Chapter 228 All My Delays Came Due
By the time Amelia's cast came off, more than two months had passed.
It was late December in River City. The air had turned sharp and cold, and the bare branches along the streets rattled in the wind. Autumn had fully given way to winter's grip.
The truth was, she had never needed the cast at all. Strictly speaking, she hadn't even needed medical treatment. The hairline fracture in her leg was so minor she could have healed it within minutes if she chose to use her own abilities.
But that would have raised questions she had no desire to answer, so she let her body recover at the pace of an ordinary human.
The inconvenience of moving around with a cast was real, but it came with an unexpected gift—time. Time away from the grind of school, from dozing through lectures, from rushing between obligations.
For two whole months she stayed home, sleeping in with Shadow curled up beside her, watching the sun sink in the evenings while the garden filled with amber light. The quiet was almost indulgent.
Since her injury, the household's attention had shifted entirely toward her.
Jenny, who used to spend most days in the company of River City's social elite—afternoon teas, spa appointments, shopping trips, charity galas—barely left the house anymore.
The reconciliation between her and Amelia had changed something, and the fracture had sealed it. Jenny now devoted herself to cooking, experimenting with recipes designed to promote healing and bone strength.
Every day she prepared something new, setting it in front of Amelia with a pride that was impossible to hide.
Jenny had always loved her children. She would not have adopted Rachel from the orphanage after having five sons if she hadn't. But that chapter had ended in betrayal—years of affection wasted on a girl who had proved cruel and calculating.
And the stepdaughter she had once dismissed, even resented, had shown herself to be capable, kind, and far more deserving. That guilt had deepened her determination to make amends.
Amelia's brothers needed no encouragement to spoil her.
Kevin had cleared his calendar of every meeting and dinner he could possibly avoid. He came home early each night, carrying her favorite snacks as if she were still a little girl.
Chris had moved back into the family home altogether, reasoning that it was easier to monitor her recovery with a doctor on hand. His once immaculate, almost sterile bedroom had begun to show signs of life—a potted plant on the windowsill, planted by Amelia herself, which he tended with meticulous care.
Ryan had been filming in River City for months. When his latest project wrapped, he took an extended leave, turning down every lucrative offer, including appearances at the biggest New Year's Eve broadcasts.
In the entertainment industry, where most actors clung desperately to the spotlight, Ryan's absence was almost unheard of.
But Ryan was not a man who lived off tabloid attention. He had awards, serious roles, and a secure place in the industry—along with the privilege of a wealthy family. He could afford to disappear.
Kevin had not hired a private tutor to keep Amelia caught up with her studies. There was no need.
Zander was more than capable. Each afternoon after school, he would walk into her room with a stack of books. Kevin thought it was touching, but in truth Zander rarely opened them.
He was a prodigy, and he knew Amelia was too. High school material was child's play for them—equations, formulas, theories that others found daunting were as simple as counting to ten.
Instead of reviewing lessons, they played games: Sudoku, Go, chess, even poker. Before Amelia arrived, Zander had played alone, silent and detached. Now he had a worthy opponent, and more often than not, she beat him.
Each time she did, she would smile, eyes bright, and say softly, "Zander, you lost again."
He never felt embarrassed. If anything, the defeats stoked his competitive fire. He was hooked.
They played almost every day.
Tobias, who used to be the one dragging Amelia into marathon gaming sessions, had changed. Jenny suspected he might be sick—he hadn't set foot in a local gaming center in two months.
One night, Kevin noticed Tobias's light still on at two in the morning. Expecting to find him glued to a console, Kevin opened the door and froze. Tobias was asleep at his desk, surrounded by notebooks filled with dense handwriting. The only other items were his textbooks.
Kevin rubbed his eyes, wondering if he was hallucinating.
For weeks, Tobias had been paying attention in class, then studying late into the night. The change had started the moment he learned Amelia planned to take the entrance exam for Aurora College.
Panic had set in. Before she came, Tobias had coasted through school, filling in random answers on multiple-choice tests, content to rank dead last while his twin brother sat at the top of the charts.
He had never cared about the gossip that swirled on the school forums. He liked games, not studying, and had assumed he would slide straight into a position at the Martinez Group after graduation. Kevin would make sure of it.
But Amelia's arrival had shifted something. He adored his sister. The thought of her leaving for Aurora College while he stayed behind in River City made his chest ache.
Zander would have no trouble getting in, which meant he would spend the next four years with her. Tobias would be left out.
The regret hit hard. He should have started working years ago. Now the semester was ending, and the entrance exams loomed. His foundation was weak, and even with relentless effort, Aurora was out of reach. The best he could hope for was Crestfield University, the closest campus to Aurora.
In the end, all the work he neglected had to be done.