Chapter 213 Hypothesis?

Liam had drifted off to sleep, his body finally giving in after staying awake for nearly eight hours. His arm remained wrapped lazily around Lana’s waist as she sat on his lap, scrolling through her phone with one hand while resting against his chest. His soft, steady breathing brushed the top of her head, and for once, things felt... still.

It didn’t last.

The woman on the bed suddenly stirred.

Her body twitched once, then again, and her eyes fluttered open with a gasp.

Lana’s head snapped up.

She immediately dropped her phone, the soft clatter on the floor loud in the quiet room. She shook Liam gently. "Liam... Liam, wake up. She’s awake."

He groaned faintly, rubbing his eyes as he blinked away the haze of sleep. "What...?"

Lana stood up from his lap as he pushed off the chair. The moment his eyes cleared, he saw the woman sitting upright on the bed, her breathing fast and unsteady.

Before he could say anything, she sprang forward and grabbed his wrist with both hands.

"You’re Liam, right?" she said breathlessly, eyes wide with desperation. "You’re Liam?"

Liam nodded cautiously. "Yeah. I’m Liam."

"You have to help us," she said in a cracked voice. "We’re in serious trouble. Please."

Her grip on him was tight—tight enough to surprise him—but her hands trembled.

"Okay, okay. Calm down," Liam said gently, lowering himself slightly so they were at eye level. "Take a breath. Just... sit down and talk to me. Start from the beginning."

Emma stared at him for a few more seconds before releasing his wrist and sinking back down onto the bed. Her face was pale, and the bags under her eyes spoke of days without real rest. Lana watched from behind, arms crossed, eyes skeptical.

Emma ran her hand through her tangled hair, still panting a little.

"You’re right," she mumbled. "My name... my name is Emma."

Liam stepped back a little, his voice calm and even. "Alright, Emma. How do you know my name?"

Emma looked at him, and something in her face changed—like she was about to drop a bomb she didn’t know how to handle.

She looked down at her lap. "Ann told me about you."

Lana’s heart stopped.

Liam’s face went stone still.

The air in the room shifted. The tension became thick.

Liam’s voice dropped into something far colder. "What about her?"

Emma hesitated.

She could feel the sudden shift in the atmosphere—the room that was quiet now felt hostile, dangerous. Liam had crept closer, his face unreadable, and Lana’s body tensed up immediately.

Emma licked her dry lips. "You should both sit down. There’s a lot you need to hear."

But Liam didn’t move.

Before he could answer, Lana grabbed his hand and tugged him away. "Wait," she whispered.

He looked back at her. Her eyes were serious, sharp.

"Come with me."

She didn’t wait for his reply. She pulled him gently toward the glass doors leading to the balcony, and they stepped outside. The morning air hit them like a splash of water—cool, fresh, cutting. Liam squinted into the sunlight, running a hand through his hair.

Lana turned to him, her voice low and cautious. "Can we trust her?"

Liam sighed, eyes trailing over the city skyline. "She fainted in front of us last night."

"That doesn’t mean anything," Lana said firmly. "If she’s connected to Ann, then she might be connected to Boris too. What if this is another setup?"

Liam looked at her.

For a second, he didn’t say anything.

Then his eyes met hers—those sharp green eyes filled with worry—and he frowned slightly. "We listen first," he said, voice quiet but certain. "If she’s got answers about Ann... if she can help us understand what the hell is going on, we need to hear it."

Lana bit her lip, her arms still crossed. She looked toward the room behind the glass.

"And if she’s lying?"

Liam’s face darkened slightly.

"Then we deal with it."

Lana’s jaw clenched. She turned her gaze toward the clouds, the rising sun casting gold across the tops of nearby buildings.

Liam and Lana stepped back inside the room, closing the balcony door behind them. The sound of the city faded away, replaced by the low hum of silence that had settled in the space like thick fog. Emma sat on the edge of the bed, her hands clasped tightly in her lap.

