Chapter 23 Tobias Stunned by Piano Performance
Tobias wanted to say that men understand men the best.
With Amelia dressed like that for the party, she was sure to attract a lot of attention from men.
What if someone saw how young she was and tried to get too close or touch her? Amelia, having grown up in the countryside, had no idea how sleazy men in high society could be.
Even though Tobias didn't like Amelia much, she was still his sister by blood. The thought of a bunch of old men leering at her at the party made him uneasy.
"What does it have to do with you?"
Amelia looked up, her expression cold. "Didn't you just say that Rachel is the only sister you recognize?"
"If you don't even consider me your sister, why do you care what I wear to the party? And why would you give me a man's jacket?"
"You..." Tobias was at a loss for words. "Wear whatever you want, I don't care!"
He had only been trying to warn her out of concern, but Amelia didn't appreciate it.
Frustrated, Tobias threw his jacket on the floor and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
Amelia was left alone in the room.
She showed no emotion as she bent down to pick up the jacket. Then, holding a box with a luminous pearl inside, she walked to the window.
Under the cold white moonlight, vibrant red roses climbed the windowsill. Amelia reached out, plucking a petal with her fingers.
The next moment, she heard rustling from the bushes outside the window.
A small, furry black head popped out from the bushes and quickly jumped onto the windowsill.
It was a pure black kitten with large, round emerald green eyes that sparkled like glass.
The kitten dropped a ring from its mouth into Amelia's hand and then nuzzled her affectionately.
"I knew you'd come," Amelia said, rubbing the kitten's head. She lifted it into the room and tossed the luminous pearl onto the carpet.
Shadow, the kitten, seemed thrilled by the pearl, its big eyes narrowing in delight as it batted the pearl around on the carpet.
Amelia chuckled softly, her eyes narrowing too.
Meanwhile, in Tobias's room.
Tobias pulled out his phone and typed "Williams Charity Auction Gala" into the search bar.
He hit enter, and numerous results popped up immediately.
The Williams family had contacted several media outlets for coverage of the event.
Charity auctions were for a good cause, and they needed to seize the opportunity to promote their social image.
Tobias skimmed through the news. The headline read, "Bailin Group's Sophie Buys Blood Red Ginseng for $15 Million at Williams Charity Auction!"
Fifteen million dollars?
These business people really knew how to spend money.
The second headline caught his eye: "Live Performance: Martinez Group's Daughter Stuns with High-Difficulty Piano Piece 'Summer Forest'!"
Seeing "Martinez Group's daughter" and "piano performance," Tobias naturally assumed it was Rachel and felt a surge of pride.
Rachel had been learning piano since she was a child. Even renowned piano masters in the country praised her skills. She was always the center of attention wherever she went.
But when he clicked on the video, he was stunned.
The person sitting at the grand black piano wasn't Rachel. It was Amelia.
Amelia could play the piano?
How was that possible?
Tobias watched in shock, unable to believe his eyes.
He watched the entire performance, and when Amelia finished and bowed to the audience, Tobias was still gripping his phone, unable to snap out of it.
She was incredible.
She was beautiful.
If it weren't for the fact that it was a live video, Tobias might have thought some piano master had swapped faces with Amelia.
Amelia's piano playing was completely different from Rachel's.
If Rachel's skill came from years of practice, Amelia played as if she and the piano were one, her fingers effortlessly bringing the music to life like a musical sprite.
Her presence was as impressive as any noble girl he had ever seen, even more confident and graceful than Rachel, accepting the audience's applause and admiration with ease.
But when the camera panned to Rachel in the audience, Tobias saw her face and lips were pale, as if she was forcing a smile.
Tobias found a video of Rachel's previous performances.
After watching Amelia's performance, Rachel's playing now seemed lackluster and unremarkable.
So that was why Rachel felt unwell?
Because Amelia's piano performance outshone her completely, making her feel so bad that she cried alone?
And what did he do?
Tobias remembered how he had cornered Amelia in a room downstairs, angrily accusing her of bullying Rachel.
No wonder Amelia said she did nothing wrong. No wonder she became so cold and defiant.
Anyone would feel hurt if they were misunderstood, especially since she had just joined the Martinez family. He was supposed to be her family.
Tobias took a deep breath.
He had a temper and often lashed out, but feeling this guilty was a first.
He should have found out the truth before confronting her.
Tobias ran a hand through his hair in frustration and saw a message from Kevin on his phone.
"Tobias, take Amelia to the mall tomorrow to buy a new phone and some new clothes."
If it had been any other time, Tobias would have scoffed at Kevin's request.
He wouldn't waste time shopping with any girl other than Rachel. He'd rather stay home and play video games.
But now, feeling guilty for misunderstanding Amelia, the mall trip seemed like a chance to make amends.
Tobias might have a bad temper, but he wasn't unreasonable.
It wasn't about pride. When you wrong someone, you should apologize.
So the next morning, Tobias put on a black T-shirt and shorts, a casual yet cool outfit, and knocked on Amelia's door.
"Hey."
"Are you up?" Tobias cleared his throat, feeling a bit awkward. "It's me, Tobias."
"Tobias?"
The voice came from behind him.
Tobias turned and saw Amelia still wearing Rachel's white camisole nightgown. Her long, golden hair cascaded over her shoulders as she stood behind him.
He didn't know if it was guilt or something else, but meeting her gaze made his face feel hot.
"Uh, Kevin asked me to take you to the mall to buy some stuff."
Tobias scratched his head, trying to sound casual. "You had breakfast, right? Let's go."