Chapter 18 Youthful Entanglement, Unrestrained Gentleness
The girl looked at her hands in amazement as her fingers danced across the keys, beautiful piano music flowing from her fingertips.
"Dad, I really did it!"
The little girl's voice was full of delight.
"Yes." The man nodded with a smile. Looking up, he saw a woman leaning against the grand piano, hand under her chin, smiling as she watched the father and daughter.
The woman had a beautiful face and wore a fiery red dress. Her elegant long curls draped lazily over her fair shoulders, making her look incredibly charming.
The man patted the little girl's shoulder, then walked toward the woman.
Left hand behind his back, body leaning forward at 45 degrees, the man extended his right hand palm down toward the woman, performing a dance invitation.
"May I have this dance, miss?"
"Of course." The woman smiled and placed her hand in his palm.
The piano music played on as the man in his shirt held the woman's waist and they began to dance.
The red dress swirled, everything seemed frozen in time.
The little girl played happily, pressing each key with great care.
When another breeze blew by, she looked up at the curtains blown open by the wind.
Through the window, she saw a little boy in a polo shirt on the second-floor balcony of a villa not too far away, looking in their direction.
Beneath his messy bangs were pitch-black eyes.
Calm and still, yet sharp as a blade.
Time flew by rapidly. Amelia watched the boy's young, familiar face overlap with the adult William.
Mature and reserved, with hidden sharp edges.
In the hospital room, Amelia's eyes flew open.
Everything was spinning, the white ceiling seemed to be constantly rotating.
She felt like throwing up.
The air smelled of disinfectant, her temples throbbing with pain.
Amelia lay in the hospital bed, feeling like she was on the deck of a ship in rough seas.
The scenes from her dream kept replaying before her eyes.
Her parents dancing years ago, William's eyes, appearing over and over.
Tears silently rolled down Amelia's cheeks. She couldn't tell if she was crying from physical discomfort or from the past.
"...If you're the one who hit her, you're trying to dodge responsibility!"
"Mia, you're going too far!"
As arguing voices came through, Amelia frowned slightly.
She recognized Mia and William's voices.
They were fighting?
What happened?
Amelia struggled to sit up, but the dizziness didn't ease much.
Supporting herself, Amelia glanced at the sign nearby.
Concussion.
Amelia touched the gauze on her forehead, remembering the earlier impact.
Then, instinctively, she touched her belly.
Her stomach still ached faintly.
The baby... was it still there?
She wasn't sure.
"...Are you going to hit me over her!"
The argument outside grew more intense.
Mia was screaming something.
Like she was being bullied!
Amelia forced herself up, put on her flat slippers, and slowly walked out holding the wall.
Then she saw three people standing at the emergency exit not far away.
William, Mia, Isabella.
William was still wearing the same outfit from this morning, while Isabella had changed into a beige suit.
They were tangled up with Mia in her uniform, doing something.
Worried Mia might get hurt, Amelia immediately called out: "What are you doing!"
"Amelia!" Mia reacted first and immediately came over to support Amelia.
William stood in place supporting Isabella, frowning as he looked Amelia up and down, his gaze finally settling on the gauze on her forehead.
"What happened?" Amelia asked.
Before Mia could explain, William spoke coldly.
He looked at Amelia, his voice dripping with sarcasm: "Looks like you're fine."
Seeing Amelia with just a slightly pale face and a small piece of gauze on her head, William's anger boiled over.
So, was this all an act she put on with Mia?
Faking a car accident to force him to leave Isabella and come here?
Thinking of the phone call in the car earlier, and Isabella feeling so guilty and worried she threw up blood, William's anger intensified.
No wonder Mia didn't dare let him see Amelia earlier.
He shouldn't have believed Mia's lies!
The veins in his neck bulged with anger as William looked away.
His urgency and concern had become a joke!
Amelia didn't understand. She had just woken up, and the dizziness from the concussion was making her nauseous.
Mia was already cursing: "Nothing wrong? Don't you see the injury on Amelia's head? Are you ignoring everything I just said!"
Isabella shot back: "Just that little piece of gauze?"
"Isabella!" Mia got even angrier.
Isabella stood up straight, defending: "Called William dozens of times while he was driving, then had you Mia call and yell at William, ordering William to come here, all for this tiny injury?"
"Do you know how many cars were on the highway, how dangerous it was for William? Mia, your tone made me think Amelia was dying!"
"Amelia, Mia, I may not have long to live, but I won't stand by and watch you bully William like this!"
Isabella's voice and words were firm. She stepped out from behind William, her body trembling slightly, but looking determined.
Like a brave warrior protecting her man.
William said nothing, just looked coldly at Amelia, his eyes clearly showing impatience and disgust.
"You're lying! Isabella, I'll fight you!" Mia couldn't hold back anymore and rushed forward to shut Isabella up.
Isabella didn't dodge, ready to fight with Mia.
William reached out to stop them. Not knowing what had happened, Amelia quickly grabbed Mia, worried she'd get hurt.
Outside the emergency exit, the scene was chaotic.
The fight centered on Mia and Isabella. Mia had lost her mind with anger, while Isabella looked ready for battle but kept glancing at Amelia from the corner of her eye.
Neither was holding back.
"Isabella, you dare to pinch me!"
"Mia, you dare to hit my face!"
Amelia and William tried to stop them from the sides. The four of them tangled together, impossible to tell whose hand was whose.
The battle moved from the emergency exit into the corridor, with Isabella and Mia's screams continuing.
Suddenly, a flash of cruelty appeared in Isabella's eyes.
Then, while ramming her head hard into Mia's, she pretended to accidentally push William's hand hard with her body.
The next moment, Amelia, who was still holding Mia, felt a strong force at her waist.
She suddenly realized she had been standing behind, but now she was next to the stairs.
Her baby was still in her belly. This was a stairwell. If she fell...
No!
Everything happened in a split second. Amelia tensed her waist and reached for the railing, trying to steady herself.