Chapter 18 Chapter 18
Amelia
It was a Saturday, and the kids were with my parents for the weekend. I told myself they might need to stay there a little longer, at least until I could figure out how to get myself out of the mess I was in. Everything felt heavy lately, and I needed time to think, to breathe, to plan.
I sat alone in a small café, slowly sipping my coffee. The weather was cold, the kind that made you crave warmth, I honestly wasn’t supposed to be out at all, but I had a meeting here, and the client had just left. Now it was only me.
The café was quiet, soft music played in the background and people spoke in low voices. I stared into empty space, lost in my thoughts, replaying everything that had gone wrong and everything I didn’t yet know how to fix.
Suddenly, the calm atmosphere shifted. Voices rose, chairs scraped against the floor. People began moving quickly, rushing toward the entrance. For a moment, fear gripped me. My heart jumped as I wondered what could cause such panic in a place that had been so peaceful just seconds ago.
Then I saw him, Maxwell walked into the café, his large presence impossible to ignore. He was flanked by hefty bodyguards who scanned the room like predators. Beside him was a tall, beautiful woman, elegant and confident, her arm lightly linked with his.
He glanced in my direction, and our eyes met for a brief moment before he looked away and walked toward a seat at the corner of the café.
I tried not to react, but I couldn’t help watching him from the corner of my eye. An attendant hurried over immediately, clearly flustered and overly excited, attending to him like he was royalty. People slowly gathered around his table, some asking for pictures, others for autographs, all smiling like they had just met a dream come true.
I forced myself to look away. I focused on my coffee and picked up my phone, pretending to scroll, pretending to be busy. Still, I could feel his gaze on me, heavy and unsettling, like it hadn’t left me at all. After a few seconds, I looked up again, and our eyes met for the second time.
This time, I noticed the woman beside him. She must have seen the way he was looking at me because her expression hardened. She frowned in my direction, then leaned closer to him and whispered something into his ear.
Maxwell smiled, he turned toward her fully, his attention shifting as if I no longer existed. He gently brushed her hair away from her face, his touch slow and deliberate. The people around them let out soft “aww” sounds, clearly charmed by the display. They looked like the perfect couple, and the café seemed to soak it all in.
I swallowed, finished up whatever I needed to do on my phone, and called the waitress over. I paid quickly, packed my things, and stood up without looking in their direction again. With my heart beating a little faster than it should have, I walked out of the café and into the cold air outside.
I didn’t even spare him a glance. Stupid man, if he already had a woman he was clearly so in love with, then why did he ask me to marry him? Wasn’t she enough for him? Or did he always need more, more control, more people trapped in his world?
I walked toward my car, my steps quick and tense. Just as I reached it, I heard a voice clear behind me. I froze for a second but didn’t turn around. I opened the back door of my car and dumped my bag inside, pretending I hadn’t heard anything.
When I finally turned, Maxwell was standing right there.
My heart skipped. I had literally just left him in the café. How did he get here so fast?
“Hello, Amelia,” he said calmly, sliding his hands into his pockets like we were old friends running into each other by chance.
I pulled my jacket tighter around myself. “What exactly do you want this time, Mr. Sinclair?” I asked, my voice firm despite how unsettled I felt. “Are you stalking me now?”
He smiled, but it wasn’t a happy smile. I could tell he didn’t like being called Mr. Sinclair. “I have far better things to do with my time than stalk you,” he said lightly. “It’s just nice running into you here."
I said nothing, just watched him. “I still haven’t gotten your response,” he continued, his tone shifting slightly. “And I hope you know time is ticking.” He stepped a little closer. “I told you before, you don’t want to make an enemy out of me. You wouldn’t survive it.”
He didn’t wait for my response. He simply turned around and walked away, leaving me standing there, stunned and frozen in place. I got into my car, my hands shaking slightly as I started the engine. Without thinking too much, I called Adele and told her I was on my way to her place.
I drove straight there and let myself in when I arrived. Adele was sprawled lazily on a chair in the living room, a large bowl of popcorn balanced beside her.
