Chapter 176
Amelia didn’t go to the meeting. She was happily sipping coffee in the CEO’s office instead.
Seeing Landon walk in with a stormy expression, Amelia looked up in surprise and asked,
“Nothing,” muttered Landon.
Landon slumped into his executive chair, clearly displeased.
He thought, ‘That punk Aiden wasn’t here to talk business. He just came to pick a fight!’
Amelia forked a chocolate truffle and held it to Landon’s lips. “Honey?”
Landon never had a sweet tooth, unless his wife was feeding him.
“Do you know Aiden?” Landon asked.
“No.” Amelia wrinkled her nose. “Never met him before today. I don’t like him one bit.”
In an instant, Landon’s eyes seemed to be illuminated by a spark, extremely bright.
“What’s wrong?”
Amelia pouted and grumbled, “He tried to stir up trouble immediately after he arrived. What a jerk! So I used a meeting as an excuse and came here for coffee.”
Landon smiled, and the gloom Aiden had brought with him instantly melted away.
‘That young man won’t be able to stir up much trouble,’ Landon thought dismissively.
“Honey, I’ve decided to invest in Yeatsmarsh Mountain,” Landon said, locking eyes with Amelia.
“Okay,” Amelia said, looking completely unfazed, as if she’d known all along that he would invest.
The more Landon observed her, the more convinced he became that she was hiding something.
‘Still,’ he thought, ‘if she doesn’t want to talk about it, then so be it.’
Landon said, “Honey, let’s get away for a vacation.”
Amelia looked surprised. “Why so sudden? Aren’t you swamped at work?”
“There’s always more work to do. Let’s escape to a tropical island for a few days. We can treat it as our honeymoon,” Landon said.
Amelia blushed, thinking, ‘We’re already lovey-dovey every day at home. It’s like a perpetual honeymoon.’
“How about it?” Landon asked.
“My mom’s case hasn’t been resolved yet,” Amelia said.
“Let the investigation run its course,” Landon said gently. “We’ll come back immediately if there’s any news.”
“Alright then…” Amelia agreed softly.
Gloria quietly texted Amelia: [Amy, how about having a baby soon? I want a grandchild so much.]
[Mom, no rush. Amy’s still in recovery. We’ll take it slow.] Landon replied.
Gloria was surprised. ‘Good grief, do these two have any privacy left?’
As expected, Merry Group partnered with the Atkinson family. The project started vigorously.
Within half a month, Aiden’s massive investment quickly stirred up a storm in Norava.
When Landon and Amelia returned from their honeymoon, Aiden had already become the hottest rising star in Norava’s business circles.
Edith also returned from Pinecrest to Norava, where she became Aiden’s nephew’s piano instructor.
Amelia was dumbfounded and wasted no time asking Edith out for dinner.
“Enjoy your honeymoon, Amy?” Edith had transformed from her once gaudy self into a serene recluse who had seen through worldly vanities. She now exuded serenity from within.
“Edith, how come you’re working for the Kyle family now?” Amelia asked.
“To be honest, I know Aiden’s sister Paloma. She asked me to teach piano to her son,” Edith said with a gentle smile.
Amelia rubbed her forehead in disbelief. “You know them?”
Edith, gently puzzled, replied, “Yes, Amy, is there any problem?”
“No…” Amelia waved it off dismissively.
‘I only met Aiden once and don’t know him very well,’ Amelia thought. ‘I can’t just label Aiden as having poor character based on those harmless little provocations he made during his trip to the Kingsley Group, can I?’
Edith smiled softly. “Amy, I can finally live at ease in Norava. You should be happy for me.”
She was now poised and confident, with no trace of the insecurity that once plagued her.
Amelia sighed softly. “Of course, I’m happy for you. So, how did you and Paloma meet? Have you known each other long?”
“It’s been years. We met at a party overseas and just clicked right away,” Edith said.
‘Back then, Edith was still so gaudy. She’d probably make people laugh at first sight,’ Amelia thought. ‘No way would Paloma become instant friends with Edith just because of her over-the-top style.’
With that thought in mind, Amelia said, “Maybe one day you could introduce me to Paloma, too.”
