the Hugo family."
For the first time since I came home, warmth stirred in my chest.
I looked at my father. He was still disappointed, angry, and cold—but he was standing up for me anyway.
A painful lump rose in my throat. I was weak, exhausted, and shattered. Revenge had not even crossed my mind; I was hurting too much to think clearly.
My mother caught the slight change in my expression and let out a cold laugh. "You might think this is over."
The fragile relief I had felt disappeared at once.
She looked at me with chilling calm. "Wait until the old man sees tonight’s disgrace on the morning news."
My blood turned cold.
Then she smiled cruelly. "Only then will you understand what truly awaits you."
My heart began to race.
No.
No...
I had nearly forgotten about Old Mr. Hugo—my adopted grandfather. Despite his age, he remained the foundation of the Hugo family and its businesses. His authority was absolute.
No one challenged him.
No one.
My mother’s voice turned colder. "Don’t think your father can save you." Her words cut like ice. "Clearing your name won’t be enough to satisfy him."
A chill crawled over my skin as memories I had buried long ago rose without warning.
Suddenly, I was fourteen again, standing in his study and trembling because I had come in second place just once.
That single mistake had turned an entire season of my life into a nightmare.
Even now, years later, the memory alone was enough to make my breathing turn shallow.
Tonight’s scandal was far worse. Grandfather would never overlook this.
A fresh wave of dread washed over me as one terrifying question surfaced in my mind.
How was he going to deal with me this time?
At that moment, the living room’s landline rang, its piercing tone breaking the silence and causing my entire body to stiffen. No one moved or spoke.
After three rings, my parents exchanged a look, then slowly, my father rose and walked toward the phone.
Each step sounded unbearably loud in the quiet. My heart hammered against my ribs.
He lifted the receiver. "Richard Hugo speaking."
I watched his expression shift almost imperceptibly. His jaw tightened, and then he turned to me.
A heavy silence fell over the room.
He held my gaze for a moment before calmly saying the words that turned my blood cold.
"The old man wants to see you."
My heart stopped. I couldn’t move. It’s over. Grandfather already knows.