Second Chances
CHAPTER 10

Chapter 10

“Mr. Rivera, why are you defending her? Got a crush on her or something?” Aria st Emma’s uncle, Daniel was young and strikingly handsome, which fueled her jealou

“God, that’s just stupid!” Daniel retorted, disgust clear in his voice.

arly misreading the situation. Despite being

Aria lost it. “Stupid? What’s so great about Emma, huh? She’s ready to sell herself for money. She’s nothing but a whore!”

Emma turned to face her. “Watch your mouth, Aria. Spreading lies is a crime, you know.”

Aria screamed, “Lies? You don’t even know Liam, yet you’re marrying a cripple for his money. Tell me you’re not in it for the cash!” Gasps echoed through the room as Aria insulted Liam so openly. People began to wonder if she had completely lost her mind or if she was just that

desperate.

Just then, a glass came flying from the second floor, smashing to pieces inches from Aria’s feet.

Terrified, Aria screamed and looked up, only to lock eyes with a cold, handsome man upstairs. She froze.

“Liam? What’s he doing here? I thought he wasn’t coming today!” the crowd roared.

Seeing Liam’s icy stare, the Wilson family went into a panic. “Mr. Hall, we didn’t expect you. Why didn’t you tell us you were coming?” said Mateo tremulously.

Liam’s high–tech wheelchair descended the stairs automatically. Even seated, he radiated authority. “If I’d given you a heads–up, would we

have had such a show?”

His cold gaze zeroed in on Aria. She stepped back, but Nora pushed her forward. “Aria, apologize right now.”

Nora, being quick on her feet, jumped in before Aria could make things worse. “Mr. Hall, I’m really sorry. Aria is just having a rough day and said something stupid. She usually looks up to you a lot. Please, don’t hold it against her. She didn’t mean any harm.”

“Exactly,” Mateo chimed in, seizing the moment. “We’re all going to be family soon. Some bumps in the road are normal, right girls?”

Faced with Liam, Aria was all flustered, avoiding eye contact and mumbling, “Mr. Hall, my bad. I’m sorry.”

But Liam stayed cool. “It’s not me you should apologize to. It’s Emma!”

He couldn’t care less about being called a cripple. The Hall family had amassed enough power that he had to fake a disability to keep a low profile. But that didn’t mean he was actually disabled. Someone like Aria wasn’t even worth his anger. But anyone who dared to insult

Emma? That was crossing the line.

Emma shot a look at the fuming Aria. “You catch that? Apologize, now.”

Aria clenched her fists so tightly it felt like her palms might bleed, but she just couldn’t bring herself to apologize to Emma. Her hatred for Emma was too intense. She’d rather die than say sorry.

Seeing the standoff, Nora quickly interjected, “Alright. Aria’s just being stubborn. She knows she messed up. I’ll apologize on her behalf. Emma, I’m really sorry. Please, don’t hold it against your sister.”

But Emma couldn’t forgive that easily. The memory of the flames consuming her, every cell in her body screaming in pain, haunted her. Watching her loved one burn to a crisp, the smell of charred flesh, it was pure despair. A simple apology wouldn’t erase her deep–seated

hatred. She knew Aria wouldn’t sincerely apologize, and she wasn’t ready to forgive. She had come prepared.

At that moment, Emma pressed a button on a remote. The LED screen, which had been displaying “Happy Birthday,” suddenly switched to a

Chapter 10

video of Aria and Nora’s conversation.

“Your dad adores you, he wouldn’t give everything to Emma. Remember her

Nora shouted in the video.

arance? Not a coincidence. But forget that… Doll up…”

“Turn it off, now!” Nora shrieked, but the video kept rolling, capturing her voice continuing.

“Chat up some rich kid about dating. Once you’re overseas, snag a loaded hubby. Then, no worries!”

Nora never thought her words would be recorded and played back by Emma in front of everyone.

Seeing this, the guests began to chatter amongst themselves.

“Wow, those two are messed up,” one guest remarked.

“No way, so Emma going missing was because of them?” another whispered.

“You think Nora did it on purpose? Emma was just a toddler back then. That’s cold,” someone else added.

“This is blowing my mind. My whole perspective is messed up now,” said another astonished guest.

Mateo’s face went pale. He knew he was partly to blame for Emma’s disappearance years ago. This was a secret that could never come to light. He desperately tried to call for help and cut the power, but the video wouldn’t stop playing.

Emma held the remote with the calm authority of a queen. “See that? That’s your so–called ‘family love!“” She scoffed. “I’m done with the past. From now on, I want nothing to do with the Wilson family. Any mess you create is your problem. I’m just taking what’s rightfully mine from my mom’s estate. Marrying Liam? That’s my choice, and he’s not giving you a single cent.”

With that, Emma signed the inheritance papers, grabbed Liam’s hand, and walked out as everyone watched.

Emma and Liam had just stepped out of the villa when someone ran after them, calling, “Emma, wait up!”

It was Daniel.

Daniel’s eyes were filled with concern. “Are you really sure about marrying him?”

In the dark, Liam sat silently in his wheelchair, his gaze fixed on Emma, waiting for her response.

Emma squeezed Liam’s hand. “Yes, Uncle, I’m sure.”

Her words caught Daniel off guard. “So you knew…” He sighed. “When your mom died, we searched everywhere for you but found nothing. As soon as we got word you were in Troln City, I rushed back from Nuverland.”

“Thank you, Uncle,” Emma said sincerely. In her previous life, brainwashed by the Wilson family, she had distanced herself from her uncles, and she knew she had hurt them deeply. This time, she wasn’t going to waste their kindness.

Daniel turned to Liam. “Liam, even though the Rivera family’s been abroad for years, my niece is our treasure. You’d better not mess with

her!”

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