Chapter 7
Emily gripped the contract tightly, her anger burning inside her.
Justin leaned back in his chair, his thin lips parting slightly as he spoke. His voice was cold and dripping with arrogance, as if he were granting her a favor. “These past three years have been hard on you. You’re an orphan, with no family or place to go. I’m willing to support you financially with sixty million a year.‘
”
He continued, “We’ll renew the contract every three years. If you behave and stay out of my and Emma’s way, I’ll keep you until you’re old. You can stay in this villa, but you’re not to show yourself in front of Emma again. I won’t be coming here anymore, and I won’t be with you.
“As for what happened at the hospital today, I don’t care who was right or wrong. I don’t want a repeat of it.” His tone was cold and dismissive, as if her thoughts and dignity didn’t matter at all.
By the time he finished, Emily’s anger was so intense it felt like a physical pain. Where did he get the nerve to think she would accept a life of hidden shadows, of being kept out of sight?
Thankfully, she had already decided to leave him. Otherwise, the humiliation she had feel in this moment would have been unbearable.
She had agreed to be his lover in the first place because of his face, not his money.
Without hesitation, she pushed the contract back toward him. Her expression was resolute, and every fiber of her being radiated rejection. She was drawing a clear line between them.
“I don’t need this contract. If you really think it’s been so hard on me, then you should release me early. Terminate our agreement now and let me go. It’ll make things easier for your precious Emma, too.”
The air in the study seemed to freeze.
For the first time, Justin truly realized that Emily intended to leave him. His words were sharp, laced with an unmistakable threat, and any semblance of gentlemanly pretense had vanished. “Emily, have you really thought this through? You’re an orphan with no family, no degree. How do you expect to make it in this city? ‘Are you planning to rely on those little hobby classes? That worthless painting you’ve picked up?” Emily froze, stunned by his attack. His words cut like daggers, shredding her self–respect piece by piece. She knew he could be ruthless in negotiations, especially with his adversaries. But she hadn’t expected him to turn that same edge on her.
To him, her status as an orphan made her an easy target for manipulation. Her passion for painting was, in his eyes, just a pointless distraction, without any real value. He saw her as nothing more than someone to satisfy his needs.
He hadn’t even considered her a stand–in. She was simply a disposable toy to satisfy his needs.
Emily felt a wave of relief wash over her. Leaving him was the best choice she could have made, and not marrying him felt like a blessing. She was lucky to have escaped a lifetime with someone like him.
“If I’d known this is how you’d turn out, Justin, I would’ve worked day and night to pay off those medical bills rather than signing that contract and getting involved with you.” Emily’s eyes were red with fury, and her voice was filled with defiant anger.
Fine. So be it.
Justin’s carefully controlled composure was finally set ablaze. He had done everything he could to look out for
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Chapter 7
her, worrying she might starve or struggle on her own, and yet she had the nerve to throw it all back in his face.
“If suffering is what you want, then there’s no need to wait for the contract to end. You can leave right now,” Justin’s voice was icy, radiating the authority of someone used to being in control.
She was just a substitute, valued for being obedient and quiet. Now that those qualities were gone, so was her purpose. How could she possibly compare to Emma?
“Gladly,” Emily shot back, her voice firm and laced with satisfaction.
“Don’t even think about coming back to beg for anything,” Justin said, rising from his chair, his face returning to its usual blank expression, though the anger still simmered beneath.
“Don’t worry, I’d sooner starve than come back to you,” she replied, meeting his gaze without fear, every word sharp and deliberate.
Justin stormed around the desk and out of the room without another glance, slamming the door behind him with a force that echoed his anger.
Emily didn’t care. She was finally free.
She stood up, headed to her bedroom, and pulled out her suitcase. She quickly packed the clothes she had bought just days ago, taking only what belonged to her. She left behind all the jewelry and gifts Justin had ever given her. It didn’t take long to pack. With a light step, she left Villa One under the cover of night.
Justin, with a dark scowl on his face, stomped out of Villa One, slamming the car door so hard it echoed. Sitting in the driver’s seat, William, the bodyguard, barely dared to breathe, not wanting to draw any unwanted attention to himself.
Finally, as Justin’s anger began to subside, William cautiously asked, “Where to, sir?”
Where to? In the middle of the night?
“Take me to Vantage Towers,” Justin replied coldly, though a hint of frustration still lingered in his tone.
Without a word, William started driving, Vantage Towers was a high–end residential area close to RC Corporation, where Justin had been staying these past few nights.
For the past few days, Justin had been staying here. Striding back to his apartment with determined steps, he left William far behind.
He took a quick cold shower to cool down, trying to extinguish the fire of his anger. But back in bed, he found himself tossing and turning, unable to sleep.
Insomnia had finally caught up to him. “Emily, you’re really something,” he thought bitterly, “I’ll be watching to see how you survive without me in Lincourt City.” That was his last thought before he drifted off.
Meanwhile, Emily had taken a taxi with her suitcase to Helen’s place. Helen looked at her with surprise.
“Why are you moving in the middle of the night? Did that scumbag Justin throw you out? You should’ve called me. I would’ve come to pick you up, maybe even punched him a couple of times.” Helen swung her tiny fists, full of righteous indignation.
Emily eyed her petite frame. Forget punching Justin, she would probably injure herself with one swing.
“I really appreciate the thought,” Emily said with a faint smile. “But no, he didn’t throw me out. I left on my own, couldn’t wait to get out.
“The contract’s over. I’m free now. Free at last.” Emily spread her arms wide, as if to embrace her new life.
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“The contract’s over?” Helen raised an eyebrow, suspicious. “Justin, that cold–hearted capitalist, let you go just like that?”
“Maybe he felt guilty. Or maybe I just got under his skin.” Emily shrugged, thoughtful.
She then recounted the whole story about Emma’s outburst in the hospital garden, the accusations, and what had happened tonight. Helen spent a good half hour cursing Justin non–stop, not even pausing for breath, and impressively, not repeating a single insult.
Emily, on the other hand, felt surprisingly calm. After the initial rage, she now saw it as a relief. A fight that had finally given her freedom and closure.
A knock on the door interrupted them.
“That’ll be our takeout. I’ll get it,” Helen said, setting aside her ranting as she dashed off in her slippers.
After they had finished their late–night snack, they finally went to bed.
The next morning, they slept in, finally getting up around noon. Emily’s phone chimed with a notification. A bank transfer had come through.
Twenty million dollars had been deposited into her account
