Chapter 6 I'll Send You Abroad
Emily and Ethan entered the emergency room and got treated in separate cubicles.
Ethan's wound wasn't too bad; a quick clean-up and a bandage did the trick. He stepped out and peeked through the medical screen at Vincent's tall, straight back in the next cubicle, feeling a weird sense of fear.
Thinking about how Vincent usually acted around Emily and the icy look Vincent had given him, Ethan couldn't help but shiver.
Ethan thought, no matter what, he had to explain things to Vincent today. Vincent was now the big boss of the Watson Group in Lindwood City, and the Grant family's future business depended a lot on them. Ethan couldn't let his family's years of hard work go down the drain because of his rash actions.
With these thoughts, Ethan walked over and softly called, "Vincent."
Hearing Ethan's voice, Vincent slowly turned around.
Shadowed by Vincent's 6-foot-1 frame, Ethan felt a wave of intimidation.
Ethan frowned and said quietly, "Vincent, I didn't mean to use that much force. I didn't expect her to hit the pillar."
Vincent's face was cold, and his voice even colder. "You ended up in the hospital on your 16th birthday to protect Emily. But now, on your 26th birthday, you hurt Emily to protect someone else?"
Amy, standing nearby, trembled slightly.
Ethan gently patted Amy's hand and pulled her behind him, as if to say to Vincent, "I just want to protect her."
Ethan swallowed hard, looked up at Vincent, and said, "This is my fault alone, Vincent. Don't drag innocent people into this."
Actually, Amy had just told Ethan that Emily hadn't said anything wrong; she had only wished them to be together forever.
Vincent narrowed his eyes, his gaze coldly sweeping over Amy before looking back at Ethan. Vincent sneered. "All these years, do you know why I've been supporting the Grant family? You have some nerve, daring to touch her?"
Ethan lowered his head, the hand not holding Amy's tightly clenched into a fist.
Amy was scared of Vincent; his oppressive presence made it hard to breathe. She didn't want to stay in the hospital, so she said to Hubert and Ethan, "I have something to do; I need to leave first. Please tell Emily for me."
Ethan, with a bandage wrapped around his head, looked at Amy reluctantly. "Amy, I'll take you."
Vincent glanced at Hubert and said, "You should go back too. Don't let your sister worry, I'm here."
Hubert looked at Emily, whose wound had been bandaged. He was reluctant to leave, but then he thought of something and nodded slightly and headed off.
Both Emily and Ethan needed to stay in the hospital for observation.
Emily came out of the bathroom to find Vincent sitting on the sofa making a phone call.
The room was warm, and Vincent had already taken off his coat and suit jacket, his gray shirt sleeves casually rolled up, showing his strong forearms. The top two buttons of his shirt were also undone.
As he saw Emily come out, Vincent quickly ended the call.
Vincent saw the bruises on Emily's neck, patted the seat next to him on the sofa, and called Emily, "Come sit here."
Hearing his words, Emily chose a distant folding chair opposite Vincent instead of the sofa.
Vincent asked Emily gently, "What happened to your injuries?" His tone was completely different from the coldness he showed Ethan.
Emily lowered her head and answered softly, "Ethan pushed me, and I hit the pillar."
Vincent interrupted her, "I'm not talking about your head. I mean your body."
Ethan was about to head back to the ward when he heard Vincent's voice. For some reason, he decided to eavesdrop.
Emily spoke like it was no big deal, "Kevin's getting married, and his family wanted me to pay for his house and car. Of course, I said no. So, we fought."
What Emily said was true, but she didn't tell the whole story.
Actually, the Thompson family came to Maple Valley not just to find Emily but also to find Emily and Kevin Thompson's biological mother, Linda Watson, which was the real issue.
The Thompson family felt they worked hard in the countryside while Emily got to go to college without lifting a finger, so they were pretty ticked off.
Arthur Thompson, claiming to be Emily's biological father, had gone to the principal's office and caused a scene, demanding the school refund Emily's tuition to their family and send her back to Verdant Grove.
Of course, the school couldn't let them cause trouble.
When Arthur couldn't get the money, he thought about taking Emily back to Verdant Grove to sell her to traffickers, planning to use the money to arrange a marriage and secure a future for Kevin. Emily, of course, wouldn't go along with it, so she fought with the Thompson family.
Seeing the obvious injuries on Emily, Vincent rubbed his fingers, trying hard to keep his cool. He leaned forward and said seriously, "I still stand by what I said eight years ago. If you're willing to leave Ethan, I can arrange for you to go abroad anytime."
Emily looked up at Vincent's sincere and deep eyes and said, "I know the Grant family took me out of Verdant Grove and kept me for so long because of the Watson family's support. Eight years ago, when you came to me and offered to send me abroad, it must have been the Grant family asking the Watson family for help. They didn't want me to cling to Ethan, who is the only son of the Grant family, but they were afraid of the Watson family's power and didn't dare to stop me."
Emily frowned, her eyes filled with confusion. "But now, Ethan has fallen in love with someone else. I'm no longer an issue for the Grant family. Sending me abroad now is meaningless for both families."
Vincent replied, "You indeed see things clearly. But this time, it's not because of that. After all, you are part of the Watson family."
Hearing this, Emily immediately stood up, agitated.
She shouted, "Don't associate me with the Watson family. My existence only brings her pain and shame. I don't want her to remember any part of the past. To her, I am just a painful reminder."
Seeing Emily so worked up, Vincent walked up and gently patted her shoulder, speaking slowly, "But now, with so many troubles, if no one helps you, you'll be in a tough spot. Do you really reject the Watson family that much?"
Emily thought about his words and gradually calmed down. She said, "Being able to escape that hell and go to school peacefully, I am already very grateful to the Watson family and the Grant family. The Watson family has done a lot for me, and I'm afraid I can't repay this kindness."
Vincent remembered eight years ago when he had first met Emily. Her biological grandparents, Joe and Lori, had said, "This child is cold in nature."
Vincent knew by heart that Emily was never what they had commented to be; she was pretending to have no feelings for the Watson family to protect her poor mother. She suppressed her longing for family, made herself an orphan, and pretended to be cold and heartless to reassure the Watson family.
To ensure the Watson family had no worries, Emily even chose to stay with the Grant family.
Emily was more like the Watson family heir than he was; she was calm, restrained, smart, and decisive.