Escape from Mr. Whitman (Emma and Theodore) novel Chapter 291

“It’s nothing.” Larson Bennett sat down beside her. “Just a quick work update. Everything’s going smoothly.”

“Big brother, since you’ve brought your business back here, are you planning to move home for good with Auntie?” Emma Bennett’s curiosity was obvious.

“Not for now.” He smiled faintly. “At first I’ll be flying back and forth a lot. When things are settled and the business is running well, I’ll think about whether Mom should come back too. Besides, she has her own career and plans—she’s not the type to just become a full-time mom for me.”

“Auntie’s amazing.” Emma said it with genuine admiration. She knew her aunt had spent years as a designer at a fashion brand, only recently stepping away to pursue something new.

Deep down, Emma meant every word. The world outside was so vast, yet for five years, she’d locked herself away.

“Our Emmie’s amazing too.” Larson’s words rang with sincerity.

Emma felt a warmth spreading in her chest, that familiar feeling of family pride—no matter how hard life gets or how lost you feel, you’ll always be the best in your family’s eyes.

It was the kind of comfort she should have felt as a child, decades ago, from her own parents—but she’d long since stopped hoping for it. Now, on the brink of thirty, with her life in shambles, she finally received it from a brother she’d only just begun to know.

“Larson…” The warmth in her heart swelled until it nearly overflowed, and she found herself speechless.

“Silly girl, don’t worry. From now on, our family’s going to stick together, no matter what.”

“Okay.” Emma nodded. After nearly thirty years alone, suddenly having a blood relative by her side felt unbelievably comforting.

————————

When Theodore Whitman stormed out of the hospital, Cecilia Chambers had already gotten in touch with Jared.

She was penniless, and her phone had been stolen by those men.

After they shoved her out of the car and dumped her in some desolate stretch by the roadside, she struggled out of the sack they’d stuffed her in—by then, the car had disappeared without a trace.

There wasn’t a house in sight, let alone another person.

She climbed into his car, still shaking.

She looked a mess—hair tangled, clothes wrinkled and dirty, makeup streaked across her face.

Jared’s anger flared as soon as he saw her. “Who did this? What the hell happened? I’ll kill them!”

Cecilia couldn’t bring herself to tell the truth. She just shivered and stammered, “I was mugged. My phone’s gone. They took my jewelry and my watch.”

In reality, only her phone was missing—she hadn’t worn any jewelry or a watch that day.

“We should call the police!” Jared snapped.

“No!” Cecilia stopped him again, her voice trembling. “Please… don’t call the police…”