Chapter 26

The buzz of the party died down as a collective gasp filled the room. All eyes were drawn to the entrance, where Emma stood, very much awake and very much furious.

Natalie, however, remained calm, a quiet observer to the unfolding drama.

Murray’s face lit up with hope. “Grandma, you’re awake,” he said, but his joy was short-lived.

Emma was outraged that her grandson had faith in a woman of deceit, her gaze sharp and accusatory towards Murray. “If I hadn’t come to, you’d have handed everything over to that deceitful woman,” she spat, her voice laced with disgust.

Murray stammered, “But Grandma, Jennifer saved you…”

“Enough!” Emma’s voice sliced through the air. “Jennifer wasn’t the real hero. I was set up and poisoned, and my bodyguard had an ‘accident.’ You knew about the toxins in my injuries but halted the probe. You’ve been duped by her deceit.”

The room was a sea of shocked faces, all turning to Jennifer, who stood there, her plans unraveling.

Jennifer’s eyes darted around, panic setting in. She’d been planning to make sure Emma never woke up again, her scheme by the pool backfiring.

Murray, his face burning with embarrassment from the public dressing-down, shouted, “Grandma, I don’t get what you’re saying.”

Emma gestured to the screen. “Watch it,” she said, as the bodyguard played the footage. There was Jennifer, sneaking around, diving into the pool for a staged rescue, and then shouting for help as if she were the hero.

Murray’s mouth twitched as the truth hit him—he’d been duped.

Jennifer’s face turned ashen as she wondered how a video she had thought to be destroyed had come to light.

In an attempt to redeem herself, Jennifer addressed Emma. “Mrs. Spencer, I was terrified when I found you unresponsive. That’s why I fell into the pool. But I called for help immediately, and Mr. Spencer responded to my screams.”

Emma’s sneer was icy. “And my bodyguard’s accident? What do you have to say about that?”

Jennifer feigned ignorance. “What does that have to do with me?” But she knew well; she had orchestrated the whole thing.

“I’ll find out, and it will lead straight to your doorstep,” Emma vowed, not giving Jennifer a chance to weave more lies.

At Emma’s command, the bodyguard showed a different video, one that depicted Natalie jumping into the pool and rescuing Emma.

The room erupted in whispers.

“Natalie was the real hero,” someone murmured. “Jennifer just stole her thunder.”

“In the first video, she didn’t slip. She deliberately jumped in and then lied about it,” another voice added.

Easton regarded Natalie, his eyes softening with the dawning comprehension of her innocence, “Natalie…” he said gently.

Natalie dodged Easton’s gaze, slipping past him to direct her attention towards the astonished Murray.

Murray faced Natalie’s icy gaze, his eyes brimming with remorse. The slap and his harsh words from earlier came back to him, leaving him feeling ashamed.

Facing Natalie, Emma asked, “Ms. Shawn, you rescued me. How…”

Natalie responded without hesitation. “Mrs. Spencer, I’m not owed anything. I want him to suffer the consequences of his actions.”