LOGINAmelia rolled her eyes a second time and then dropped her voice into a low, husky tone. "What do you want?"“I was wondering if you're free right now," Desmond asked, practically bouncing with expectation. It had been a while since he'd seen his friend, and he was eager to reconnect.“What do you need me for?" Amelia asked directly.“I'm on vacation, out on an island. Wanna come hang out?" Desmond asked, practically vibrating with excitement.“Can't. Got stuff going on. Busy," Amelia replied flatly, shutting him down fast. She was already on the island. There was no way she could show up without blowing her cover. It wasn't as simple as adopting a little disguise.Desmond’s excitement fizzled. "Okay then. Focus on your work. Let's catch up when you're free."“Okay," Amelia mumbled, and ended the call. She finally breathed a sigh of relief.Back outside, Mark had been eavesdropping on the whole thing.Just as Desmond put his phone down and turned his head, he found Mark practically brea
Once learning of Amelia’s agreement to a high-stakes challenge, Desmond had rushed over for her sake, and here he was, tied up and about to be carted off. Had she even spared a thought for how he felt? He was truly pissed off.Noting Desmond’s mood swing, Amelia stopped teasing him. "Let him down," she instructed the bodyguards.“Yes!" the bodyguards answered in unison and gently set Desmond back on the floor.With a casual wave from Amelia, the bodyguards made their exit.Still bound hand and foot, Desmond sat there looking stunned. "Wait a second! Untie me! I'm still tied up!"But the bodyguards were already gone. Desmond’s eyes darted to Lucas, who met his gaze with that same stone-cold stare, the air between them thick with tension.Desmond quickly shifted his gaze toward Amelia instead. But before he could open his mouth, she cut him off with a playful smirk. "Beg me."Desmond was so furious that he could barely breathe. He inhaled deeply, once, twice, then forced a smile that cle
Her reaction only confirmed his suspicions, and his rage flared. "You must have hidden a man in this house. Well, I'm going to find him today!"Amelia let out a scornful laugh at his self-righteous display. He carried himself like he owned the place.Damian attempted to barge in, but she shoved him away with force. He staggered slightly but managed to regain his balance.“Are you insane, Amelia?" he barked furiously.“No, you're the one who's lost it. Open your eyes and take a good look, this is my house. Now leave. If you refuse, I'll call the police," Amelia said coldly.“You'd call the cops on me over a pretty boy? Are you out of your mind?" Damian snapped, burning with frustration as he craned his neck to get a glimpse past her.He was desperate to uncover whoever she was hiding. But Amelia remained firmly planted in his way, unflinching. He couldn't get through. He seethed. Who the hell was this man she was hiding?“Enough of your nonsense. So, are you leaving or not? If I have to
Amelia stared after him, baffled. Having pondered to no avail, she shrugged and decided to ignore it.Later, in the dining room, Desmond slurped up the seafood chowder like a man who hadn't seen food in days.“My brother's seafood chowder is amazing, right?" Viola asked with a proud grin, clearly fishing for praise.Desmond instantly froze mid-bite, then carefully set the spoon down as if he'd just remembered his manners. "Not bad," he said coolly, masking his earlier enthusiasm.“Nothing to write home about." Viola narrowed her eyes, not buying the act. She opened her mouth to argue, but before she could get a word out, a servant entered in a hurry.“Miss Brown, someone is here to see you," the servant said.Amelia knit her brows, puzzled as to who would bother coming all the way out here just to see her at such an ungodly hour.“Do you recognize who it is?" she asked, her tone nonchalant.The servant faltered, casting a hesitant glance toward Lucas.“In this house, Miss Brown is your
He stopped short at the sight greeting him. Amelia had fallen asleep on Lucas’ lap, his hand resting on her waist.Desmond shot Lucas a scathing look, his voice sharp with accusation. "What did you do to her?"Lucas shot Desmond a glance but didn't bother replying.“I'm warning you! If you so much as think about taking advantage of Amelia, I swear I won't let you off easy!" Desmond snapped, shooting Lucas a vicious glare.Lucas didn't acknowledge Desmond. Without a word, he carefully lifted Amelia out of the car.The moment Amelia was carried out, Desmond rushed forward and reached out to take her from Lucas’ arms.But Lucas had anticipated that. The second Desmond moved, he subtly shifted away, dodging Desmond with ease. Desmond couldn't even brush the edge of Amelia’s clothes.“You…” Desmond began to protest, but the words dried up under Lucas’ icy, penetrating stare.An intimidating presence suddenly emanated from Lucas, creating a powerful sense of oppression that left Desmond mome
Lucas locked eyes with Desmond, his tone icy. "It's not safe to ride in the passenger seat. The other two cars have empty spots."His face blank, Lucas turned toward the driver and coolly instructed, "Let's go."“Yes!" the driver responded without hesitation, immediately starting the engine.Desmond stood there for a moment, frozen, caught off guard. As the car began to pull away, Lucas tilted his head ever so slightly and glanced back at him. His expression remained cold and indifferent as always, but his eyes carried an unmistakable challenge.Desmond was on the verge of losing it. "Lucas Sullivan!" he shouted furiously at the departing car, each word spat out with seething rage.He was so furious that he could barely contain himself. The urge to storm after Lucas and give him a piece of his mind burned through him.“I could have the driver take you back to Meloria," Eugene’s voice chimed in from behind.Desmond’s brow immediately furrowed in annoyance, and he whipped around, glaring
“Did Mr. Gray seriously bring in some big shot for backup? Who even is this guy?"“No way, they're seriously rolling up in a freaking Rolls-Royce Cullinan? These people are loaded!"“And that woman's driving some crazy-expensive sports car too. Are they all born rich or something?"While the crowd b
Her father’s voice came again, softer now, threaded with hope. "Magda, is that really you?"Emotion overwhelmed her at last, and a sob slipped past her lips.Noise crackled on the other end, Magda’s mother's voice rang out, trembling with shock and excitement. "Magda? Is it really you, sweetheart? D
At that moment, Damian spoke up. "Dr. Gates, were you invited here by Amelia?"He was trying to steer the conversation and fish for answers. If Amelia had indeed invited Jacob here, maybe there was still hope to salvage the situation. Perhaps he could even seize the opportunity to build a connection
“Amelia, I know you care about Mr. Wright’s well-being," Sophia interjected gently, her words calculated to smear Amelia’s reputation. "But you're not related by blood. Isn't it a bit much to forbid his grandchildren from visiting him?”“Look at her…just another greedy outsider trying to grab the Wr







