My Great Escape Led Me to You (Emily Blair) novel Chapter 653

Emily Blair waited quietly in the hospital room, passing the time with a brief conference call.

Once Mr. Parker agreed to sell the rights to Funland to Vertex International, Emily had immediately set her team in motion. By last night, the contracts were officially signed.

With the perfect launch theme in place, the Black and White Rabbit project sprang back to life. The team, which had been disbanded just weeks ago, quickly reassembled, ready to pick up where they left off. The plan was to launch the game two months from now, right on the third anniversary of the Funland Arcade.

After her call, Emily responded to a few messages on her phone, then glanced up—and saw Ashley Gomez peeking nervously from the doorway.

Ashley was still in her pastel pajamas from the night before, a fever patch with a white bunny print stuck to her forehead. She wore hospital slippers and clung to the doorframe, poking her head around to watch Emily.

Her movements were careful, but her gaze was steady and unafraid. When Emily looked over, Ashley stared right back at her, bold as ever.

Emily couldn’t help but chuckle. She stood up, walked over, and knelt in front of Ashley, gently ruffling her hair.

“If you’re sick, you should rest. Why did you come looking for me?”

Ashley’s face twisted into a little pout. “You didn’t come find me, so I had to come find you!”

“My fault, my fault—I should have gone to see you,” Emily said at once, feigning guilt. “But tell me, Ashley, how did you know where to find me?”

Ashley wrinkled her nose. “I asked Nurse Emily. She told me.”

Emily glanced around. “Where’s your dad? Is no one with you?”

Ashley blinked, a bit confused. “Daddy went somewhere. I don’t know where.”

“No one else is with you?” Emily asked gently.

“There is!” Ashley said quickly.

They looked like the picture-perfect family—handsome, happy, and completely absorbed in each other.

None of the three seemed to notice Emily and Ashley sitting nearby.

Ashley’s face crumpled, her lips trembling as if she might cry at any moment.

Emily let out a quiet sigh.

In the days she’d known Benjamin and Ashley Gomez, neither had ever mentioned Ashley’s mother. Last night, Emily had overheard Isabella talking about Ashley’s background—how Benjamin had adopted her from an orphanage.

No wonder Ashley had no mother in her life. Watching other children with their families, it was only natural for her to long for a mother too.

It reminded Emily of Daisy, who had once pleaded to see her father, not understanding why he was never there. Back then, Emily had felt powerless, able only to tell Daisy that her daddy had gone somewhere far away.