Chapter 28 Do Crying Children Get Candy?
Rachel woke up that morning and put on her best makeup for her date with Quentin.
She was with Quentin at a high-end private cinema when her phone rang. It was Fallon.
Just as Quentin was getting comfortable, Rachel's phone buzzed, ruining the moment.
Quentin looked annoyed, and Rachel wasn’t thrilled either. But Fallon was a good friend and loyal classmate, so she couldn’t just ignore her.
Rachel answered the call and heard Fallon’s cautious voice, “Hey, Rachel, do you know someone named Amelia?”
“I was at Star Mall buying a phone and saw Tobias there with her. Amelia even hugged him, and they looked really close.”
“What did you say?” Rachel sat up straight, clutching her phone and raising her voice.
Rachel left the private cinema and took a cab straight to Star Mall, searching store by store.
When she saw what was happening at the entrance, she couldn’t believe her eyes.
The person doting on Amelia was Tobias?
Even though Rachel wasn’t biologically related to the Martinez family, Tobias and the others adored her. Tobias, in particular, was always the most straightforward about it.
Since she was little, Tobias would get her anything she wanted, stand up for her when someone bullied her, and comfort her when she was sad.
When Tobias found out about Quentin and Amelia’s engagement and that Robert was bringing Amelia home, he was furious on Rachel’s behalf.
Just the day before, Tobias had shown clear disdain for Amelia when she arrived. And the previous night, Rachel had come home early and played the victim in front of Tobias, hinting that Amelia had targeted her at the party, causing her to feel unwell and leave early.
Tobias had been livid and said he would warn Amelia when she got home.
But now, what was going on?
“Rachel? What are you doing here?”
Tobias turned and saw Rachel standing at the entrance, looking shocked. He was equally surprised.
He glanced at Amelia beside him and said, “Rachel…”
Rachel’s eyes welled up with tears instantly.
“Didn’t Tobias say he’d only ever love me as his sister?”
“Is Tobias just like Kevin now, preferring Amelia over me?”
“If that’s the case, I’d better stay out of your way from now on.”
With that, Rachel turned and ran out, tears streaming down her face, though she moved slowly, almost waiting for Tobias to chase after her.
But after half a minute, Tobias hadn’t moved. Rachel couldn’t help but look back and saw him still standing with Amelia.
Was Amelia pretending to cry too?
Rachel gritted her teeth in anger, thinking Amelia was manipulative, deliberately holding Tobias back.
In reality, Tobias had reflexively wanted to chase after Rachel when she ran out.
But he looked back at Amelia.
She stood there, not moving or saying a word.
It was as if Amelia had anticipated that if Rachel showed up, Tobias would leave her to chase after Rachel.
They’d had a pleasant afternoon together, with Amelia’s eyes full of genuine smiles. But now, her gaze was so calm.
It was as if she had hidden all her emotions, creating a sense of distance like the night before.
Seeing Amelia like this made Tobias feel a pang of sadness.
Did she think she didn’t have the right to be upset and run away, expecting him to chase after her and comfort her?
People say the squeaky wheel gets the grease, but shouldn't the quiet one who holds back their tears get even more comfort?
So Tobias stopped in his tracks.
“Brother?” Amelia looked up, “Aren’t you going to chase Rachel? She seemed really hurt seeing us together.”
“I’ll talk to her later,” Tobias sighed, “Let’s finish shopping for clothes and pick up the phone. We’ll deal with the rest at home.”
Amelia seemed taken aback.
Tobias pressed his lips together and gently touched her face, helping her take off the trench coat she was trying on. He told the sales assistant, “We’ll take this one. Bring us some other suitable coats to try on.”
When they left the store, Rachel was nowhere to be seen. She had either gone back to the Martinez Mansion or gone to find Quentin.
On the way back to the Martinez family, Amelia asked the cab driver to stop by Crystal. She found Zola, who had helped her pass a note to Ellison the day before, and handed her two gift boxes.
The larger box contained the evening gown Amelia had worn to the party, and the smaller box held a gold bracelet.
The bracelet cost a thousand dollars. Zola could keep it or sell it for cash, as a token of Amelia’s gratitude for her help.
Amelia didn’t see Ellison.
Ellison was different from her other acquaintances; he had an obsession with her. It was best for her to completely disappear from his world to help him move on with his life.
Michael responded shortly after Amelia sent her two messages.
His reply was concise: [Barely able to stand, still can’t walk.]
Another message came later, which Amelia only saw when she returned to her room that night.
[When’s the next acupuncture session? I’ll send someone to pick you up.]
Amelia sat on the carpet, holding Shadow, and smiled as she replied: [In a few days. I have other things to do right now.]
Michael replied quickly: [Okay, let me know when you’re ready.]
Sitting in his wheelchair, Michael looked down at his phone, a softness in his eyes he hadn’t noticed himself.
What Amelia didn’t know was that in the vast, castle-like Johnson Mansion, a beaten and bruised Zaid was kneeling before Michael, trembling like a leaf.
“Mr. Johnson, you’ve got the wrong person! I swear I wasn’t in any alley the night before last, and I didn’t kill any girl. Please, let me go!”
Zaid sobbed, tears and snot running down his face.
“You don’t have to talk.”
Michael turned off his phone and looked up.
His previously gentle gaze turned icy, and his words sent chills down Zaid’s spine.
“If you’re off the grid, no one will know if you die.”
“Eric,” Michael looked up, “Take care of him.”
Take care of him?
Zaid, battered and bruised, looked up in shock. They were going to kill him? He’d rather confess and go to jail!
“No, no, Mr. Johnson! I’ll talk! I’ll talk!”
Zaid swallowed hard, “Someone contacted me on the dark web, asking me to pick up a girl from the countryside at the station the night before last and kill her. The reward was half a million dollars.”
“But I really don’t know who it was. Users on the dark web are anonymous, and you can’t trace their identities. After I sent the buyer a photo of the body, they deleted their account. There’s no way to find them now.”
“What did you say?” Michael’s eyes suddenly sharpened, “Did you say, a body?”