Shadows Of A Forgotten Spring
Billionaire Shadow 130

Chapter 130

This wasn't just about Emma alone anymore; this was about all those who had mocked Derek, spoke down to him, and treated him as someone less than a human. His co-workers who had whispered behind his back and laughed at his failures finally would know what he could do.

Derek adjusted his now much lighter bag and stepped back into the elevator. The countup lit up, and with every second, his heart was getting heavier and heavier.

"Let's see you survive this, Emma," he said in a low, venomous tone.

The elevator doors opened, and Derek stepped into the 69 floor where Emma's office was; was the highest floor in the building. It would have been his office if he hadn't failed, and he just wanted to look at it one last time before he dies.

Insanely enough, Derek met Emma on the 69th floor. Instantly, his heart went up to his throat, and for one brief second, he felt the threads of panic start to unravel him. Then he remembered the face mask. It covered his identity, and all he had to do was act normally. As he passed by her, his pace steady and unhurried, he could feel her searing her eyes into the back of his neck.

Emma turned, a flicker of curiosity crossing her face. There was something oddly familiar about the way he carried himself, something she couldn't quite put her finger on.

"Hello." Emma called, her tone tinged with hesitation.

Derek didn't halt. His jaw clenched inside the mask, he quickened his pace.

"Wait!" Emma's voice was firmer now, her instincts telling her that something was not quite right.

He didn't turn around. He reached the elevator, pressed the button, and stepped inside just as Emma broke into a run, trying to catch him.

"The man with the backpack, wait!" she called again, but the doors slid shut, cutting her off.

Emma stood there for a moment, her breath uneven, her brow furrowed in deep thought. Something wasn't right. That man... his walk, his build, his presence, it all felt disturbingly familiar.

She spun on her heels and hurried back to her office, her mind racing. Without wasting a second, she instructed her secretary and personal assistant to notify security immediately.

"There's some strange man in the building," Emma said, her voice firm and urgent. "Get on it now."

Her team sprang into action, relaying her worries to the security team. They tried to assure her that everything was in order, but Emma's instincts were screaming otherwise. She couldn't get rid of the unease, couldn't quiet this nagging little voice inside her head that told her she knew that man.

As the minutes ticked by, Emma forced herself to refocus: the seminar was about to start and required her

presence.

She took the lift down to the floor where the seminar will take place and made sure her face was calm even though her mind wasn't.

The memory of the stranger lingered at the back of her mind.

And suddenly her memory flashed. The back she had seen, the way he walked. It belonged to someone she knew so well. Someone dangerous. Someone the authorities had been hunting for years. Derek!

Chapter 130

Emma's heart skipped beat

Marina's infamous partner in love and crime.

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The men exchanged a look but stepped out of the warehouse.

B

After the heavy door slammed shut, Annie turned back to Jim. Her eyes narrowed, and that playful smile on her lips disappeared and turned to a cold determination.

"Where are the videos?" she asked with a clear sharpness in her tone.

Jim's eyes widened in panic, but he quickly masked it with a feigned look of confusion. "I don't know what you're talking about," he stammered, his voice shaky. "There are no videos."

Annie gave a bitter laugh, leaning down until her face was inches from his. "Do you really think you can lie to me?" she hissed. "Do you have any idea what I'm capable of, Jim? If you don't tell me what I want to know, you'll wish you'd never crossed paths with me." 85%

Jim swallowed hard, his Adam's apple dancing as he struggled to appear calm, but Annie could see right through it. His eyes showed pure terror, and it fed her even more.

"Let me make this simple for you," she said, her voice low and dangerous. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a sleek black knife; its blade gleamed under the dim light. She twirled it between her fingers, her eyes staring coldly into Jim's eyes. ΑΛΛΟΔ

Emma's eyes widened, and the room seemed to spin for a second. She clinched her fists, trying to steady herself.

"What is he doing here?" she muttered to herself, her mind running through every possibility. Whatever the reason, it couldn't be good.

She jumped up to her feet, her trembling fingers fumbling for her phone as she dialed the head of security. "Have you located the stranger yet?" she barked.

"Yes, ma'am," came the reply. "We just did. He's on the same floor as you now."

Emma's breath hitched, her chest felt tight, her lungs constricting as the reality of the situation sank in.

She heard commands being shouted in the background; the security team were mobilizing itself by the sounds of it.

"It's Derek!" she yelled. "Get hold of him! Do not let him get away from this building!"

Just as the words left her lips, heavy footsteps filled the seminar hall. Emma's heart stopped.

She turned around slowly, the air in the room thick with tension.

There he was. Standing in the doorway, a gun clenched in his hand, his presence silencing the entire hall.

Derek!

He pulled down his face mask to reveal the face Emma had dreaded seeing again.

A gasp rippled through the room. Emma's blood ran cold.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Derek said, his voice dripping with venom. "I'm here to deliver a message."

Emma's knees threatened to buckle, but she forced herself to stand tall. This can't be happening. But it was. Derek was there, Chapter 130

and he was ready to burn everything to the ground.