Chapter 84
Everything has become easier for Emerald. Her mother, Ember, now lives with her and looks after Ace when she and Jace are at the office.
Mr. Landers and Mr. Ferguson are also doing well. The two will return to Italy to manage their business there. They invited Ember to join them, but she declined because she wanted to stay close to her daughter and grandchild.
Mr. Ferguson had no choice but to let his daughter go, but Mr. Landers didn’t want to accept it. He wanted to be with the woman he loved and had been searching for so long. So, after appointing someone to manage his company, he will return to L. A. to be with Ember for good and to propose marriage.
Meanwhile, the police continue to search for Emerson, who has completely escaped after passing through a road without CCTV coverage. Creep also continues searching for routes where Emerson’s vehicle could have passed.
Emerose and Merly are still furious at the precinct about what happened to them. They never expected to end up in jail, and despite their pleading, Emerald refused to drop the charges against them. Young Morgan is determined to make Mrs. Morgan pay for kidnapping her mother before.
Emerald thought that if Merly hadn’t done that, she could have taken her mother when she left Jace, and Ember and Dr. Sanders wouldn’t have had to suffer.
Emerald is very grateful to her friend, the doctor because, without him, she wouldn’t have been able to ensure her mother’s safety. Dr. Sanders played a significant role in securing Ember’s life.
Two days passed, and Emerald was in her office with Creep and Jace. Her friend had called early to inform her that he might have found Emerson’s location.
Emerson’s men couldn’t pinpoint Mr. Morgan’s location, and even Madam Z had no idea where he was.
“That’s his car, and I checked all possible routes he could have taken. With so many cars and three connected roads from where he entered, I checked them individually. And voila!”
“Is he still in that car? What if he switched vehicles?” Jace asked. “It’s not that I don’t trust you, but we can’t underestimate that bastard.”
“I understand, Mr. Higginson. That’s why before I called M, I made sure. I followed him until he arrived at this place, and until now, he hasn’t left that inn.”
“I love you, Creep!” Emerald exclaimed and hugged her friend.
“That’s enough. You don’t need to hug him like that; Elise might get jealous,” Jace said, causing Emerald to roll her eyes at him while Creep laughed. It was clear that he was jealous of young Morgan’s actions.
After teasing each other, Jace called Ronnie to inform him of the information Creep had given them.
Meanwhile, Ronnie and the police quickly moved to the location Creep had sent them. He kept an eye on the inn where Emerson was staying to ensure he could monitor it if the old man noticed the police’s arrival.
Emerald paced around her office while Jace watched her. He was supposed to go with them, but his wife stopped him, telling him to let the police check the place.
“Can you stop walking around, dear wife? Don’t be too nervous; they will definitely get him,” Jace reassured his wife. He could see the worry on Emerald’s face, and he knew she wouldn’t calm down until Emerson was caught.
Jace stood up, pulled Emerald towards her office chair, and sat her down. Creep shook his head at the two and smiled. He never thought he’d see them together again, and even though he knew his friend had always loved the man, he was still happy that young Morgan was finally free from the pain and bitterness of the past. He was now sure that his friend would be happy because she had found her true family along with the realization of her dream family.
After just five hours, Emerson was caught as he tried to escape. Still, Creep was quick, so the police blocked all possible exits before the authorities entered the inn to arrest him.
Mr. Morgan was furious as he was handcuffed. Emerald had prepared many charges against the man she called father as she grew up but felt no pity for him. She was happy to know that the law would punish those who had mistreated her and those involved in the disappearance of her biological mother.
For them, even though the rape case against Emerson for what he did to Ember couldn’t be included due to the time that had passed, they felt they had still achieved justice because of the various crimes Emerson’s group had committed, which Merly and Emerose were unaware of that started when he began his prostitution and illegal drug business.
***
“What is it, Daryl?” Emerald asked, frowning at her friend. They were at home, and the man insisted on talking to her.
“Can you just come with me?” Daryl asked, sounding impatient. It was the weekend, so they had no work at the office, and they were all at the mansion that used to belong to the Morgans. Daryl, along with Ember and Harry, who had quickly returned to L. A. after giving instructions to his assistant on managing his business, now lived there.
“Fine,” Emerald replied irritably, allowing her friend to pull her towards the poolside. “Now what?”
“I want to ask for a favor.”
“Oh, come on, if that’s all, you could have just told me inside. You know Ace is about to wake up and look for me.”
“I didn’t want anyone to overhear.”
“Okay, so what is it?”
“I want you to come with me somewhere.” Emerald looked closely at her friend. He had never asked her to accompany him before.
“Where?”
“I just need to buy something.”
“Just make sure it’s not work-related. You know it’s the weekend, and I don’t want to leave the house because I want us to be together,” Emerald warned, and Daryl nodded.
They left, and Emerald was surprised when Daryl brought her to a boutique. “Don’t tell me you have a girlfriend I don’t know about!”
“Let’s just say it’s something like that.”
“Really?” Daryl smiled and nodded at his friend. “Wow, congratulations! So, are we buying her clothes?”
“No, we’re buying something for you.”
“What? Why for me?”
“I’m going to introduce you to her. You know you’re my family now, just like Creep and Elise.” Emerald was touched by what her friend said, so she nodded.
“Where’s the couple? Don’t they need to change clothes too?” Emerald asked, puzzled.
“Do you think Elise would let herself be outdone?” Daryl responded, making Emerald laugh. She knew Elise’s personality well and realized the couple had finished shopping. So she freely chose what to wear, and Daryl was delighted, saying it suited her perfectly. Afterward, Daryl took Emerald to a salon for a makeover.
By lunchtime, everything was done, and Daryl had also changed; Emerald noticed how handsome her friend looked, leading her to think he was serious about the woman he liked.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .
“Let’s go?” Daryl asked, and Emerald nodded. They got into the car and drove straight to a well-known restaurant.
Emerald was amazed by how beautifully the place was decorated, thinking that Daryl had really put time and effort into confessing to his girlfriend. “Are you sure about this?” she asked, and her friend nodded.
The door to a spacious hall opened. As beautiful as the lobby was, Emerald realized the interior was even more stunning, which is where Daryl planned to confess. She looked up and around as they entered, momentarily forgetting her surroundings. She didn’t even notice the door closing behind her.
On the stage, there was a large screen, which caught her attention, especially when it started flashing pictures. She thought she recognized the child in the photos and soon realized it was her.
In shock, she looked around and saw the guests starting to take their seats, all smiling at her. She was confused, wondering why things were turning out differently than expected.
Then Harry and Ember smiled as they stood beside her. She noticed Ace and Mr. Ferguson sitting at one of the tables, smiling happily at her, along with Jace’s parents and Jack and his family.
Emerald looked around for her husband because she more or less knew what was happening. Tears welled in her eyes, overwhelmed by emotions she couldn’t fully understand because she never expected to experience such a moment.
They began walking, and the song “Marry Your Daughter” by Brian McKnight started playing. Soon, the voice of the man she had been searching for all along began to sing, seeking her parents’ blessing to formally ask for her hand in marriage.