Chapter 179 A Target on Vaughn's Back
Eric had been pulled in at the last minute by Michael to handle this situation, and he had no idea what was actually going on.
How on earth did Vaughn from the Williams family end up lying unconscious on a stretch of coastline? Had he gone overboard and been carried here by the tide? If that was the case, the fact that he was still breathing was nothing short of a miracle.
His first instinct was to get Vaughn to a hospital immediately. But when Amelia told him otherwise, he froze, caught off guard. Then it clicked—this was Amelia. The woman who had put Michael back on his feet with just a few injections. No doctor in any hospital could match her skill.
Eric nodded without hesitation, helping Amelia lift Vaughn into the helicopter and secure the safety harness around him.
By the time they reached River City, a driver was waiting to take them straight to Amelia's apartment.
Belle had been living there for some time now. Hearing movement outside, she stepped from her room, only to see a stranger carrying an unconscious elderly man inside. Her eyes widened in alarm until she spotted Amelia beside him.
"Amelia, what happened to him?" Belle asked quickly. "Is he hurt?"
"It's nothing serious," Amelia replied. "Mr. Williams swallowed seawater and caught a chill. He's running a fever."
She turned to Belle. "He'll be staying here for the next few days to recover. If I'm at school, I'll need you to keep an eye on him."
"No problem. I'll take care of it."
Belle was kind by nature. Since moving into the apartment, with Amelia and Dorian visiting often, she had been slowly emerging from the trauma of being held captive by human traffickers. The memories hadn't returned yet, but she had begun to relax—reading, sketching, filling her days with quiet moments. She was happier now. Safer.
Her trust in Amelia had deepened. In Belle's mind, Amelia was the guardian who had descended from the sky to rescue her—not only pulling her from a dark basement but giving her a place where she didn't have to worry, didn't have to rush. A home where she could stay until she was ready to face the past.
Amelia often told Belle she looked like a little angel. But to Belle, Amelia was the real angel. Whatever Amelia asked, she would do without question.
Eric carried Vaughn into the guest room. He gave him a hot shower, dressed him in clean clothes, and settled him onto the bed. There was still work waiting for Eric back at the company, so Amelia told him to go.
Once he left, Amelia took a pill from a small bottle she kept with her and placed it between Vaughn's lips.
Half an hour later, Vaughn's eyes fluttered open. He stared at Amelia in disbelief.
"Amelia? Where am I? I remember falling into the sea…"
"Mr. Williams, don't panic," she said gently. "You're in my apartment in River City. You're safe now."
She repeated the same explanation she had given Michael—that she'd installed a chip in his Smart ring to monitor his health and track his location. He'd been fortunate enough to be carried to shore by the current. She had contacted Michael and flown out to retrieve him, though the chip had been lost in the process.
Even Vaughn hadn't expected to survive. He remembered losing consciousness, sinking into the dark, and the spot where he'd gone overboard seemed far from land. Yet here he was.
When the shock began to fade, Amelia asked, "Mr. Williams, weren't you on a cruise headed for the resort island? How did you end up in the water? Was it an accident?"
Vaughn's face hardened, the memory flooding back. His chest rose and fell sharply.
"No," he said, voice low and edged with authority. "It wasn't an accident. Someone tried to kill me."
Amelia's pulse spiked. She waited.
"I stepped out onto the deck for some fresh air—it was stuffy inside the ship. I'd barely been there a minute when someone shoved me from behind. I didn't even have time to turn around."
He shook his head. "I swam for a few minutes, but the cold drained my strength. I blacked out."
"You're certain it was deliberate?" Amelia's voice had gone cold.
"I'm certain," Vaughn replied firmly. "I can tell the difference between a bump and a shove. And the man ran off the deck immediately after. I didn't see his face, only that he was male."
Amelia inhaled slowly. This had been planned. Someone wanted him dead.
Vaughn seemed to understand that too, though he couldn't imagine who would target a man in his sixties.
"Amelia, I've never made enemies. I treat people well. I can't think of anyone who'd resort to this," he said.
Her mind went straight to Anna. The birthday party. The tension. Could she be involved? But without proof—and given she was Vaughn's granddaughter—Amelia kept that thought to herself.
"Mr. Williams, how many people knew you were going to the resort island?" she asked.
"Not many. I didn't announce it," Vaughn said. "Just my staff who take care of me. And Anna—she booked the cruise ticket for me."
At the mention of Anna, his brow furrowed briefly, then smoothed. She was family. Surely this had nothing to do with her. She was probably frantic hearing he'd gone overboard.
Amelia thought for a moment. "Right now, we don't have proof of who's behind this. But whoever planned it had a reason. No one knows I pulled you from the water. As far as the world is concerned, you're missing at sea."
Her gaze locked on his. "I suggest we wait. You recover here quietly. Sooner or later, the person behind this will make a mistake."