I stopped in front of her and sighed. “You look like you are having the time of your life,” I said, then frowned. “But seriously, you look a mess. Are you okay?”
She opened her mouth to respond, but before she could say anything, footsteps sounded from upstairs. Jake came down the stairs, and I blinked in surprise when I saw him.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, genuinely confused, as he walked toward us.
He didn’t even slow down. “Maybe if you would stop going out with or dating stupid men,” he snapped, “I wouldn’t have to cancel my Friday plans just to be your personal driver.”
Before I could react, he reached out, ruffled my hair like I was a child, and walked straight out of the house.
I turned to Adele and gave her a look that silently asked her to start talking. “I met this guy,” she began. “At first, everything was cool. We were talking, vibing, just really getting along.” She paused and shook her head. “Then he suggested we go to his club.”
I stayed quiet, letting her continue.
“He came to pick me up from the house, and we went straight there. At the club, the vibe was still good. But then things started getting a little too intense.” She rolled her eyes. “I told him we should leave before we fuck each other right there in front of everyone.”
She grabbed a handful of popcorn, “When we got outside, he insisted we go to his place,” she said. “I said no. I didn’t feel comfortable with that at all. He kept pushing, and I got angry. He went back into the club and told the bouncers not to let me anywhere near the club again. After that, I had no choice but to call Jake to come pick me up.”
I stared at her, my heart sinking a little. “I’m so sorry,” I said softly.
She scoffed and pushed herself back against the chair. “I am not heartbroken,” she said firmly. “Just disappointed. And honestly, confused. I keep wondering what his real agenda was.”
I nodded slowly. “I think he had really weird intentions,” I said. “Thank God you didn’t go with him. That whole thing sounds shady. What a complete weirdo.”
“Enough about me,” Adele said, sitting up straighter. “Why are you here on a Saturday morning? Don’t tell me you ran into one of those demonic brothers again.”
I nodded slowly. Her eyes widened a little, I explained everything, running into Maxwell at the café. By the time I was done, she was staring at me with nothing but pity and concern in her eyes.
“So what are you going to do now?” she asked gently. “This is getting out of hand, Amelia. And you don’t have much time left.”
Before I could answer, my phone started ringing. I glanced at the screen and groaned when I saw Declan’s name. I sighed deeply before picking up.
“Hello, Amelia,” Declan said without any greeting warmth. “I’m just calling to let you know that Tuesday is dinner with my parents, and you’re coming with me. Don’t make me call again to remind you.”
The call ended before I could say a word,
Adele shook her head. “Girl,” she said plainly, “you are in a hot mess.”
I let out a tired laugh. “Like that isn’t already obvious.”
She leaned forward. “Will you actually listen to my suggestions this time?”
I hesitated for a second, then nodded. “Even though you give the most terrible ideas,” I said honestly, “I want to hear it. At this point, I’ll listen to anything. I just need a way out of this mess without ending up someone’s wife or fiancée.”
Adele narrowed her eyes at me. “Well, playing nice with Maxwell wouldn’t be the worst idea,” she said casually. “Have you seen that man? He’s a walking sex god with an insane amount of money. And you already admitted the sex was so good it almost drove you crazy.” She wiggled her eyebrows.
I stared at her. “That’s your advice?”
She shook her head quickly. “Nope. Just stating facts.” Then her tone turned serious. “I think you should go with Declan to the dinner first, just to avoid trouble. After that, you find a way to talk him into changing the arrangement. Trust me, ending up in an asylum without a mental illness would be far worse.”
I sighed. “But Maxwell will be at that dinner too. Imagine seeing a woman you asked to marry you walk in with your brother as his fiancée.”
Adele looked at me calmly. “Do you want to end up in an asylum?”
I shook my head.
I leaned back, exhausted. Please help me, Lord, Tuesday was only a few days away, and I had never been this confused in my life. What if Maxwell decided to attack my business right after the dinner?
Author's note: sighs😢😢, she's going for Declan, but is Maxwell going to just let go🤔🤔