She had seen that elegant retro dress before; not the exact same one, but one with a similar style and pattern.
Emily finally remembered that she had seen the same skirt and the same style! Yes, the same dressing style! The hairstyle, dress, and makeup included!
It was Wendy! It was a scene that Emily could never forget, either. The old madam thought she had bullied Wendy because of Wendy’s performance. The old madam had looked at her with such disappointment and disgust that it made her heart tremble.
She remembered that Wendy had dressed up exactly like Talia in the photo! That must have been the first time she started to pretend that she was the old madam’s granddaughter! That must have been it! It was from that day, onward!
What had happened in Jackson’s backyard? Emily clasped her palms tightly as she tried her best to recall the situation that day; the scenes became more evident in her mind. There was another maid with the old madam, Evie, whom she had fired!
Something must have happened between the old madam and Wendy before Emily appeared that day. Evie might just be the key figure for her to figure out what had taken place there.
Emily slipped the photo back into the book, and she was about to place the book back onto the bookcase. However, her hand slipped, and she nearly dropped the book. She caught it in a hurry as something small fell out from the pages.
Emily picked it up from the floor, and it was a business card for Luke Cooke from the Luke Detective Agency. The old Madam Jackson have engaged his services for an investigation into her granddaughter’s identity. Did Luke find anything about that? Did he know that Emily was that missing granddaughter? Everything had changed when
Wendy dressed up as Talia’s daughter. It was a mess, and Emily did not understand what had happened.
Footsteps from outside the room startled Emily, and she hurriedly slipped the business card into her bag. Then she pretended to be busy with the book.
Sarah came into the room and looked at her. She said, “The old master is back. You have to leave. Quickly.”
“Okay.” Emily put the book back to its original position and immediately followed Sarah out from old madam’s room. Then they headed toward Manson’s Tamron Pavilion.
Manson was excited when he saw Emily. She told him that some robbers had kidnapped her, but she was rescued. Manson did not ask further questions as he could sense that she did not want to be reminded of the incident. He regretted that he did not protect her well that night.
“I have already taught those girls a lesson, especially Nina.”
Even though he told her that, Manson still felt guilty. He could not help her when she was in a bind; why would his actions after that matter?
It was also obvious that Emily was not interested in what he had to say. She only nodded along to indicate her attention. Other than that, she did not have any other response for him. Manson insisted that he would send her home after their dinner, and Sarah did not stop him. Emily told him that she wanted to walk around the garden, so they took the buggy around the yard.
“I’m really sorry, Emily. That day…”
“Didn’t we agree not to mention it anymore?” It was useless to comment on the past.
Emily was not cold toward him, but she was not as enthusiastic either.
She said, “I had dinner with you because I have a deal with your mother. I hope you can understand her love for you and stop worrying her all the time.”
“I didn’t want to worry her. When I knew what you were alright, I have been working hard and attentively.”
Manson did not want her to think of him as a useless bum. Emily could tell that he was sincere when she looked into his eyes.
Then she remembered that she only wanted to use him, and she felt uneasy. “Actually, I…”
“Are you really with Second Young Master Sharp now?” Manson had wanted to ask the question the moment he saw her. He only held back because he thought she would be disgusted with him.
Emily wanted to deny that, but on second thought, she asked, “If I said yes, what would you do?”
She had no idea why that young master would be interested in her. She might have looked beautiful, but men like him would not care much about beauty. They wanted women with class. However, she discovered that Manson had an unhealthy obsession with her.
Manson’s eyes dimmed, but he answered cheerfully, “As long as you are not married, I still have a chance.”
Emily did not know how to respond to that. She looked up and saw a familiar car turned into the direction of WongRiver Pavilion. He was back!
“Second Young Master Jackson, I still have something to do. Please tell them to drop me off here. I can leave by myself.”
Manson also saw the vehicle, and his eyes went darker in sorrow. Emily seemed to care for both Hunter and Henry. However, she did not seem to bother about him; it was as if his presence in her life was negligible.
“You asked me to take you around the yard just to see if Eldest Brother is back?”
He could not understand her. “Since you’re already with Second Young Master Sharp, then, stay away from my eldest brother. I’m not blaming you; I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
Emily knew that he had misunderstood her, but she did not want to correct him. If he were to hate her, then perhaps he would leave her alone in the future.
“It’s my business.” She patted the railing of the buggy lightly. “Please stop here.”
Manson said, “Take us to WongRiver Pavilion.”
Without a word, the driver immediately drove toward WongRiver Pavilion. If Emily were alone, she probably would not have been able to enter the compound that easily. However, no one would stop Second Young Master Jackson. The buggy pulled to a stop in front of WongRiver Pavilion’s hall.
Before Emily could say anything else, Manson stated, “I won’t bother you. I’ll just wait for you in the yard, alright?”
His thoughtfulness moved her.
“I don’t know when I’ll be out. You should head back…”
“I’ll wait for you.” Manson said nothing more and told the driver to park the buggy at the corner of the yard. Then, he leaned back on the seat and shut his tired eyes to rest.
Emily took a deep breath before she stepped into the hall. She did not expect to see Wendy as soon as she was there. Wendy had just come down from the stairs, and she sulked as if she felt defeated. Wendy did not expect to see Emily at WongRiver Pavilion’s hall too.
“What are you doing here?” Wendy immediately adjusted her sad expression on her face and lifted her chin as she walked toward Emily.
Wendy had wanted to see Hunter, but he had refused her request. She was still in a bad mood after Liam persuaded her to leave. Emily had appeared at the wrong time, so she was in her line of fire.
Wendy asked in an arrogant tone, “Who allowed you to come in here? Do you think that this is a place that you can easily come and go as you wish? Leave at once!”