“Sure!” Edith smiled warmly. “Paloma is sweet. I think you’ll like her too. But she’s still abroad and won’t be here for a while.”
Amelia smiled and said, “No rush.”
Amelia lowered her head and sipped her coffee, thinking, “The mighty CEO of Merry Group, getting so hands-on with a project… Is he planning to settle down in Norava?”
Suddenly, a pair of slender yet strong hands landed on the table. A smooth voice followed, “Mrs. Kingsley, fancy seeing you here again.”
Amelia’s heart skipped a beat. Looking up, she saw Aiden.
He wasn’t wearing a suit today. Instead, he had changed into a cream-colored casual athletic outfit, looking radiant and energetic.
His golden locks framed eyes that sparkled like stars, dazzlingly radiant.
With that outfit and expression, he was the absolute definition of a “puppy-eyed heartthrob”, innocent yet dangerously charming.
Amelia set down her coffee and, in a businesslike tone, asked, “Mr. Kyle, what brings you here?”
“Well now, this little rascal’s here to see Ms. Meyers,” Aiden said, nodding toward the boy beside him.
The boy was about five or six years old, with the same blonde hair and dark eyes as Aiden. He was handsome, well behaved, and an absolute charmer.
The little boy beamed up at them, sweetly greeting in his soft, adorable voice, “Hello, Ms. Mayers. Hello, Ms. Edwards?"
“Hello,” Amelia replied warmly.
Amelia’s heart melted at the boy’s cuteness, and she smiled gently.
Edith scooped the boy into her arms and asked softly, “What would you like to drink, Landen?”
‘Landen?’ Amelia’s heart skipped a beat. “What’s his name?” she blurted out.
“Landen Kyle,” Aiden answered.
The name sounded meaningful. Amelia pressed further, “Which word exactly?”
“Landen with an E,” Aiden explained.
“Oh, I see!” Amelia let out a relieved sigh. ‘Thank goodness, it’s not the same word as Landon.’
“Wait… Mrs. Kingsley, did you think it was the same name as Mr. Kingsley’s?” Aiden asked, having seen right through Amelia.
Amelia felt a bit awkward. “No, of course not,” she denied quickly.
Aiden said with a playful smile, “Don’t worry, my sister and Mr. Kingsley have never met.”
Amelia’s ears tinged pink as she took another sip of coffee, her eyes stealing occasional glances at Landen.
Amelia thought to herself, ‘Am I just imagining things? The more I look at Landen, the more I see traces of Landon in him. I must be crazy. Absolutely!’
Amelia pinched herself secretly, hoping the pain would snap her back to reality.
But she squeezed so hard that the sharp ache blurred her vision. Before her eyes, the golden-haired, dark-eyed child overlapped with an old photo of Landon as a child.
‘His eyes! They’re exactly like Landon’s,’ Amelia thought in shock.
Amelia finally pieced together the resemblance. Her heart pounded so wildly that it left her breathless.
“Mrs. Kingsley, why have you been staring at my nephew like that? By any chance, you don’t think he’s Mr. Kingsley’s illegitimate child, do you?” Aiden asked, his alluring eyes shimmering with playful mischief.
Amelia forced a strained smile. “Of course not. I think this kid is adorable, so adorable it almost makes me want to have a baby myself.”
“Then go ahead and have one! After all, it’s time to put Ms. Atkinson’s special gifts to good use,” Aiden said.
Amelia blurted out, “What?”
‘What’s Elaine’s gift? How come I didn’t know about it?’ Amelia wondered.
Aiden chuckled, “Didn’t you notice, Mrs. Kingsley? They’re all premium bedroom enhancers.”
Hearing that, Amelia choked on her coffee.
‘Oh no, Landon can’t take any more of those enhancers. I won’t be able to keep up,’ Amelia thought.
“Easy there, Amy,” Edith said gently, patting Amelia’s back to help her recover.
Catching Aiden’s knowing smirk, Amelia felt so awkward she couldn’t bear another second. Mumbling an excuse, she practically bolted away.
Amelia thought, ‘What puppy boy? He’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing.’
Behind her, the playful smile in Aiden’s eyes quickly vanished, replaced by a cold, calculating glint.