Chapter 98: Chapter 98

Emily’s body trembled with exhaustion as she awoke in the unfamiliar hotel room. Her limbs felt heavy and unresponsive and panic surged through her veins as she realized she was alone, stranded in a state of vulnerability.

“Where am I?” she struggled to speak, her eyes still felt drowsy and she clutched her stomach in fear. Was she drugged? Oh God! The baby!

Frantically, she fumbled for her phone, her trembling fingers struggling to dial Jackson’s number. He was the only person she could think off, the only person she wanted to come save her. But silence greeted her as the call rang and rang – unanswered. Dread settled over her like a suffocating blanket, intensifying her fear, Jackson never missed her call.

She tried again and again, sending series of texts and hoping for a response but nothing came forth and she sighed defeated. Her eyes searched the room, it was a small hotel room that smelled stuffy and old, beads of perspiration formed on her head as she noticed the windows were closed shut and the ceiling fan didn’t offer the right ventilation she needed.

Where was she? How did she get here? She tried to remember the last time she had consciousness, and a sharp pain zinged across her forehead. But she remembered, it was at the Brown’s estate, inside her car and suddenly she stopped – where was Victor Cornwell?

Just then, a flash of movement caught her eye as her phone buzzed continuously and her heart raced, the only time her phone buzzed like this was when there was a scandal, a scandal that she or any member of the Hatton family was involved in. With nervous anticipation, she unlocked her screen now only to be met with a tsunami of shocking images and videos circulating on the internet.

She froze instantly, her hands suddenly trembling in fear.

They were pictures of her, intimate pictures of her and – Victor Cornwell in this very hotel room that she lay. What did she – why couldn’t she remember anything? The frustration set in as she tried to make sense of the pictures, of the situation. Why would Victor bring her to a hotel and take pictures of them – wait! She stopped. Was Jackson ignoring her because of this?

The shock hit her like a physical blow, her heart hammering in her chest and she tried to calling Jackson again but there was no response. This time, she resolved to call the police but just as she was about to hit the dial button, a familiar voice sliced through the air – there was arguing and bustling outside her door.

“My wife is in there!” it was Ethan. “I’m going to call the police” she heard him arguing and a female voice responded back at him.

“You know what? I don’t care, nothing is going to ruin my camping trip, go in” and immediately the door flung open and Ethan emerged in her line of vision.

“Emily!” he rushed towards her, his face concocted with concern as he tried to sit her upright. Emily hoped the disappointment wasn’t evident on her face as she stared strangely at him.

“How did you – how did you find me?” she asked him, unable to take her off him and the strangeness that was this situation.

“The car is outside, I tracked it” he said, and her next question sat on her tongue

“Where’s Jackson?” she asked but Ethan remained quiet, carrying her up.

“There are pictures – ” she tried to say, but Ethan shushed her immediately.

“Just stay still Emily, I don’t believe them. I believe you might have been set up”

“By who? Who would do that to me and why?”

“For money Emily” he responded and Emily only stayed quiet for a minute and by this time, Ethan had placed her comfortably at the back seat of the car he drove there. From her side eye, she could see the other car parked desolately in the corner like it was abandoned on the dusty pavement of the motel she had no recollection of.

“I’m taking you home Emily, to our home. I’ll call in a doctor to look at you and you don’t have to worry about anything, I’ll take care of it”

Emily nodded but yet she was unsatisfied, the thought of Jackson seeing those pictures plagued her mind and left her unsettled. He was the only she wanted to see, she wanted him to be the one telling her these things.

“What of Jackson? Does he believe those pictures?” she asked again and this time Ethan looked at her, his eyes wavering and he nodded his head slowly.

“And he doesn’t want to see you anymore”

***

After they had gotten home and Ethan felt Emily was alright enough, she lay sleeping in the bedroom and then he heard a knock at the door. He was expecting it, it was Amanda.

Ethan walked briskly towards the door and opened but he stepped outside instead and she looked at him, a triumphant look on her face.

“I did it” she said “Faster than you intended”

Ethan smiled and nodded “A risky one, but I’ll applaud you for it”

“Why don’t I come in?” Amanda said, attempting to walk past Ethan but he stepped in her way

“We can talk here” he said “Now tell me how much you need, I’ll have it wired before the end of the day”

Amanda folded her hands across her chest and kept her eyes fixed on him, she knew what she wanted and it was far from money

“I don’t want money” she told him and Ethan paused, surprise taking over his expression but he didn’t want to indulge her yet but Amanda was the impatient one. Just then, she took off her large fur coat and dropped it to the floor.

Ethan’s jaw dropped at the sight.

She had nothing but a skimpy lingerie beneath, her pale pink nipples staring back at him and his eyes traveling down her skinny curves before looking back at her face.

“What are you doing?”

Then she smiled, a cunning smile that spoke mischief “Don’t you get it, it’s you I want Ethan. I never stopped loving you”