chapter 5

Third Person's POV 

Shirley felt like she was hallucinating or suffering from a hearing problem. 

“Uncle Jackson?” Felix muttered as he let go of my hand. “What are you doing here?” 

Jackson ignored him and turned to the woman who was standing there, looking utterly confused. “Darling, would you like to retouch your makeup in the car?” 

Shirley stammered. “I…there's…sure.” She eventually gave in and allowed him to lead her to the car. 

Amelia pinched Felix's hand and glared at Shirley's back, envy trimming in her eyes. “How did she even know him? Why would he want someone as plain as her?” 

Felix was too stunned to pick up on the jealousy in her voice. “I don't know. What is he even doing here?” 

He turned to ask his grandmother but found that she had walked off. He sighed and patted Amelia's arm. “They are crazy,” Felix said and walked away, Amelia followed behind but paused for a moment.

Amelia bit her lip and stared at the luxury car  parked in the driveway. She smirked as an evil plan formed in her mind. “I'll join you,” 

Felix walked off absent-mindedly, so he didn't care if she was following him or not. Amelia waited until he had walked off before she ran after Shirley. 

She couldn't understand why everyone wanted plain Shirley. Even her parents had almost forgotten it was all a plan and had fallen for her. 

She knocked on the window and waited for an answer. Soon enough the window was rolled down and she frowned when she came face to face with Adam. 

“Who are you?” She asked rudely. 

Adam raised an eyebrow and sized her up. “Who are you?” 

“I'm looking for my sister, Shirley and Mr. Jackson. They came this way.” 

Adam smiled politely. “They went to the bathroom,” 

“Together?” Amelia shrieked and then composed herself. She coughed and smiled sweetly. “Marvelous. That's quite alright,” 

She turned and headed for the hall. When she was close to the door however, she took a detour and started making her way to the bathrooms. 

She couldn't let Shirley take everything away from her including her parents' love and the love of her husband and family. 

And if Shirley wasn't going to make herself scarce then she'd have to do it for her. 

If Shirley was dead then she'd have all the attention once again. Clear on what her plan was, she tiptoed down the long hallway unaware that Adam who was in the car before he was now tailing her. 

****

Shirley's POV 

I stood in the bathroom stall in my underwear and admired the new dress Jackson had picked out for me wondering how he had gotten my perfect size. 

My old dress had been rumpled because of my struggle with Amelia at the hospital but it wasn't so badly ruined that I couldn't wear it. 

I didn't understand why Jackson insisted I wore this one. Although thinking about it, he was trying to stake his claim on me because there was no other reasonable explanation for his behaviour. 

And how was he related to the Steels? Surely if Felix had an uncle I would have heard of it a long time ago. 

And why did he have a different name? Also, why was he part of such a dangerous organisation? 

I had so many questions and it was sad that I might never get the answers. 

I sighed and picked up the dress to slide it on when the door of the bathroom opened. 

I frowned when I saw Amelia standing there with her arms crossed. “What do you want?” 

Amelia rolled her eyes and walked towards the mirror. “Don't flatter yourself Shirley, I'm not here for you.” 

I watched her as she adjusted her dress and then retouched her makeup. I suddenly felt uncomfortable being in the same space as her which was ironic considering we had taken showers together in the past. 

“I'm curious,” Amelia finally spoke and I sniffled. “How do you know Jackson Storm? From what I hear, he's a dangerous man.” 

I shrugged. “It's none of your business,” 

Amelia nodded. “Maybe but the fact that he's related to my new family makes it my business. See, Felix is related to Jackson and so is Grandma Yvonne and so I can't allow just anyone to be by his side.” 

I scrunch my nose. “How does that concern you? Jackson is a grown man,”

Amelia's expression turned ugly. “He only wants you because he doesn't know what type of person you are but I would  be happy to tell him.” 

“Go ahead then. Be sure to tell him how you and my entire family lied and deceived me for years.” I retorted and Amelia's smug expression slipped. “I guess you had no plans for exposing your side of the family.” I snickered. “Now if you'll excuse me, I have to change.” 

As soon as I turned my back to her, Amelia made her move. 

She pulled me back by my hair. “Just die already! Nobody wants you and Jackson is only using you,” 

I struggled against her and coughed as one of Amelia's hands squeezed my throat. “Let go of me,” 

“Jackson could never want someone like you anyway, you're too ordinary. You're just a means to an end.” Amelia continued berating me as she squeezed my neck. 

“Amelia, I c—an't bre—the” I wheezed, slapping her hand but her grip only tightened. 

“Just die and disappear from our lives. You're nothing more than a pest,” 

“A—me..” I choked and fought. “I—”

“Stop fighting me and just die already–” the rest of her words died as she was ripped away from me. “Let me go! How dare you touch me?!”

I coughed violently several times and collapsed to my knees. 

“Let go of me!” Amelia screamed, fighting against whoever had saved me while I continued trying to recover. 

If the person had showed up a little later then I probably wouldn't have made it out of here alive. 

“Take her away from here Adam,” Jackson's familiar voice reached my ears as he walked into the room. “deliver her to her husband and warn him to keep her on a leash or I'll put her down.” 

I shivered at the threat in his words and looked up to see Adam dragging Amelia out of the bathroom. 

“I seem to be saving you a lot lately,” Jackson said as he stretched out his hand to me. “Do you still think you don't need my protection, Miss Anderson?” 

I shook my head trying to form the words. 

“So what's it going to be? If you disagree and say you don't need my protection then I could ask Adam to bring your sister back inside so you guys can continue whatever that was.” 

I coughed and held my hand up. He pulled me up and I fell into his arms. 

“Will you marry me, Miss Anderson?”