Chapter 53

Emma struggled to break free from Liam's arms. She weakly grabbed his shoulder, causing him to wince. She remembered the helicopter rescue; the man had a similar injury. Just then, her phone buzzed: "Emma, I'm so sorry!"

Liam's face clouded at the interruption. Emma frowned. "What's wrong?" she asked. The anxious reply: "You're being attacked online!"

Emma met Liam's gaze and opened her phone. Twitter was flooded with negative comments. "Why is this woman trying to cozy up to Mr. Rivera? Disgusting!" one comment read. Another sneered, "She's so ugly! Mr. Rivera can't be with her!" Yet another claimed, "I know her. Emma. From that international school in Troln City. She's using Mr. Rivera's fame." Negative reviews filled the page.

Emma scrolled through more hurtful remarks. Sean's fans mistakenly believed she was romantically involved with him. "Maybe I should just hack into Twitter," she said casually. Liam remained silent. "Just kidding," she added with a wry smile. She was capable, but saw no need for retaliation.

Then, she saw a grotesquely edited photo of herself—her features exaggerated, her face bloated, her body distorted. "Who would do this?" she cried. "It's horrible!" This explained the online mockery.

"Don't worry," Liam said, reaching for her phone. But Emma noticed another notification. "Look, someone's standing up for me."

Amidst the insults, someone had posted a genuine photo of Emma, taken by a classmate at Vark College. It showed her true beauty. The person defending her quickly became the target of vicious online attacks.

Liam was suspicious. He clicked on the nearly empty profile: "June." "Who could this be?" he asked.

"I'm not sure, maybe a classmate," Emma replied, her eyes on her phone. Liam discreetly investigated June's identity.

Elsewhere, Sean, furious at the online slander, drafted a tweet in Emma's defense: "She is the most important person to me. Anyone attacking her can back off."

His manager was alarmed. "Mr. Rivera, that's too harsh!"

Sean's expression darkened. "Why? We shouldn't let them bully Emma!"

"This might make fans think she's your girlfriend, which could make things worse for her," his manager explained.

After a discussion, they drafted a more careful message. Soon, Emma saw Sean's new tweet trending: "We are not romantically involved, but she is a cherished part of my family, more important than anyone. She's still at college and deserves to study without harassment. Please respect that and support me. Thank you for your understanding!"

Public opinion swiftly shifted. "She's related to Mr. Rivera! We've been attacking the wrong person!" one apologized. Another commented, "The unflattering photos are fake. Have you seen the ones @June posted? Both Mr. Rivera and his family member are good-looking." "Could she be his sister? I'm shocked!" others wondered.

While Sean defended Emma, Liam protected her information, managing the crisis. Positive comments spread. "She's a student at Vark College, and she's even more beautiful in person. The hatred is unjustified," one comment, receiving many likes, stated. A reply added, "She came second in the Vark Invitational Mathematics Examination, right behind Vere. Rumor has it she preferred the second prize (LOL)."

With support from June and Sean, Liam watched Emma's reputation recover, but a growing concern lingered. The online storm had calmed, but Vark College buzzed with excitement. Knowing Sean was Emma's uncle brought newfound respect, even autograph requests.

Emma's phone rang. Returning composed, she approached Liam. "The police just informed me. Aria has been murdered."

Liam raised an eyebrow.

Emma continued, "It was brutal—multiple stab wounds, signs of kidnapping, and she had been starved."

"Are the police involving you?" Liam asked calmly.

"No, they've identified the suspect—Sebastian," Emma answered.

She stepped closer, wrapping her arms around his waist, resting her head against him. She imagined a future together. Despite not knowing if Aria's death connected to Liam, she resolved to handle her adversaries alone.

Liam gently stroked her head. "It seems I haven't done enough if you still have room for other thoughts."

Three days later, Emma stood alone at Aria's funeral. Sebastian, who'd once bailed Aria out, had murdered her. Despite the Gomez family's influence, they couldn't escape the consequences. Yolanda found Emma at her lowest; Emma's refusal to cooperate meant Sebastian faced jail time. With Sebastian imprisoned, the ties between Emma and the Gomez family were severed.

Emma felt little sorrow. In a previous life, Aria had caused her painful death by fire—a memory that haunted her. In this life, though Emma hadn't killed Aria, her actions had indirectly avenged her. Attending the funeral, she sought closure. The car pulled up to the cemetery.