Chapter 10 I Want Maria to Go to Jail
Emily was scared out of her wits, thinking it was a robbery.
But when she turned around, she saw the hand covering her mouth belonged to a slender young girl.
Emily looked back in shock — it was Jennifer.
“You—”
“Shut up.”
Jennifer pulled Emily behind a convenience store refrigerator.
Her expression was calm — unnervingly calm.
Stunned by her composure, Emily forgot to resist and hid in the corner with her.
Sure enough, seconds later, a group of people in leather jackets and jeans sprinted past the store’s entrance.
The punks took off running — but were all caught within a few steps.
Jennifer finally exhaled, her tension easing.
James approached, looking worried.
“Jennifer, were you in danger just now?”
Jennifer shoved Emily aside.
Emily was wailing loudly, but Jennifer’s face remained calm.
“Go buy me disinfectant wipes.”
James, who always obeyed her, hurried off.
When he returned, Jennifer ignored Emily sobbing nearby and instead meticulously wiped her own fingers, as if scrubbing off something revolting.
James asked,
“Emily, what happened? How did you end up with those guys?”
Emily’s mind had collapsed.
Her only recent conflict had been with Jennifer, so she almost blamed Jennifer—
But Jennifer had just risked her life to save her.
If the police had arrived late… the consequences would have been unimaginable.
Though Jennifer appeared calm, Emily — pressed against Jennifer’s back behind the refrigerator earlier — had felt Jennifer’s hand trembling slightly, icy cold.
Emily was too shaken to answer James.
After wiping her hands and tossing the tissue, Jennifer asked:
“What you said before — does it still stand? That you’d do anything for me?”
James sighed, voice thick with emotion.
“Jennifer… what must I do to prove I truly love you and want to spend my life with you?”
Jennifer knew Emily had always loved James.
So making him say this in front of her was a form of revenge.
After all, when Emily stole the Hunter’s Book, she truly meant to destroy Jennifer.
Jennifer glanced at Emily and smiled faintly.
“But I don’t think I love you anymore. What should I do?”
James replied, “It’s all right. I’ll chase you until you love me again.”
“Is that so?”
Emily’s face turned deathly pale.
Jennifer smoothed a stray lock of hair from her forehead.
“Then I need one last favour from you.”
“What?”
“The one who sent those thugs was Michael’s fiancée — Maria.”
Jennifer locked eyes with James.
As she expected, shock flashed across his face.
“I want you to testify that Maria hired those criminals —
and send her to prison.”
“Jennifer, that—”
“What? Are you afraid?”
James hesitated.
“No — I’m not afraid.
But there’s no proof.
And Michael’s been good to you.
Even if Maria did this…
you wouldn’t betray him, right?”
“Jennifer, I—”
Jennifer’s expression didn’t change.
Her smile remained captivating.
“If you help me, I’ll be your girlfriend.”
James froze.
He truly loved Jennifer.
He’d loved her since the first moment he saw her.
But he also knew she didn’t like him.
Often, he felt she was simply using him.
Still… he wanted to try.
He wanted to make things right.
He wanted to atone for everything she’d suffered.
After a long pause, he took a deep breath.
“If Maria is truly behind this… I’ll testify.
As long as Michael doesn’t object.”
Seeing his earnest expression, Jennifer burst out laughing.
Her smile was bright — but laced with coldness.
“James… if that’s the case, why would I come to you?
Wouldn’t it be better for me to just become Michael’s girlfriend?”
James flinched.
He remembered that night by the pool —
Michael standing close to a girl on the balcony.
A girl who definitely wasn’t Maria.
He hadn’t considered it before.
But now…
“Jennifer, you mustn’t say things like that!”
“You can dislike me, but Michael…”
“What about him?”
James frowned and whispered:
“He’s not someone you should provoke.”
Jennifer’s smile grew colder.
At that moment, Emily suddenly burst into laughter.
“How would you know?
Did you know she took the Hunter’s Book from Michael?”
James was stunned.
Meanwhile, Jennifer grabbed a bottle of Coke from the vending machine, her expression playful and wicked.
“Yes. If you won’t help, I’ll have to ask Michael instead.”
“What if he takes a liking to me?”
James stiffened.
But — like Emily — he didn’t really believe Michael would ever be involved with Jennifer.
Jennifer, however, knew relying on James wasn’t enough.
So she went to find Michael herself.
⸻
He was at a high-end private hospital in District C.
Maria’s mother was scheduled for heart surgery, and Michael was expected to stop by.
Amanda and Maria were waiting outside the operating room.
Then Maria received a call.
“Hello, this is Maria.”
After hearing the caller’s identity and purpose, Maria froze.
It was the police station.
She glanced at Amanda and said,
“Hold on,”
before walking to the far end of the hallway to take the call privately.
Michael arrived at the hospital at that very moment.
