Chapter 21

The three of them left the hotel, and Marlon said, "Hey Emily, how about I give you a ride home?"

Emily checked her watch.

"Thanks, Marlon, but no need. Could you take Dr. Garcia instead? I gotta head back to the office," Emily replied.

Marlon saw she was set on her decision and didn't push it.

"Alright, just be careful on your way back!" he said.

"Don't worry, I will!" Emily smiled.

Marlon had picked this hotel because it was close to the Rivera Group,even though it was a bit hidden.

Back at the office, Emily was eager to dive into the new algorithm David had suggested. She worked tirelessly, tweaking and optimizing the code.

After days of relentless effort, she finally got the initial functionality of the algorithm working. This small victory filled her with excitement and pride.

But she knew this was just the beginning. There was still a lot of work to be done. She realized she had found a key breakthrough and that with continued effort, she could complete the project.

Emily glanced at her phone; it was already past 4 AM.

Exhausted, she fell asleep at her desk.

The ringing of her phone woke her up. Groggily, she reached for it.not noticing her gray jacket slipping off her shoulders.

"Hello, Ms. Thompson, this is the police. We've received a report accusing you of intentional harm. Please come to the station to assist with our investigation," said the voice on the other end.

Emily was stunned. Still half-asleep, she had no idea what was going on.

She tried to keep her voice steady. "I don't understand. I've never intentionally harmed anyone."

But the officer didn't give her a chance to explain, simply repeating the request for her to come to the station.

Emily hung up, filled with confusion and anxiety.

She tried to recall her recent actions. She hadn't done anything that could have hurt anyone-except for Shirley!

This unexpected situation put her in a bind. If shedidn't cooperate with the police, her reputation and future were at risk. But if she went to the station and couldn't prove her innocence, the consequences could be worse. After all, she had been quite emotional that day.

Emily felt a headache coming on. She didn't know how to handle this. She decided to consult a lawyer she knew to see what she should do.

After hearing Emily's account, the lawyeradvised her to cooperate with the police but to stay calm and rational, and not to admit to any accusations lightly.

The lawyer also suggested seeking reconciliation with the other party.Reconciliation? The thought of Shirley made Emily shake her head.

But with no better options, Emily sighed and followed the lawyer's advice, heading to the police station.

At the station, she answered the officers'questions and explained her recent actions and whereabouts in detail. The police didn't immediately believe her and said they needed to investigate further.

Since Shirley hadn't provided any medical evidence of injury, and there was no premeditation or deliberate harm, it couldn't be classified as intentional harm. At most, it was a case of fighting. But Shirley refused to reconcile, making the situation more complicated.

In the following days, Emily's life was thrown into chaos.

She had to deal with the police investigation, as well as questions and doubts from her company and society.

Most importantly, the project was at a critical stage. If the new algorithm couldn't support the project's operations,it would fail.

Emily felt an unprecedented sense of loneliness and helplessness. She didn't know if she could get through this or what her fuature held.

But she knew she couldn't give up. She had to keep going. To get Shirley to back down, she had to act first.

So,she handed over evidence to the police showing that Shirley had led Gordon into the storage room and locked him in.

Although she submitted the evidence, the police said they needed to investigate further, leaving her both hopeful and anxious.

Back at the office, Emily tried to stay calm. She knew that any panic could make things worse.

"Come in," Patrick said to Emily in a low voice.

"What's up?" Emily asked, pretending not to know.

"What did you do to Shirley?" Patrick demanded.

Emily sneered. "Why don't you ask what she did to me?"

Patrick didn't look at Emily, remaining silent.

"You were wronged last time. Don't hold it against Shirley," Patrick tried to soothe Emily.

Emily said, "Shirley drugged me with an aphrodisiac and locked my autistic brother in a dark storage room!"

"Autistic?" Patrick frowned.

Emily said, "Do you know how terrifying and desperate it is for an autistic person to be alone in a dark place?"

"What do you mean?" Patrick asked, puzzled.

"All these years, you didn't even know my brother has autism!"

Emily sneered. "He's the person I want to protect the most, and Shirley keeps crossing the line! What would you do?"

Patrick didn't respond. He understood Emily too well. Family was his bottom line too.

But he also knew Shirley's vengeful nature. Once, when a kid in the neighborhood tried to take her doll, she cut it up with scissors rather than let anyone else touch it. If Emily crossed her, she would get hurt in the end.

"I'll have her apologize to you, and the company will issue a statement to clarify the facts. Just don't be stubborn," Patrick said softly.

Emily looked at Patrick, disappointment flashing in her eyes. She had thought that despite the distance between them, Patrick would at least understand and support her in critical moments. But his words made her feel more isolated than ever.

"Mr. Rivera, this isn't something an apology can fix," Emily said firmly, "Shirley's actions have crossed my bottom line and hurt the person closest to me. I need a fair judgment, not a apology."

She had thought that even if they weren't lovers, she held some place in Patrick's heart. But now, Emily realized how foolish she had been.

Patrick saw the determination in Emily's eyes and knew he couldn't persuade her to change her mind. He sighed and said, "Alright,I'll handle this as best as I can. But promise me you won't act impulsively."

Emily remained silent and left the CEO's office with a heavy heart.She no longer had any illusions about Patrick.

She knew that in this battle with Shirley, she could only rely on herself. She had to force herself to become stronger and braver.

Emily began collecting evidence of Shirley's misconduct at work.including abusing her power for personal gain and maliciously targeting colleagues. She knew this wouldn't bring Shirley down,but it would keep her busy.

Her phone rang. It was Marlon.

Marlon said into the phone, "Emnily, guess what big news I found!"