Chapter 94: Not Wearing the Dress He Gave, She Treats Him Like a Stranger
Time flew by quickly. On the other side, Isabella had no idea what had happened that day. Her full attention was on the situation with Lika.
But a day had passed, and the matter between Amelia and Jeffrey had already blown up big time, yet Lika still hadn't reached out to her.
Had she not seen it, or was she too embarrassed to back down?
Thinking this, Isabella sent a message to Lika's number.
Meanwhile, having just dropped Briar off and driving home alone, Amelia's phone vibrated.
The light ahead was red, so Amelia stopped and glanced at her phone.
It was a message from Lika's number.
Sent by Isabella.
[Have you seen the news online? This proves what I told you before was true. This is your last chance. Work with me, and I'll protect you till the end.]
A streetlight nearby was broken.
It made a buzzing sound, flickering on and off.
Amelia ignored Isabella's message.
Instead, she looked at another message in her list.
It was from Felicity.
Sent a few days ago.
Originally, Amelia had been thinking of finding an excuse to skip Felicity's wine tasting event.
She had a strong feeling it wouldn't be a good gathering.
But just as she was thinking of an excuse, Felicity sent her a message.
[You must come to the wine tasting, Amelia. If I were you, I wouldn't miss it. Don't forget what I studied at Seraphim. The Martinez family's former business is now with the Brown Group. You understand what I mean.]
The streetlight kept flickering.
Inside the car, the light also went bright and dim.
The red light ahead turned green. Amelia looked away, started the car, and drove smoothly forward.
She understood that she couldn't skip this wine tasting.
Even if it was a trap, she had to go.
At least at the wine tasting, she could respond to whatever came her way.
And also...
Felicity's image flashed through Amelia's mind.
After being with William these past few years, she had come to understand Felicity somewhat.
Felicity was proud and arrogant, but she did have the credentials to back it up.
The two had gotten along fine before. She didn't know what had happened to Felicity at Seraphim all these years.
If it was related to her, it could only be about a few things.
Amelia felt tired.
And also... she needed to deal with the trouble that was William.
The wind picked up again in Shadow City late at night.
The pitch-black night, the crisscrossing traffic, and the scattered lights of the world.
Everything seemed to be wrapped up and stirred by something hidden underneath.
Clouds moved rapidly across the sky, as if something was about to happen.
Time flew by, and two more days passed.
Soon, it was the evening of Felicity's wine tasting event.
The venue for this wine tasting was Shadow City's most luxurious hotel. Felicity had booked the entire place to host her homecoming introduction party.
Honestly, this was actually quite casual.
Generally speaking, for introduction parties at the Brown family's level, they would be held at private properties—villas, estates, yachts, or other exclusive clubs.
Low-key luxury, yet separate from ordinary people.
This kind of grand display wasn't their style.
Amelia drove to the hotel and met William at their agreed-upon spot.
William frowned slightly when he saw the dress she was wearing.
She wasn't wearing the dress he had prepared for her.
Amelia glanced at William and knew what he was thinking.
She was wearing a dress borrowed from Jeffrey's side.
She didn't want any connection with William.
Amelia didn't want to explain further. The two went in together.
The hall was comfortably warm. Soft yellow lights shone down, making people feel at ease. Elegant piano music played as countless people in formal wear chatted quietly, holding wine glasses.
Since it was a wine tasting, the air was filled with rich wine aromas.
William was the center of attention wherever he went. As soon as they entered, countless eyes focused on him.
Reporters were also taking photos.
Soon, news of [Amelia and William attending Felicity's introduction party together] was everywhere.
After all, William had always been with Isabella before. This was the first time in many days that this actual married couple appeared together.
People online were saying all kinds of things.
"How rare, the two of them attending together."
"So where's Isabella? Hasn't William been with Isabella all this time?"
"Look at what kind of occasion this is. This is Felicity's homecoming party. Felicity is from the Brown family. Would it be appropriate to bring Isabella?"
"But didn't William bring Isabella to the charity gala last time?"
"You just don't know. Isabella hasn't been feeling well lately. She's busy with the 'Tiny Love' mini-series, and I heard she got sick again recently. How could she attend this wine tasting?"
"Right, at a wine tasting you have to drink. Isabella has terminal stomach cancer. You want her to attend a wine tasting? That's ridiculous. Like her life is too long?"
"That makes sense."
"Amelia just took advantage of the situation. She's shameless. She can't let go of the Brown family's wealth and will put up with anything. I bet she's just waiting for Isabella to die in five months so she can keep hanging on."
"Yeah, she just needs to wait half a year and Isabella will die on her own. She's still William's wife, so why not?"
"Right, the whole thing with William and Isabella has been all over the news, and she's still willing to appear with William. That shows how much she can't let go of the Brown family's wealth. Pathetic."
...
"William!" At the hotel, Felicity saw them and came over.
She raised her wine glass to Amelia.
A waiter brought over a tray.
Amelia and William each took a glass.
As a junior family member, William exchanged a few words with Felicity.
"...Right, William, I'm going to join the Brown Group later. You can't treat me badly." Felicity said with a smile, her expression deep, and she glanced at Amelia.
William's expression didn't change. He just nodded.
"Have you decided? Taking over your father's business, or training in other departments?" William asked.
"I'll tell you later." Felicity was being mysterious.
After greeting William and Amelia, Felicity went to talk to other people.
William then led Amelia to a secluded seating area.
As they left, Felicity glanced at them, something flashing in her eyes.
Amelia followed William to sit on the sofa.
But both remained silent.
Quiet and wordless.
Like strangers.
"Your injury from falling down the stairs..." Finally, William spoke first.
But as soon as he started, he realized he'd asked too much.
In the dim light of the secluded area, William looked at Amelia's exposed skin. There were no traces of the fall anymore.
Right, so many days had passed. Perhaps it had healed.
Looking up, William found Amelia looking at him.
Her expression calm.
"Briar mentioned your injury to me that day," William added.
"It's healed," Amelia answered.
However, while physical wounds could heal, what she had lost could never come back.
"That day, I didn't mean to," William said after a long pause.
That day was chaotic. By the time she fell down the stairs, all he saw was his own hand.
This time, Amelia didn't respond. She just looked down at the wine on the low table.
Whether he meant to or not.
The child was gone.
Never coming back.
Feeling a bit sad, Amelia picked up her wine and took a small sip, pushing down the bitterness in her heart.
So, silence fell again.
No one spoke. Time slowly passed.
William felt annoyed.
She'd been like this lately, constantly ignoring him.
How long was she going to stay angry?
But looking at her thin frame, her profile calm yet tinged with sadness, he couldn't bear to press her.
"I transferred money to your account," he said. "Now that you're healed, take good care of yourself."
He really didn't want her to be this thin anymore.
That day at the Brown Villa when he held her, he had felt it. She was very thin.
Light as a feather. He could lift her with just a slight motion of his hands.