Chapter 550

Thirty minutes later, at the Hilton Hotel, Room 2301, two officers stood guard at the door.

When Ross arrived and identified himself, they let him in.

The suite didn’t show much sign of struggle, but there was a deep bruise around Emma’s neck, already turning a dark, mottled purple.

From what he was told, if the room service attendant hadn’t knocked, sensed something was wrong, and gotten the front desk to open the door with a master key, Emma would’ve been strangled to death right there on the bed.

Hotel medics were inside treating her injuries and helping calm her down.

“Ross,” Emma said softly as he entered, “you came.”

Ross gave a brief nod. “What happened?”

Emma’s voice was weak. “Better let the officers explain. Talking hurts.”

One of the officers stepped forward and handed Ross a tablet. “Mr. Jean, we pulled this footage during the investigation. The man who broke into Ms. Holland’s room tonight is from Moranta.

“I understand you were stationed in Moranta some years ago and had a run-in with a local gang. You and Interpol worked together to bring down their leader, Damon, and had him imprisoned.”

The officer continued, “The suspect, Vektor, was one of Damon’s men. We have every reason to believe this attack on Ms. Holland was retaliation tied to that past incident.

“We’ve just received word from Interpol that Damon has been released from prison. It’s likely this attack was carried out under his orders.”

The officer’s tone turned serious. “We’ll stay in contact with Interpol. If there’s any new movement on their side, we’ll update you immediately. But in the meantime, Mr. Jean, we strongly suggest that you and your loved ones stay on high alert.”

Ross listened, nodded slowly, and took a moment to think it through. Afterward, he moved Emma to a different room and arranged private security to guard her door around the clock. Only once everything was set did he quietly take his leave.

Emma didn’t ask him to stay, but after the way Ross left, something cold flickered in her eyes. A trace of resentment lingered behind her silence.

Back at Jean Villa, Danielle and Shermaine were bathing Gracie together.

The baby was in the tub, a rubber duck floating nearby.

Dave stood on the edge of the tub, posed dramatically like he was about to dive into an Olympic pool. Then, with a splash, he leapt in, sinking into the warm water with a blissful sigh.

After stuffing himself with fried chicken earlier, his face was still greasy. A bath was long overdue. After all, he was planning to snuggle with Gracie tonight. Cleanliness was mandatory.

Twenty minutes later, Gracie was squeaky clean. Shermaine wrapped her in a fluffy white towel, gently dried her off, dusted her with baby powder, and dressed her in a fresh diaper and a ridiculously cute pajama set.

Danielle, proudly playing the future auntie, scooped Gracie up and planted a kiss on her cheek.

There was no question that Gracie had become the beloved treasure of the entire household.

Fresh out of the bath, she was immediately carried downstairs by Owen and Janice, who took turns holding her and playing with her.

Meanwhile, Danielle grabbed a bottle of wine and called Lily to Shermaine’s room. The girls settled in to drink.

She checked the time and muttered, “What’s taking Ross so long?”

Shermaine said, “Why don’t you call him and find out?”

Danielle took another sip. “I’m not that clingy.” Still, barely a minute passed before she pulled out her phone and dialed. The voice that came through the receiver was soft and tender, a world away from the woman who had just declared herself independent.

Ross’ voice was warm. “I’m almost home. Don’t drink too much, okay?”

Across the room, Lily was catching up with Shermaine. She shared that Maple Leaf Ville had been completely rebuilt during the two years Shermaine was gone.

Based on the blueprints Shermaine had provided before she left, the place had been transformed. What was once a poor, struggling village was now nearly unrecognizable.

“Sheary, Mr. Gill and the others all miss you a lot,” Lily said. “If you have time, you should visit.”

“I will,” Shermaine nodded. Two years away was a long time, and there were a lot of people she owed a proper visit to. Reconnecting with the old crew felt necessary now.