Chapter 75

"Emily, I'll sleep in David and Tommy's room tonight. The kids might get suspicious," Michael Stone said, standing at the doorway with a slight frown.

Emily Johnson kept her back to him, her voice calm. "Explain it however you want."

As the door clicked shut, she finally exhaled in relief. Her fingers absently traced the edge of the pillowcase, her thoughts churning.

She had managed to stabilize the male lead, but her identity as the original female antagonist loomed like a ticking time bomb.

How long could the "amnesia" excuse hold? What if she was exposed?

Her grip tightened on the blanket. Should she tell Michael that his real wife was gone? That this was the world of a book?

Who would believe such a wild tale?

Moonlight streamed through the window as she pulled out the phone hidden beneath her pillow. The screen illuminated her pale face—her only lifeline.

Dawn broke with the crow of a rooster. Emily jolted awake, momentarily disoriented by the unfamiliar adobe walls.

"Mommy!" Two small figures barreled toward the bed. Tommy's eyes sparkled. "Daddy made steamed eggs!"

The aroma of food drifted from the kitchen. Michael turned, wiping sweat from his brow, an apron tied around his waist. "I'm thinking of inviting my army buddies over for dinner."

Emily's fingers twitched. So many people... her secret...

"Alright," she forced a steady tone. "I'll soak some seaweed."

Once Michael left to buy meat, she quickly tapped on her phone. Dried seaweed, shrimp flakes... She deliberately left small amounts of each in the cupboard.

"Mommy, it's raining!" David rushed in, his bangs dripping.

Through the downpour, Michael staggered back, pushing his bicycle. A pig's head swung from the handlebars, rainwater dripping from its bristles.

"Why did you buy that?" Emily took the heavy parcel.

Michael wiped his face. "Heard pig's head makes the best drinking snack." Then he lowered his voice. "Peter Wilson mentioned... someone's been asking about you."

The seaweed slipped from Emily's fingers, splashing into the basin. In the rippling water, her pupils contracted sharply.