Chapter 696 Malice
At this moment, Emilia’s arrogant attitude that was directed at Melissa had completely dissipated. Her desperate desire to survive consumed her. She had to stay alive, and she was willing to pay any price necessary to do so.
“Anya, I didn’t mean to betray you,” Emilia pleaded, putting on a pitiful act. “It was Yerek who told me to do this!”
Emilia was well aware that Anya had not approached her first just to teach her a lesson.
It was clear that there was a power imbalance in Emilia and Yerek’s partnership, for Yerek never showed any respect for Emilia.
Emilia was an impatient person. Her choice to rely on Yerek when Anya was losing was driven by desperation. Surprisingly, their objectives aligned perfectly, as both harbored a deep hatred toward Christina.
It was that very animosity that forced two people who could not stand each other to form a partnership for the sake of achieving their objectives.
“Tell me, why did Yerek ask you to betray me?” Anya grabbed Emilia’s chin, forcing her to lift her head. “I won’t show you any mercy if you lie to me!”
Anya now resembled a demon from the depths of hell. She was no longer the short-sighted and power- hungry
heiress of the Gibson family she once was.
The brutal society and the harsh reality forcefully changed Anya into a completely different person. Now, her methods were far more ruthless and extreme than Timothy’s.
“Yerek feared that you will compete with him for the inheritance, so he set you up.” Emilia blurted out. fabricating a lie to save her own hide.
“What inheritance? Be specific!”
From what Anya knew, Nigel’s company was burdened with debt, and a significant portion of the remaining a*sets had been taken by Christina under various pretexts. Moreover, Barnaby did not even care about Yerek and Nigel, so there were no a*sets for Emilia and Yerek to contend for.
“Nigel registered several companies overseas under the names of others, and those companies continued thriving, having not been affected by the series of events,” Emilia admitted. “Most of the funds used to establish those companies were transferred from marital a*sets. Now, all of those companies have been transferred to Yerek’s name. From what I know, their market value is around fifty billion.”
Anya was taken aback, her eyes widening in disbelief as she exclaimed, “How could that be?”
If Nigel had transferred such a large amount of money, why was Macy completely unaware of it?
Nevertheless, Anya soon figured out the answer
Nigel never allowed Macy to get involved in the company’s matters. Her only focus was on spending money, and Nigel provided her with a black card that could fulfill those desires of hers.
“After the division of the Gibson family, Yerek did live a humble life for a while. That was because he hadn’t yet fully acquired Nigel’s a*sets.
The sight of Anya’s agony brought Emilia joy. As if she was addicted to that sensation, she revealed every single one of Yerek’s secret trump cards.
“This image of Yerek that outsiders currently perceive is entirely a facade. The more miserable his life seems, the easier it becomes for those who seek to harm him to let their guard down. That makes his plans more likely to succeed.”
Anya was skeptical regarding Emilia’s revelations. Sensing her hesitation, Emilia added, “If you don’t believe me, you can investigate Yerek’s accounts. Every fifteenth of the month, a substantial amount of money will be transferred into his account. That money isn’t investment capital; it’s dividends from shares transferred to him by overseas companies.”
Yerek’s craftiness sent shivers down Anya’s spine, and Nigel’s preferential treatment broke Anya’s heart.
She, too, was Nigel’s child. Why can’t I have what Yerek has?
Pain exploded in Anya’s heart, and she stumbled back before collapsing on the chair behind her, her pale lips quivering.
Seizing the opportunity, Emilia managed to crawl up from the ground and looked at her bruised and battered hand. A glimmer of resentment flashed in her eyes.
“Yerek has leverage over me, leaving me with no other option but to be coerced by him. Honestly, I would rather work together with you.”
Emilia was slowly chipping off Anya’s defenses, making the latter’s stance sway.
“I’m seeking a bright future, and you’re after power. Why don’t we continue our partnership? We can work together to get rid of Yerek and help you regain what’s rightfully yours.”
At that, Anya’s gaze toward Emilia turned cold, and a mocking smile played at the corner of her lips. “Continue our partnership so you can have another opportunity to stab me in my back? I don’t think so.”
Emilia maintained her composure and said, “It’s still better than both of us ending up in the hands of Yerek and Christina. Take a moment to think about it. Once Yerek learns that you’ve been acquitted, how do you think he will come after you? Have you given it serious thought?”
Sure enough, Yerek was the heir groomed by Nigel. He had learned everything from Nigel, including Nigel’s despicable nature.
Fifteen years ago, Nigel had dared to set up his own brother and sister-in-law and kill them. It would not come as a surprise for Yerek to not spare her, his half-sister.
To those two, blood ties mattered not when personal profits were at stake.
“Emilia, there’s no trust left between us. If you want us to keep working together, you need to prove your sincerity to me.”
She finally took the bait!
“You were only arrested because you fell for Christina’s trap. I’ve gathered information these past couple of days. Tomorrow, Christina is scheduled to visit her studio for an inspection. This will be an excellent opportunity. Tell me how you want me to handle it, and I’ll follow your instructions without questions.” Anya’s eyes narrowed with fierce determination. “I want that demn Christina here, all died up and ready
“Yes, of course,” Emilia replied, a cunning plan formulating in her mind. “But let’s keep this quiet. We don’t want to alert anyone. I’ll need your a*sistance since having more people involved won’t do us any favors.”
Anya narrowed her eyes dangerously. “I’ll back you up.”
Emilia curled her lips. “I’ll arrange the transportation.”
Just before Nathaniel’s return, Christina and Rayne made the final adjustments to the studio renovation plan.
“This particular task is a bit intricate, and there’s a risk of misinterpretation by the workers. I’ll visit the construction site tomorrow in person to oversee the process and ensure its accuracy. Let’s arrange a meeting on-site to discuss the specifics.”
When Christina heard a noise coming from the foyer, she guessed Nathaniel must’ve come back.
“I have something to attend to, so let’s discuss the details when we meet tomorrow.”
At that, Rayne waved goodbye to Christina and ended the video call.
Right then, Nathaniel appeared in the living room.
Christina discreetly switched the work page on her tablet to the gossip and entertainment channel. Coincidentally, the entertainment section covered a full page of news about the comical incidents surrounding Anya’s arrest and subsequent release within forty-eight hours.
Nathaniel glanced at the content on the tablet and rea*sured, “The lawyer who managed to secure Anya’s release is highly reputable and skilled in the field, and the big shot backing the lawyer isn’t one to be underestimated. There’s no need to be overly concerned about this. With me around, those who are trying to bully you won’t end well.”
