Marcus' insults were cold and ruthless, his deep, smooth voice laced with venom. As much as Emma had once loved hearing him speak, Marcus calling her trash shattered her completely.
"No!" she screamed, her voice cracking. "Marcus, shut up! You don't get to talk to me like that!"
Marcus' laugh was low and full of disdain. "Emma, sit tight. Someone will be here for you soon."
Her face contorted in confusion and anger. "What do you mean? Who's coming for me?"
When the realization hit her, her face paled. "Marcus, tell me you didn't just call the cops to come get me?"
Sitting nearby, Natalie couldn't hold back her laughter again. How did Marcus even come up with such an idea?
Emma's face darkened at the sound of her laughter. "What are you laughing at, Natalie?" she snapped. "What's so funny? What are you so proud of?"
"I'm not particularly proud of anything," Natalie said with a faint smile. "But you, on the other hand, might want to start thinking about your future."
She tilted her head, eyes gleaming with amusement. "Tell me, Emma, have you thought of a new last name yet? Have you got one that you like?
"You better start picking one now. Because once the authorities take you away, my mom's going to make sure she issues an official statement changing your last name."
Natalie added, chuckling, "Even though you weren't at my welcome party, you seem to know all the details pretty well. So I don't need to explain how grand it was, do I?"
With that, she stood up, raising her fingers one by one, counting, "One… Two… Three—"
Before she finished, a sharp knock sounded at the door. It swung open, and two police officers stepped inside.
"Emma Walker," one of them announced, "you're under investigation for conspiracy to commit murder. The suspect, Gabriel, has been apprehended and identified you as the mastermind. We need you to come with us."
"No!" Emma yelled, her eyes wide with panic. "You've got the wrong person. I didn't do anything!"
The officer's tone didn't waver. "You'll have the opportunity to clear your name during the investigation. Until then, every word you say can and will be used against you."
Before the authorities arrived, they were already aware that Emma was injured. But that didn't matter—the authorities had its own medical system. She would receive treatment while being investigated.
During that time, she would have no freedom.
Emma stared at Marcus in disbelief. "Was this you or Natalie?"
"It was the both of us," Natalie said as she stood up and walked over to the hospital bed. "Flash is dead, Gabriel was arrested, Sophia was seriously injured and nearly died, and Marcus is still carrying wounds from the incident.
"You thought you covered your tracks perfectly, but let me tell you—there's no such thing as a flawless crime. The only reason we waited until now to have the cops take you away was because I wanted you to see just how grand my welcome party was—the one my parents threw for me."
Natalie smirked, speaking slowly and deliberately. Striking where it hurt the most—if Emma cared so much about being the heiress of the Walker family, if she was so desperate to take everything that belonged to the Walker family, then Natalie would make sure she watched it all slip through her fingers.
Because the truth was undeniable—Natalie was the real heiress of the Walker family.
If she had never returned, she wouldn't have cared. But since she had, there was no way she would allow Emma to have even the slightest chance to harm her.
She had held the same stance back when she lived with the Langley family. When Selena went after her once or twice, she could let things slide and step aside. But if someone kept pushing their luck, she wouldn't just sit there and take it.
Standing by and letting someone walk all over her was never her style.
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