Chapter 325 Every Word Ignites

Chapter 325 Every Word Ignites

Amelia's mother had been dead for years. To spare her pain, Michael rarely brought up the subject, and Amelia herself almost never mentioned it.

She looked at Michael, her gaze lowering slightly.

"I think I told you—my mother cut all ties with my grandfather after his affair drove my grandmother to take her own life. Over twenty years ago, she left Border Ridge City and moved to River City alone.

"But she never told me exactly what happened back then.

"Or rather, she avoided everything about those events and her family in Border Ridge City. She refused to talk about it.

"When I was little, every time I asked if I had other relatives, she'd tell me not to ask. But the look on her face—it was agony.

"I didn't understand. If she only hated my grandfather, why did mentioning other family members cause her so much pain? Even on her deathbed, I don't think she ever let go of whatever was eating at her. She just wouldn't tell me.

"She severed ties completely. I know nothing about her side of the family.

"So I was thinking—if Seth really is connected to my mother somehow, I could finally learn about her relatives.

"Find out what she couldn't let go of, even in death. Maybe then I could let go of my own burden."

Michael hadn't expected that Amelia's questions about Seth came from something like this.

The jealousy that had been gnawing at him dissolved instantly. He pulled her closer.

His voice dropped low. "I'm sorry, baby… I didn't know. If you want to find your mother's family, I can have people look into the matter for you."

"Okay." Amelia nodded, wrapping her arms around his waist and pressing her cheek against his broad chest.

But even as she held him, her hands began to wander.

The feel of Michael's muscles was too tempting. She couldn't resist running her fingers over them, kneading gently. Every inch of skin she touched seemed to grow hotter beneath her palms.

"Baby, don't…"

Michael's voice turned rough again.

Their earlier passion in the hot spring had been intense, but talking about serious matters had cooled things down—temporarily.

Now that the conversation was over, Amelia's damp swimsuit clung to every curve of her body, leaving nothing to the imagination as she pressed against him.

Her pale hand traced patterns across his chest, teasing, reigniting the desire he'd just managed to tamp down.

He pressed against her, radiating heat.

Michael drew a sharp breath, his expression tight with restraint. He caught her delicate wrist, trying to create distance between them—just as he always did.

But this time, Amelia didn't let him pull away. Instead, her other hand traveled downward.

Michael's eyes flew wide open.

Amelia had never seen him look so shocked.

"Baby…"

Conflict warred across his features, his voice hoarse.

He wanted to stop this, yet the unprecedented sensation was dragging him under, making it impossible to surface.

"My birthday's coming up. I'll be legal in just a few days." Her voice was barely above a whisper, nearly lost in the steam, but her eyes locked onto his with unwavering intensity. "I just want to help you… just help you."

Michael froze for several seconds, then inhaled deeply before capturing her lips in a kiss.

In the privacy of the misty hot spring, they lost themselves in each other, tongues tangling, heat building to an unbearable pitch.

Dorian had to call twice before Amelia and Michael finally emerged, a little late.

Both wore white bathrobes and looked relatively normal, except that Amelia's hair—which had been pinned up—now cascaded loose over her shoulders.

After soaking in the hot springs, everyone was ready to head back to their rooms.

The room assignments were straightforward—Orval, Dorian, and Asher each got their own.

With her brothers absent, Amelia saw no reason to sleep separately from Michael. She booked a room with him without hesitation.

The hot spring had washed away the day's exhaustion. That night, everyone slept deeply.

Even past ten the next morning, Amelia was still sleeping soundly.

Michael, already showered and dressed, returned to the bedside. He gazed at her peaceful face, unable to resist leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead.

As he straightened, someone knocked at the door.

"Amelia, are you awake?"

It was Dorian, her voice tight with urgency.

Michael frowned, puzzled by why she'd come looking for Amelia.

He picked up Amelia's phone and lit the screen—several missed calls from Dorian.

Amelia always put her phone on silent before bed.

Dorian clearly had something urgent. When calls didn’t work, she’d come in person.

Michael stood and pulled on his navy robe before opening the door.

Dorian startled slightly when the door revealed not Amelia but a tall, imposing man.

He was undeniably handsome, but his demeanor toward anyone except Amelia remained cold, his presence almost oppressive.

"What do you need Amelia for? She's still asleep," Michael said.

"I—"

Before Dorian could answer, Amelia's voice drifted from inside, thick with sleep. "I'm awake."

Dorian peered past Michael to see her sitting up in bed, rubbing her eyes. "What's wrong, Dorian? What happened?"

Seeing she was awake, Michael said gently, "I'll let you two talk. I'll grab you some breakfast."

Amelia nodded. "Okay."

The moment Michael left, Dorian visibly relaxed. She rushed to the bedside, her expression grave. "Amelia, I need to tell you—something major just happened!"

The urgency in her tone snapped Amelia fully awake, her brow furrowing. "What is it?"

"You need to see this—" Dorian thrust her phone forward. "This article just went live."

#Moral Corruption or Utter Depravity? National Science Academy Fellow Trevor Accused of Exploiting Aurora College's Exclusive Admissions Slot to Prey on Underage Girls—Photos Inside!

Amelia's eyes landed on the headline, and it felt like someone had punched her in the chest.

Every single word in that title was designed to detonate public outrage.

"National Science Academy Fellow" signaled elite status in national research.

Trevor had significant social media presence. He'd once trended at number one after his team developed a breakthrough drug—for days, everyone had been singing his praises.

Aurora College's special admissions slot implied backroom dealings, fairness compromised.

And "preying on underage girls" crossed every moral line—the word "underage" alone was enough to set public opinion ablaze.

The article didn't even need substance. The headline alone would make people drop everything to read it.

Sure enough, Dorian told her the piece had gone live at eight that morning. It was barely ten now, and it had already rocketed to the number one trending topic.

Amelia scrolled down. This was an exclusive exposé from the River City Daily—someone had accused Trevor of being rotten beneath his upstanding facade.

For years he'd appeared devoted to academia, enjoying lofty prestige in his field. But allegedly, he'd suppressed colleagues at Aurora College, forced students to do his personal work, verbally abused anyone who displeased him, and exploited special admissions slots to prey on underage girls.

Honestly, the first few accusations were character issues at worst. But that last one—the nature of it was catastrophic.

Teacher or not, any fifty-something man preying on underage girls was committing a crime serious enough to warrant immediate police involvement.

Dorian stood beside her, her tone heavy. "Let's set aside whether the other stuff is true. Just that last accusation—it's too serious to ignore."

"The headline says there's photographic evidence. But look at this first image…" She scrolled down, pointing to a pixelated photo, then took a deep breath and met Amelia's eyes. "Amelia… that girl in the picture—it's you, isn't it?"