“Alright, let me drive,” Richard suggested.
Emily handed her car keys to Richard before getting into the car.
“What do you want to talk about?” Richard asked as he drove Emily’s car.
“I want to ask about my grandfather,” Emily said softly, her voice filled with hidden concern.
“Chairman? What do you want to ask?” Richard asked curiously.
Emily swallowed hard, her eyes welling up. “Has the killer of my grandfather been found?”
A moment of silence enveloped them, no sound heard until Richard finally broke the silence with a brief answer, “Not yet.”
“The police managed to locate the whereabouts of the killer and apprehend his accomplices, but unfortunately, the killer managed to escape. Several years later, his whereabouts were finally revealed, and the police team managed to find him again, but…” Richard fell silent for a moment, his facial expression reflecting regret.
“But what?” Emily asked, her curiosity evident in her eyes.
“But he managed to escape again by jumping from one of the high bridges over the river. Since then, his whereabouts have not been found, no one knows whether he is still alive or dead,” Richard explained.
“Has the identity of the killer been known?” Emily asked with tension, her eyes fixed on Richard seeking an answer that would bring clarity to her.
Richard nodded before answering, “The killer is Mr. Daniel’s personal driver.”
Emily was shocked to hear the confession. Memories of the moment when Mr. Daniel’s personal driver left her alone in the car on the day of the accident haunted her again. Mr. Daniel’s personal driver politely excused himself, got out of the car, and asked Emily to wait for him for a moment, citing urgent business. However, shortly after that, the tragic accident that Emily experienced in Daniel’s body finally occurred.
Emily’s eyes welled up as she recalled the incident, but when she remembered the friendly smile of the personal driver, she felt somewhat incredulous that the driver would be cruel to Daniel’s family. “Is there possibly a reason behind his actions?” she asked, her voice filled with confusion.
Richard nodded solemnly before explaining, “In fact, he is the child of the chairman with another woman. His actions were done as revenge against Mr. Daniel’s family, especially against the chairman. He also influenced Mr. Robert to undermine Daniel’s position. Due to a lack of funds to persuade some board members, Mr. Robert and Mr. Michael conspired and eventually got caught up in a corruption case,” Richard explained seriously.
“He was also the mastermind behind using your biological father to carry out the murders of Mr. Daniel’s parents,” Richard added.
Emily felt shocked and hurt upon hearing all the revelations from Richard’s explanation.
“Daniel never told me about this,” Emily said with a trembling voice. “I had no idea about any of this.”
Richard gazed at Emily with empathy before saying, “I believe Mr. Daniel only wanted to protect those around him without causing them worry. That’s why he never told you about this.” Richard’s voice was understanding and warm, trying to comfort Emily amidst the confusion and disappointment.
Emily smiled softly upon hearing Richard’s words. “Daniel couldn’t possibly worry me, because my biological father caused the deaths of his parents. He married me only to seek revenge on me. He didn’t love me,” Emily replied.
Richard was reminded of the moment when Daniel, residing within Emily’s body, appeared so worried about the comatose Emily trapped in his body.
“I’m sure he loves you, Emily,” Richard said with conviction. “He wouldn’t be so concerned when your soul is in a coma within his body if he didn’t love you.”
“Do you know about our swapped souls?” Emily asked.
Richard nodded and replied, “Mr. Daniel entrusted W Company to me when he was not around, and he also wanted to find a way for your souls to return to your respective bodies. He couldn’t bear to see you suffer too long in the coma body,” he revealed.
“That’s impossible, Richard. Daniel couldn’t possibly care about me,” Emily said, dismissing all the information Richard conveyed.
Finally, Emily’s car came to a stop right outside Richard’s house. “I spoke the truth. Mr. Daniel is someone I respect, and I owe him a great deal.”
Richard continued, “Perhaps you could meet and talk directly to clarify misunderstandings between you and come back together,” he said with hope and encouragement.
“Thank you for the ride, Emily,” Richard said before getting out of the car.
