Andrew's heart skipped a beat as Nanny Grace's words hit him like a ton of bricks. He had always prided himself on being a man of logic and reason, but he couldn't deny the truth in her words. There was something about Amelia that drew him to her, something that he couldn't quite put into words."I...I don't know what you mean, Nana," Andrew said, his voice barely above a whisper.Nanny Grace smiled knowingly at him. "Oh, I think you do, dear," she said. "You're just afraid to admit it to yourself."He opened his mouth to protest, but Nanny Grace held up her hand. "You don't have to tell me anything, Andrew. Just remember that Miss Catherine is gone, and it's time for you to move on. And as for Amelia, well, perhaps it's time for you to take a closer look at what you really feel for her."Andrew turned to Nanny Grace. He felt a lump form in his throat as he struggled to find the words to explain. "I hit her, Nana," he repeated, his voice barely above a whisper.Nanny Grace's eyes w
Nanny Grace's gentle reminder echoed in Andrew's mind as he stood in front of the locked door. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to steady himself before knocking again.Andrew stood before the door, his hand poised to knock. He took a deep breath, his chest heaving with remorse. He knew he had hurt her with his words, and he had to make it right. He rapped his knuckles against the wood, hoping for a response."Amelia, it's me," he called out softly, his voice barely above a whisper. "Please, open the door. I need to talk to you."But there was no answer. Andrew waited, his ear pressed against the door, listening for any sound of movement. But all he could hear was the sound of his own breathing, ragged and uneven.He took a deep breath, trying to find the right words to say. He had always been closed off since the death of Catherine, and he found it difficult to show any woman his vulnerable side. But he knew he had to apologize to Amelia.He tried again. "Amelia, I know I was
Amelia didn't respond, didn't even move. Andrew took a deep breath, trying to gather his thoughts. He had never been good with words, especially when it came to matters of the heart."I didn't mean to hurt you," he said finally. "I was just...frustrated. With myself, mostly. I didn't mean to take it out on you."Still, Amelia didn't say anything. Andrew could feel the tension between them, the hurt and the anger and the frustration."I know I messed up," he continued. "And I'm sorry."He waited for her response, his heart beating faster with every passing second. Andrew took a deep breath, trying to summon the courage to speak. He had never been good at this kind of thing. Since Catherine had died, he had kept his emotions bottled up, never letting anyone get close enough to hurt him.But Amelia was different. She had somehow broken down his defenses, and now he was feeling things he had never felt before.He felt a lump form in his throat. He had never been good at apologizing, and
Andrew poured two glasses of scotch from the bottle on his desk, offering one to the detective."I appreciate you coming over, Detective," Andrew said, taking a sip of his drink. "I imagine you were referring to my phone call since three weeks ago, right?"Detective Stone nodded gravely. "Yes, Mr. Reynolds. I have to admit, what you told me had me concerned."He wasted no time in delivering the news. "She's clean, Andrew. Your wife, Miss Amelia, is clean. She had nothing to do with your accident," he said, his tone professional.Andrew breathed a sigh of relief, but then the detective continued. "The only thing we found was her and Henry's past," he said, watching Andrew's reaction closely."It seems your wife had a past with your cousin. Were you thinking they were working together to get rid of you?"Andrew sipped his wine, trying to keep his composure. "I found out about them in my coma," he said, his voice low. Detective Stone raised an eyebrow. "In your coma?" he repeated.Andre
Andrew's heart sank as he sat down next to Amelia. She was still scrolling through her phone, ignoring him completely."Amelia," he said again, his voice barely above a whisper. "Can you at least hear me out?"Amelia didn't respond, her eyes still fixed on her phone. Andrew felt a pang of guilt, knowing that he was at fault.He sat there in silence, unsure of what to do next. He watched as Amelia's fingers moved across the screen of her phone, her face impassive."I know I wasn't a gentleman," he said finally, breaking the silence. "And I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you."Amelia still didn't respond, her eyes still glued to her phone. Andrew sighed, feeling the weight of the silence between them.She stood up, her heart heavy with pain. As she turned to leave, Andrew grabbed her arms, stopping her in her tracks."Amelia, I'm sorry," he said, his voice filled with regret and longing.Amelia could feel the warmth of his touch on her skin, but she refused to give in to it. She pulled
Henry walked into the dining room, sniffing the air curiously. "What's that smell, Nana?" he asked, a grin on his face.Nanny Grace laughed as she placed a plate of pancakes in front of him. "I made breakfast, dear," she said. "You want to eat now?"Henry's eyes lit up as he picked up his fork. "Yes, Nana, I'm starving," he said.As he started eating, he turned to Andrew, who was sitting quietly at the table. "Hey, cousin, what's wrong?" he asked, noticing the tense atmosphere.Andrew stood up abruptly, his expression darkening. "You're still a suspect in my accident, Henry," he said, his voice laced with anger. "Don't forget that."Henry's face fell as he set down his fork. "Andrew, come on," he said. "I've told you a hundred times, I had nothing to do with your accident. I wouldn't do something like that to family."Andrew glared at him. "I hope that's true," he said, before storming out of the room.Henry watched as Andrew stormed out of the dining room and disappeared into his stu
Amelia's heart pounded in her chest as she followed Nanny Grace down the hallway towards Andrew's study. She could hear the sound of fists hitting flesh and the crash of furniture being overturned. As they reached the doorway, Amelia could see Andrew and Henry locked in a vicious struggle.Andrew's face was twisted with anger as he threw a punch at Henry's jaw, but Henry dodged it and retaliated with a blow to Andrew's stomach. The two men circled each other like caged animals, each one looking for an opening to strike.Nanny Grace rushed forward, trying to pull them apart, but they shook her off and continued to fight. "Stop it!" Amelia screamed, but her words were lost in the chaos of the room.As the fight raged on, Amelia could see that both men were exhausted and bloodied. Andrew's shirt was torn and his lip was split, while Henry's nose was bleeding and his eye was swelling shut. It was clear that neither man was going to give up until one of them was victorious.Suddenly, Ame
Andrew couldn't help but smile as he noticed her standing on her toes and stretching to reach his face. His smile was gentle, despite the bruises on his face.Then, his gentle voice broke the silence. "Do you want me to sit?" he asked, his eyes filled with concern.Amelia still avoided Andrew's gaze as she said, "if you want to."Andrew held her hands as she cleaned his wounds. He looked at her and asked again, "do you want me to sit?"Amelia hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Okay, sit," she said softly.He moved to the chair by his desk and sat down, still watching Amelia as she continued to clean his wounds. He could sense her discomfort and hesitance, and it made him feel even more guilty about what had happened.As she finished cleaning the wounds, Andrew reached out and gently took her hand. "Amelia," he said softly. "I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I just...I lost control."She looked away, avoiding his gaze, but held her chin and positioned her face to his. She c