By six, Amelia had whipped up a six-dish dinner with soup—Chad Felton's favorites, of course. By seven, she'd prepped his bath, complete with rose petals and candles. By eight, his slippers were perfectly lined up by the door. At nine, Chad finally strolled in. Amelia stepped up, taking his suit jacket. "Eat first or bathe?" she asked, setting the slippers in front of him and hanging the jacket. "Bathe," he muttered, eyes glued to his phone.
View MoreAs Amelia stepped into the mourning hall, her eyes landed on Emerson—his hair stark white—and Chad, sitting silently in a wheelchair.With a bouquet in hand, she walked to Miranda's portrait. She laid the flowers gently at the altar, her gaze lingering on the photo for a long moment.Her feelings about Miranda were... messy.Gratitude? Miranda had stolen five years of her life.Resentment? Miranda had paid for her education.But now? None of it mattered. The dead didn't come back, and the weight of those years seemed to vanish with Miranda's death.Amelia gave the portrait one last look before turning to Emerson. "Mr. Felton, my condolences."Emerson nodded, saying nothing.She approached Chad next, her gaze lingering for a moment. "My condolences," she said softly.He gave her a bitter smile but stayed quiet....Yara arrived under guard, dragged in from prison.All her swagger? Gone. She looked pale, empty, like a shadow of who she'd been. Even when her eyes met Amelia's,
For a split second, panic shot through him, and he almost jumped in after her.But before he could even move, she surfaced, water streaming down her face, clutching the ring in her hand.When he pulled her into his arms, it wasn't just relief he felt. There was something else—something he couldn't name at the time. Fear that she might've vanished forever.Now he finally understood what that feeling had been: love.He'd fallen for Amelia the moment she dove into the sea to retrieve that ring.The realization hit like a tidal wave, and regret crushed him, heavy and relentless. Chad buried his face in his hands and wept....The butler didn't roll back to the Harding house until late that night, his car packed to the brim with gifts.Amelia raised an eyebrow. "What's all this?"He explained. After seeing the ring, Chad had a full-on meltdown. Somewhere between the sobs, he called in an order for an entire truckload of gifts—as if that would somehow make up for everything.Amelia
Amelia didn't even flinch at Chad's reaction. "If it weren't for the whole 'repay your family' thing, we never would've met. I'd have my own life."Chad stared at her, bitter and empty. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. She didn't wait for him to figure it out, stepping out of the car without a backward glance.As she walked toward the villa, a sudden glare of headlights lit up the driveway, blinding her. She raised a hand to shield her eyes when—"Amelia!" Chad's panicked shout cut through the screech of brakes.Yara. Behind the wheel. Her twisted resentment had finally snapped. In her mind, Amelia was the reason her perfect little world had fallen apart. She'd broken free from her bodyguards, jumped in the car, and floored it straight at Amelia.Before Amelia could even react, Chad lunged, shoving her out of the way. She hit the ground with a few scrapes and bruises, but Chad? Not so lucky.Yara didn't stop. Consumed by rage, she kept her foot on the gas, slamming int
Amelia snapped her suitcase shut and carried it to the door.Luna trailed behind, her face lit with curiosity. "Do you remember Irina?"Amelia froze mid-step. Irina?It had been ages since she'd thought about that name. The last she'd heard, Irina had left with her ex-husband, Max, to the United States. What happened after that? Not something Amelia cared to follow.Luna tapped her phone, pulling up an article, and handed it over. "Irina had a miscarriage."Amelia's eyes widened as she scanned the screen.The article detailed Irina's struggles after returning to Kaldora with Max Delbert. Despite his attempts to shield her, his family had been openly hostile about her past. Under constant pressure, Irina had spiraled, and during a moment of despair, she'd fallen down a staircase.As if that wasn't enough, rumors swirled about Max being linked to another woman, sparking explosive arguments between the two. The article didn't say what happened next.Luna pocketed her phone. "She r
The living room had gone dead quiet, leaving only Emerson and Miranda behind.He stared at her, his disappointment cutting deeper than any words. Before leaving for overseas, he'd set up trusted aides—a top assistant and the butler—to help Miranda keep things in line back in Kaldora.A month later, both had come to him, begging for reassignment. That's when he'd learned Miranda had fired them the moment he left, replacing them with her own people.The full extent of her negligence hit him only after Chad's two reckless car accidents involving Irina. That brat had ignored his wife entirely, spiraling under Miranda's blind eye. She'd indulged his behavior, slowly destroying the Felton discipline that had built their legacy.The Feltons had a reputation for being ruthless and laser-focused. Emotions didn't get in the way—family interests always came first. Heartbreak? Grief? Deal with it, and fast. No one had the luxury of leaning on someone else for five years to pick up the pieces.
