Chapter 195 Caught in the Wall Slam
Meanwhile, Michael and Amelia slipped away from the press hall's frenzy, ascending directly to the Williams Group's second-floor conference room.
Before Michael had pushed Vaughn into the press venue earlier that day, he had already instructed Eric to take a team here to seize Efrain.
Michael's strategy was calculated: he arrived early, concealed his motives, and shielded Efrain from public exposure.
He wanted the man to lower his guard, making it easier to bring him back to the Johnson family estate.
He couldn't hand his uncle over to the police just yet. That accident a decade past the night his parents perished, compelled answers, which he sought in person.
Ten minutes prior, as Anna faced public scrutiny over her damning messages, Eric's team sprang into action.
Yet as Amelia and Michael shoved open the conference room door, chaos greeted them: papers strewn everywhere, chairs toppled, glass shards glinting amid the carpet. Shattered window, icy gusts invading. A desperate exit. Efrain: vanished. Eric's men: nowhere.
Michael's phone buzzed.
"Sorry, Mr. Johnson..." Eric's voice came through, breathless, guilt weighing heavy. "Efrain smashed through the window, someone waited outside to whisk him away. We couldn't stop him..."
Efrain had slipped away.
Michael's eyes darkened, the weight in his stare sharpening.
Amelia, hearing the voice on the line and seeing the tension in Michael's face, reached out, her fingers softly encircling his hand. "If he's in River City, he won't vanish. We'll track him down."
Michael inhaled deeply, squeezing her hand in return. Her warm skin anchored him, steady as ever.
After Anna was taken away by the police, Amelia had helped Vaughn smooth over the media storm.By the time the press conference debacle faded, evening had deepened the sky beyond.
Michael drove Amelia back to the Martinez Mansion. He got out, opened her door himself, and was about to watch her walk inside when she tugged lightly at his sleeve.
"What is it?" Michael asked.
Amelia's gaze held steady, though a playful curve tugged at her lips. "A relative's wedding is today in the neighboring city." Robert, Jenny, and Kevin went to attend. "Chris and Ryan are away, Zander and Tobias out. Staff's off duty." Michael blinked. "So your house stands empty tonight?"
She nodded, that teasing smile deepening. "You've never come through the front door of the Martinez Mansion. Since no one's around, want to take a proper tour?"
Michael's lips curved upward, the affection in his gaze unhidden. "I do."
He had meant to visit formally after the Martinez family's celebration party following the fair. But that night, news of his grandmother's disappearance in Sulien had pulled him away. Now more than a week had passed.
He agreed; Amelia intertwined her fingers with his, unlatched the front gate, and guided him inside. The house stood utterly empty.
Vast rooms lay silent in darkness, not a single light on.
As they entered, the entryway motion sensor hummed alive, bathing the gleaming floor in soft light. Michael lifted a hand toward the living room switch, but before his fingers could touch it, Amelia caught his wrist.
In the next heartbeat, she pushed him—lightly but firmly—until his broad back met the wall beside the entry. The impact was gentle, but the closeness was electric.
A low sound rumbled in Michael's throat, unplanned—a quiet, restrained hum edged with a rough undertone that could make a pulse skip.
Amelia's brows lifted.She rose on tiptoe, bridging their gap. Though a head shorter, her presence commanded the space.
One hand pinned his against the wall, the other tilted his chin. Her fingertips traced over his lips, cool at first, then warm with the subtle drag of skin against skin.
"Michael," she murmured, her eyes locked on his in the dim light, "when you were in Sulien... did you miss me?"
In Sulien, he'd chased every lead to his grandmother. Back home, Vaughn's crises and her treatment had consumed them. There had been no space for moments like this.
Except for that one time—when Amelia had reached into the soul's domain to find him. He had believed it to be nothing more than a dream.
She leaned closer, breaths intertwining; Michael's turned ragged. "Yes. I missed you." His voice dropped to a confessional murmur. "Even in my dreams."
How could he not? Every hour in Sulien, he had thought about ending the search and coming back to her. She was too bright, too capable, and he worried about the envy she drew, the obstacles she might face alone.
He knew she wasn't fragile, could face any storm alone. Yet he yearned to stand with her, beside or behind.
As he spoke, he caught the hand that had been teasing his mouth and pressed his lips to the back of it, the touch reverent.
The dim light thickened the air between them, every flicker in his eyes heavy with meaning.
"Good boy."
Satisfaction gleamed in her eyes. She withdrew her hand, pinning both his wrists to the wall. Her smile turned sly, narrowing. "Don't move. You've earned a reward."
"Alright."
His indulgence for her knew no limits. If she wanted to pin him, to hold his hands in place, to play the part of a mischievous teacher, he would comply.
He closed his eyes. In the darkness, every sense sharpened—the sound of her breath, the warmth at the edge of his skin. She rose on her toes again, her breath spilling over his lips, the kiss only a heartbeat away.
And then, without warning, a door clicked open nearby.
Before they could react, the front door swung wide.
"Amelia's phone has been off all day. I don't even know where she is, it's driving me—"
Kevin's words died mid-sentence. His eyes locked on the scene in the entryway, his voice gone.
Chris, usually composed, froze, shock breaking through his calm. Ryan's easy smile vanished in an instant, his expression hardening. Even Zander, whose face rarely changed, let his eyes widen.
"What the hell is going on here..."
Tobias, seeing the sudden shift in Kevin, Chris, and Ryan's faces, frowned. He looked toward the entryway—and nearly lost his breath.
Michael stood there, Amelia pressed close, their mouths hovering inches apart.
"Oh my God! What are you doing!"
Tobias's voice shot up, startled. "Michael! Let go of her! Get away from my sister!"