Chapter 21 Chapter 21
Amelia
The sound of my phone ringing dragged me out of sleep. I groaned softly, reached for it on the bedside table, and silenced it without even checking who it was. My head felt heavy, and my chest tightened as the memories from last night rushed back. No matter how hard I tried, sleep refused to come again.
After a few minutes of staring at the ceiling, I gave up. I pushed the covers aside and walked into the bathroom, my movements slow and tired.
Last night’s dinner had been a complete disaster, so bad that I didn’t want to replay it in my head. Thinking about it made my stomach twist.
I was thankful I had insisted we go in my car. If we had gone with Declan’s, I don’t know what I would have done. He had fallen asleep almost immediately after coming out of the bathroom, leaving me alone with my thoughts and my embarrassment, in all my life, I had never felt so humiliated.
I had to use the same client who kept calling as an excuse to leave last night. I bolted out of the mansion without looking back, my heart pounding as if I were running from something far worse than embarrassment.
This morning, after standing under the shower for a while and letting the water wash over me, I headed back to my room to get ready for the day.
I had planned to spend the entire day indoors. It was Saturday, and Adele was going to be around, which meant I wouldn’t have to force myself to go anywhere.
But my phone was still ringing, again and again. I frowned, wondering who it could be and why they had been calling nonstop since dawn.
I picked up the phone and saw that it was Kelvin calling this time. With a small sigh, I answered the call.
“Hello,” he said immediately, his voice tense. “I have been trying to reach you. Where did you put your phone?”
I rolled my eyes. “I was sleeping, like every normal person,” I replied. “What’s the problem?”
“Mr. Cane is pulling out of the company and Mrs Thomas too.” Kelvin said. “We have been trying to reach you.”
I froze, Mr Cane and Mrs. Thomas were our biggest investors. They had worked with the company for years, long before I took over from my parents. They had stood by us through expansions and setbacks, always steady, always reliable.
My heart began to race as the weight of his words sank in. If Mr. Cane was really leaving, then something was seriously wrong. What was happening?
“Are you being serious right now?” I asked, still struggling to believe it. Mr. Cane wouldn’t just pull out like that. It didn’t make any sense.
“Why would I call you this early on a Saturday to joke about something like this?” Kelvin snapped. That was when it truly sank in, this was serious.
“The board members have called for an emergency meeting. They are expecting you here in thirty minutes.”
Before he could say anything else, I dropped the call. Panic surged through me as I rushed out of my room and into the living room. Adele was sitting calmly on the couch, a cup of coffee cradled in her hands.
“Are you okay?” Adele asked the moment she saw my face.
I shook my head and let out a shaky sigh. “Kelvin just called,” I said, my voice cracking despite my effort to stay calm. “Two of our biggest investors have pulled out of the company.”
Adele sprang to her feet so fast that the coffee slipped from her hand and spilled onto the floor. She didn’t even notice. “What?” she exclaimed. “How? What happened?” She rushed toward me, her eyes wide with worry.
“I don’t know,” I said helplessly. “We had a meeting on Wednesday about a project we are supposed to start soon, and they didn’t say anything. Not a single warning. Everything seemed normal.”
Before Adele could respond, my phone rang again. My heart sank when I saw the caller ID, my Dad.
My fingers tightened around the phone as panic crept up my spine. He trusted me with the company, he believed I could handle it. What was I supposed to tell him now that our strongest pillars were suddenly gone and I didn’t even know why?
I stared at the screen as it continued to ring, my mind racing, fear and confusion twisting together.
I ignored the call. “I have to get to the company right now,” I said, forcing myself to stay focused. “The board members have called for an urgent meeting.”
Just then, Adele’s phone rang. She picked it up from the couch and glanced at the screen. “It’s your mom calling,” she said gently. “Should I answer it?”
I shook my head. There was no time and I didn’t trust myself to explain anything yet. Without another word, I ran back upstairs to get ready for the meeting.
A few minutes later, I was back downstairs, grabbing my keys in a hurry.
“I am coming with you,” Adele said, already following me outside. Before I could protest, she took the keys from my hand and got into the driver’s seat. We drove straight to the company in tense silence.
The moment we pulled into the office premises, my heart dropped. Dad was already there, standing by the entrance as if he had been waiting.
As soon as I stepped out of the car, he turned on me, his face tight with anger.
“You have been purposely ignoring your mother’s calls and mine?” he yelled, his voice sharp and unforgiving.
“I wanted to be sure of what was going on first,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.
“That’s why I didn’t pick your call.”
Dad didn’t look convinced. “Then tell me this,” he demanded. “Why are our major investors pulling out of the company after working with us for so many years? What happened?”
Before I could answer, Kelvin came rushing toward us, his expression tense and urgent.
“The meeting has already started,” he said quickly. Then he cleared his throat and stepped closer to me, lowering his voice. “And I don’t think it’s just Mr. Cane and Mrs. Thomas who are pulling out.”
My eyes widened in shock. The ground felt like it shifted beneath my feet.
Without another word, I turned and hurried toward the boardroom, my heart pounding as fear and uncertainty chased me down the hallway.
Author's note: So what is Amelia going to do, choose her kids or choose the company, or is she going to have both of them🤔🤔