Chapter 122: The Once Sincere Heart, Now Vanished
Up ahead, in Amelia's car, Amelia carefully straightened Briar's slightly disheveled clothes.
"He's following behind us," came Dash's voice. "Should I lose him?"
Amelia glanced at the rearview mirror, then shook her head. "Let him follow."
There was nothing to hide, and besides, Briar's body couldn't handle any more stress.
Amelia had signed the relevant agreements with the orphanage, and the adoption process was already underway, which was why she could take Briar out.
William could only visit, and Briar had the right to refuse his visits.
So the car drove all the way to the orphanage.
Amelia took Briar back inside.
Dash stayed outside to block William.
William's car stopped, and he walked straight toward Dash.
Dash didn't avoid him, just watched William approach.
"What? Want to fight?" Dash said.
William didn't make a move, but his eyes were like knives, locked on Dash.
The tension between them was thick.
It seemed like an invisible force field surrounded them, ready to explode at the slightest trigger.
Until Amelia came out.
She looked at both of them, then finally said, "Dash, let's go."
She was about to get in the car when William grabbed her wrist.
The next moment, Dash also grabbed her other wrist.
Amelia frowned slightly. "What are you two doing?"
But neither of them spoke, just looked at her.
Were they making her choose?
Amelia shook off William's grip on her wrist, then looked at Dash. "Dash."
Dash's eyes dimmed slightly, but he immediately covered it up so no one would notice, and he let go.
"Let's go," Amelia said. "Thanks for your help, Dash."
Then she went straight to the car.
Dash also returned to the driver's seat.
Only William was left standing in the darkness, his cold eyes fixed on her.
Amelia rolled up the window, shutting out his gaze.
The car drove back to Amelia's rental apartment in silence.
William's car followed behind the whole way. She could see it in the rearview mirror.
The streetlights outside the window flickered bright and dim, creating that unique nighttime glow that left her feeling unsettled.
Soon they arrived downstairs at her apartment building.
Dash wanted to walk Amelia upstairs.
But when they reached the elevator, Amelia turned to look at Dash.
"Dash, thanks for today," Amelia said. "I'll treat you to dinner another time."
But Dash just looked down at her. "I'll walk you up."
"You know what I mean—nothing more than that," Dash said.
Amelia understood what Dash meant. If she let Dash come upstairs, or even let him stay the night at her place, judging by William's behavior just now, he would definitely be furious.
But she didn't want to.
On one hand, they were getting their divorce certificate tomorrow, and she didn't want any complications.
On the other hand, she had no feelings for Dash, and there was no need to start any rumors that went beyond friendship.
Hearing the Maybach pull up and stop, Amelia still shook her head.
When William rushed in, what he saw was Dash patting Amelia's shoulder, and then Amelia stepping into the elevator.
William strode over, but all he saw was half of Amelia's face as the elevator doors were about to close.
He tried to press the elevator button, but Dash held him back.
The red floor numbers climbed higher and higher. The two men stared each other down outside the elevator, neither willing to back down.
The red number stopped at 11, Amelia's floor. Only then did Dash release William's wrist.
"I'll leave with you," Dash said. "Can you give me a ride?"
On one hand, this showed he wouldn't go back up after William left.
On the other hand, he was taking William away.
William narrowed his eyes, looked Dash up and down, then glanced at the elevator before finally agreeing.
Taking Dash away was fine, William thought.
So the two of them walked back to the Maybach together.
When they both got into the back seat, Rhys and the female driver exchanged glances.
The two quickly communicated with their eyes, not sure what was going on.
"Where are you going?" William asked.
Dash smiled, looked at the driver in front, and said, "Evergreen Hospital."
Then, looking at Rhys and then at William, he smiled and said, "Thanks."
At least he was being straightforward about it.
William didn't want to look at him and closed his eyes to rest.
The car drove toward the hospital.
Dash looked at William, considered for a moment, and finally said, "There's nothing between her and me."
Only then did William open his eyes and glance at Dash.
"I did it on purpose," Dash said with a slight smile. "I just can't stand seeing you bully her, so I wanted to make you angry."
William's brow furrowed.
"What you saw at the hospital—she was injured, and I was just helping her," Dash said.
But William didn't believe him.
He was a man too, and he understood how men thought.
"It's true," Dash smiled. "Otherwise I wouldn't bother telling you this."
"I just hope that after you two get your divorce certificate tomorrow, you'll remember how good she was to you, and don't help Isabella bully her," Dash said seriously.
William looked at Dash's serious expression, which didn't seem fake, so he lowered his eyes slightly.
"Isabella and I aren't that kind of people," he said.
As long as she behaved herself.
Dash opened his mouth as if to say something, but didn't, just quietly looked out the car window.
In the night sky over the city, huge fireworks suddenly burst into bloom.
Everyone looked up at the grand fireworks display.
William looked out the car window.
He had prepared this for her. Originally, he had wanted to say a temporary goodbye to her under these fireworks.
Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned.
...
Meanwhile.
Amelia had just come out of the bathroom.
Outside the window, there were loud explosions of fireworks.
Wearing her pajamas, she came to the balcony and saw the fireworks blooming over the city.
Colorful, brilliant, all kinds of them—very beautiful.
The long tassels of these fireworks wove together, creating a dreamlike beauty.
Amelia sat on the lounge chair on the balcony, quietly watching.
She remembered, a year ago, on the night of their hasty wedding, he had led her to the small lawn of their wedding house and handed her a fuse.
"Light it and see," he said with a smile.
Curious, she lit the fuse, and he held her as they backed away. Then the long fuse ignited the firework on the lawn.
When the firework shot into the sky, she shouted with joy.
But before her shout had faded, fireworks began launching from all over the city.
The entire city.
From this one firework she had lit, it became a citywide fireworks display.
"I added this beyond the wedding plan," he whispered in her ear. "Do you like it?"
She nodded hard. "I love it."
She still remembered when she looked at him, his smiling eyes.
At that moment, in those eyes, there had clearly been some genuine feeling.
But now, his genuine feelings were all for another woman.