Chad's outstretched hand froze midair as Luna's words sank in. His gaze shifted, landing on Amelia with a mix of guilt and unease.Amelia glanced at the wreckage in front of her, a faint, mocking smile curving her lips.Around them, murmurs rippled through the crowd, but Yara's face flushed a furious red. Ignoring the stares, she jabbed a finger at Amelia."This is all your fault! If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been sent to Australia!"With her family name, Yara could've lived comfortably in Australia—but Chad had cut off her credit cards, determined to teach her a lesson. She'd been forced to scrape by on the small allowance Miranda sent each month, humiliated and bitter."My fault?" Amelia's tone was cold. "Who looked down on me first? Who mocked me? And who was it that sent you to Australia? You don't even understand what happened, but you're ready to blame me."She added, "Yara, did you left your common sense behind in Australia?"Yara realized she was being mocked f
Miranda studied Amelia, taking in her poised and refined demeanor. A mix of satisfaction and regret swirled within her.She was satisfied because Amelia would've been the ideal daughter-in-law for the Felton family—graceful, capable, and composed. But regret lingered, too, because Chad's obsession with Irina had cost them such a perfect match.Now that things with Irina were over, Miranda couldn't help but think it wasn't too late to bring Amelia back into the fold.Amelia listened in silence as Miranda spoke. When Miranda finished, Amelia calmly placed a bank card on the table between them."This card holds twice the amount the Felton family invested in me," she said. "If it hadn't been for that repayment agreement, I could've repaid the money—with interest—within a couple of years."The Felton family had built their reputation on philanthropy, and Amelia knew she wasn't the only person they'd sponsored. But unlike others, she had been singled out, ensnared in a trap disguised as
The cozy vibe at the table instantly shifted, tension crackling in the air.The server hesitated, clutching the roses like a hot potato. After a long, awkward pause, he quietly backed away.But Chad wasn't done.Every day after that, a bouquet of pink roses showed up at her studio.Every day, they went straight into the trash without a second glance.At another art exhibition, he finally cornered her, desperate to know why she kept rejecting his flowers.Amelia just looked at him, her expression unreadable. Then, slowly, a sharp, mocking smile crept across her face.Five years of marriage, and he still didn't have a clue."Because I don't like you," Amelia said, her tone brutally honest. "So why would I like anything you send me? Chad, why can't we part on good terms? We're divorced—you, of all people, should be the happiest about that."Chad's breath hitched. His eyes shimmered, and his voice wavered as he instinctively reached for her hand. "That's not true, Amelia. I wasn't
Amelia frowned, pausing mid-turn, when suddenly she was pulled into an all-too-familiar embrace. The cold, sharp scent of cedar hit her like a memory she'd rather forget.Chad.He held her tightly, his body trembling. "Amelia... Amelia, you're finally back," he said, his voice shaking.Before she could push him away, someone else stepped in, ripping him off her.The next second, she felt Luna's arms around her, protective and steady. "Amelia, are you okay?" Luna asked, her voice low but worried.Amelia shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts.Hugh was already in front of Chad, his glare sharp enough to cut. "Chad Felton," he said coldly, "what makes you think you have any right to see Amelia again?"Hugh's anger burned, fueled by years of watching Amelia suffer because of this man.Chad opened his mouth, but Amelia stepped in, her voice firm. "Chad, let's talk somewhere else."The last thing she wanted was for him to ruin the exhibition she and her friend had poured their
By six, Amelia had whipped up a six-dish dinner with soup—Chad Felton's favorites, of course.By seven, she'd prepped his bath, complete with rose petals and candles.By eight, his slippers were perfectly lined up by the door.At nine, Chad finally strolled in. Amelia stepped up, taking his suit jacket. "Eat first or bathe?" she asked, setting the slippers in front of him and hanging the jacket."Bathe," he muttered, eyes glued to his phone.Thirty minutes later, he came out in his robe, towel in hand. Amelia passed him his pajamas without a word and rushed to reheat the dinner she'd kept waiting.Chad, used to her quiet service, barely looked her way. In a good mood tonight, he stayed fixated on his phone, a faint smile playing on his lips as he typed.Amelia's eyes flicked to his screen, catching the name 'Irina.' Her expression wavered for a split second, but she quickly looked away and kept moving.Her own phone buzzed. It was Miranda. With a sigh, she picked up."Amelia, ...
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