THE PRECIOUS JEWEL

at there was more to Emma than met the eye."This can't be happening," Olivia muttered under her breath, her perfectly manicured nails digging into the palms of her hands. "How dare sh

industry, we need to know about it. We can't let her catch us off guard again."Olivia nodded, her mind already whirring with possibilities. "Alright, I'll have my team monitor her movements. But if she so much as sneezes in our direction, I want her gone. Permanently."Daniel's brow furrowed. "Olivia, I understand your concern, but we can't resort to drastic measures. We need to handle this situation with caution and discretion."Olivia waved a dismissive hand. "Discretion, schmiscretion. This is my company, Daniel, and I won't let anyone jeopardize what I've built. If Emma is a threat, then she needs to be dealt with accordingly."Daniel opened his mouth to protest, but Olivia cut him off."No more discussion, Daniel. I want a full report on Emma's activities by the end of the day. We need to be one step ahead of her, no matter what it takes."Daniel nodded reluctantly, knowing better than to argue with Olivia when she was in this kind of mood. "Very well. I'll have my team get to work immediately."As Daniel left the office, Olivia sank into her chair, her mind racing. She couldn't shake the feeling that Emma was up to something, and she was determined to uncover the truth, no matter the cost.Meanwhile, Emma found herself walking the familiar streets of Emerald Springs, a bittersweet feeling washing over her. She reached out to old friends, carefully navigating conversations to avoid revealing too much about her time away.Over coffee with her childhood best friend Susi, Emma reminisced about simpler times, all while keeping her guard up. She shared carefully curated stories of her life abroad, always stopping short of mentioning her success as Zora."It's so good to see you, Emma!" Susi exclaimed, her eyes shining with genuine affection. "We've all missed you so much. Where have you been all these years?"Emma smiled, her heart aching with the weight of her secrets. "Oh, you know, just trying to find my way in the world. I've been traveling a lot, exploring new places and trying to figure out what I want to do with my life."Susi nodded, her expression understanding. "Well, I'm just glad you're back. It's been so quiet around here without you."Emma chuckled, taking a sip of her coffee. "I'm sure it has. But I'm not planning on staying for long. I've got some unfinished business to take care of."Susi's brow furrowed. "Unfinished business? What do you mean?"Emma waved a dismissive hand. "Oh, nothing too exciting. Just some personal matters I need to attend to. But enough about me, how have you been? What's new in Emerald Spri