Sneaky lies.

Chapter 5.

Amelia sneaked into the house, her hands gripping her heels tightly as she tiptoed, careful not to catch the attention of her father or wake him if he was still asleep.

She made it through the kitchen undetected and headed straight for the stairs, but luck wasn’t on her side.

“Is that what your school friends taught you? To disappear without a word, and to not even inform your father?” Her voice cut through the air, stopping Amelia in her tracks. She stood frozen, facing the road to her room.

“Where are you coming from, Amelia?”

Amelia swallowed, her throat tight with anxiety. Her father had never called her by her full name in such a tone unless trouble was looming. She turned to face him, flashing him an awkward smile.

“I… I’m sorry, Daddy… I went to a friend’s house party…” she stammered, her words not coming out as smoothly as she’d hoped.

“Without my consent?” he asked, sipping water from the glass in his hand.

Mr. Austin had a peculiar habit of drinking water late at night or early in the morning, and Amelia had chosen the worst possible time to sneak back in.

“I’m sorry, Dad… You weren’t around…” she muttered, her voice trailing off.

“You should’ve at least called. I wouldn’t have stopped you from going,” he scolded, his voice softening slightly. Yet the guilt crept in, and she could feel it weighing on her chest.

“You never let me go out or do anything,” she pouted, a wave of frustration creeping up.

His face twisted into a frown, his gaze intense. “I’ve never stopped you from going anywhere, Amelia. I always thought you didn’t have anywhere to go.”

“I don’t have many places to go, Dad… and the days I do, your rules make it nearly impossible,” she replied quietly, her tone soft but carrying the weight of her unspoken frustrations.

He stood still for a moment, clearly battling with his emotions. Trying not to feel guilty, he finally spoke.

“I don’t want this to happen again. Do you understand?” His voice had a quiet authority, a finality to it.

“Yes, Dad,” she nodded, understanding the seriousness in his words.

“I hope you had fun at the party?” he asked, trying to soften the moment.

“I did…” She managed a small smile before quickly scurrying away.

Mr. Austin watched her walk off, his thoughts heavy. He had spent his whole life trying to raise and protect her, convinced he was doing the right thing. He couldn’t stay mad at her for cause Amelia was never the type to keep friends and she never partied for once.

At some point, he’d tease her, calling her “house-warm,” reminding her how much she was like her late mother. But deep down, he felt a pang of sadness. He knew he was shielding her from the world too much, and sometimes, he wished he could let her live the life every other teenager did. But to him, it was the only way to protect the last piece of his late wife.

Amelia walked into her room and sighed, a sense of relief washing over her.

She had expected her father to blow up, maybe ground her or scold her harder. But he hadn’t.

She threw her handbag onto the bed and sighed again, pulling off her clothes and rushing into the bathroom.

A few minutes later, she returned, slipping into her pajamas. She grabbed her phone, checking the time.

“Goodness, Lord… I still have two hours to sleep.”

The thought was a relief.

She slipped under the duvet, planning to text Jackson and thank him for dropping her off, and reassure him that her father hadn’t been too worried.

THE NEXT MORNING

Amelia woke up to the sound of her alarm ringing insistently. She groaned and turned over in bed, fumbling to turn it off before it could ring again. However, just as she was about to drift back to sleep, her phone rang.

Groaning louder this time, she got up, checking the caller ID. It was her best friend, Megan.

“Ugh…” Amelia groaned as she picked up the call, pressing it to her ear. “What do you want this early, witch?”

“Get your lazy ass out of bed, Liya. I’m at the front of your house,” Megan snapped.

Amelia’s eyes flew open.

“What time is it?” she asked, rushing to the window to confirm. The bright morning sun hit her face, and she cursed under her breath.

“Shit!” she muttered.

“Give me a minute…” she said quickly, ending the call. She dashed into the bathroom, brushing her teeth, splashing water on her face, and drying it off with a towel. Then, she rushed back out of her room, still wearing her pajamas.

“Good morning, Dad,” she greeted him, but stopped midway when she saw the look in his eyes.

“Where are you off to, dressed like that?” he asked, his expression a mix of amusement and suspicion.

Amelia gulped, trying to come up with a quick lie. She never let Megan visit when her father was around. He was too strict, unlike Megan’s mom, who was the sweetest woman, and Jackson’s parents, who treated her like a future daughter-in-law. Amelia’s father? He interrogated anyone who crossed his path.

“I’m asking you a question, Amelia.”

“Umm… yeah… my book… A coursemate has it, and she’s waiting outside to return it.” The lie was clumsy, but somehow, he bought it, though he threw her a suspicious glance.

“Don’t stay long. I made breakfast,” he said after a beat.

“Thanks, Daddy…” she replied with a smile, before hurrying out.

Hey, bestie,” Megan beamed when Amelia slid into the car.

“I might get high blood pressure soon with the rate you wake me up,” Amelia groaned, faking irritation.

“Your lazy ass needs to be trained better,” Megan shot back.

“Whatever.”

“Tell me what happened at the party?” Megan’s voice was full of excitement. “I want every single detail.”

Amelia’s mind flickered to the image of Hardcore, his hard body, and the way he’d taken her with intense passion. Her lips almost twitched.

“What are you smiling about?” Megan narrowed her eyes, noticing.

“Nothing,” Amelia said quickly, batting her lashes. “I was just trying to remember if the party was really as fun as you think.”

Megan’s shoulders sagged. “Oh really? It wasn’t fun?”

“It wasn’t,” Amelia confirmed with a playful, almost guilty look on her face.

“I’m glad I didn’t attend, then. I probably would’ve left before it even started,” Megan added.

Amelia grinned at the thought. “I was sad you didn’t come, until I realized the party had nothing to offer.” She lied, her smile hiding the truth. For the first time in her life, she was glad Megan hadn’t been there—because she wouldn’t have had the best sex of her life if her best friend had shown up. They would’ve been inseparable like a pair of shoes.

A silence settled between them as Amelia’s mind wandered to Hardcore’s last words. She had thought their encounter would be over, but then he’d given her his card and told her to call when her sweet pussy needed his huge cock.

“Such a naughty man!” she muttered under her breath, a small smile curling on her lips.

“What?” Megan snapped.

“What?” Amelia replied innocently, pretending to be confused. Megan rolled her eyes.

“Did you forget about the welcome party I invited you to?” Megan asked after a few moments.

Amelia scoffed. “You’re probably trying to get me killed next time you visit.”

Megan burst out laughing.

“Did your father scold you for attending the party?” Megan asked.

“No… he didn’t. He was just mad that I didn’t inform him and that I stayed out all night.”

“Wait… you slept out?” Megan exclaimed, her voice rising in surprise.

Amelia hesitated. “Yes… I mean… I was bored, so I slept before it even began.”

“Ohhh, the party must have been really boring for a house-warm like you to not feel a thing,” Megan teased.

“Can we drop this discussion, Megan? Who are you throwing the party for?”

“Did the party erase your memories or something?” Megan rolled her eyes.

“We’re throwing a welcome party for my big brother. Alnado El Maximo, the only zillionaire and future emperor of our Mafia empire,” Megan said with a playful smirk. “He’s every woman’s dream, and I must warn you—he fucks everything that wears a skirt.”