Chapter 110: Or We Could Do Something Else
By midnight, everyone had given their gifts and wished James a happy birthday once more.
Ray and Mary couldn't keep their eyes open any longer. Sophia had the manager escort them to the rooms she'd reserved in advance.
Before long, Evelyn—who'd been on her feet all day at work—hit her limit too. She and Lucas disappeared into one of the suite's bedrooms and were out cold the moment their heads touched the pillows.
The soundproofing really was excellent. The noise from the party was completely muffled, creating a peaceful cocoon of silence. Evelyn and Lucas collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep instantly.
Amelia clutched a wine bottle in one hand and a glass in the other, her entire face flushed bright red as she giggled. "James, I watched all your short films. You were amazing! I loved every single one!"
She tipped her head back and downed half a glass of red wine in one gulp.
She poured another half glass, her eyes unfocused and hazy as she turned to Ethan. She let out another dopey laugh. "Ethan! Here's to making your dreams come true. Cheers!"
Another half glass disappeared.
She poured again. Next up was Sophia. "Sophia, no words needed—just cheers!"
Another half glass.
Wayne's brow furrowed as he watched. When she reached for the bottle again, he caught her wrist. "Stop. You're drunk."
"What?" Amelia looked up. The room was spinning. She shook her head, trying to focus on the person in front of her. "Hey! It's you! I haven't toasted you yet, have I? Don't worry—everyone gets one! Come on, bottoms up!"
She raised her glass again. Wayne snatched it out of her hand. "No more. You're going to bed."
Sophia stepped in and took the wine glass from Wayne, along with the bottle he was holding. "Just take her to the bedroom. Amelia gets even more stubborn when she's drunk. There's no reasoning with her."
"Who says I'm stubborn?!" Amelia frowned indignantly. She turned and saw it was Sophia. Her voice turned into a grumble. "Sophia, you've changed! Ever since you started dating, you don't care about me anymore. Now you think I'm annoying, don't you?"
Her lip began to tremble. Tears welled up in her eyes.
Wayne hoisted her over his shoulder and carried her off, cutting her emotional spiral short.
Sophia pressed a hand to her forehead and sighed as she watched Amelia flail on Wayne's shoulder like a fish out of water, being hauled away into the bedroom.
Every single time she drinks, it's the same thing. Gets drunk and starts crying.
Let Wayne deal with it.
"Time for bed." Wayne set her down on the mattress and pulled the covers over her.
"I'm not sleeping! The night is young!" Amelia thrashed around, flinging her arms out and sending the blanket flying onto the floor.
Wayne let out an exasperated breath. He pressed his hands on her shoulders, pinning her to the bed. "If you've got this much energy, how about we do something else?"
Amelia's eyes darted back and forth. "Like what?"
Wayne's lips curved into a slow smile. He leaned down until their noses nearly touched. "Kissing. If you won't sleep, I'll kiss you. I'll kiss you until your whole body goes soft. Until your mind goes fuzzy. Until you pass out."
Their warm breath mingled in the space between them, laced with the scent of alcohol. The air felt charged. Amelia stared at Wayne for a long moment, her brain suddenly a lot clearer than it had been a second ago.
She squeezed her eyes shut. "I'll sleep! I'll sleep!"
She didn't know why, but she had the distinct feeling Wayne actually meant it. It seemed like he paid a lot more attention to their status as an engaged couple than as childhood friends.
In his mind, she wasn't his buddy. She was his fiancée.
Amelia didn't dare push him any further. She obediently closed her eyes. She really had drunk too much—her chaotic thoughts quickly drifted away, and once she calmed down, she fell asleep within minutes.
Wayne watched as the tension in her face slowly melted away. He let out a quiet sigh and sat on the edge of the bed, gently stroking her short hair.
If only you could like me back. Even just a little bit.
Wayne never came back out. The remaining few sat on the couch chatting until the sky outside began to brighten. Only then did they notice how late—or rather, how early—it was.
Sophia booked a few more rooms and told everyone to get some sleep at the hotel. They could rest properly and head home when they woke up.
The manager retrieved spare clothes from the trunk of her car. She found an empty room, took a shower, and had Michael send a car to pick her up.
Evelyn had to get to the hospital for her shift, so Sophia gave her a ride.
At the hospital, Sarah—who'd only just woken up—seemed to be in surprisingly good spirits.
Sophia could tell because the first thing she heard when she arrived was Sarah yelling at someone.
"Matthew, you bastard! The second I'm unconscious, you go and meddle with Michael's life?! He finally started dating Sophia, and you had the nerve to try to break them up—and trash-talk their relationship right in front of her! Sophia is the daughter-in-law I've chosen. If she decides she doesn't want to marry into the Green family because of you, I swear I'll make you pay!"
Sophia stood in the doorway holding a thermos of soup, her steps faltering.
Maybe… Should I come back in a bit?
She sat down on a bench in the hallway, listening to the argument inside. Well, not so much an argument as Matthew getting chewed out one-sidedly.
Never mind that Matthew used to be the chairman of the company. Never mind that he was the head of the Green family. Never mind that when he first woke up from his coma, he'd been so domineering about arranging Michael's marriage.
The truth was, he was completely whipped. He didn't even dare raise his voice around Sarah.
Back when Matthew and Sarah first started their business, it had been Sarah's sharp vision that took them from running a cell phone shop to becoming a brand distributor. Once they'd saved up some money, she'd pivoted to software development, riding the wave of the information age and achieving modest success.
Gradually, she'd reinvested their savings into developing electronic products, growing the company step by step. After going public and making strategic acquisitions, they'd built what would eventually become Green Group—entering the upper echelons of society and moving into the affluent district.
Sarah had worked herself to the bone. She'd drunk herself into a bleeding ulcer trying to secure investors. She'd pulled all-nighters revising business plans, surviving on nothing but coffee.
Fortunately, Matthew hadn't let her down. He could handle the pressure, trusted her judgment, and was an excellent executor of her vision.
Together, the two of them had carved out a place for themselves in Emerald City in record time.
Inside the room, Sarah grabbed the pillow she'd been leaning against and hurled it at Matthew, who'd rolled over in his wheelchair to visit his wife. Her fury brought a bit of color back to her pale face.
"I raised Michael with love and care, and you turned around and treated him like a bargaining chip?!"
Matthew's face crumpled pitifully. "Honey, I was just thinking about what was best for the company!"
"You're still making excuses?! With that brain of yours, you should've retired ages ago! I've officially transferred all my shares to Michael. Let's see you try to control him now!" Sarah had only just woken up. Her body was still weak. Getting this worked up made her dizzy.
Matthew didn't dare talk back anymore. He quickly wheeled himself over and took her hand, his eyes full of concern. "Don't get upset, honey. I know I was wrong. Michael said Sophia's coming to visit you today. Just calm down, okay? You can chat with her when she gets here."