Chapter 4

"Emily, what did you do to Sophia?" James gritted his teeth, his eyes bloodshot.

Emily was angry, but more than that, she felt self-mocking.

So this was the man she had given her heart to!

She spoke coldly: "I'll say it one more time—Sophia's disappearance has nothing to do with me."

James didn't believe her.

"Officers, please help me find out where Sophia is."

The two police officers questioned Emily based on Eli's report—she had no issues.

They also checked recent surveillance footage with their colleagues, which proved that Emily had only gone out once since yesterday to meet Bianca.

James and Eli didn't believe it, still staring at Emily with hatred.

Emily just wanted to get rid of them, so she voluntarily handed her phone to the officers.

"I trust the officers can clear my name."

The two officers carefully checked her phone and verified everything with the phone company before giving James and Eli their conclusion.

"James, Eli, Sophia's disappearance has nothing to do with Emily. We've already called in more officers to continue searching for Sophia. Please be patient."

James's face darkened, his eyes sinister.

"Emily, you really have some tricks up your sleeve!"

He maintained the dignity of a wealthy family heir, restraining his anger and politely thanking the two officers.

But as soon as they left, he immediately grabbed Emily by the throat, saying menacingly, "Emily, are you going to tell me or not?"

Emily struggled to breathe as he choked her, staring at him with resentment, her voice squeezing through her teeth.

"James, if you're not using your brain, you might as well donate it. The officers have already traced every step I've taken these past two days, and you're still asking me." Emily was truly disappointed in James, desperately grabbing at his hand around her throat.

She hated this so much!

"James, you can go crazy, but I don't have to put up with it. I'm going to sue you for assault."

"As if you could?" James looked down at her disdainfully and pushed her hard to the floor.

Emily gasped for air, clutching her throat and coughing violently.

"Daddy, let's go find Mommy. Mommy must be so scared." Eli's voice brought James back to his senses.

Sophia was the most important thing right now. He had to find her quickly. Emily was too cunning—he'd almost fallen for her delaying tactics.

Furious, he pulled Emily up while she was still trying to catch her breath and dragged her toward the balcony. Ignoring her struggles, he gripped her wrist tightly and threw her onto the balcony.

The next second.

James closed the glass door. Emily frantically tried to open it, but James locked it right in front of her.

"James, what are you doing?"

"Emily, you can think about what you've done out on the balcony. Once we find Sophia, I'll deal with you properly."

Dark clouds gathered, strong winds raged—this was the sign of an approaching storm.

Emily had been married to James for five years. Trying to get pregnant, she'd ruined her health.

Before, she didn't know James's true nature. She foolishly gave everything for love, suffering through the arrangements made by the Smith family elders, thinking James would see her devotion.

But she was completely wrong. James wasn't worth it. She was lightly dressed, and her weakened body couldn't withstand this storm.

For the sake of her health, she begged James.

"James, let me in. The storm is coming."

Emily pounded on the glass door, her slender arms exposed, making James feel a twinge of sympathy.

He frowned and hesitated, about to turn back when Eli tugged at his pants, sobbing: "Daddy, I miss Mommy. Mommy! Mommy! I want Mommy!"

It was all because Emily wouldn't cooperate that Sophia was still in danger. Just locking her on the balcony—she brought this on herself.

"Emily, you can reflect on what you've done out on the balcony. I won't open the door for you."

He picked up Eli, grabbed Emily's phone from the sofa, and quickly left.

"James, with the storm coming, it's dangerous for me on the balcony. Let me in first. Sophia's situation has nothing to do with me."

James turned a deaf ear and slammed the door shut.

Thunder rolled from far to near, lightning flashed repeatedly, as if it would strike right in front of Emily any second.

Emily pressed herself against the glass door in the corner, terrified.

She hugged herself tightly, burying her head in her knees, not daring to look up at the sky or at the pitch-black weather outside.

The rain poured down.

Strong winds raged, and flying ants in the rain kept flying toward the balcony, making Emily's heart race, but she had nowhere to go.

"James, I've lost completely. After this, I have no love left for you."

Her love had died.

It was only at this moment that she understood—James treated her worse than he would treat a stranger.

James clearly knew she was most afraid of this kind of stormy weather. When they first got married, whenever this kind of weather came, James would always drop everything and rush home.

He would say: "Honey, don't be afraid. My arms are your safest harbor."

She would snuggle affectionately in James's arms, listening to his strong heartbeat, feeling like life was perfect.

But now James had personally locked her on the balcony, making her face the terrifying storm alone.

Because Sophia was missing, he pinned a false accusation on her to punish her.

The love James gave her was so ironic!

Those memories of love that she thought they shared were treasured deep in her mind. When she couldn't bear the pressure of trying to conceive at the Smith Villa, those memories kept her going.

She thought the consideration and care James gave her were beautiful, and she was willing to do things she didn't want to do for him. But now those treasured beautiful memories had become her biggest mockery.

It was all fake!

The real James never loved her. He married her to get revenge for Sophia.

"James, I don't love you anymore."

Emily murmured again, looking up toward the outside of the balcony.

The wind bent the trees, the plants on the balcony were blown away, and things kept falling onto the balcony.

In this weather, she couldn't stay on the balcony any longer. She had to find a way to save herself.

She carefully moved toward the balcony railing and vaguely saw light coming from the next balcony.

Hope lit up in her eyes—there was someone next door.

Emily used all her strength to call for help toward the next balcony: "Help!"

"Help!"

"Save me!"

...

But the wind and rain were too loud, and her voice didn't attract the neighbor's attention.

The storm grew stronger. Emily, already lightly dressed, shivered from the cold, hugging herself even tighter.

The pitch-black sky looked like a man-eating beast. Emily's face turned pale with fear, her expression haggard, her eyes empty, and tears kept falling like broken pearls.

Calling for help was useless, and she couldn't get back into the room. Was she going to die here today?

Emily refused to accept this. She continued calling for help until her voice was hoarse, but there was still no response from next door.

Her vision kept going black, and she felt terribly dizzy.

In the last second before losing consciousness, she thought that if she could survive this storm, she would leave James as soon as possible.