Chapter 51 Forced Down
The cheeriness on Maisie faded and melded into sorrow. “My little son has leukemia so I must have you accept them and forward us the payment due, regardless of whether Mashion wants them or not. Although you haven’t pressed charges, Glenn would still be serving some time for causing bodily harm, at least. As my boy cannot afford to delay treatment and my workers haven’t been paid in three months, I’ve no choice. Sorry about this.”
Savannah sensed a presence behind her. Before she could turn around, she felt a sharp pain crack at the back of her head. She saw her vision blurred, and then nothing.
When she came to, her neck was killing her.
Damn it! The person who struck her did not hold back. She felt stupid for falling prey to Maisie Graeme’s trickery once again.
With her eyes peeled wide, she surveyed the surroundings. It was a dimly lit room. She had no idea where the hell she was except she was certain she was no longer at the warehouse.
The woman intuitively got up, afraid that the blow might have messed with her head.
“You’ve got to be some special kind of dumb.” A pair of hands on her shoulders then forced her back down onto the bed.
That caught her by surprise, and made her want to jump back up and fight back. However, she recognized the voice and paused long enough to take another careful look at the person by the side of the bed. It was Emmett.
“Why are you here? Where is this place?” Savannah asked.
Emmett said in a low voice, “The Seaside Villa.”
“What? Why have you brought me here? I was knocked out at the warehouse…” She was stumped momentarily before an impulse to cry overwhelmed her. “Did anything happen while I was unconscious?”
Emmett just looked on and said nothing.
Savannah checked herself. The clothes she had on were the same ones she wore to the warehouse. Apart from her throbbing head, she felt no other source of physical discomfort.
“What happened afterward? How long was I out for? And why were you the one who brought me here?” It almost had her choked up.
Savannah was terrified of falling unconscious in an unfamiliar environment without knowledge of what has transpired, as she knew what something like this could mean for a woman.
“It’s a good thing that I got there in time.” When those words left his mouth, Emmett was taken by surprise. That gentle tone was totally out of character for him.
Savannah, however, was too caught up with her own hurt and fearfulness to notice that peculiarity in his inflection. “How did you manage that?”
Emmett then reverted back to his usual aloof self. “The chauffeur who drove you there immediately contacted Grandma after you did not reemerge. I overheard her and ascertained your location with him before I rushed down.”
“Did they just hand me over when you got there?” she asked.
“Could it have been that simple? Maisie and those workers were practically waiting for someone to come looking. They barricaded the door and would only let you go after discussing terms with me…”
“Did you buy out their stock in the warehouse?” Savannah had figured as much Maisie’s ploy by now.
Emmett nodded and looked severe. “Try to think over your actions next time. If you are going to exercise compassion for all the wrong reasons, you’ll not be the only one who will suffer the consequences!”
“Did you agree to their terms?” She was worried that he might have purchased those fraudulent goods in order to save her. “Have you see those samples? Everything they have been producing fakes. Not only are they of poor quality, but there will also be legal ramifications on top of the financial repercussions. We can’t acquire their stock or help them sell them. It’ll ruin Mashion.”
Emmett scoffed, “Hmph. You must have overestimated them if you think they’re capable of threatening me. I’ve already called the police on them on the way there. All those who held you hostage were arrested, and the batch of counterfeits seized.”
Savannah merely acknowledged that under her breath. It looked like she may have overthought this. There was no way Emmett would stake the fortunes of his beloved Mashion for hers.
Still it weighed heavily on her. Not because Emmett did not care about her, but that Maisie told her that her son was sick.
Because she had been deceived so many times by that woman, she could not bring herself to remonstrate on her behalf, even for the boy’s sake.
“Yeah, it was the right decision, and they deserved to be punished,” Savannah sighed.
The man laughed as he saw right through her. “Don’t tell me that you sympathize with the Zimmermanns? How have they repaid us for showing them clemency before? They tried to hurt you when they weren’t trying to kill me.”
“No, I wasn’t,” Savannah said as she hardened herself. “But you may be right. Some people just aren’t worth the effort.”
“Glad to know that you could see sense.” Emmett then got to his feet. “Take a rest, I’ve already had Nolan inform Grandma that we won’t be home tonight.”
Savannah reached out and tugged at his sleeve. She secretly hoped for him to stay with her, as she found the prospect of staying in an unfamiliar room by herself quite daunting.
In spite of it, she made no mention of her intent, but found another subject with which to make conversation. “Don’t go yet. I still don’t understand why Brooklyn commissioned them to produce high fashion yet refused to accept their stock. They aren’t exactly getting at you, are they?”
Emmett returned to sit by the bed. It seemed time to properly explain everything to her.
“The reason why Brooklyn refused to collect on Glenn’s stock is because she knew she would not be able to continue as Managing Director of Mashion for long. She did not want anyone to find out that she had been involved in the production of counterfeit merchandise when she eventually stepped down,” Emmett said solemnly. “Do you really believe Glenn came to take it out on me simply because of this one failed transaction?”
“If this was not the case, why else would he do that?” With her arms tightened around a pillow, she got off the bed as she listened. All the while she was upset with herself for her simple-mindedness. It was not as though she had not experienced the dark side of human nature before.
Emmett continued, “Glenn intended to kill me the day he barged into the office. Brooklyn had evidence that he was producing counterfeits and was using it to manipulate him. Saying he was taking me down with him because Mashion went back on our word was just an excuse, as he was more worried about his factory coming under investigation for forgery than anything else.”
“Then he was indeed guilty of attempted murder.” Savannah now realized that she had misunderstood Emmett. It was not that he was cruel, but his enemies were too meticulous with their staging.
“But his wife didn’t know about the web of deception within. Her only thought was about getting their son the money he needed for his treatment when she got you in to view the stock,” he explained. “Still, having a sick child at home doesn’t justify their wrong-doing!”
“I’ve been so foolish.” She lowered her head and thought herself laughable, assuming that everyone was guiltless just because she herself was sent to prison in spite of her own innocence.
She was now able to approve of Emmett’s handling of the issue. Even though the Zimmermanns deserved to feel the full brunt of the law, her thoughts were with their little boy. “Was it true that Maisie’s youngest son had leukemia though?”
