In the most exclusive private room of a New York club
Amelia Rose sat on the sofa, feeling as if she had fallen into an ice cave.
She never thought she would encounter Oliver Maxwell here.
She believed that by fleeing that city, she would never see him again in her life.
But fate, it seemed, had a penchant for teasing, and just as she was being introduced to her boyfriend's friends, that man barged in without warning, much like the old days.
Not far away, his tall and straight figure was casually leaning against a wine-red leather sofa, his dark, cold pupils meeting her gaze without emotion.
The slightly upturned corners of his eyes betrayed the same fierce ruthlessness and heartlessness as before.
A cigarette was held between his slender, attractive fingers, and as his thin lips exhaled, the smoke obscured the smile on his face, revealing a nonchalant air of control.
That gaze was like a vine climbing up from the ground, slowly wrapping around Amelia, filling her with fear that threatened to consume her in the next moment.
"Lucas, aren't you going to introduce me to your uncle?"
The familiar deep voice echoed in her ear, like the whispers of countless sleepless nights.
"Amelia, you are mine, and you will always be mine..."
For a moment, Amelia felt as if she had been struck in the chest by a heavy hammer, leaving her frozen in place.
How could this be? How could such a coincidence exist in this world?
Dormant memories flooded back like a burst dam, and she recalled the year she spent by Oliver Maxwell's side, never apart, as close as family, yet she had never met any of his relatives or friends. She never expected him to have a nephew.
He was the only light in her otherwise bleak life, and to hold onto that light, she was willing to offer everything, including her own body.
She thought Oliver Maxwell loved her too, but in the end, it was nothing more than her own delusion.
Six years ago, when she discovered she was pregnant, she prepared an exquisite dinner to share the good news with him.
But when she asked hopefully if he would marry her, all she received in return was his heartless refusal.
Her hopes were shattered, and she finally realized she was nothing more than an insignificant lover in his heart.
She ruthlessly terminated the pregnancy, made up her mind to leave his world, and stopped believing in that ridiculous notion of love.
"Amelia."
Lucas Maxwell's gentle voice pulled Amelia back from her memories.
His eyes were soft with concern as he looked at her, "Why are you so distracted? Are you feeling unwell?"
Amelia smiled, "I'm fine, just feeling a bit stuffy."
Lucas Maxwell always cared for her like this, always so gentle.
It was because of this that she was touched by him and, with the encouragement of friends, agreed to be with him.
She thought, she always had to start a new life, couldn't keep living in the quagmire of the past.
Lucas Maxwell let out a sigh of relief and whispered in her ear, "Amelia, you don't have to mind my uncle too much. My parents took me abroad when I was very young, and I'm not close to him. Just treat him as a regular elder."
Regular elder? Amelia found it absurd and laughable. Yes, it had been so long, perhaps he no longer recognized her, so why was she so nervous?
With her head lowered, she approached the man, trying to appear calm.
She heard her own composed voice, "Hello, uncle. I'm Amelia Rose, Lucas's girlfriend."
"Ha... Lucas's taste isn't very good..."
Oliver's voice was indifferent and cold, with a chilling sneer.
The atmosphere in the private room instantly became frosty.
Amelia's body jolted rigid, her teeth biting her lower lip, unsure of what Oliver meant by his words.
"Uncle! How could you say that about Amelia!"
Lucas's angry voice rang out, and he quickly placed himself in front of her, shielding her.
Amelia forced a smile; she could tell Lucas's confidence was wavering. The aura of that man always managed to inspire an inexplicable fear.
Seeing the pair of light blue eyes, the courage Lucas had mustered just moments ago dissipated instantly. He averted his gaze and softened his tone, "Uncle is here for business, I suppose. He won't have much in common with us younger folks. Maybe... you should get back to your affairs."
Oliver let out an ambiguous chuckle, his tone teasing, "Who says we can't have fun together? I'm quite interested in... the games you young people play."
Everyone was taken aback, their expressions highly uncomfortable.
They were all too familiar with Lucas's uncle, the emperor of the American business world, who had shifted his business focus to New York half a year ago and was now a formidable figure there.
Lucas frowned, his expression ugly. He didn't want to have too much contact with this uncle, but he was also aware of his power and knew he couldn't afford to offend him.
"Well... alright then, since Uncle is interested," he replied dryly, leading Amelia back to the sofa.
A trace of irritation flashed through Amelia's heart. She didn't know if Oliver had stayed because of her, but those complicated, longing emotions were devouring her already numb heart, making her restless.
Before Oliver arrived, their group had been playing Truth or Dare.
A pile of penalty cards lay on the marble coffee table.
With Oliver's sudden addition, everyone became very restrained, and for a moment, no one made a move to spin the bottle.
"I'll start," Oliver said with an indifferent chuckle, his long fingers casually spinning the bottle.
For some reason, Amelia's heart leaped into her throat.
As if sensing it, the bottle slowly came to a stop, the neck pointing directly at her.
Her heart skipped a few beats.
"Truth or Dare?" Oliver asked with a faint, enigmatic smile.
Amelia bit her lip, her unease growing stronger, "...Dare."
She worried Oliver would ask something embarrassing.
A slender, fair finger slowly pulled out a penalty card, and upon reading the text, Amelia's face turned extremely ugly.
"Eat the same thing as the person opposite you..."
The girl to Amelia's left read out the text on the card.
The atmosphere in the private room became strange, with everyone looking oddly at Oliver, who was sitting opposite Amelia, and no one spoke for a moment.
"How about... just use some fries..."
Someone suddenly broke the eerie silence, their voice filled with an oblivious enthusiasm.
The expressions of the crowd changed again, suppressing their eager excitement, waiting for Oliver's response. After all, they were young and loved a good spectacle.
Lucas's face looked grim as he looked at Amelia, who also looked uncomfortable. He held her hand, offering silent comfort.
"Uncle is an elder, it's not appropriate for him to play such games with younger folks. Maybe we should just drop it."
Amelia breathed a sigh of relief, her expression easing slightly.
But the next second, that teasing laughter rang out again, "There's no inconvenience. Since we're playing a game, we must follow the rules."
"Why, Miss Amelia, are you trying to renege?"
Amelia's brows furrowed tightly as she desperately suppressed her inner unease, not allowing herself to show any sign of distress.
"Uncle is right, it's just a game."
She gritted her teeth, stood up, picked up a fry from the side, and slowly walked towards the person opposite her.
Oliver leaned back against the sofa, his fingers resting casually on his knees, watching her with a nonchalant air.
His blue pupils seemed to glow in the dim light, like a predatory beast ready to pounce.
Amelia approached him, hesitated for a couple of seconds, and slightly bent over.
Oliver's gaze fell on her face, and suddenly he reached out his right hand, grabbing her arm and pulling her towards himself.