Chapter 66 Dangerous Decisions
Jeremy
Antonio already suspected I was compromised. If he knew for certain that Amelia and I were—
That I'd slept with her. That I was in love with her.
He'd use it as proof I was unfit to lead. Would push my father to remove me as heir.
Or worse—he'd threaten her directly. Use her as leverage.
"He won't find out," I said firmly.
"You can't guarantee that. Not now. Not after—" Luca gestured vaguely at my room. "Boss, you need to be careful. More careful than you've ever been. Because if Antonio or your father find out about this."
"I said he won't find out." I stepped closer. "And Luca? This conversation never happened. You saw nothing. You know nothing. Clear?"
He nodded. "Crystal clear. But boss—"
"That's enough. I have to get ready. I'll be down in fifteen minutes."
"Okay. But Jeremy—" He hesitated. "Just be smart about this. Please. For both your sakes."
He left.
I stood in the hallway for a moment, letting his words sink in.
He was right. This was dangerous and reckless. Potentially disastrous.
But I didn't care.
Amelia was worth the risk.
I just had to make sure no one else found out.
AMELIA
I heard Jeremy and Luca's conversation through the door. Not every word, but enough.
You're in love with her.
Jeremy hadn't denied it.
My heart raced as I gathered my clothes and pulled on my nightgown. Slipped out Jeremy's door and down the hall to my own room.
He was in love with me.
Or at least, he hadn't denied it when Luca said it.
That meant something. Didn't it?
I changed quickly into regular clothes. Brushed my hair. Tried to look like I hadn't just spent the night in my employer's bed.
In the kitchen, I made coffee on autopilot. My mind kept replaying last night.
Jeremy's hands are on me. His mouth. The way he'd said my name. The way he'd held me after.
And this morning, Luca's voice:
You're in love with her.
I should be happy. Ecstatic. This was what I'd wanted, wasn't it?
But instead, I felt—
Guilty.
Because in a few hours, I was meeting Alex for coffee.
As revenge. As payback for Jeremy leaving with Victoria yesterday morning.
However, after last night, the situation felt different.
It felt like betrayal.
But I was still angry. Still hurt. Still confused about what Jeremy and I actually were.
He might love me. Or he might just have slept with me because we'd both wanted it and I'd been convenient.
Meeting Alex wouldn't hurt anything. It was just coffee. Just a conversation.
Just making a point. That Jeremy didn't own me. That I could have friends. That I wasn't completely dependent on him.
I poured coffee, made toast, and sat at the small table.
Jeremy appeared a few minutes later, fully dressed, looking stressed.
"Hey," he said softly. "How are you feeling?"
"Good. Sore, but good."
He moved closer and cupped my face. He gently kissed me. "I have to go. I have a meeting with my father and Antonio. I'll be back this afternoon."
"Okay."
"Amelia—about last night —"
"We don't have to talk about it right now. You have your meeting."
"We do need to talk about it. Soon. This changes things."
"I know."
He kissed me longer this time. "Stay in the wing today, okay? Luca's on security. If you need anything—"
"I'll call him. I know."
"Good." He grabbed his coffee and headed for the door. Then he stopped. "Amelia?"
"Yeah?"
"Last night was—" He paused. "It meant something. To me. I need you to know that."
My chest tightened. "Okay."
He left.
And I sat alone in the kitchen, coffee cooling in front of me, a smile playing at my lips.
It meant something to him.
He cared.
He may have even loved me, if Luca was correct.
But he'd still left with Victoria yesterday. Still had that engagement hanging over us. He still hadn't explained what our relationship actually was.
My phone buzzed. A text from Alex:
Still on for 1pm? Looking forward to it.
I stared at the phone I couldn't see.
I should cancel. Should stay in the wings, like Jeremy asked. Should wait for him to come back so we could talk.
But—
Part of me was still angry. Still wanted to prove I wasn't just his possession.
I believed in my ability to make my own decisions.
Even if those choices were foolish, I was determined to make them.
I texted back: Still on. See you at 1.
Then I smiled to myself.
Good. This would be good.
Jeremy wanted me to wait around like a lovely little mistress while he dealt with his real life?
Fine.
I'd have coffee with someone who actually treated me like I mattered.
It was petty. Vindictive. Possibly dangerous.
But it felt like power. Like control. Like revenge.
And right now, that felt good.
Later – 12:45pm
Luca had left an hour ago. He had left due to security checks on the perimeter. He'd told me to stay inside, that he'd be back by two.
Perfect timing.
I grabbed my cane and my phone and slipped out of the east wing.
The grounds were quiet. I navigated carefully, following the path I'd memorized. Twelve minutes to the gate.
The guards knew me now. They didn't question me when I said I was going for a walk.
Jeremy would be furious if he found out.
But Jeremy wasn't here.
I made my way to the café. I located a corner table to sit at and waited.
Footsteps approached. Familiar gait.
"Amelia?" Alex asked in a warm, pleased voice. "You came."
"I said I would."
"I know, but—I wasn't sure you'd actually go through with it. After last time." He sat down across from me. "Coffee? Something to eat?"
"Coffee's fine."
He ordered for both of us. We engaged in casual conversation until our drinks arrived.
"So," he said finally. "How are you? Really? You sounded upset yesterday when I called."
"I was. I am. It's just complicated."
"The fiancée situation?"
"Among other things." I took a sip of coffee. "Alex, can I ask you something?"
"Anything."
"Do you know how to use a gun?"
Silence. Then, he said, "That's not what I expected you to ask."
"I know. But—do you?"
"Yes. Why?"
I hesitated. Choose my words carefully. "I want to learn. For self-defence. I'm—I'm in a complicated situation. I live with a powerful family. And I'm blind, which makes me vulnerable. I just want to be able to protect myself from potential threats. If something happens."
It wasn't entirely a lie. I did feel vulnerable. Did want some sense of control.
"Amelia, learning to shoot when you can't see—that's—" He paused. "It's not impossible, but it's difficult. Very difficult."
"I know. But I want to try. Will you teach me?"
There was another lengthy pause.
"Why me? Why not ask Jeremy? He's Santoro. He definitely knows how to shoot."
"Because Jeremy treats me like I'm fragile. Like I need to be protected, not empowered." I leaned forward. "You're the only person who's treated me like I'm capable of things. Like my blindness doesn't define me."
"It doesn't define you," he said quietly. "You're one of the strongest people I've met."
"Then help me be stronger. Teach me to shoot."
I could hear him thinking. Weighing options. Considering.
"Okay," he said finally. "I'll teach you. But Amelia—this stays between us. Jeremy can't know. If he finds out I'm—" He stopped. "Let's just say it wouldn't go well."
"He won't find out."
"When do you want to start?"
"As soon as possible."
"Okay. Tomorrow? There's a private range outside the city. I can pick you up—"
"No. I'll meet you somewhere. I can't risk being seen leaving with you."
"Right. Okay. Let's meet at the coffee shop on Fifth and Madison at noon tomorrow, and we can proceed from there.
"Okay."
We talked for another hour. We didn't discuss anything significant. Books, music, places we've been. Normal conversation between normal people.
For an hour, I was neither Jeremy's maid, his secret, nor his responsibility.
I was just Amelia. Enjoying coffee with a friend.
It felt good.