CH- 26
CH- 26
Nathan’s POV
I could tell I’d been a monster—or at least, that was the impression Amelia gave off.
She wouldn’t even look me in the eye. We were holed up in the modest apartment she’d secured for us, far from the luxury of my parents’ estate but perfectly suited as a hideout.
The men had patched up Doctor Friggard and laid him on the bed; he was now sleeping peacefully. Lucas had gone to take a shower, leaving me alone with Amelia.
“Thank you for sending help,” I said, hoping to break the awkward silence between us.
She simply nodded, her movements graceful yet distant. Her red hair caught the light, vibrant and striking—a stark contrast to the timid persona I’d assumed she embodied.
Her eyes were sharp, intelligent, curious. Why was she so uncomfortable around me? Unless… maybe I really had been a monster to her.
Suddenly, she stood up, her blue jeans hugging her curves perfectly. “Would you like something to eat?”
Oh wow. Now she was trying to escape. “Well, no, actually. Doctor Friggard stuffed me up with pancakes earlier.”
“Oh, okay.” She seemed disappointed, rubbed her hands nervously, and sat back down without another word. Silence filled the room again.
Lucas walked in moments later, breaking the tension. He’d freshly showered, his dark hair still damp and glistening under the light. He wore a pair of joggers, looking more relaxed than I’d seen him in days. “Amelia, I don’t know how to thank you. Believe me, I didn’t want to drag you into this mess, but we had no other option. You’re our best shot at getting through this.”
“It’s okay, Lucas. I’m happy to help.” Her voice softened noticeably when she spoke to him. “Though I honestly don’t know why you think I can help.”
“Amelia, listen to me,” Lucas said earnestly, moving closer to her. “You’re one of the most intelligent people I know. Since you started at the company, every single employee has been vetted thoroughly because of you. You made sure we hired only the best. You’re brilliant at reading people, and that’s exactly why we need you—why he needs you.”
“Well, alright. I’ll do my best to help.” She glanced toward Doctor Friggard, who was still asleep on the bed. “What about him?”
The three of us turned to look at him. “It was a bad idea to involve him,” Lucas muttered.
“I don’t think so,” I interjected quickly. “My father said he was the only person who could help us. We need him. He mentioned an experimental drug might’ve been used on me, and there’s a chance it can be reversed—maybe even restore my memories.”
Amelia squeezed her fist tightly before releasing it, her jaw tightening slightly. “We’ll keep him close until he helps us, but once he does, we’ll send him home.”
She paused, then turned to address all of us. “Alright, here’s what we know. First things first, ditch your phones. They can track you here, just like they tracked you to your last location. From now on, we use burner phones.” She rummaged through her bag and handed each of us a cheap prepaid phone. “The police have nothing on you, Lucas, so you need to stick to your regular schedule. It has to be business as usual.”
“But how am I supposed to help Nathan if I stay away?” Lucas asked, clearly bewildered.
“She’s right, Lucas,” I chimed in. “You have to keep running the company. After all, we built a billion-dollar empire together. Who else is going to manage that while I’m… well, useless?”
Lucas sighed heavily. “Fair point.”
Amelia continued, unfazed. “So, what do we know so far? Did anything unusual happen at the launch?”
Lucas began pacing slowly, keeping his voice low so as not to wake Doctor Friggard. “Something must have happened, Amelia. Nathan and I had drinks from the bar at the same time. You came by and said hi, remember?”
Amelia nodded, though I noticed her hands trembled faintly. “Someone must have slipped something into his drink.”
“The servers?” I suggested. “Could they have tampered with it?”
“I reviewed the videos,” Amelia replied, her tone steady despite the nerves I sensed beneath the surface. “Nothing suspicious stood out. Every server went through rigorous screening and security checks before being allowed in. But…” She hesitated, biting her lip. “Did Nathan bring anyone into his room that night?”
I raised an eyebrow, surprised by her sudden stammering whenever she referred to me. “Lucus can answer that.”
“He didn’t go with anyone,” Lucas assured her firmly. “I’m certain of it. We left together via the escalator.”
But Amelia didn’t seem entirely convinced. “Well, I don’t know. Maybe you brought someone in after I left. I mean, you can’t recall your memories, right?” She stared at me, challenging me directly. I could practically feel the distrust radiating off her.
“You’re right,” Lucas admitted reluctantly, glancing between us. “It’s possible. But arguing isn’t going to solve anything. Let’s focus on finding answers.” He spread several photos from the launch across the table.
Amelia leaned forward, her expression shifting as something caught her attention. “Wait, let me see that.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and peered closely at one of the images, her eyes gleaming with excitement. “Something’s wrong with the servers.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, leaning in eagerly. Her energy was contagious, and for the first time since waking up, I felt a flicker of hope.
“When I coordinated with the event planning company, they assured me our guests valued privacy, so we limited the staff to only essential personnel. They promised to send five servers.”
She pointed to the photo.
“But look—there’s a sixth server standing there. Someone who shouldn’t have been there.”