Chapter 131: Amelia Takes the Initiative to Find Mia
The taxi stopped at the entrance of the apartment complex. Mia grabbed her luggage and walked in.
James found a spot by the road to park. He got out and followed behind her, walking her all the way to her building.
He watched her enter the building entrance, her figure completely disappearing from his sight.
His heart felt even emptier.
Mia unlocked the door with the code. It was a four-bedroom apartment with three other girls already living there.
One of the bedroom doors was open—that was her room.
She walked in and saw new bedding on the bed, along with fresh-smelling linens and basic toiletries.
She took out her phone from her bag and called Benjamin. As soon as he answered, she thanked him: "Mr. White, thank you."
"You're welcome."
Though Benjamin said this, Mia didn't take it for granted. "How much was it in total?"
"What?" Benjamin didn't catch on.
"The money you spent buying these things for me."
Benjamin was about to say it wasn't necessary, but then he remembered this afternoon when he noticed she was tight on money and took cash from his wallet to give her.
Her expression at that moment.
It wasn't until he said, "Pay me back when you get your salary."
That she reached out to take it, carefully counted out two thousand, and handed back the rest, saying to him: "I'm borrowing two thousand dollars from you. I'll pay you back next month, thank you."
"I had Jasper arrange it. I'll have him deduct it from your salary next month."
"Okay, thank you."
Mia hung up, made her bed, and took her toiletries to wash up.
She got into bed, turned off the light, curled up into a ball, and closed her eyes.
......
Downstairs, James leaned against a car, tilting his head back slightly.
Soon, he saw the light on the sixth floor turn on.
He took out his cigarette pack from his pocket, pulled one out, and lit it.
Standing in the night, quietly exhaling smoke.
Through the smoke, he watched that light stay on for a short while before going out again.
He didn't leave. He just stood there, quietly watching that window.
In his mind, all he could see was her thin, fragile yet determined figure from behind.
From the moment she stepped out the door, she never looked back.
Not even once.
His heart felt like it was being stabbed with needles.
Did she really have no reluctance to leave him at all?
......
Late at night, James returned to Luxe Haven. The moment he pushed open the door, a suffocating feeling rushed over him.
The home without Mia was really too quiet—so quiet it made him feel like he was suffocating.
He stood in the entryway, without the courage to walk further inside.
In the past, even if she didn't speak, as long as she was there, his heart felt settled.
Now, she had just left, and this place already felt especially empty—so empty it scared him to stay here alone.
He retreated, escaping from this home that was filled everywhere with traces of Mia.
Downstairs, he sat in his car and drove to find Louis.
At this hour, Louis's nightlife was just beginning.
Half an hour later, James appeared in a private room at a bar.
When Louis saw James, he was so shocked he nearly dropped his glass. He gestured for the woman beside him to move over.
James sat down in the spot next to him.
"What's going on today?"
Among their group, Louis was the one who loved excitement the most. His true friends were just James and the others; the rest were just party buddies he ate, drank, and had fun with.
Bruce and the others would occasionally join gatherings like this, but James had always found them distasteful.
"Want me to clear the room?"
Seeing James was in a bad mood, Louis poured him a drink and asked.
"No need."
James took it but didn't drink.
He just wanted to find somewhere lively.
Seeing James didn't plan to say more, Louis didn't ask further.
After a while, Louis was called away.
The spot next to James became empty. From the moment he appeared, almost all the women present had made him their target for the night.
They wanted to get close, but the cold aura around him kept them from making a move—until the door to the private room was pushed open and Amelia walked in from outside.
She walked straight toward James with a clear goal and sat down next to him.
The moment she sat down, James was already standing up. He called out to Louis, who was walking over: "I'm leaving."
Louis's gaze swept coldly around the room.
It landed on one person.
That person guiltily avoided his eyes. Without saying anything, it was clear he was the one who had notified Amelia.
James patted him on the shoulder.
He never once looked at Amelia.
"James..."
Amelia immediately chased after him, following him all the way to the parking lot.
Before James could get in his car, she rushed over and blocked the car door.
"Why are you avoiding me?"
"Amelia, I've already made everything clear to you. Pestering isn't your style."
Wherever he appeared, she followed. It was really annoying.
"You know this isn't my style. When have I ever lowered myself for a man?"
"I'm doing this because I love you. Mia doesn't have the baby anymore, so why won't you divorce her? Give us a chance. You clearly love me..."
"Amelia, I'll say it one more time—the person I love is Mia! She will always be my wife, and I won't divorce her! Stop living in your own delusion and lying to yourself."
"Ask your own heart—do you really love me, or are you just unwilling to let go?"
The Amelia before him was so much like his former self.
Living in delusion.
Amelia looked at James. Whether it was love or unwillingness didn't matter at all. What mattered was this:
What she wanted, she had to get!
"I love you!"
Her confession was especially firm.
"But I don't love you!"
James's rejection was equally firm.
"Amelia, stop pestering me, and stop appearing in front of us! Move! Don't make me call security!"
Amelia's face looked terrible.
She had disregarded her pride, lowering herself again and again to approach him.
And he dared to reject her again and again.
Was he really going to break things off with her completely?
"James, are you saying that for Mia's sake, you won't even be friends with me anymore?"
She was giving him one last chance.
"Yes!"
James's attitude had been clear all along; she just refused to believe it.
Amelia looked at James and laughed coldly. "James, do you think doing this will erase the fact that we slept together?"
James's eyes turned ice cold.
Looking at Amelia, who refused to see reason.
He didn't want to waste any more words.
He took out his phone and called security directly.
Amelia gave him a cold look, then walked away on her high heels with proud steps.
Thinking he could provoke her and walk away unscathed—as if it would be that easy.
......
The next day, after breakfast, Mia started reading materials.
Yesterday Benjamin told her to start work in three days, telling her to rest well first—health was the foundation for working hard.
She planned to use these three days to learn more about the company first.
She was so focused on reading that she lost track of time, until the phone beside her rang. It was a string of numbers.
But Mia recognized it at a glance—it was Amelia's phone number.
She hung up directly.
She didn't want to deal with her.
But right after hanging up, Amelia persisted.
She hung up again, and was about to block the number when a text came in. Mia saw it, her finger paused, and she didn't block it. Instead, she chose to reply: "Location."