Chapter 546
Jamison didn’t say a word, but his face had darkened, thunderclouds gathering in his eyes.
He’d been sick of his nephew for ages and had no interest at all in getting involved with his latest mess. Still, the thought of Micah getting tangled up with Emma again made his blood boil. It was infuriating—hadn’t he made himself clear enough? Why couldn’t the boy learn?
After all, his own wife and Emma were mortal enemies, and Emma would inevitably pay a steep price in the end. If Micah got sucked back in, there was no telling what kind of trouble he might stir up—he could derail everything they’d worked for.
He might not care much about Micah’s fate, but the Shepherds certainly would, and even his elderly parents would accuse him of callousness. That would spark another family war, and if his parents got too upset… Well, he didn’t even want to imagine the consequences.
“Emma’s doing this on purpose,” he finally growled after a long silence, his voice low and tense. “She’s using Micah as a human shield.”
Ivy nodded. “Of course she is. Emma’s always been calculating—she’s killing two birds with one stone. If Micah’s soft heart wins out and he takes her back, she gets protection, a lifeline, and she drags him down with her, using him as leverage against us. He’s your nephew, after all. She’s deliberately tying our hands, making sure we’re stuck in this mess.”
Jamison clenched his jaw. “That idiot! It’s a trap as obvious as a bear pit, and he walks right in—won’t listen to sense, no matter how hard you pull.”
Seeing how agitated he was, Ivy felt a pang of regret. He’d worked all day—he didn’t need this on top of everything else. But if she didn’t tell him now, Boyd would just fill him in tomorrow anyway.
Better to lay it all out tonight, give him time to prepare, maybe even come up with a plan.
“Emma called me this afternoon from a blocked number, screaming at me like a lunatic. Judging by her tone, she’s not giving up—she’ll find a way to come after me again, and now she’s dragging Micah into it. I’m worried she’ll use him as her pawn in the end. Is there any way you can pull him back before it’s too late?”
Jamison’s expression was icy, hard as stone. He stood abruptly, tense with frustration.
Ivy said nothing, just watched him quietly from the side.
He didn’t hesitate—grabbing his phone, he leaned back against the headboard and dialed Micah’s number.
Meanwhile, Micah was still at the hotel with Emma. The heat was gone from his veins now; he was no longer riding the wave of righteous anger he’d felt that afternoon. Sitting across from Emma, who had nearly shaved her head, he felt vaguely nauseous, as if he’d swallowed a fly. Emma, meanwhile, was sobbing, fumbling for the wig that had slipped off her pillow, her tear-filled eyes turned up to him.
“Micah… am I hideous?” she whimpered. “It was Ivy—she hacked off half my hair. That’s why I look like this, like some kind of freak…”
“Ivy?” Micah frowned, disbelief flickering across his face. “She… she did this to you?”
“She’s totally deranged. She hates me—wants me gone. She’d be happier if I just disappeared…” Emma spat, her voice trembling with fury, bitterness glinting in her eyes as she twisted the truth without a second thought.
Micah just stared, unsure what to believe. Even with the wig perched awkwardly on her head, she somehow managed to look fragile and pitiful… but he couldn’t shake the image of her with her head nearly shaved, like a novice nun.
Suddenly, his phone rang, its shrill tone slicing through the quiet of the night and making them both jump.
DORA