The CEO's Empathy Pregnancy Pains
Chapter 152 The Mistress of the Smith Family

"Hey, remember, don't bother Veda unless it's really necessary. Make sure there's plenty of food and drinks for her, just in case she needs anything. Oh, and I replaced all her toiletries with new ones. It's been a while, and some of them might've expired."

At the Smith Mansion, Emily was giving instructions to Lexine and the others.

Mason stood off to the side, nodding along, secretly impressed by how well Emily was fitting into the Smith family. She was really starting to take on the role of the family matriarch.

But then he glanced over at Veda, who was lying on the bed, silently sobbing and trembling. Mason felt completely lost.

This was his eldest granddaughter, the one he'd spoiled since she was a kid. How could she have been kidnapped, almost had her reputation destroyed, and nearly lost her life? Was there really such a powerful criminal force in Emerald City that could just ignore the law like that?

"Veda, you need to tell me everything, or how am I supposed to replace the culprit?" Mason said, stomping his cane in frustration.

But Veda had just been through a terrifying ordeal. If Michael hadn't shown up in time, she might have been seriously hurt by the criminal.

Right now, Veda's eyes were filled with fear, and she looked at everyone with a hint of suspicion.

On the way home, it was Emily's constant comforting that helped. Otherwise, who knew what might have happened.

Seeing Mason pressuring Veda, Emily quickly stepped in. "Grandpa, Veda's been through a lot. Let her rest for now. As for the criminal, hasn't he already been caught? Don't worry, we will..." Before Emily could finish, Mason cut her off.

Even though he was worried about Veda, he wasn't so concerned that he'd lose his cool. Pressuring Veda to recount the events was his way of trying to figure out the bigger conspiracy behind it. Veda might have a sharp tongue, but she wouldn't do anything too extreme to others. So who would want to harm her? Mason knew a bit about the underworld.

"I know the criminal was caught red-handed, but who can prove he was the mastermind? Veda said she had never seen that guy before, which means they didn't know each other. There must be someone else behind this, someone who wants to mess with the Smith family!"

Mason was really angry this time. His lips tightened, his gaze darkened, and he let out a cold snort, looking at Veda again.

Even though Veda had been wronged, he wasn't going to coddle her. He asked firmly, "I'll give you a few days to think about what you've been doing outside. Tell me everything, down to the last detail, until we replace the mastermind. Only then will I let you leave the house!"

"Also, I'll have Michael arrange for your visa. In a month, you must leave the country. You're not staying in Emerald City, and you're not hanging out with those bad influences anymore! Veda, if you have any sense, you'll understand that I'm doing this for your own good!"

With that, Mason left the room without waiting for a response.

The sound of Mason's cane faded away, leaving the room tense. Only Veda and Emily remained.

Veda, curled up on the bed, couldn't hold back her tears any longer. "Why is this happening to me? I really don't know anything. I don't know who wants to hurt me."

Seeing this, Emily quickly went over and hugged Veda, letting her rest her head on her shoulder. Soon, Emily's shoulder was soaked with tears. She had never seen Veda so fragile, and it broke her heart.

Emily comforted her, "Grandpa is doing this because he cares about you. Tell us everything that happened in the past few days so we can replace the culprit. In a month, you can start fresh abroad. Veda, you're still young. Your life is just beginning. Isn't that a good thing?"

But Veda had her own plans and someone she couldn't let go of. Now, she didn't have any hostility towards Emily, so she spoke frankly. "Emily, I can't let go of Daniel. I love him, I really love him. I don't want to go abroad. I just want to be with him, but I know I'm not worthy of him now."

Emily was surprised by the depth of Veda's feelings for Daniel. Even now, she was still thinking about him. Daniel was indeed a good choice, but his feelings...

Thinking of this, Emily let go of Veda and gently wiped her tears, saying softly, "Daniel is upstairs helping Michael with his injury. He should be done soon. I'll ask him to come down and see you. You two can have a good talk, okay?" "No, absolutely not!" Veda refused without a second thought. "I can't let Daniel see me like this, Emily. I'm too pathetic, I..."

"Someone who loves you wouldn't care about your pathetic state." Emily's words were a wake-up call.

Yes, when she loved Michael, she never cared about his illness or his pathetic state. But love was a gamble. She bet on the wrong person, and the outcome was what she deserved.

Seeing Veda so hopeful about love, Emily saw a reflection of her younger self. If she could help Veda win Daniel's heart, she would be happy to do so.

"Veda, you need to love yourself first. You can be good to Daniel, but only if he's worth it. I'll go check on Michael now. Take some time to compose yourself, okay?"

With that, Emily helped Veda tidy her hair.

Veda had already been cleaned up and was wearing high-end silk pajamas, with no visible injuries. She still looked like the pampered, beautiful, and proud young lady she used to be. Emily praised her a bit, making the insecure Veda smile, before she slowly got up and left.

That night, Emily was quite exhausted.

As she reached her bedroom, she ran into Daniel.

Daniel said, "Michael is fine now, just a minor scratch on his arm. I've treated it."

Emily said, "Thank you, Daniel. Veda is waiting for you in the downstairs bedroom."

Daniel said, "I was just about to go see her. You should get some rest, Emily."

Emily replied, "Alright, goodnight, Daniel."

For some reason, after all the events of the night, Emily felt a growing distance between her and Daniel.

But perhaps it was for the best, as some conflicts and misunderstandings could now be resolved.