Chapter 47 Sharp Glance
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Sophie felt the weight of the man’s icy presence, and her courage faltered. Fear clawed at her chest, rendering her tongue nearly tied. Desperate to recover, she blurted out, “Maybe Mr. Robin had something urgent to handle and had to leave without saying anything!”
Emyr’s jaw clenched, his expression unreadable but commanding. Turning to Tad, he gave a swift, unyielding order. “He was just here. Seal the hospital. Search every corner until you find him.”
“Yes, sir!” Tad responded without hesitation and began carrying out the directive.
Though Emyr had entered quietly, his authority transformed the atmosphere.
Tad’s commands rippled through the hospital, and soon every exit and passage was locked down. Escape was no longer an option.
Meanwhile, in a dim stairwell, Charmaine worked with precision.
She shrugged off her jacket and rolled it into a compact bundle, tossing it into a shadowy corner near a trash bin.
Her hands moved swiftly as she descended several flights of stairs and slipped into an elevator.
When she reached the ground floor, she melded into the flow of people moving toward the exit. Relief washed over her, but it was short–lived. A voice called out behind her, stopping her mid–step.
“Ms. Nelson?”
Charmaine cursed inwardly, her frustration well–hidden beneath a calm facade. Turning around, she offered a practiced smile of pleasant surprise. “Tad? What are the odds?”
The soft hum of mechanical wheels drew her attention. Tad shifted to the side, revealing Emyr, whose presence in his wheelchair was no less imposing. His sharp features were carved with authority, his gaze unwavering.
Charmaine’s smile brightened, and she met his stare with playful ease. “Mr. Emyr! Fancy running into you here.”
Emyr’s patience was wearing thin, his mood dark as a storm cloud. He cut straight to the point, his voice low and clipped. “Why are you here?”
His eyes bore into her, their intensity like a searchlight sweeping through her thoughts. Charmaine felt her composure waver under the scrutiny, but she held firm, forcing herself to breathe evenly.
As his gaze lingered on her face, he noticed the faint marks of a mask and the sheen of sweat on her skin. Without a word, he reached out, his fingers brushing against the inside of her arm.
The unexpected contact jolted her, and she instinctively pulled back, clutching her arm as though burned.
Her eyes widened, and her voice trembled with disbelief. “What are you doing?”
Emyr’s gaze didn’t waver. His voice was steady and laced with suspicion. “You’re wearing a mask, and you’ve been sweating. Why were you at the hospital?”
Her heart skipped a beat, panic tightening its grip. How could he be so observant?
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Chapter 47 Sharp Glance
She quickly masked her unease with a pout, her voice tinged with feigned annoyance.
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“What does it matter? You said you didn’t care about my business. Are you going to lecture me about getting a health certificate now?”
“Health certificate?” Emyr’s tone carried no inflection, but his eyes missed nothing.
“Yeah.” Charmaine’s response was light, though she spoke quickly. “You didn’t know? You need one to enroll these days. I just found out and had to rush over to get everything done before school starts. The hospital’s packed today. I waited forever for each test, and I didn’t even bother with the elevator most of the time–I ran between floors.”
She handed him the checklist as she spoke. Her movements seemed effortless, almost rehearsed, as if she had done this a thousand times.
Emyr took the sheet and scanned it, his brow knitting into a frown with each line.
For a moment, the tension in his face loosened, but his expression remained thoughtful.
Could he seriously suspect Charmaine of being Robin?
The notion felt absurd even as it crossed his mind.
Before he could ponder further, Tad leaned in and spoke quietly.
“Mr. Emyr, we found clothing that might belong to Robin. It was discarded in a trash can on the 13th floor. But the hospital’s surveillance system had a thirty–second blackout–someone tampered with it.”
Emyr’s face hardened, his expression like stone.. “Forget it. We’re done here.”
Tad clenched his fists, his frustration clear in the taut lines of his body. “Mr. Emyr, please, just a little more
time.”
“No. He’s gone,” Emyr said, his voice cutting through the air like a blade. “Staying here won’t change that. We’re leaving.”
Tad hesitated, reluctant to give up, but finally bowed his head. “Understood.”
Turning toward Charmaine, Emyr narrowed his eyes.“You’re coming with me.”
She opened her mouth to protest, but one glance at his unyielding expression silenced her. Without a word, she stepped forward and began to push his wheelchair.
The atmosphere between them was heavy, weighed down by his obvious frustration.
Losing Robin had put Emyr in a foul mood, and Charmaine had no intention of provoking him further.
As they moved through the crowded hospital, Leah stood nearby, watching from a distance. She was escorting her parents out when she caught sight of Charmaine’s figure retreating alongside Emyr. Her brows drew together in a slight frown.
“What’s caught your attention, Leah?” Olympia asked, her voice sharp with curiosity.
Leah shook her head, trying to dismiss the thought. “Nothing, Mom. It’s probably just Mr. Emyr’s maid.”
Still, unease lingered in her mind. The silhouette looked so much like Charmaine.
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Chapter 47 Sharp Glance
But that couldn’t be possible–what would she be doing with Emyr?
Olympia’s face darkened as she recalled Emyr’s earlier conduct.
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His sudden arrival, his sweeping lockdown of the hospital, and his complete disregard for her as a senior family member–it all grated on her nerves.
His arrogance was intolerable.
“Why waste your time thinking about that insufferable man?” Olympia’s tone was clipped, her irritation spilling into her words.
Leah hesitated, lowering her voice. “But, Mom, isn’t Charmaine supposed to be engaged to Mr. Emyr?”
Olympia’s expression turned colder. “Our family has one daughter, and that’s you. Charmaine is nobody. You don’t need to treat her with any courtesy.”
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