Chapter 2 Substitute Bride

Under the relentless pressure from Shawn and Suzanne, Emma remained silent.

As they stood face to face, tension thick in the air, a servant hurried over to deliver some news.

"The Johnson family's car is here to pick up Miss Bradley!"

"Emma, you heard that, didn't you? The car has arrived!" Shawn's gaze bore down on Emma, laden with coercion.

Suzanne's anxiety was palpable as she noticed Emma's continued silence. Desperate to break it, she grabbed her arm and attempted to usher her towards the waiting car.

Feeling a sharp pang in her arm, Emma instinctively withdrew.

"I..."

Her words were interrupted by a servant's urgent cry from upstairs. "Miss Renee is attempting to commit suicide. You have to do something!"

Suzanne's expression twisted in distress at the news. Her eyes turned red as she gripped Emma's shoulders and asked, "Do you want your sister to kill herself? You can't be so heartless!"

The word "heartless" struck Emma deeply, though she had braced herself for it.

How absurd was it to be called heartless by her mother for refusing to sacrifice her happiness for a sister not even related by blood?

"Fine." Resignation colored her voice as she met Suzanne's gaze steadily. "I'll agree to the engagement on Renee's behalf. Are you satisfied now?"

Shawn and Suzanne exchanged surprised glances as they processed Emma's unexpected agreement. For a moment, they were rendered speechless by the turn of events.

"Emma, I knew you would do the right thing."

Finally regaining his composure, Shawn approached her with a hint of satisfaction. He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, saying, "This could be for the best. Despite the rumors surrounding Ricky, his family is wealthy. You won't have to worry about anything."

If it was indeed for the best, why did he hesitate to let his adopted daughter wed that man?

But Emma kept her thoughts to herself, focusing instead on the card Shawn slipped into her hand.

"Dad, what is this for?"

"Just consider it a form of compensation," Shawn explained, assuming a facade of paternal kindness. "After all, you are also my daughter. It's only fitting that I arrange something special for you when you get married."

His tone was convincing but Emma didn't believe him.

As expected, Shawn swiftly changed the subject.

"Sweetheart, I need to remind you. Once you are married to Ricky, keep him happy. We can't afford for the engagement to fall apart. Your mom and I love you. We just want you to be happy."

Shawn kept saying he loved her, but his actions spoke otherwise. Instead of showing genuine concern, he urged her to secure her position within the Johnson family for his own benefit.

Emma nodded in apparent agreement.

Seeing the submissive expression on Emma's face pleased Shawn immensely. He hadn't anticipated how easily she could be manipulated. A smug glance exchanged with Suzanne confirmed his satisfaction.

"Enough talk. Let's escort you to the car."

Together, Shawn and Suzanne escorted Emma to the waiting car.

During the journey, Emma remained silent, her thoughts hidden behind a veil of indifference.

With a blank expression, she idly toyed with the card in her hand, a hint of scorn dancing in her eyes.

Little did Shawn and Suzanne know that Emma wouldn't allow them to achieve their selfish aims.

Meanwhile, in the hotel suite, Ricky awoke to a scene of disarray. His expression twisted into a mask of fury.

Summoning his assistant, Preston Ford, with a stern expression, he demanded answers. "Where is the woman who was in my room?"

"Sir, what do you mean? I'm confused." Preston looked puzzled.

As Ricky glanced toward the open window, realization dawned upon him. That woman had escaped!

"Damn it!" he muttered under his breath.

A slight pain in his shoulder triggered memories of the previous night.

He had been semiconscious at the time, and the dim lighting in the room had obscured the woman's features. All he could recall was the multitude of scratches and love bites she had left on him.

"Mr. Johnson, do you think she was sent to test your legs?" Preston asked anxiously.

Ricky's expression darkened at the suggestion. Someone had orchestrated an accident that had injured his legs, and despite his recovery, he had chosen to keep the truth hidden from the public.

"No, I don't believe she discovered anything," Ricky replied grimly.

Though he had struggled to contain himself, his remaining sanity urged him to rein in his impulses.

But what mattered was that last night, his fingers brushed over an familiar scar once more.

It was really her, the woman from six years ago!

At last, she had appeared.

"Track down this woman for me, even if it means scouring every inch of this city!"

As soon as the words left his lips, his phone, resting on the floor, buzzed.

Preston picked it up and passed it to him. "It's your father."

Dominic Johnson's voice crackled through the phone when Ricky answered.

"Ricky, where are you? I have arranged for someone to pick up Miss Bradley. She is on her way here. Come back home. We need to discuss the engagement."

"Understood." Ricky's expression soured as he ended the call.

The Bradley family and the Johnson family had arranged an engagement, but he harbored a strong aversion towards the former. He saw them as mere sycophants, and he held a particular disdain for his supposed fiancée. Hence, he had vehemently opposed the engagement.

He couldn't understand his father's insistence on the match. How could he be blind to the Bradley family's true intentions?

Unable to sway his father, Ricky resolved to take matters into his own hands, starting with that Bradley lady!