After the near-death experience, Emma stood there, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. The shock of the incident was still settling in, but she couldn't shake the feeling that the man who had saved her looked familiar. She furrowed her brow, trying to place where she had seen him before, but her mind was too muddled from the adrenaline rush to make the connection.
"Thank you, thank you so much," she stammered, her voice still shaky. She repeated her gratitude several times, feeling a mix of overwhelming relief and confusion. The man simply nodded, his expression calm and steady, though there was a sharpness in his eyes that hinted at a deeper concern.
When Emma turned to look at the car that had almost hit her, she noticed that the driver was slumped over the wheel, unconscious. Her eyes widened in surprise, and she quickly spotted the empty bottles strewn across the passenger seat. "He must have been drunk," she muttered, a mixture of anger and disbelief in her voice. "How could someone be so reckless?"
The man who had saved her stepped closer, his gaze narrowing as he surveyed the scene. "It looks like that's what happened," he said, his tone noncommittal, though there was an edge to it. He made sure to keep his voice steady, not wanting to alarm Emma any further.
However, something about the situation didn't sit right with him. The man was one of Ethan Hamilton's trusted operatives, and he had been tasked with keeping an eye on Emma without her knowledge. As he assessed the scene, his instincts told him that this wasn't just a random accident—there was something more to it.
Taking advantage of the moment while Emma was distracted by the unconscious driver, the operative subtly reached into his pocket and sent a quick message to Ethan, alerting him to what had happened. His message was brief but conveyed the urgency: "Incident with your sister. Possible foul play. Will investigate further."
Ethan received the message almost instantly. He was in the middle of a meeting when his phone vibrated, but the moment he saw the notification, his focus shifted entirely. He quickly excused himself and stepped out into a quieter area, his expression darkening as he read the details.
"Damn it," Ethan muttered under his breath, his mind racing. He knew his sister was strong and independent, but the recent string of events had made it clear that someone was targeting her, and they weren't afraid to play dirty. He needed to act fast.
Back at the scene, Emma, still shaken but beginning to regain her composure, turned back to the man who had saved her. "I'm sorry, but... have we met before? You look so familiar," she asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.
The man smiled faintly, shaking his head. "I don't think we have. Maybe I just have one of those faces," he said, sidestepping the question with practiced ease. "But I'm glad I was here to help. You should head home and rest—this must have been a shock."
Emma nodded, though she still felt a lingering sense of unease. "Yeah, I think you're right. I should... I should go," she replied, still slightly dazed. She gave him one last grateful look before turning to leave, though the sense of familiarity continued to nag at her.
As she walked away, the operative watched her go, his expression growing more serious. Once she was out of sight, he quickly made his way over to the crashed car. He needed to investigate further, to see if there were any clues that could confirm his suspicions.
Meanwhile, Ethan was already making arrangements. He couldn't risk another close call like this. If someone was after Emma, they were going to have to go through him first. He dialed another number, his voice cold and authoritative as he gave his orders.
"Double the security detail on her. I want eyes on her 24/7, and I want a full report on every person she's come into contact with in the last week," he commanded. "And find out everything you can about the driver of that car. If this was an intentional attack, I want the person responsible found and dealt with—quietly."
As he ended the call, Ethan's jaw clenched with determination. Whoever was behind this would soon learn that no one messed with his family and got away with it.