Chapter 49

Emilia drew in a soft breath of relief, grateful her hands were still unharmed. If her hand had been injured, the Mitchell family would be facing ruin now!

"Violet, are you hurt?" Rodger asked,his worried eyes scanning her face.

"I'm okay. Please don't blame Emilia for this.I tripped because I wasn't watching my step,not because of anything she did." Violet's words shook with fake sobs, her body trembling uncontrollably.

"How can you say it's not her fault? Emilia was the one who pushed you, wasn't she?" Sebastian snapped angrily.

In his mind, Violet's shaking was a sure sign that Emilia had threatened her.

"Emilia!" Rodger lost all control. He stormed forward,arm swinging up, ready to slap Emilia.It was one thing for her to betray her marriage,but to turn her malice on Violet as well proved she was petty to the core.

Violet and Sebastian stood together, watching with cold satisfaction as if Emilia deserved every bit of punishment. In their minds, Emilia had earned every bit of the punishment about to come.

Before Emilia could even lift her arm to shield herself, a figure rushed forward and caught Rodger's wrist in midair.

"And who dares interfere?" Rodger snarled,only to lock eyes with Wilbur's calm, mocking smile.

"I'll interfere whenever I feel like it. Does that bother you,Mr. Mitchell? "Wilbur replied,raising an eyebrow in defiance.

Rodger's face turned grim, his voice icy as he said, "This is a family matter. I suggest you mind your own business, Mr. Collins."

"Unlucky for you, I enjoy getting in the middle of other people's business. What will you do about it? Swing at me?" He looked Rodger up and down, gaze pausing on the cast wrapped around Rodger's arm. "With only one good arm,you're not much of a threat. If I decide to get rough,you'll need someone to hold it for you while you pee." Rodger's cheeks burned red."You-!"

Tears rimmed Violet's eyes as she stammered,"Mr. Collins, why do you have to talk like that?"

"I'm just telling the truth," said Wilbur, tossing her a look of disdain.

Violet bit her lip, letting the tears fall as her sorrow swallowed up her words.

"Being a part of the Collin family doesn't give you the right to boss around! Picking on Violet when you're a grown man is beneath contempt!"Sebastian's voice rang out with fury.

"Ha!" Wilbur scoffed, his words sharp with mockery."Really? I guess you two believe it's perfectly fine to gang up on someone yourselves. If you've got no shame,why should I pretend otherwise? You've got a lot of nerve criticizing me."

He sent a sharp look in their direction, making it obvious what he thought of both men.

"Emilia, say you're sorry to Violet, and I'll consider this settled," Rodger said coldly, his eyes fixed on her.

Emilia met his eyes,refusing to back down."I have nothing to apologize for. I didn't do anything wrong."

Rodger's glare deepened, his frustration mounting as he remembered the divorce papers sitting unsigned and Emilia already moving on.

Old questions echoed in his head. There had been nights when he doubted his own judgment about her.

Wilbur stepping in to defend Emilia only seemed to confirm what Rodger feared most-she was indeed unfaithful, and she was probably tangled up with Webster.

"You're inthe wrong here, Emilia! You shoved Violet, and now she's hurt. Do you really expect her to be the one saying sorry?" Rodger shouted.

"I never laid a hand on her. If the two of you can't see straight, maybe it's time for an eye exam," Emilia retorted, her finger pointing toward the security camera overhead. "There's a camera over there that recorded everything.Take a look at the footage if you want the truth."