LOGIN“Amelia.”Victoria answered without hesitation.The response came so quickly that she barely had to think about it.On the other end of the call, Roy Laurent went silent for a moment.“Amelia?”His voice carried obvious surprise.“You mean the Hart girl?”Victoria rolled her eyes.Of course he knew exactly who Amelia was.“Yes.”“The second largest shareholder of your husband’s company?”Victoria pinched the bridge of her nose.“Yes, Dad.”The irritation in her voice was unmistakable.Unfortunately, Roy Laurent seemed completely unaffected by it.In fact, he sounded more interested than ever.“How do they know each other?”Victoria stared at the ceiling.If she knew the answer to that question, she would probably be sleeping peacefully right now instead of discussing Daniel Carter.“That’s what I’d like to know myself.”“Hmmm.”The thoughtful hum on the other end immediately put her on edge.Whenever her father made that sound, it usually meant he was about to say something annoying.
Meanwhile, at Kingsley Mansion, Victoria had also been watching the trends.The internet was practically exploding.Every news channel seemed to be covering the same story.Every business page was discussing it.Every social media platform was flooded with clips from the interview.Daniel Carter had become the biggest topic of conversation overnight.Not that anyone could blame them.For years, people had speculated about the mysterious Carter heir.There had been rumors.Theories.Wild guesses.Some people even believed Thompson Carter was still running the company himself.Now the truth was finally out.And the world couldn’t stop talking about it.Victoria sat comfortably in the living room with her legs crossed as she watched yet another clip from the interview replay on television.The expression on her face shifted constantly.Part shock.Part disbelief.Part understanding.Because if she was being honest with herself, she wasn’t entirely surprised.Ever since the gala, somethin
Back home, Amelia wasn't the only person who had watched the interview with wide eyes and a shocked expression.Across the city, inside the executive office of Kingsley Technologies, Alexander Kingsley sat alone.The large television mounted on the wall was still playing.The interview had ended several minutes ago.Yet Alexander hadn't moved.He remained seated behind his desk, staring at the screen as though it had personally offended him.Daniel Carter.The name echoed endlessly inside his head.Daniel Carter.CEO of Carter Global Holdings.Daniel Carter.The mysterious Carter heir.Daniel Carter.The man Amelia had chosen.A bitter laugh escaped him.Of all the possibilities he had imagined, this had never been one of them.Never.Not once.Alexander leaned back in his chair and rubbed a hand across his face.For a long moment, silence filled the office.His thoughts raced faster than he could keep up with.The interview replayed inside his head.Every answer.Every smile.Every c
The call ended with both of them feeling extremely happy and relieved.Amelia lowered her phone from her ear and stared at the darkened screen for a few seconds.A smile slowly spread across her face.The relief she felt practically exploded in her chest.So he had just been busy.He hadn't ignored her.He hadn't forgotten about her.He hadn't deliberately avoided her messages.Everything suddenly made sense.Of course he had been busy.The man had flown across the world.Signed contracts.Attended meetings.Given interviews.The more she thought about it, the more ridiculous her earlier panic seemed.Not that she would ever admit that to Daniel.At least not entirely.A small laugh escaped her.There was still a lot she didn't know.She was yet to hear the rest of his explanation.Yet somehow she believed him.Completely.The realization surprised her.Strangely enough, she trusted him.Not because he was rich.Not because he was powerful.Not because he was Daniel Carter.She truste
"I'm sorry."Amelia spoke softly as she kicked her feet against the green grass beneath the swing.The evening breeze moved gently around her, carrying away some of the tension that had been weighing on her all day.On the other side of the world, Daniel remained silent, listening."I shouldn't have let my emotions get the best of me."A small sigh escaped her.The confession felt necessary.Because the more she thought about it, the more embarrassed she became.She had acted completely on emotion.Not logic.Not reason.Just emotion."It's just that you hadn't responded to my texts."Daniel closed his eyes.Guilt immediately surfaced."Or called me."The guilt grew stronger."I figured you might have been really busy."He was.But hearing it from her still made him feel bad."I had been busy too."Amelia absentmindedly pushed the swing forward slightly with her foot."But when I saw you looking handsome on TV..."She paused."...I kind of lost it."The words left her mouth before she
Not a second after she turned off her phone did Amelia realize just how immature she was being.The realization hit almost immediately.Hard.She stopped swinging and stared at the dark screen resting in her hand.What was she doing?Seriously.What was she doing?Yes, she was angry.Very angry.But why wouldn't she at least hear him out?Daniel had earned that much, hadn't he?Over the months they had known each other, he had been nothing but patient with her.Nothing but kind.Nothing but thoughtful.If Daniel had proven anything, it was that he treated her with the sort of care people reserved for something precious.Something fragile.Like a newborn baby.Gentle.Patient.Protective.Even when she was difficult.Even when she pushed him away.Even when she became stubborn.He always met her with understanding.So why had she acted so rashly?Amelia sighed and rubbed her forehead.The more she thought about it, the worse she felt.The truth was, this level of anger surprised even h







