The bell above Wang's Deli door jingled softly as Emilia pushed it open, the familiar smell of fresh coffee and warm sourdough hit her immediately, wafting into her nostrils as she sighted her best friends Carla and Alexa, who were already at their usual corner booth, with their heads bent together over a shared phone screen, they had that happy look on their faces, the type that reminded Emilia of their happy teenage days in high school.
The second they saw her, Carla's face crumpled with worry.
"Emilia!" Carla, half screaming, stood up and waved at her frantically. "Girl, get over here before you make me cry in public."
As she walked in their direction, she smiled weakly before sitting opposite them.
Alexa reached across the table and squeezed her hand softly as she said."Em, you look so pale like you haven't slept in weeks," she said quietly. " What exactly is the matter? Talk to us."
Emilia exhaled, her breath long and shaky. "I don't even know where to start, I really don't ."
"Okay, you could start with why you look like a ghost who's seen another ghost," Carla said, as she pushed a steaming mug of chamomile toward her. "Drink up, then spill."
Emilia wrapped her cold fingers around the mug, letting the heat seep through hands and send warmth through her body. "I overheard them plotting downstairs this morning. Derek and his mother. And they are planning to strip my dad of everything; Wallace Holdings, the shares, all of it. They never intended to help.
For them, We are just a means to an end, they're just… using us. And Derek said..." Emilia's voice cracked as she tried to stifle the sob that was already rising in her throat and with tear-stained eyes, she continued,
"He said if I try to leave before the deal closes, he'll kill me. He even threatened me with a knife during our fight yesterday" she continued.
Carla's spoon clattered against her saucer as her jaw dropped.
Alexa's eyes widened,her expression filled with surprise and a sprinkle of disgust.
"Say that again," Alexa whispered.
"He said it. Word for word; 'Whether or not Emilia tries to escape, I'll kill her.' Like it was nothing. Like I'm just… collateral." she whimpered.
Carla slipped out of her seat, moved over to Emilia's side of the booth, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Okay. Okay, breathe. Nobody is letting any of that happen." rocking her gently.
" And I can't tell Dad," Emilia said, her voice small. "His heart is so fragile and his blood pressure's already through the roof which makes me wonder how he's even putting up with the company's crisis . One more shock and..." her voice off as she began sobbing.
"We know," Alexa cut in gently. " And we won't make you tell him. At least not yet. But we can't just sit here either."
"The first rule of survival is to act normal. If Derek suspects anything, he'll lock you down even tighter. So here's what you'll do, you'll go home, you'll smile and play the perfect wife because we need to buy time." Carla began as she rubbed slow circles on Emilia's back.
Emilia nodded slowly. "Fake compliance?"
"Exactly," Carla said. "Cry when he expects tears. Flinch when he touches you, you need to let him think he still has you scared and broken. Meanwhile, we move pieces behind the scenes."
"What pieces?" Emilia asked, puzzled.
Alexa leaned forward. "Evidence. Copies of everything; agreements, emails, bank transfers if you can get them. Make photos of your bruises, timestamps, dates because we need to build a paper trail that'll bury them in court." she said conspiratorially.
"And you'll be needing a lawyer," Carla added. "A very good one but it has to be discreet, you also need someone who specializes in high-net-worth divorces and corporate fraud. I know a woman, her name is Racheal Smith. She used to work for one of the big firms in Los Angeles before she changed locations. She's currently with one of the biggest firms here in Las Vegas and she is fierce and she hates bullies. So I could set up an initial call through a burner app so nothing traces back to you."
Emilia looked between them. "You think she'd take this on?"
"Of course! I mean, if I tell her a husband is beating his wife, threatening murder, and conspiring to steal her family company? She'll take it personal," Carla said firmly. "But you have to be ready to record everything. Every word, every slap, every threat. We are going to turn their arrogance into evidence."
Emilia swallowed hard. "I think I can do that, I really have to."
Alexa squeezed her hand . "You're not alone in this, Em. Not even for one second."
Carla pulled out her phone. "I'm texting Rachel now. It's going to just be a feeler with no names yet. So when you're ready, we'll make the intro."
Emilia stared at the steam rising from her tea and took the first sip since Carla handed it to her. For the first time since she'd tiptoed back upstairs that morning, a tiny spark of hope flicker
ed in her chest.
"Okay, Let's do this." she whispered.