Chapter 73 What Kind of Man Is He
Chapter 73 What Kind of Man Is He
Amelia's eyes sparkled as her fingers danced across the screen.
[Is there really someone like that? How can you tell?]
[Absolutely!]
Olivia started rattling off examples, from a famous actor who secretly married and treated his wife like royalty to a singer who refused intimate scenes to respect his partner. She laid it all out.
[The guy your friend met might be one of those. But be careful, some guys fake being all lovey-dovey just to trick you.]
Amelia stared at the screen, her doubts growing.
[Do you think good guys only exist on TV? Are there none in real life?]
[Feeling down?]
Olivia cut to the chase.
[The 'friend' you're talking about is actually you, right? Is the guy Henry?]
Amelia's heart skipped a beat. She hadn't expected Olivia to catch on so quickly. After a moment's hesitation, she didn't admit it directly but asked instead.
[What do you think Henry is like?]
As soon as she sent the message, her phone buzzed. Olivia was calling. Amelia hesitated for a couple of seconds before answering. Olivia's voice boomed through the receiver. "Are you saying Henry is only into you? He must be hiding it well! Spill it, what happened tonight? Did he confess?"
Amelia's cheeks turned red as she recounted the evening in detail, from Henry denying the rumors, to confessing she was his first, to their talk about Lily leaving the industry, not missing a single detail, including Henry's teasing remark, "Are you afraid I'll blackmail you?"
"Oh my God!" Olivia's voice was full of shock, "So Henry was just pretending all along! He's quite the actor! What's his attitude towards you now? Is he still hot and cold, sometimes being a jerk?"
"Nothing special." Amelia leaned against the headboard, trying to sound casual, "It's just... lately he seems to be around me a lot. Tonight, he could have gone home, but he came to my place and even helped me with the dishes."
"That's 'nothing special'?" Olivia teased, "He's showing his love! Even a fool can see he likes you. Henry is finally acting normal. Why would he chase after Lily when he has a beauty like you?"
Amelia couldn't help but correct her, "He and Lily were fake."
"That's great!" Olivia's tone turned excited, "You've always wanted to look into your parents' incident, right? You can start with Henry. He might have some useful info."
Amelia didn't hold back, admitting, "Yeah, I've already teamed up with him. He doesn't have strong feelings for the Phillips family, and he even resents the internal conflicts, so he's willing to help me."
"That makes sense!" Olivia's voice was full of disbelief, "But it's understandable. Big families are always like that, full of scheming and weak family ties. I heard Henry's mom isn't his biological mother; his dad remarried, and his stepmom is quite the piece of work, always helping her own son Hayden fight for the inheritance. In a family like that, someone less fortunate might not last six months."
Olivia's words unlocked a flood of memories for Amelia. She leaned back against the headboard, staring at the warm yellow light on the ceiling as those long-forgotten images came into focus. It was the first time she saw Henry at the Phillips Villa.
Back then, Henry wasn't the confident, flamboyant guy he is now. He was more like a neglected weed, carrying an air of persistent timidity.
It was Hayden's birthday, and the Phillips Villa was decked out, filled with guests. Hayden wore a custom-made suit, surrounded by people offering their blessings, like a little prince.
Henry stood in the shadows of the hallway, wearing a faded old shirt with a crooked collar, fingers tightly clutching the hem, eyes timidly watching the lively scene in the living room, not daring to approach.
Seeing him alone, Amelia secretly took the largest piece of cream cake from the table and quickly walked up to him. "Here, eat this," she said, smiling as she handed him the cake.
Henry hesitated, seemingly surprised that someone would approach him. After a long pause, he took the cake and devoured it, oblivious to the crumbs on his mouth.
"Didn't you eat dinner?" Amelia asked, unable to resist.
Henry swallowed the cake, his voice barely audible, "This is my first time eating cake."
Amelia was stunned. She had never imagined that, despite being part of the Phillips family, Hayden's birthday party had mountains of cake, while Henry had never tasted it. At that moment, she realized that the "illegitimate child brought back to enjoy the Phillips family's wealth" was far from living a glamorous life.
Later, she learned that Henry's biological mother was no longer around, and Finn had remarried Ella, who favored her own son Hayden and treated Henry coldly and harshly.
The Phillips family followed Ella's lead, rarely paying attention to the "illegitimate child."
Henry lived cautiously in the Phillips family, not even daring to eat at the table, waiting until everyone was done to sneak into the kitchen for leftovers.
It wasn't until he secured several major projects, generating huge profits for the Phillips Group, that Erik began to see him differently. Henry gradually found his footing in the Phillips family, developing the confident and flamboyant demeanor he has today.
"Hey? Amelia? Are you still listening? Why aren't you saying anything?" Olivia's voice pulled Amelia back to reality.
"I'm listening," Amelia replied, her voice a bit hoarse, "I was just recalling something back in the day."
They chatted a bit more, and Amelia glanced at the time—it was almost eleven. "It's late, I should go. I have to handle the aftermath of Lily leaving the industry tomorrow."
"Alright, get some rest," Olivia paused, then added, "Call me if you need anything."
After hanging up, Amelia placed her phone on the nightstand. Just as she was about to turn off the light and go to sleep, there was a gentle knock on the door. The sound was soft but clear in the quiet room.
"What's up?" Amelia asked.
Henry's voice came from outside, "The guest room sofa is too hard. I can't sleep."