جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 40

But Evelyn had done well today. Would Christopher praise her?Amelia stopped short when she saw Christopher blocking the driver's side door. She looked straight at him. "Do you need something?"His gaze dropped to her hand, bare of a wedding ring, and he coldly said, "Come home with me.""Did you hit your head and forget?"Amelia lifted her chin. She was ready to bring up the divorce papers, but with Evelyn right there, she didn't want to argue in front of her.She drew in a steadying breath. "Move.""You're still not satisfied with how I handled things today?" Christopher's tone was mild, almost as if he were commenting on the weather.Amelia snorted and set what she was holding on the hood of the car. Then, she turned to him and said, "Do you really think what you did was some kind of favor to Evie? The truth is, Nathan was in the wrong. He accused her of cheating, and he was the one who shoved her first. You can't keep letting your bias for Nathan blind you to right and wrong

"I think it's because you've been worn out taking care of the kids at home. Chris doesn't seem to care about you at all."At the mention of Christopher, Amelia pursed her lips. "He's busy with work."She didn't want to tell Dorothy about the looming divorce.In her last life, three days after Evelyn's death, Christopher still hadn't even realized she was gone.On the very first day after Evelyn's passing, Dorothy came to their home, urging her and Christopher to attend a family banquet. That was when Amelia had told her the marriage was over.She never mentioned Evelyn's death, nor how cold and empty that marriage had truly been. But the word "divorce" alone had been enough. Dorothy had understood then how badly Christopher had treated her, and the guilt nearly crushed her. She had fallen ill, bedridden, and never recovered.Dorothy had been her grandmother's closest friend, so Amelia treated her as if she were her own grandmother.She could never let something like that happen

Christopher took a slow sip of his tea. "You have a mouth, don't you? Why don't you just ask her yourself?"Amelia was carrying Evelyn, and she happened to hear Christopher's words. She didn't let it bother her and pretended she hadn't.The Zephyr family treated her like household help, and they could get away with it only because Christopher allowed it.Just then, Dorothy approached and said, "Mia, sit next to Chris. Evie will sit with me."Dorothy was well aware that their relationship was far from perfect. She deliberately tried to nudge them toward each other.In the past, Amelia would have been thrilled. She would have seized any chance to be close to Christopher without hesitation.Now, she just felt uncomfortable. Sitting at the same table with him made her skin crawl."I'm not hungry," Amelia said with a polite smile. "Please take care of Evie. I'll go upstairs and rest."With Dorothy nearby, Evelyn would be safe from any mistreatment. Amelia could trust that without a

Christopher's brow furrowed even deeper when he saw Evelyn like this."Get the family doctor to treat you," he said sharply.-Amelia was in the shower, but a vague unease lingered in her chest.When she finished, she wrapped herself in a towel and stepped toward the bathroom door, ready to change into her pajamas.The instant she opened it, her body froze.Christopher was there, sitting on the edge of the sofa, his face cold and unreadable.When he heard the bathroom door, his gaze shifted to her.Steam filled the room, wrapping her in a soft haze. The towel clung to her, leaving her smooth shoulders exposed, the heat lending her an ethereal, almost dangerous beauty.His eyes were intensely predatory, and the faint, knowing curve of his lips made it worse.Amelia snapped back to reality and slammed the bathroom door shut, cutting off his view. "What are you doing here?"His eyes stayed fixed on the door. "I've seen every part of you, and we have a kid together. Is this real

Christopher said, "I'm skipping breakfast."Amelia said nothing.In the end, to avoid drawing Dorothy's attention, Christopher got into the car with her.He settled into the passenger seat and spoke as if it were natural. "Take me to the company."At 6'3", he was a giant in Amelia's compact car. His legs barely fit, and he kept leaning forward like he didn't quite belong."I'm not your personal driver," Amelia snapped."Nikki will be there. You need to apologize to her."Amelia sneered. Of course—that was why he was riding in her car. He wanted to make sure his childhood friend didn't get upset. He was basically forcing Amelia to apologize.If they weren't still at Whitmore Manor with Dorothy watching, Amelia really would have kicked him out of the car.Amelia's frustration turned into laughter as she opened her mouth to retort."Mommy," Evelyn's voice came from the backseat, cutting her off. "If we don't leave soon, I'm going to be late."Amelia suddenly remembered Evelyn w