Shadows Of A Forgotten Spring
Billionaire Shadow 32

Chapter 32

Mrs. Walker's gaze landed firmly on Emma, who sat frozen in place. "Today, I am naming my long lost daughter, Mrs. Emma Black as the new CEO of W2 Holdings"

A shocked silence filled the room. All eyes turned to Emma puzzled expressions on some faces as they registered her unfamiliar name. Emma's heart raced, her mind spinning with disbelief and awe. She felt a rush of emotions, joy, gratitude, and an undercurrent of fear. What if she failed her mother just like she had with her father. What if she wasn't capable of holding this much power. What if..

Rising to her feet slowly, her gaze met her mother's, tears welling in her eyes. She tried to muster her voice a small smile trembling on her lips. "Thank you, everyone. I'm truly honored and grateful for this opportunity. I promise to do everything I can to lead W2 Holdings forward"

Applause broke out, mingling with murmurs of excitement and lingering confusion, but Mrs Walker's smile shone with at satisfaction that erased all doubt. The day she has lost Diana, she had thought she had lost it all. She had blamed herself for Diana's death, cursing out her own name. But now, life had given her a second chance, a blessing she hadn't dared to hope for. If this was her final chapter she could leave this world a fulfilled woman

Wrapping her arms around Emma Mrs. Walker whispered, "I believe in you. I'll always be here by your side, even when I'm not. This is my gift to you. Happy 28th birthday, my precious gir."

Late one night, as silence blanketed the entire country, Marina slipped out of the shadows and into the dense, quiet darkness surrounding Mrs. Walker's upscale apartment complex She was well-acquainted with the building's layout, and even in her intoxicated haze, Marina could navigate it with a sharpness that betrayed her state. There was a back entrance she'd discovered on a particularly daring evening, one that bypassed the usual surveillance. Now, that hidden path was her lifeline... a silent route leading her to the person who had shattered everything she once held dear.

With each unsteady step, Marina clutched the walls, swaying but determined. She was so drunk that her vision blurred around the edges and her thoughts ran together in fragments, almost too jumbled to piece apart. Yet she could still feel the weight of the gun in her hand, cold and heavy, with three bullets locked and loaded. Three chances. Her entire future, her life as she once knew it, now teetered on the edge of those three shots, and she intended to use each one with purpose. Emma had taken everything from her... her dreams, her happiness her sense of self. It was as though Marina's life had been drained and handed over to Emma piece by piece, and she couldn't bear it any longer. The rage simmering within her had built for too long, and tonight it had finally reached a breaking point. Emma had no idea what was coming, but that was about to change

At the back door, Marina reached up to cover the security camera with her palm and leaned in to punch the access code into the keypad, her hand shaking. She slipped inside the kitchen, the darkness swallowing her as she moved quietly through the dimly lit apartment. The silence seemed to press down on her, thick and heavy, amplifying her heartbeat. Every sound felt louder... her own breathing, her pulse in her ears...but she forced herself to stay calm, steadying herself with each step.

Emma's new room was down the hall, close to Diana's. Marina sneered at the absurdity of it, wondering if Emma truly thought proximity to Diana would keep her safe tonight. She reached the door and pressed her ear against it, listening for any sign of movement. There was none.

Slowly, she turned the handle, pushing the door open with the gun raised, her finger hovering over the trigger. As she stepped into the room, the shadows seemed to close in around her, but Marina welcomed them and accepted them

Because of Mrs. Walker's deteriorating health, Emma had spent more and more nights at her bedside, checking on her several times before finally retreating to her own room. Each night, she would wait until Mrs. Walker was sound asleep, then slip out, carefully tiptoeing to avoid waking her. Tonight was no different, and she closed the door softly behind her, moving through the shadowed hallway, the quiet of the house settling around her like a thick blanket

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12:50 Tue, Dec 17

Chapter 32

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As Emma made her way to her room, she suddenly heard the faint creak of a door opening. It sounded like her door, but that didn't make sense... no one else was home, at least no one who could reach her door. Her twins had just started walking, and they were far too small to reach the handle. Still, a chill crept down her spine, and she quickened her pace, moving as silently as she could but with urgency

But before she could reach her room, the light inside flicked on

The sudden brightness spilling into the hallway froze her in her tracks, her heart pounding. Who could be in her room?

There were guards at the gate nd no one should have been able to get past therunding. Who could be in her room?

Her heart sank as she thought of her children. Panic propelled her forward and she rushed into her room, only to stop dead in her tracks+

There, standing just inside the doorway, was Marina, her face twisted in a cold, terrifying smile, eyes glassy but unwavering as she pointed the gun at Emma's daughte Emily that was fast asleep.

Emma's heart leapt to her throat, terror hilling her every pore. She forced herself to breathe, her voice rising in desperation as she shouted. "Marina, what do you think you're doing?!"

Marina turned slowly, her movements unsteady but her smile widening. Her eyes though bleary from the alcohol, gleamed with a chilling intent. "What does it look like I'm doing, Emma?" she sneered, her voice laced with rage. "You think you can Just walk into our lives, steal what's mine, and carry on like nothing happened?"

The fury in Marina's gaze sent a shiver through Emma, but she raised her hands slowly keeping her tone soft. "Marina, please, calm down. You're drunk. We can talk about this... there's no need for a gun.

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