The Rogue King's Surrogate
Opposite 108
Chapter b108 /b
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A woman came striding toward them, her heels clicking loudly against the floor. She wore oversized ck shades that covered nearly half her face and ba /bscarf wrapped high around her neck.
At first nce, Emery thought it was just another woman overdressed for the hospital, but then she noticed therge ster strip across her nose and part of her cheek, like someone fresh out of cosmetic surgery trying to hide from photographers. The effect was moreical than effective, almost like a poorly nned disguise.
It took Emery a few seconds to recognize her. “Talia?” she muttered, disbelief in her voice.
“Talia, what are you doing here?” Samuel blurted as soon bas /bhe saw her.
Emery froze, caught between confusion and irritation. Of all people, of all times, Talia Arden, the actressb, /bwas standing in front of her like a tabloid scandal waiting to happen.
“You really have to ask that?” Talia hissed as she suddenly lunged forward, her arm swinging bas /bif she meant to p Emery across the face. But the movement was clumsy, almost in slow motion. Emery saw her handing and leaned back just in time. Talia stumbled, lost her bnce, and nearly fell t if Samuel hadn’t caught her.
While James held her sister, as if trying to steady her.
“What the hell are you doing?” Samuel snapped, gripping her shouldersb. /b“You just had surgery, why are you even here?”
Emery blinked, only now remembering Logan had once mentioned that Talia’s face had been badly damaged from an ident, though the details slipped her mind.
But Talia didn’t care about that. She twisted in Samuel’s arms, still trying to w at Emery. “Let me go! Let me p this homewrecker!” she shrieked. “You damn bitch! Stop seducing married men, leave my husband alone!”
Immediately, the scene drew stares from nearby patients and visitors. Emery felt the weight of their eyes, but Talia only screamed louder, her voice echoing down the hall.
“Shut up!” Samuel hissed, but when he tried to hold her back, Talia shoved him hard and pped him across the cheek. The sound echoed.
“You’re patheticb!/bb” /bshe spat at him. “Always running after her, always chasing after Emery, while I’m stuck at home! How dare you! You drag me around like ia /ifool, make me look like some obsessed woman, when you’re the one who refuses to let her go!”
Samuel’s face flushed red. “You’re making a scene, Talia! Let’s go home!” He immediately tried to drag her away but miserably failed when Talia fought back.
“You made me into this scene!” Talia screamed, pointing at Emery. “She’s your mistress, and you’re too stupid to see it. You keep picking her over me! She’s the reason everything went wrong!”
“Enough, Talia!” Samuel snapped, but she kept going.
“My miscarriage was because of her!” she shouted, her voice breaking as she clutched at the ster on her face. “If not for Emery, I wouldn’t have lost my baby!”
Samuel’s eyes went wide. “Are you insane? You lost that child because you were drunk and crashed your car! How the hell is that Emery’s fault?”
“Don’t you dare say
that to me!” Talia screeched, her voice cracking as tears ran down her face. “Don’t you dare defend her
in front of me! You bastard!”
b5:02 /bbpm /bbPPPD/bb. /b
b55 /bvouchers
She shoved him again, almost knocking herself back in the process, cursing him between sobs and usations. Samuel finally snapped, his hand flying out and striking her across the face. The crack silenced the hall for a split second.
Talia’s head whipped to the side. She stood frozen before slowly turning back, eyes wild, and then sheughed bitterly. “You hit me? You dare hit me for her? For your precious Emery?”
Samuel’s chest heaved, his expression torn between fury and shame.
Emery stood still, realizing she didn’t need to say a word. Talia and Samuel were already tearing each other apart.
James instinctively pulled Emery back, guiding her a little farther down the space and putting himself between her and the chaos. “Stay here. Someone already called security,” he muttered, his hand tightening on her arm. Emery didn’t argue. She knew that Talia was already spiraling out of control.
“You bastard! I’m going to kill you!” Talia screamed, stumbling forward as Samuel tried to hold her off. Her nails wed at his shirt, leaving scratches along his corbone. “You dare hit me? After everything I’ve done for you? You ungrateful, useless bastard!”
Samuel winced, trying to catch her wrists, but Talia thrashed harder, her heels slipping on the polished floor. She swung at him again, this time missingpletely and almost hitting the table.
“You ruined me!” she screeched, hair falling from under her scarf, making her disguise look even more ridiculous. “You drag me into your pathetic mess and then me me when it all falls apart? You’re nothing, Samuel! Nothing without me!”
“Talia, calm down!” Samuel barked, but his attempt only fueled her rage.
“Don’t tell me to calm down!” she shrieked, lunging again. “You protect her! Your precious Emery! Your mistress!” She turned her head suddenly, eyes locking on Emery. Her finger shot out like a dagger. “You! Come here! Let me rip you apart, you whore!”
James shifted immediately. “Back off, Arden. You won’ty a finger on her.”
“Stay out of this, Be!” Talia snapped, her voice hoarse from screaming. “You’re enabling herb! /bYou all are! Look at her, standing there like some saint when she’s the reason my life is destroyed!”
Samuel caught her arms again, struggling to pin them to her sides. “You’re humiliating yourself, Talia. Stop it!”
“Shut up!” she yelled, kicking at his shins like a tantruming child. “You’re the humiliation! I gave you everything, and you betray me for her! For Emery! You coward, you worthless piece of—“、
Samuel finally lost his patience and shoved her back. Talia staggered, lost her bnce, and fell against a waiting chair. The ster on her nose slipped slightly, peeling at the edges. Gasps rippled through the onlookers as Talia scrambled upright, one hand holding her face as though the world might end if anyone saw beneath.
“You monster!” she cried, pointing at Samuel again. “First you kill my baby, now you hit me, now you try to unmask me in public!”
“You did that yourself,” Samuel shot back, yanking at his already torn shirt. “Look at you, screaming like a madwoman in the middle of a hospital!”
“Madwoman?” she repeated, her voice cracking as she lunged again. “You’ll see mad when I w your eyes out!”
She iled at him, scratching his jaw and swearing at the top of her lungs. “Bastard! Traitor! And you!” she turned toward Emery again, her voice screeching high. “Don’t think you’re safe hiding behind your brother. Mistress! Slut! Come here and fight me like a womanb! /bI’ll tear you to pieces!”