Chapter 2
Wilton Detention Center loomed ahead, its dark gates a stark contrast against the pale morning sky. Emily fumbled for the compact mirror in her purse, hands trembling slightly.
She applied another layer of foundation, desperate to conceal her pallid complexion. The makeup felt heavy on her skin, unnatural, but she preferred looking overdone to worrying Daniel Steele. After three years apart, she was anxious about their reunion.
The massive iron gates creaked open with a low, grinding sound. Emily took a deep breath as a slightly hunched figure emerged from the shadows.
"Daniel!" She called out excitedly, waving to catch his attention.
The gaunt man blinked at the familiar voice, momentarily disoriented. "Sophie...?"
Emily's quick approach dispelled his confusion. "Daniel! My timing's perfect! Have you eaten yet?"
Her heart clenched seeing how drastically he had changed.
Three years ago, Daniel Steele had been a promising Bellevue University graduate with a bright future ahead. Then came the false rape accusation that transformed him from a brilliant scholar to a social pariah.
The man before her looked nothing like the confident Daniel she remembered. Yet Emily maintained her cheerful tone—the past was behind them now, and they needed to look forward.
Sensing her warmth and enthusiasm, Daniel's initial disappointment faded.
He looked up with gentle eyes, about to answer, when he noticed the wedding ring on her finger. His pupils contracted. "Emily, you're married?"
She suddenly remembered she hadn't removed her wedding ring.
The custom-made diamond—worth a small fortune—was one of the few tangible proofs of her marriage to Alexander.
Out of some girlish sentiment, Emily had never taken it off since her wedding day—until now. She instinctively hid her hand behind her back, nodding awkwardly. "Um, yes. Daniel, what would you like to eat?"
But Daniel wouldn't be distracted. He persisted, unable to accept that the little sister he'd protected for years had become someone else's wife.
"Who is he?" He pressed.
Facing his question, Emily fell uncomfortably silent.
If she and Alexander had been a loving couple, she wouldn't have hesitated to introduce her husband to him. But now, with divorce papers already delivered...
"Daniel, I'm actually in the process of..."
Before she could finish, her phone erupted with a loud, distinctive ringtone—Doris Perry's special ringtone, deliberately set to be impossible to miss.
Emily's expression changed instantly. Since her marriage, Doris rarely contacted her. This had to be urgent.
"Doris! What? I'll be right there!"
Learning that Dawn Children's Home was in trouble, Daniel set aside his questions. They quickly hailed a taxi and rushed to the foster home.
When they arrived, the worn entrance stood open with two expensive cars parked outside.
Emily barely noticed them, focused entirely on the elderly woman standing in the doorway.
"Doris!" She rushed forward, positioning herself protectively in front of the home's director. "What's going on here?"
She spread her arms defensively, eyeing the tall men in suits with suspicion.
James stepped forward from behind the group, coughing slightly, a document in hand. "Ms. Ward, please don't make my job difficult."
Emily's heart sank. "Did Alexander send you?"
Hearing Emily use Alexander's first name, James frowned, his tone becoming severe. "Ms. Ward, mind your place! Mr. Foster's actions are not for you to question."
Emily's body trembled slightly. In her weakened state, she could hardly withstand strong emotions, but for Dawn Children's Home, she had to remain calm and clear-headed.
The Foster family owned the property rights to the home. Three years ago, Alexander had wanted to demolish it and build a shopping mall, but Eleanor Foster had stopped him out of respect for Emily.
Now Alexander was reviving the old plan—clearly to punish her for refusing Sophie's case.
A metallic taste rose in her throat, which she forcefully swallowed down.
She lifted her chin, revealing her slender neck, her beautiful face filled with defiance.
"Alexander just wants me to take that case. Tell him I agree. Now take your men and leave!"
By the end, her voice had broken with grief and resentment. Alexander would stop at nothing to force her to defend Sophie!
James hesitated. Alexander hadn't explicitly stated why he suddenly targeted Dawn Children's Home, but James's guess aligned with Emily's assumption.
As he deliberated, the silent Daniel suddenly spoke up. "Alexander? The CEO of Foster Group?"
James looked at him with surprise. "Yes, that's correct. May I ask who you are, sir?"
Daniel's fists clenched, veins bulging on his forehead, his expression turning frightening.
Emily, who knew him well, immediately sensed something wrong and pulled him behind her. "He's nobody. James, please relay my message to Mr. Foster."
James gave Daniel another glance before leaving with his men.
As the two cars disappeared from view, Emily's legs gave way, and she nearly collapsed.
Doris caught her, concern evident in her eyes. "Emily, why do you look so exhausted?"
Emily hadn't expected that despite her heavy makeup, Doris could still tell she wasn't well.
She shook her head, about to make up an excuse when Daniel grabbed her wrist with unexpected force.
"Daniel, you're hurting me!" she cried out in pain.
But he seemed not to hear, dragging her to a secluded spot, his teeth clenched in fury. "What's your relationship with Alexander?"
What relationship? That question was difficult for Emily to answer.
Her silence only further enraged Daniel. He angrily slammed his fist against the nearby wall. "Of all places to work, why did you choose the Foster Group? Do you have any idea who framed me and sent me to prison?"
Looking at Daniel's bloodshot eyes, Emily's heart tightened. The answer was becoming painfully clear.
"The man who ruined me was Alexander Foster!"