My Great Escape Led Me to You (Emily Blair) novel Chapter 1005

The DNA test results wouldn't be ready until tomorrow. She was stalling for time, waiting for that confirmation. If Juliana Silva was indeed Isabella Austin, her relationship with the Austin family would become an inextricable mess, and she needed to prepare. The night passed without dreams. Years later, Emily would still vividly remember the morning’s itinerary. At 7:30 AM, she got up and washed. At 8:10 AM, she finished breakfast and took her medicine. At 8:15 AM, she was in the car heading to the office, reviewing several documents on the way. At 8:30 AM, she arrived at the company, long before most of the employees. That morning, she held two brief meetings and another one about the bid for the autonomous driving project, setting the basic direction for the proposal. It wasn't until 11:30 AM that her assistant sent her a message. The results of the DNA test between Juliana Silva and Emma George were in. Emily opened the attached file, skipping past the lengthy introduction and scrolling straight to the conclusion. [Based on the kinship analysis… the two individuals are confirmed to have a familial relationship, specifically that of aunt and niece…] Thud. Emily's phone slipped from her grasp and clattered onto the desk. Her hand remained frozen in mid-air, her gaze vacant as she stared at the dark carpet on her office floor. After a moment, Emily slowly closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair, taking a deep breath. She raised a hand, pressing the back of it against her eyes. Juliana Silva was Isabella Austin. It all made sense now. Isabella Austin wasn't dead. Emily remembered the story: Isabella had gotten into a car accident while saving Benjamin Gomez’s daughter. She was rushed into emergency surgery but died from her severe injuries and was quickly buried. Emily had never even seen the body. Now, all the pieces that hadn't fit before were falling into place. Why was it specifically Benjamin Gomez's daughter? Why did the car crash happen just as the police were coming to arrest her? And why had Andrew Lane, who supposedly loved Isabella deeply, shown no sign of grief, acting as if nothing had happened? Was he truly not heartbroken, or did he know the truth? Emily saw it clearly now. Isabella had used the dubious car accident to fake her own death, a perfect escape. She’d fled the country, undergone plastic surgery, and reinvented herself as Juliana Silva, Benjamin Gomez’s girlfriend. She had started a new life, evading the legal consequences she should have faced. Emily's fingers slowly curled, tightening into a fist. Isabella Austin was still alive. Benjamin Gomez, along with the doctors and nurses at that hospital, had all played an indispensable role in her escape. And what about Andrew Lane? Did he know? Was he involved? Did he help? She didn't know. Her nails dug into her palm. She would never let Isabella Austin get away with it. Never. After the rage came a cold calm. She needed a plan. She had to expose Juliana Silva as Isabella Austin and reveal the crimes the Austin and Lane families had tried to cover up. Her gaze fell on the charity gala invitation lying beside her hand. A local tycoon was hosting the event to raise money for children in mountainous regions, and the guest list was a who's who of the upper class. The tycoon had been hosting the gala for over a decade, and it always drew major attention. Almost every prominent figure attended, and Isabella’s parents had never missed a year. Since Benjamin Gomez and Juliana Silva were in the capital, there was a high chance they’d be invited too.