Lana took her seat beside Liam, both of them facing Emma now, ready to listen. No more distractions. No more theories. They needed answers.

Emma exhaled slowly. "It all started the day Boris visited Ann’s mother’s office."

Liam leaned forward, narrowing his eyes. "Go on."

Emma looked down at her hands. "He came across a photo of Ann on the desk. That’s all it took. Just a photo. He asked questions about her... and from the way he looked at it, I knew something was off. At first, I didn’t think it meant anything—royalty asking questions isn’t unusual. But later that same day..."

She paused, her voice bitter. "I got fired."

Lana blinked. "Fired?"

Liam sat back slightly. "Wait. What did you do exactly?"

Emma looked up. "I was Ann’s mother’s personal secretary. For almost seven years."

Liam frowned. "That’s a long time. Why fire you suddenly?"

Emma shrugged, lips pressing into a thin line. "She said she found someone better for the job. Someone more... tech savvy, younger. I was getting old anyway, according to her. Said I should rest." She shook her head. "It didn’t even sound like her. She didn’t even look me in the eye."

Lana’s face tightened.

Emma continued, "I came in the next day to pack up my things. That’s when things started to feel wrong."

Liam tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

Emma looked between them. "The company was in debt."

Both Liam and Lana flinched at that.

"What?" Lana muttered.

Emma nodded. "Massive debt. And I was confused because just the day before, the company was in good standing. We’d closed a million-dollar deal two days earlier. There was no debt. Not even a small one."

Liam furrowed his brows. "So, what changed overnight?"

"That’s what I tried to figure out," Emma said. "The numbers didn’t add up. I asked around quietly. That’s when someone told me—Boris had visited that morning. He came early, saw Ann’s parents again, and left. After that... everything changed."

Lana leaned forward now, her green eyes narrowed. "You’re saying Boris visited and suddenly they’re in debt?"

Emma nodded. "Yes. Just like that. No announcement. No media. He came and left in a black car, no guards visible, just two men in suits. No records of any transfer, no loan documentation in our books... nothing."

Liam was silent for a moment, processing. "Are you sure?" he asked, his voice more serious now. "You’re not just guessing?"

Emma’s tone sharpened. "I was the secretary, Liam. I handled every transfer, every receipt, every incoming fund and outgoing cost. I ran everything through the central archive. If the company took out a loan—especially from royalty—I’d be the first to know. And yet, there was nothing."

Lana blinked. "So you think it’s fake?"

Emma’s eyes went dark. "I think the loan only exists in their heads. Or worse... was planted in their heads."

The room went silent.

Liam leaned back in the chair, exhaling through his nose. The thought was disturbing. Implanted debt? Hypnosis? Threats? It didn’t make sense. Or rather—it made too much sense. Especially if Boris had something hidden up his sleeve. Some way of forcing obedience.

Emma nodded slowly. "After that, they started talking about how Ann had a duty... that she had to marry someone of high status to ’clear the family name’... It was all very subtle at first. But it got worse over the following days. It was like they weren’t even thinking for themselves anymore."

Lana’s voice was hollow. "He did something to them."

Emma whispered, "That’s what I believe."

Lana stood and paced a little, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.

Emma nodded. "And when she tried to push back, her parents would remind her how much they were ’relying’ on her."

Liam’s jaw clenched.

This wasn’t just manipulation—it was blackmail dressed as family honor.

"She must’ve been terrified," Lana said softly.

Emma stood up then. She reached for her bag, slinging it over her shoulder. Her expression was calm, but her eyes betrayed her urgency. "I need to go. I have somewhere I have to be."

Liam stood with her. "Where?"

Emma didn’t answer right away.

She walked toward the door, but then paused and turned back. Her gaze landed on Liam.

"There’s one more thing you need to know."

Her voice was quiet, heavy.

Liam’s stomach sank. He could feel the weight in her words before she even spoke them.

Emma’s eyes were sharp now, serious. She looked at both Liam and Lana, then focused again on him.

"It’s about Ann."

****

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