Chapter 19

Chapter 19
Amelia sat with her friend Joy at a quaint coffee shop, sipping on a latte and discussing her concerns about Dominic.

“I don’t know, Joy,” Amelia said, her brow furrowed with worry. “Dominic’s been acting really strange lately.”

Joy’s eyes sparkled with interest. “What do you mean?”

Amelia hesitated, unsure of how to explain. “He’s been really kind and supportive, especially after I told him about Frederick.”

Joy nodded thoughtfully. “That’s good, right? I mean, it’s nice to have someone in your corner.”

Amelia nodded, but her expression remained uncertain. “Yes, it is. But it’s just...I don’t know, Joy. Dominic’s not exactly known for his kindness. He’s always been really demanding and critical.”

Joy’s eyes narrowed. “You think he’s just pretending to be nice?”

Amelia shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe. But what if he’s not? What if he’s really changed?”

Joy reached out and took Amelia’s hand. “Then that would be wonderful, wouldn’t it?”

Amelia smiled wistfully. “Yes, it would. But I’m scared, Joy. I’m scared that he’ll go back to his usual self and hurt me again.”

Joy squeezed her hand reassuringly. “You’re being cautious, and that’s smart. Just take things slow and see how they develop.”

Amelia nodded, feeling a sense of relief wash over her. She knew that Joy was right – she needed to be cautious and protect herself.

As she worked on the project with Derek, Amelia couldn’t help but notice the way Dominic looked at her. It was as if he really saw her, really understood her.

But Amelia’s fears lingered, and she found herself wary of getting too close to him. She didn’t want to get hurt again, and she wasn’t sure if she could trust Dominic.

As the days turned into weeks, Amelia’s doubts continued to plague her. Was Dominic’s kindness genuine, or was it just an act?

Only time would tell.

She soon returned to work with the hopes that everything would begin to fall in place.

Amelia and Derek were working in the evening, trying to meet the deadline for their project. They were both focused on their tasks, but Derek suddenly looked up and caught Amelia’s eye.

“Hey, Amelia?” Derek said, his voice low and serious.

Amelia looked up, wondering what was wrong. “What is it, Derek?”

Derek’s eyes seemed to bore into hers. “Do you remember that time we worked together on that project in high school?”

Amelia’s heart skipped a beat as she felt a flush rise to her cheeks. “Y-yes,” she stuttered.

Just then, Dominic walked into the room, his eyes narrowing as he took in the scene. “What’s going on here?” he demanded.

Amelia felt a surge of embarrassment as she realized that Dominic had caught them in a compromising situation. She quickly looked away, trying to compose herself.

Derek, however, seemed to take the situation in stride. “Just reminiscing about old times, Dominic,” he said, his voice smooth.

Dominic’s eyes narrowed. “What kind of old times?” he pressed.

Derek’s smile was enigmatic. “Let’s just say that Amelia and I have a bit of a history.”

Amelia’s eyes widened in horror as she realized where Derek was going. “Derek, no!” she whispered urgently.

But Derek just chuckled. “We used to be high school lovers, Dominic,” he said, his voice matter-of-fact.

Dominic’s eyes snapped to Amelia’s face, his expression unreadable. Amelia felt like she was going to die from embarrassment.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Dominic asked, his voice low and even.

Amelia shrugged, feeling like she was trapped in a nightmare. “I don’t know,” she muttered.

Dominic’s eyes seemed to bore into hers, as if searching for answers. Amelia felt like she was drowning in his gaze, unable to escape.

Finally, Dominic nodded and turned to leave. “I think we’re done here for tonight,” he said, his voice firm.

As the door closed behind him, Amelia let out a sigh of relief. But Derek just chuckled and patted her on the back.

“Don’t worry, Amelia,” he said, his voice teasing. “I’m sure Dominic can handle it.”

Amelia shot him a look, feeling like she was going to kill him. “Thanks a lot, Derek,” she muttered.

But as she packed up her things and left the office, Amelia couldn’t shake the feeling that her secret was out – and that her life was about to get a lot more complicated.

She just needed to be away from where Derek could see her or Dominic could ask her any questions about her relationship with Derek.

In truth, there was nothing there, he had merely caught her unaware and that was all but Dominic had to walk in at that moment and make everything awkward.

As Amelia walked out of the building, lost in thought, she didn’t notice the person standing in front of her. She collided with them, apologizing profusely.

“Sorry about that,” Amelia said, as the person steadied themselves.

The person smiled and replied, “No worries, it’s okay.”

Amelia’s eyes met the person’s, but they quickly looked away, their face obscured by a hoodie. However, their voice lingered in Amelia’s mind, sending a shiver down her spine.

It was a voice she had heard before, but couldn’t quite place. Before she could process it further, the person had already disappeared into the crowd.

Amelia stood there, frozen, as realization dawned on her. That voice... it was the same voice as the anonymous caller.

Her mind racing, Amelia quickly scanned the surrounding area, but the person was nowhere to be seen. She felt a chill run down her spine as she wondered if the anonymous caller had been watching her all along.

With a sense of unease, Amelia quickly made her out of the building, her eyes scanning the surroundings for any sign of the mysterious person. She couldn’t shake off the feeling that she was being watched, and the familiar voice lingered in her mind, sending a shiver down her spine.

As she walked away, Amelia couldn’t help but wonder what the anonymous caller wanted from her. And why had they revealed themselves now?

He is becoming daring for hum to show his face here at all.