Chapter 7
The video ended abruptly.
Tobias Johnson turned to me with a smirk. “While you’ve been recovering, they’ve been going crazy trying to find you–especially Stephen.”
“It has nothing to do with me,” I replied indifferently.
This manor had excellent security measures. Without Tobias’s permission, they’d never be able to find me.
And that was exactly how I wanted it.
Tobias studied me for a long time, repeatedly mentioning Stephen’s name, as if trying to detect a hint of softness in my expression.
When he finally realized I wasn’t going to react, he gave up with a sigh.
“To think, you two were once the talk of the town–a perfect couple everyone envied. And now, so much for the so–called bond of childhood sweethearts.”
There was mockery in his tone as he spoke.
But there was also a hint of something else–something that seemed like… triumph?
I ignored his derision and calmly turned my gaze to the window.
My physical wounds had nearly healed, but the scars in my heart would never fade.
Even a nanny could feel sympathy for my plight, while the family who once claimed to love me ignored my cries for
help.
Such a family wasn’t worth keeping.
Fortunately, life at the Johnson estate was treating me well.
Though Tobias had a sharp tongue, he never once crossed the line.
In fact, there were times when I accidentally got too close to him, and he would quickly step away with reddened
ears.
Anyone who didn’t know better might think I was the one who had kept him.
With little else to do, I took it upon myself to cook Tobias’s meals every day.
One day, when he saw the table full of dishes, his expression was one of surprise.
“Miss White, weren’t you raised in luxury all your life? You can actually cook? Did you poison the food?”
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Chapter 7
Though Tobias spoke as he did, his actions betrayed him as he took a large bite of the food.
“I’m telling you, as long as the agreement stands, even if I die, you’ll have to mourn for me for three years.”
I calmly served him a bowl of rice and replied, “After my father passed away, I learned how to do everything.”
The people who loved me were gone.
I had no choice but to struggle and grow up.
I remembered making fried rice once when I was a child.
Back then, I didn’t know anything and ended up pouring in half a bag of salt.
But Aiden and Stephen were still deeply moved, eagerly finishing every bite.
Later, as I kept practicing and improving my cooking, they began to grow critical.
They complained that my dishes didn’t suit Sunny Mason’s taste and accused me of deliberately adding peanuts to make her allergic.
Eventually, the dining table became a place where I sat alone, staring at a full spread of dishes.
Watching Tobias, someone so notoriously picky, devour my cooking now made me realize that my skills weren’t as bad as I had thought.
Hearing my story, Tobias paused mid–bite, his expression complicated as he looked at me.
“There’s something I wasn’t planning on telling you, but I’ve thought it over–you should know.”
“Tomorrow, I’ll arrange for you to meet your family one last time. Be prepared.”
Tobias’s tone left no room for negotiation.
Although I was curious, I didn’t press him further and quietly followed his arrangements.
The next day, Tobias arranged for the meeting in the reception room.
Aiden and Stephen sat neatly, waiting for me, their faces filled with urgency.
Even after the White family’s decline, they maintained a semblance of their former dignity, always dressing meticulously whenever they left the house.
But now, they sat disheveled, their faces haggard, with none of their past confidence and flair.
Only Sunny Mason stood out, adorned in jewels, wearing a custom Chanel suit they had just gifted her and my pearl necklace. She stared jealously at the pink diamond around my neck.
“Emily, how have you been?”
“We’re here to take you home, Emily. We didn’t know how much you sacrificed for the White family. Why didn’t
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you tell us sooner?”
“Mom has cried her eyes out waiting for you to come back.”
Stephen, his eyes red, tried to take my hand.
“It’s okay. Emily. I don’t care about what you’ve done. Let’s go home, all right? Let’s put everything behind us and live a good life together…”
Before he could touch me. Tobias’s cold gaze stopped him in his tracks.
Tobias scanned the room with icy eyes and spoke slowly.
“I didn’t bring you here to get handsy with my woman. There’s something from six months ago that I think you should know.”
At those words, Sunny’s face changed.
Though she tried her best to stay calm, the trembling of her hands betrayed the fear in her heart.
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