Chapter 481

Chapter 481

Louis stared at Sandra—barely in her twenties—for a long moment, his mind drifting back to the first time he had seen her by the sea.

Back then, he had thought she was dead. A broken doll washed ashore.

So beautiful, so fragile.

He took a deep breath and reached out to touch her face, but she instinctively stepped back, dodging his hand.

A flicker of wariness crossed her eyes.

“You know what?” Louis withdrew his hand, a trace of reluctance flashing in his gaze. “I really did fall for you."

Sandra's heart skipped.

There had been a time when she had relied on him too.

He had saved her, given her a new life—but he was too cold, too distant. No matter how hard she tried, she could never reach his heart. Staying by his side would only leave her wounded.

For a fleeting moment, she almost believed him.

But then she remembered Scarlett’s vicious slap—remembered Evelyn and Amelia's warnings.

"You can't,” Sandra said, taking another step back. “You don’t love anyone. "Goodbye, Louis."

The next time they met, they would be nothing more than superior and subordinate.

As she walked out of Louis’s office, Sandra felt as though she had been reborn.

But she also knew exactly what that choice would cost her.

"I heard she fell out with Mr. Murphy?"

"Serves her right—always acting so high and mighty…”

“Shh, keep it down…”

The rumors spread quickly, reaching every corner. For the first time, she experienced what it meant to be kicked while she was down.

Outside the office, she clearly heard someone mutter, “Stop acting like a queen. Without Mr. Murphy, she’s nothing.”

Sandra closed her eyes.

Each word cut deep—but she accepted it.

This was the price she had to pay—for her past arrogance, for her blind hatred, for the people she had hurt.

But she wasn't nothing without Louis.

She would prove it .

Especially to Amelia.

At the thought of her, Sandra’s chest tightened.

She hadn't seen Amelia since Paxton's funeral.

Evelyn had said Amelia looked terrible and had been resting at home.

Sandra picked up her phone, hesitated for a long time, and finally called Evelyn.

"Mom, I want to... I want to go see Amelia," she said softly. "With you."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end: "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure." Sandra took a deep breath. "I owe her an apology."

Evelyn's voice suddenly choked up: "Good girl... I can be discharged tomorrow. Come pick me up."

The next day at noon, Sandra stood at Amelia's door supporting Evelyn.

Though Evelyn had been discharged, she was still very weak and had to rest after every few steps.

After the doorbell rang, it wasn't Amelia who answered, but Chris.

Seeing Sandra and Evelyn, he was clearly taken aback before saying: "Come in. Amelia's resting. I'll go get her."

"No rush." Evelyn's voice was gentle and caring. "Let her sleep a bit more."

Sandra sat stiffly on the living room sofa, looking around.

Amelia's home was decorated very warmly, with walls covered in photos and children's drawings of Owen and Olivia.

A family portrait hung among those photos—Amelia, Chris, and the three children, smiling happily.

Sandra felt a bit envious.

Just then, footsteps came from the stairs.

Sandra looked up to see Amelia coming down in loungewear, her complexion still not great, with obvious dark circles under her eyes.

"Mom?" Amelia's voice was a bit hoarse, her gaze pausing slightly when it swept over Sandra. "Why are you..."

"Sandra wanted to come see you." Evelyn said gently. "I was due to be discharged anyway, so we came together."

Amelia slowly walked over and sat on the sofa. Chris immediately draped a blanket over her and poured her a glass of warm water.

Watching this scene, Sandra thought back to how she had once presumptuously bothered Chris—she felt utterly ashamed.

"You look... not so good," Sandra couldn't help saying.

Amelia laughed lightly, managing to joke: "Just say I look like a ghost."

An awkward silence.

Sandra took a deep breath, not looking directly into Amelia's eyes: "Amelia, I... I came to apologize."

Amelia raised an eyebrow, clearly somewhat surprised.

"For everything in the past." Sandra's voice grew lower and lower. "I don't expect you to forgive me. I know no one would forgive someone like me."

Amelia didn't respond immediately. She just looked at her quietly, thinking about whether her words were sincere.

"Why?" Amelia finally spoke.

"Because I finally saw clearly." Sandra smiled bitterly. "Saw clearly what kind of person Louis is, saw how stupid I was..."

Amelia looked at her quietly, her expression complicated. Evelyn wiped away tears beside them but didn't interrupt.

"Louis and I are completely over." Sandra wiped away her tears. "From now on I'll focus on my own work. I won't... won't target you anymore."

Amelia sighed deeply: "I never saw you as an enemy. In my heart, you were just a kid who didn't know better."

Sandra's head shot up.

Tears burst forth again. She wanted to say something, but her throat felt blocked by a ball of wet cotton.

A long-lost feeling of warmth surged through her.

Sandra suddenly realized it had been a long time since she'd felt this... feeling of family.

Three days later, Chris took Amelia and the two children on a plane to Astoria.

Amelia looked better than a few days ago, but the doctor still recommended she change environments to recuperate for a few days.

"Sirius will be so happy to see us." Amelia leaned on Chris's shoulder, speaking softly.

Chris held her hand: "The doctor said all his indicators are very stable. In another six months he can come back home."

Amelia closed her eyes, remembering how pitiful Sirius looked when they left last time, feeling a pang of sadness.

But it was all worth it.

During last night's video call, Sirius's little face was much rosier, and he could even walk around the rehabilitation center's small playground.

"Get some sleep." Chris kissed her forehead lightly. "I'll wake you when we arrive."

They stayed in Astoria for nearly a week, then brought Sirius back home, planning to have him recuperate domestically from then on.

Because compared to being alone abroad, Sirius clearly preferred being with everyone. He especially loved his older brother and sister. Owen and Olivia played with Sirius whenever they had time, and gradually, Sirius's personality became lively and cheerful.

Days passed one by one. Amelia returned to the company. The public opinion had long since died down, and everyone was overjoyed at her return.

After leaving Louis, Sandra also pulled herself together, releasing several well-received works in succession, becoming an unknown behind-the-scenes worker.

Evelyn's health gradually recovered, and she started her own career. Everything seemed to be developing in a better direction.

In the blink of an eye, three years passed.

Amelia's three children had grown into seven or eight-year-olds, running around their parents every day, the huge villa filled with laughter and joy.

What made Amelia most gratified was Sirius. He had regular checkups afterward, and except for being a bit shorter, he was almost no different from anyone else.