After Richard got out of the car, his words about the possibility of Daniel loving her made Emily feel hopeful, but then she smiled sadly. “You’re hoping too much, Em. Realize that your father is the cause of their deaths. You are the daughter of a murderer,” he said with a trembling voice.
***
On a bright morning in the office, an atmosphere filled with enthusiasm and emotion welcomed Emily. Mr. Ryan, her boss, approached Emily sitting at her desk with a warm smile.
“Good morning, Emily! Congratulations on your success in convincing Mr. Daniel to invest in this company. Well done!” Mr. Ryan said with pride.
Emily smiled gratefully. “Thank you, Sir. I am very grateful for the trust and support given.”
Mr. Ryan continued, “With this success, I am pleased to announce that you are officially appointed as the investment manager in this company. Congratulations, Emily!”
Emily was surprised and happy to hear the news; she felt proud and grateful for this opportunity. “Thank you very much, Sir! I will work hard to meet expectations and give my best for this company,” she said sincerely.
During the lunch break, many colleagues offered congratulations and well-wishes for Emily’s success. A warm and supportive atmosphere surrounded Emily, showing solidarity and camaraderie among the team.
After a day of activities in the office, it was time for Emily to head home. Just as she was about to start the car engine, Emily’s eyes caught a notification message from Alice that appeared on her phone screen.
‘Em, I’ve sent you a birthday invitation again. I hope you can come.’
‘Of course,’ Emily quickly typed out the reply message before starting her car engine.
After a few moments of travel, Emily finally arrived home.
“Mom!” Grace exclaimed joyfully upon seeing Emily’s arrival, then quickly ran towards Emily. Without hesitation, Emily responded with a smile and embraced Grace tightly as she approached.
“How was your day at the office? You seem so happy,” Fred said.
“I was promoted to investment manager there,” Emily said with a proud smile that couldn’t be hidden.
Fred, with an admiring smile, congratulated Emily.
“Thank you, Dad.”
“Oh, by the way, is there an invitation for me?” Emily asked, curious about the invitation mentioned by Mia in the previous message.
“Is this the invitation you’re referring to?” Fred asked, pointing to the table in front of them, where an envelope with Emily’s name neatly written on it was placed.
“Oh yes, that’s right,” Emily answered as she opened the invitation, but her attention was eventually drawn to an interesting detail in the invitation. It stated that Alice’s birthday party would be a masquerade party, requiring all guests to wear masks throughout the event.
“Dad, Grace. I want to take you out today. I also want to buy something to wear to my friend’s birthday party tomorrow,” Emily said.
“It seems like I can’t make it today, Em. I already have plans with my friend,” Fred said.
“What if we just take that handsome uncle, Mom?” Grace suggested.
“Handsome uncle?” Fred asked with curiosity.
Emily was surprised to hear Grace mention the handsome uncle in front of Fred, knowing how much Fred despised Daniel after all the suffering Emily had been through.
“Grace, let’s get ready. We’re going out, right?” Emily said, pulling Grace’s hand to enter the room.
“Mom, can I invite the handsome uncle?” Grace asked innocently.
“Grace, the uncle is very busy. He’s also unlikely to approve your request, so don’t think too much and let’s get ready,” Emily said with a gentle yet firm voice.
After a while, they both had finished getting ready to go. Emily smiled as she saw Grace looking so cheerful and beautiful in the outfit she had chosen.
“Grace, my granddaughter looks so beautiful today,” Fred said.
“Of course, I’m beautiful. Did grandpa just realize?” Grace asked innocently, making them all laugh together at the innocence in Grace’s tone.
“In that case, we’ll be off now, Dad,” Emily said with a smile as she bid farewell to Fred.
Once they were in the car, Emily suddenly remembered that she had forgotten her wallet left inside. “Grace, can you wait here for a moment?”
Grace nodded in response. After seeing Emily leave, she took out her phone from Emily’s bag and searched for the name ‘Handsome Uncle’ in the contacts.
“Uncle, can you come meet me?” Grace wrote with hope before sending the message to Daniel.