Emily let out a sigh of relief. "I knew my sister wouldn't be so heartless. With your status, a single phone call from you could get the police station to release him."
As daughters of the Brooks family, Eleanor's influence far exceeded Emily's, and the realization left a bitter taste in Emily's mouth.
"But Thomas still tried to frame me at my grandfather's birthday banquet. Emily, I'm not stupid. I can forgive him, but I won't let him off so easily," Eleanor said slowly, her words carrying a deeper meaning.
Emily tightened her grip on her phone and tried to reason with her. "Sister, there must be some misunderstanding. You know how much Thomas likes you. I don't know why you suddenly changed your stance today, but the most important thing now is getting him out."
She was desperate.
Eleanor let out a soft chuckle. "Alright, we've known each other for a long time. Even if it's just for your sake, I can't sit back and do nothing. I remember Dad has a piece of land he's been holding onto for years. Why don't you use that to exchange for Thomas's release?"
Emily's heart skipped a beat. Suspicious, she asked, "Land? Do you mean the one in the western suburbs? What do you want it for?"
"I don't want to do anything with it. I just want some benefits," Eleanor said nonchalantly. "Thomas tried to set me up first, but for your sake, I'm willing to save him. It wouldn't be fair if I walked away with nothing in return. So, let's just get this over with, shall we?"
"But why that piece of land? Sis, I have some jewelry that Mom left—"
"What would I need that for, Emily? Do you think I lack such things?" Eleanor sneered. "If you're unwilling to give me the land, then let Thomas stay locked up."
"I'll give it to you!"
Emily had no idea what Eleanor was planning but could only agree. Hesitantly, she added, "But the land belongs to Dad, and I don't have the authority to make that decision. He left on a business trip right after Grandpa's birthday banquet this afternoon. You should save Thomas first, and I'll talk to Dad when he returns. You can have whatever you want."
"Then wait for Dad to come back before saving him. Goodbye."
Eleanor's tone was indifferent as she prepared to hang up.
Panicking, Emily quickly called out, "Wait a minute—"
"Can you make the decision now?" Eleanor asked teasingly.
Ignoring her sarcasm, Emily gritted her teeth and relented. "I can give you the land. But you must save Thomas. Come to the office now and take the contract."
"Deal."
Having achieved her goal, Eleanor ended the call. She turned around, changed into fresh clothes, and left the house.
At that moment, the western suburbs were just an ordinary piece of land, seemingly unremarkable. But Eleanor remembered that in her past life, this was the year when the area was set for demolition and redevelopment. Plans were in motion for a subway system and a new commercial district.
Back then, Eleanor had been infamous—shallow, materialistic, and too busy shopping to care about anything else. She only recalled that after the government announced the project, Emily had somehow secured ownership of the land.
Later, Emily successfully took over Brooks Enterprises and gained shares in the company. Whether the land had played a role in that or not, Eleanor didn't care.
What mattered now was that she was going to claim it for herself.
Standing outside Brooks Enterprises, Eleanor paused in thought before striding inside with determination.
When Emily returned to her office with the contract, she found Eleanor casually examining the space.
Emily had joined Brooks Enterprises immediately after graduation. Eleanor had once considered doing the same, but both Olivia and Emily had discouraged her, claiming the corporate world was too exhausting.
"There are many senior employees in the company who rely on their connections," they had told her. "Even Emily struggles to manage them. You shouldn't bother with the stress—just enjoy your life."
Naively, Eleanor had believed them in her past life.
Now, she knew better.
Smiling, she turned to Emily. "This office looks nice. It doesn't seem as difficult to work here as you said."
Emily instinctively denied it. "No."
Eleanor raised an eyebrow. "No, what?"
"I mean… I just tidied up. The company is actually very demanding. We work day and night. You wouldn't be able to handle it, sis."
Emily was wary of Eleanor's sudden interest in the company, so she quickly placed the contract on the desk. "Here. This is what you wanted. Sign it and call Thomas right away. He's still waiting for you!"
Eleanor took her time reading through the contract.
Growing impatient, Emily handed her a pen and urged, "The legal department just printed this out. You won't understand all the legal jargon anyway, so just sign it quickly and we will be good to go!"
Eleanor's fingers paused as she rubbed the paper, then looked up to confirm.
"This contract officially transfers the land to me, correct? And it was printed by the company's legal department? There won't be any issues?"
"Of course not!"
"Good."
Eleanor took the pen and signed her name twice.
As soon as the contract was finalized, Emily pressed her. "Now call and get him released!"
Eleanor smiled. "Don't worry, Thomas will be fine."
Emily wanted to say more, but Eleanor grabbed the contract, picked up her bag, and walked out, leaving Emily fuming.
Outside the office, Eleanor pulled out her phone from her bag.
The screen was still on, and the recording app was open the voice playing in the background.
She curled her lips and clicked save.
Eleanor never believed that Emily would hand over the land so easily. From the moment she entered the office, she had been on guard. As for where the problem in the contract lay…
She would just wait for the fox's tail to reveal itself.
A few days later, Eleanor received an unfamiliar text message informing her that Thomas had been released. She didn't need to guess who had sent it—she could figure it out with her eyes closed.
Early in the morning, Emily was already acting "concerned" about her.
Eleanor sneered, turned off her phone, and went to her wardrobe to change. She applied light, appropriate makeup and, when Charles left, silently followed him with her small bag.
In the car, Charles withdrew his gaze from the tablet and looked at her. "What is it this time?"