Chapter 49 Amara Kade

Chapter 49 Amara Kade
LUCIEN

“Welcome home, young master,” the housekeeper greeted, bowing curtly. “Grandmother is in the inner living room,” she added.

I nodded and walked past her.

Grandmother had ordered me to come home immediately. I tried compelling her to tell me who the so-called woman was, but she didn’t. Grandma was strangely suspicious this time. Knowing I wouldn’t be able to avoid her, I picked up my car keys and left the office.

Sienna wasn’t at her seat when I stepped out, so I just assumed she must have gone to the bathroom to clean up. I’d mentally told myself I would send her a message before I got to Grandmother’s house, but Damian’s call came in. And with the way he was, he blabbed nonstop until I got out of the car.

I only remembered I hadn’t texted Sienna when I got inside the house, and right now, I was already in the living room, staring at Grandmother putting down a cup of tea.

“Grandma,” I muttered, walking toward her.

“Finally!” she dramatically let out in relief. “He came before I died.”

I shook my head. This was one of the reasons I didn’t want to see her. She would always be extreme with her words.

“What are you on about, Grandmother?” I mumbled with a smile, settling into the space beside her. “You promised not to die without seeing your great-grandchildren.”

She shrugged. “Well, you refuse to give me any. What am I still waiting for then?” she retorted with rolled eyes.

I chuckled and took her hands in mine. “Soon, Grandmother. You’ll meet them soon,” I responded. “I need some time to settle into the company.”

She pulled her hands away from mine and hit my shoulder aggressively. “Time to settle? It’s been five months, idiot,” she snapped. “What have you been doing?”

Thinking about it made me realize it had really been five months since I returned to the country. Five months, and all I’d done was spend eighty percent of my time either with her or thinking about her—Sienna. It didn’t feel like we’d known each other for this long. It felt like I found her drunk and broken in the office a week ago. Like it was yesterday that I turned her on the table and banged her for the first time. Everything felt fast and unreal.

I held her hands one more time and placed them on my chest. “Trust me, Grandmother. I’ll surely do what you want,” I mumbled.

She clicked her tongue and shook her head.

“Of course. Maybe seeing her will help you consider my plea and quicken your decision,” she said, tilting her gaze toward my old bedroom door. I followed her gaze, and just at the right time, the door opened and a woman walked out of it.

My face scrunched up in confusion. My mouth parted, but before I could say a word, the woman raised her head. Her face brightened, and her steps halted when she saw me.

“Lucien!” she called.

Still, the lines of confusion on my face didn’t dissipate. She looked familiar, but I just couldn’t place where I’d seen her before. My gaze shifted from her to my grandmother, who was waiting to see my reaction.

I chuckled, not sure how to reveal to them that I didn’t remember who she was.

As though she could feel my confusion from my complicated expression, she rushed to my side and said, “Is this how to greet your childhood sweetheart?”

My brows creased. Again, I searched my grandmother’s face for a clue, but she flashed a teasing smile at me instead.

“Lucien!” the strange woman called one more time, surprise vivid in her tone. “No way, Lucien. You aren’t giving me that stranger look.” She chuckled. “This is Amara. Amara Kade.”

The moment she mentioned that name, I finally understood why she looked familiar. My eyes widened as I sprang up from the couch, pointing a finger at her.

“Amara Kade? The girl next door?” I muttered, my tone holding astonishment.

“What? Just the girl next door?” Amara’s face contorted into a displeased expression. “Is that what I am to you? Have you forgotten how close our families are? We were literally childhood sweethearts.”

My grandmother clapped. “Yes. I remember how he begged your father for your hand in marriage. When everyone told him he was too young, he cried his eyes out.” She burst into laughter. This had been the hardest I had seen Grandmother laugh since I returned to the country.

“Oh my God, Grandmother. Can we stop talking about the past?” I said, still standing. “We were young and senseless. Mistakes like that are bound to happen.” I chuckled, suppressing the discomfort I was feeling from the conversation. I knew they were just reminiscing, but something just didn’t feel right. Maybe because I felt ashamed of acting that way, or could it be something else?

Amara marched closer and spread her arms. “Now greet me properly,” she mumbled.

My lips curled into a smile as I darted my eyes over her. Afterward, I wrapped my arms around her, and she did the same.

“I’ve missed you so much, Lu,” she let out, inhaling loudly.

“I missed you too, Amara,” I responded and tried to break the hug, but she held me in place, not letting go.