Chapter 100 Being Loved by Kevin and the Others
The faint scent of lemon clung to Ryan's black hoodie, subtle and not at all unpleasant.
Amelia found herself wrapped up in a warm hug. She looked up at the man in front of her, who seemed like he had stepped right out of a comic book, and called out, "Ryan?"
Ryan's eyes crinkled with a smile, clearly pleased that Amelia had immediately recognized him. His lips curved into a charming smile.
"Nice to meet you," he said, but his actions were far from those of a stranger. He leaned in and kissed Amelia on the forehead.
His voice was laid-back, with a hint of affection as he ruffled Amelia's hair. "Amelia, you're such a good girl. How about I call you Little Cutie from now on?"
Amelia had read about Ryan online before.
Ryan's looks were top-tier, even in the entertainment industry, which was full of attractive people.
He was always ranked among the most handsome faces since his debut and had never fallen out of the top three. Whether it was his height, physique, or professional skills, Ryan was impeccable. The only criticism he faced in the industry was about his personality.
He had a pair of soulful eyes that made everyone feel he was deeply in love with them. He appeared laid-back, with a casual smile on his lips, and his every move was graceful and polite.
Ryan's appearance and demeanor were incredibly alluring.
Almost everyone who met him in person couldn't help but feel their heart race. He was the kind of person who could charm anyone, regardless of age or gender.
But despite his soulful eyes, Ryan was cold at heart.
He seemed friendly to everyone but never got close to anyone. Those who confessed their feelings to him were always politely rejected with a smile. He never interacted with fans offline or online and didn't have any friends in the industry.
Some people hated him for his arrogance and coldness, calling him a flirt. But others loved him even more for these very reasons.
Amelia looked into Ryan's eyes and felt that his nonchalant demeanor was just a facade. But she couldn't see what lay beneath this exterior.
"Ryan, you can call me whatever you like," Amelia said with a soft smile.
Ryan ruffled her hair again, his eyes smiling even more.
Hugo, watching from the side, couldn't help but be surprised.
Was this the power of blood relations? Even though they were meeting for the first time, there was an inexplicable sense of harmony between the siblings.
He knew Ryan too well.
Seeing Ryan's behavior now, he could tell that he genuinely liked Amelia, unlike how he treated others, including Rachel, the girl adopted by the Martinez family, with only superficial friendliness.
As they sat in the car heading to the restaurant, Ryan mentioned that he had taken a week's vacation and would be staying at home to bond with Amelia.
Before Amelia could respond, Ryan's phone suddenly rang.
Seeing the caller, Ryan frowned slightly but answered the call, putting the phone to his ear. "Hello?"
"Ryan." Rachel's tearful voice came through the phone, loud enough for Amelia to hear clearly. "Ryan, you came to the piano competition today, didn't you? Where are you now?"
Ryan's expression and voice were calm, devoid of any emotion. "What's wrong?"
"Ryan, the reporters are blocking me. Can you send your bodyguards to help me leave? I'm so scared. I want to go home."
Rachel's voice was choked with sobs, which would have evoked sympathy from anyone else. But Ryan's expression grew colder.
"Afraid of being interviewed by reporters?" Ryan paused, his voice cold and indifferent. "You weren't so scared when you stole someone else's piece and performed it on stage."
Rachel's sobs grew louder, the harsh truth exposed by the person she admired the most.
"Ryan, I know I messed up. I just saw that Amelia's composition was better than mine, and I made a mistake in a moment of weakness."
"Ryan, Uncle Saul and Mom already gave me an earful, saying I brought shame to the Martinez family. Uncle Saul even talked to the committee to cover it up as a misunderstanding. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to participate in any piano competitions in the future. I really know I was wrong."
"If you truly knew you were wrong, you wouldn't have let Uncle Saul lie to cover it up for you."
Ryan interrupted Rachel coldly. "I thought the incident at school where you were caught pretending to be someone else would have taught you a lesson, but clearly, it didn’t."
Rachel's sobs stopped abruptly, and she spoke in a daze, "Ryan..."
"Being surrounded by reporters or never being able to participate in piano competitions again, you need to face the consequences of your actions." Ryan said, "The more we indulge you and clean up your messes, the more reckless you'll become. Reflect on this."
With that, Ryan ended the call without another word.
To be honest, Ryan's words took Amelia by surprise.
It was quite amazing that despite Jenny and Robert being jealous and lazy, their five sons turned out to be so upright.
Kevin was mature and hardworking, single-handedly supporting the Martinez Group. Chris, though cold on the outside, was warm-hearted and dedicated to saving lives. Ryan, despite his seemingly carefree attitude, had his own principles, as shown by his treatment of Rachel.
Tobias was another story—simple and good-hearted, just a bit of a handsome fool.
Though Rupert had passed away by the time Amelia was reborn into this body, she now felt the warmth and love of a family that she had never experienced before, even though she had spent most of her past life alone after Rosie and Ellison.
At the restaurant, the four handsome men surrounding Amelia caught the attention of the servers, who couldn't help but steal glances, envious of her.
Kevin, with a serious expression, kept putting food on Amelia's plate, saying she was too thin and needed to eat more.
Chris, usually expressionless, suddenly pulled out an exquisite jewelry box from his pocket, saying it was a gift for Amelia's competition win. Inside was an expensive-looking diamond necklace.
Chris had promised to give her a more beautiful necklace when he bandaged her wound in her room.
Amelia knew that Chris had bought the necklace long ago and brought it today on purpose. Even if she had come in last place, he would have given it to her as a consolation gift.
Ryan ate very little, probably to maintain his figure as a top star. He kept smiling at Amelia, seemingly more and more fond of her, and even used a napkin to wipe her mouth.
Tobias had thought Michael's feelings for Amelia were one-sided, but hearing Amelia's words on stage, he realized they were mutual, so he was downcast the whole time.
Except for Tobias, everyone enjoyed the meal.
Back in her room at the Martinez Mansion, Amelia sat at her desk after showering, habitually holding Shadow as she opened her laptop.
She expected to see the same empty inbox as before, but this time, her eyes widened in shock.
The person she suspected to be Pearl had replied!