Chapter 106 Chapter 106
Amelia
It had been days since I woke up, and my body felt stronger, my mind clearer. I sat on the edge of the bed, watching Maxwell move around the room as he handled some papers.
I drew a deep breath, steadying myself. “Maxwell,” I began, my voice calm but firm. He looked up, meeting my eyes.
“I can’t accept that Aria is dead,” I said. “I can feel it, she is alive. She’s still with the kidnappers. We need to investigate further—I’m convinced she is still out there.”
His face darkened, the weight in his expression settling over me like a shadow. “The girls told me they saw her body,” he said quietly, his words careful, measured. “They saw the kidnappers burning something that looked like her. They believed it was Aria.”
I froze, the words sinking in, but I refused to let them take hold. My chest tightened, and then the tears came, hot and unstoppable. “No,” I whispered, my voice cracking. “No, that can’t be true.”
I shook my head, sobs rattling through me. “I won’t accept it. She’s alive, I know she is! You can’t tell me she’s gone, I won’t believe it!”
Maxwell reached out, but I pulled back, gripping the bedspread as the images of my daughter’s tiny face flooded my mind. “She has to be alive,” I murmured between sobs. “She has to be. I feel it, I just know it.”
Even in my clearer days, even with my body stronger, the thought of losing Aria was unbearable. I refused to let it be true, and I refused to sit idly by. I would find her.
“We have to start an investigation,” I said, wiping the tears from my cheeks. My voice was steadier now, though the edge of anger lingered. “Maxwell, we should start by investigating your brother. He will surely have a hand in this.”
Maxwell’s eyes narrowed, and I could feel the tension radiating off him. “My brother?” he snapped. “How about we investigate your parents too, since it seems like they have a lot to hide?”
I felt my stomach twist. “Don’t you dare—”
“I am just saying what needs to be said,” he cut me off sharply, his voice low but biting. “Everyone around this children has secrets, Amelia. No one is clean.”
I bristled, standing a little straighter on the bed. “You think accusing my family is going to help? My parents had nothing to do with this!”
Maxwell’s jaw tightened. “And yet you’ve been blind to everything happening around you. I know exactly what your family is capable of. We can’t rule anything out!”
I shook my head, my hands clenching into fists. “You’re turning this into a blame game! All my parents did was help take care of the girls, it’s not their fault that they got kidnapped!”
“They help hide the children and allow Declan to see them!” he shot back, his voice rising. “If Declan is the culprit then your parents are accomplices too!”
For a moment, we just stared at each other, the room thick with anger and frustration. Both of us desperate, both of us scared.
I took a shaky breath. “We are supposed to be a team,” I said quietly, my voice softer now, though it still carried the weight of my conviction. “Not enemies.”
Maxwell’s expression softened slightly, but the fire in his eyes didn’t die. “I never said I forgave you for hiding the girls,” he admitted, voice tight. “But I guess we just have to stand together and get to the bottom of this.”
My phone rang, cutting through the heavy silence between us. I glanced at the screen, it was my mom calling. We haven’t spoken since I woke up. For a second, I hesitated, then answered. “Hello?”
“Amelia!” my mother’s voice came through immediately, a mix of relief and frustration. “We just heard you are awake. We tried coming to see you days ago, but your husband wouldn’t let us in.”
My grip on the phone tightened. “What?” I said slowly.
“He turned us away,” my father’s voice came in, colder. “Said we weren’t allowed to see you, ever since your accident, we haven’t seen you or the kids.”
I swallowed, my chest tightening again but this time, it wasn’t grief. It was anger. “I will come and see you,” I said quickly. “I will be there soon.”
I ended the call and slowly lowered the phone, turning to face Maxwell. “Why?” I asked, my voice quiet but sharp. “Why didn’t you allow my parents to see me?”
He didn’t answer immediately, a bitter laugh slipped past my lips. “What? Were you afraid they were going to kidnap me too?” I added, the sarcasm heavy in my tone.
His eyes darkened, but I didn’t stop. “You let your mother take care of the girls,” I continued, my voice rising, “but you send my parents away like they are criminals?”
Maxwell’s expression hardened, all softness from moments ago gone. “Whatever I did,” he said coldly, “I don’t regret it.” The words hit harder than I expected. “I don’t want your parents anywhere near the girls,” he continued, his voice firm, unyielding. “And if you want it otherwise…” he paused, his gaze locking onto mine, “then take me to court.”
For a moment, I couldn’t speak, Something in me snapped. “How dare you!” I screamed, my voice shaking with anger. “It’s your brother that has been threatening us, but somehow my parents are the ones suffering for it?”
Maxwell didn’t flinch. If anything, his expression turned colder. “If you had any common sense,” he said sharply, “you’d be more worried about who’s actually after your life.”
I froze slightly, but he didn’t stop. “Why you were targeted, why you were shot,” he continued, each word deliberate. “And more importantly, why was an assassin sent to the hospital to finish the job but you are here worrying about irrelevant stuffs.”
My entire body went rigid. The anger drained out of me in an instant, replaced by something terrifying.
“What…?” I whispered.