The murmurs reached her ears and the hand holding Emma’s wine glass trembled faintly.

Just as she was about to turn around, a sharp scream tore through the crowd.

The man who’d been struck wasn’t backing down. He immediately called over a group of his friends. As the mob surged forward, Cole and Theo’s bodyguards lifted their own beer bottles and moved in without hesitation.

With a deafening crash, chaos erupted. Fists flew, bottles shattered and the two sides launched into an all-out brawl.

Guests scrambled toward the exits. Emma instinctively stepped back, ready to leave.

But before she could move another inch, she saw a man rushing at her; wine glass raised high.

Through the chaos, she clearly caught a glimpse of Cole and Theo halting mid-fight. Both instinctively turned and ran toward her.

But then Juliet’s scream rang out.

The two men froze. And in the blink of an eye, they pivoted and ran straight to Juliet instead.

Another crash, this time, the wine glass shattered against the side of Emma’s head.

A blinding pain split through her skull. Her ears rang. Cold sweat slicked the back of her neck.

Just before her world turned dark, the last thing she heard was Juliet’s pitiful voice, “Theo, Cole, I twisted my ankle. It hurts so much…”

***

When she opened her eyes again, the room was crowded with people.

Her hands were tied; she couldn’t move an inch.

Juliet stood in front of her, crouching down to lift Emma’s chin, her usual timid act completely gone.

"Emma, how did you end up this pathetic?" she mocked, her tone dripping with ridicule.

Her wounds hadn’t even begun to heal. Every small movement sent waves of pain ripping through her body, like fire scorching through her organs.

Emma forced her eyes open. The circle of men surrounding them instantly made everything clear.

"You were the one who sent those men to attack me."

Juliet let out a soft laugh, not even bothering to deny it. "Think of today as a little punishment. Let’s see if you still dare to fight me for Theo and Cole. Just give up; you’ll never marry either of them."

"You’ve always wanted to know what I told them that day, haven’t you? Fine, I’ll tell you—"

Before she could continue, footsteps echoed from outside the door.

Juliet fell silent and quickly switched back to her sweet, innocent act. Before leaving, she glanced back with a smug smile.

As she walked out, the men surrounding Emma began to move closer, their faces twisted into sickening grins.

"They’re here for me. You just stay put and be a good girl."

Emma bit down hard on her lip, fury flashing in her eyes as she glared at them.

Their grins only grew filthier at her defiance. "Don’t look at us like that. If you want someone to blame, blame the two young masters from the Barrett and Blackwood families. They made their choice."

Laughter rippled through the group and one of them pulled out a phone, playing a video they had just recorded.

In the video, both Juliet and Emma are bound and helpless. Standing in front of them were Cole and Theo, who had rushed over, panic written across their faces.

Their eyes were locked on Juliet, filled with worry.

A man stepped between them and declared, "You can only take one of them. Leave the other for us, brothers."

Cole had never been threatened like this before and he was on the verge of snapping when the man’s voice cut through the tension. "Think carefully. They’re still in our hands."

The two men opened their mouths, but no words came out.

The silence stretched for what felt like an eternity, suffocating Emma, pressing down on her chest like a boulder.

She didn’t need to hear their response; she already knew the outcome. Still, her heart pounded, erratic and uncontrollable.

And sure enough, after a moment, Theo raised his hand, pointing toward Juliet. His voice was as cold as ice. "We choose her."

Even as they left with Juliet, their eyes never strayed toward Emma.

In that instant, her body froze. Her heart, which had been racing, seemed to stop entirely. A dull ache bloomed in her throat.

She had to face the truth: after all these years, she had never truly known them.

Now, she was on her own.

Emma scanned her surroundings cautiously and soon spotted a blade lying in the corner.

As the men closed in, she moved with all her strength, rolling to her side. She kicked the blade into the air, grabbing it in one swift motion.

With a slash, she cut through the ropes, binding her wrists and raising the knife in a threatening stance. “Anyone who gets closer, I’ll take you down with me.”

The blade found its mark, slashing across the leader’s arm. Blood spurted out in a rush.

The man cursed, “You bitch!”

They hadn’t intended to truly harm the Callahan Family’s daughter, but now, the consequences could be dire.

Not expecting her to draw blood, some of the men faltered. “Boss, how about we just leave her here to rot? This place is in the middle of nowhere. It’ll drop below freezing tonight. Whether she lives or dies, it’s up to fate.”

The leader spat in frustration, then motioned for his men to leave.

As the door slammed shut behind them, Emma realized her hand had been trembling the entire time.

She lowered the knife, unable to keep holding it any longer and collapsed to the floor, utterly drained.

The adrenaline that had kept her going ebbed away and the sharp, searing pain from her wounds washed over her all at once. Just before everything went black, her vision blurred and she fell backward, unconscious.

When she opened her eyes again, she saw Cole and Theo sitting by her bedside.

For once, their faces were devoid of disgust. One of them, guilt flickering in his eyes, asked softly, “Feeling any better?”

But Emma ignored them completely. Her first words were sharp. “Where’s Juliet?”

The two men froze. “Why are you asking about her?”

“She’s the one who sent those men after me.”

Cole nearly jumped from his seat. “That’s impossible! Juliet would never do something like that.”

His certainty only deepened the irony in Emma’s chest. She turned to Theo, who had remained silent up until now. “You think so too?”

Under the harsh, sterile lights of the hospital, his face looked colder, sharper than ever.

After a long pause, he pressed his lips together and finally spoke. “I know you’ve had your doubts about Juliet lately, but that doesn’t mean you can accuse her without proof.”

Emma’s voice took on a mocking edge. “You don’t believe me? Fine, then check. At least then you’ll know…”

Theo cut her off abruptly, his voice firm. “Don’t bother.”

He seemed to realize his reaction was a little too sharp and paused. Then, he added, “She wouldn’t do it. Just let it go.”

Of course, she wouldn’t.

With the influence of the Barrett and Blackwood families, if they wanted the truth, they could find it in minutes. Yet neither of them was willing to make the effort.

Was her kidnapping just insignificant to them? Or were they protecting Juliet?

Emma’s laughter rang out. “Let it go? I won’t.”

Theo frowned. “Then what do you want?”

Before Emma could respond, the door creaked open and Juliet stepped inside, her expression dripping with false concern.

“Emma,” she said sweetly, “It’s all the brothers’ fault for choosing me. It was so cold last night. You were stuck with those people, wearing so little... You must’ve been freezing.”

She reached for Emma’s hand, her touch feigned tenderness.

Emma turned to face her, a cold smile curving her lips.

Without a word, she slapped Juliet hard across the face, the sound echoing in the room！

"Emma, ​​are you crazy? Stop it!"

Just when Emma was about to slap Juliet for the eleventh time, a strong arm grabbed Emma tightly!