Chapter 6
Landon never imagined Amelia would pull his pants down. At this moment, regret washed over him like a tidal wave, sweeping away all sense of clarity. He felt as if the very ability to communicate with her had slipped through his fingers, leaving him paralyzed in his thoughts.
In his memory, Amelia had always been shy and sweet, someone who blushed furiously even when Zachary kissed her on the cheek in public. And yet, here she was, stripping his pants off without hesitation.
He silently cursed himself for underestimating her. The chill of the air brushing against his skin was a stark reminder of his current predicament. He was now lying there with nothing but his underwear on, practically naked in front of her.
Landon, the man who exuded power and control, had never been in such an embarrassing situation in front of any woman.
But now that things had come to this, he had no choice but to continue pretending to be unconscious. He just prayed Amelia wouldn’t take things any further.
To his relief, Amelia didn’t have the nerve to go beyond removing his pants. As she stood at the edge of the bed, her gaze fixed downward, she was clearly flustered. Her cheeks burned, her heart pounded, and her hands nervously fidgeted by her sides.
“Taking pants off is easy… but putting new ones back on? Do I really have to lift his hips?” Amelia thought in a panic, pacing back and forth in the room.
Her mind raced. ‘No, no, that’s not lifting. That’s touching–no, it’s definitely groping. And I’d have to touch him more than once just to get the pants on properly.’ Her internal struggle was also pure torture for Landon.
To him, she was completely unpredictable. She wasn’t behaving in any way he could anticipate, and it drove him insane. He couldn’t guess what she’d do next, and the thought of her fumbling with his clothes again filled him with dread. He was afraid that she might do something else to him during the process.
“I think,” Amelia said abruptly, breaking the tense silence, “you have to get cleaned and dressed every day anyway, and it’s such a hassle. Maybe it’s better if you just don’t wear anything at all.”
Landon’s chest rose and fell sharply in protest. ‘Don’t wear anything? Does she mean I should stay naked? What the hell? Why can’t she call the butler for help? Ugh, she’s hopeless!’
Satisfied with her “solution,” Amelia brushed her hands off as if her work was done. “Well, mission accomplished. I’m off to get some rest.” With that, she turned and left the room.
As the door closed behind her, Landon let out a heavy sigh of relief, finally free from her “torture.” Her so-called “care” had left him utterly exhausted–not just physically, but mentally.
Lying motionless for so long drained his energy. His body couldn’t keep up and he got tired easily. For the first time, doubt crept into his mind. ‘Could I ever fully recover from this state?’
Downstairs, Gloria was busy arranging flowers. When she spotted Amelia coming down, she looked up with a smile. “Finished?” Gloria asked.
“Mm-hmm.” Amelia nodded quickly and batted her eyes, her guilty conscience flickering across her face. “Does just taking his clothes off without putting fresh ones on count as finished?"
Gloria gestured toward a bouquet of richly petaled lilies. “There are some double-bloomed lilies here–Landon’s favorite. Arrange a vase and put it in his room.”
Amelia hesitated, wiping a bead of sweat from her brow. She was still flushed and warm from her earlier “work.”
Gloria observed her closely, her smile turning even more satisfied. “Taking care of Landon must be exhausting, isn’t it?”
“It’s… manageable,” Amelia stammered, her mind flashing back to the embarrassing moment when she’d ended up on top of him. She quickly added, “It’s just… he’s too heavy. I couldn’t move him properly, and that’s why I fell on top of him.”
“Well, it’s a good thing that he’s not wasting away,” Gloria said with a knowing smile before her tone shifted to something more wistful. “Landon’s always been into combat skills. He started training when he was just a boy, but in recent years, he gave it all up to protect his father’s legacy.”
Amelia’s heart sank, a pang of unexpected sympathy hitting her. She never imagined that someone like Landon–so untouchable and at the top of the food chain–would have his own burdens. In her eyes, people like him wielded power with ease, unstoppable and immune to the schemes of others.
“Ever since Landon’s accident, Henry and his family have been pressing harder,” Gloria explained with a weary sigh. The usually composed and elegant woman now wore a shadow of worry on her refined features. “If Landon doesn’t wake up soon, I don’t think I’ll be able to hold on much longer.”
Amelia blinked in disbelief, her eyes wide with shock. “But as far as I know, Kingsley Group was founded by Mr. Isaac Kingsley himself. Henry and his family shouldn’t have any claim to it.”
“They shouldn’t,” Gloria remarked bitterly. “But Landon is my only child. As far as they’re concerned, he’s as good as dead, and they want to devour everything he has,” She sighed again, this time with an almost imperceptible tremor in her voice.
Amelia’s jaw tightened in anger. ‘Landon’s not even gone, and they’re already circling like vultures? Henry and his family are shameless.’
Gloria turned to Amelia, her eyes full of a desperate kind of hope. “Amy, you have to do your best,” she said earnestly, as though Amelia was the last thread holding everything together.
“W–what?” Amelia stammered, utterly bewildered. ‘How can I help when even the best doctors can’t fix Landon’s condition?”
“Like you said,” Gloria pleaded gently, “reach him with your feelings. Wake him up.”
“Uh…” Amelia’s face froze in discomfort.
She wanted to remind Gloria that she and Landon barely knew each other. They had no emotional bond to speak of. The words she’d said earlier were pure desperation and a desperate plea for protection, nothing more.
But before she could say anything, Gloria’s hand clasped over hers tightly. “And if that doesn’t work… then give him an heir. If there’s a child, Henry and his family won’t be able to touch our assets. You understand, don’t you?”
“What?” Amelia’s voice came out in a strangled gasp as she was utterly stunned.
It dawned on her then–every move Gloria had made, every kind word, every supportive gesture–had all been leading to this moment. She wanted Amelia to bear Landon’s child.
The thought sent a shiver down her spine. She hadn’t agreed to this. Back when she begged for Landon’s help, children were the furthest thing from her mind. It had all felt so immediate and sudden, and the weight of it–of becoming a mother, of bearing his child–felt overwhelming, almost impossible to process.
Seeing Amelia’s hesitation, Gloria softened her tone and tried a different tactic. “Amy, I know I am asking a lot from you. I understand how difficult it must seem. But we have no other choice. If everything falls apart, none of us will get out of this mess unscathed."
“L…” Amelia faltered, unable to find the words to respond.
At that moment, Ethan Burns, the family butler, appeared in the doorway. “Mrs. Gloria, the Edwards family is here. They’re asking to see Mrs. Antela.”
Amelia’s slender frame trembled, and a wave of hatred surged through her chest.
The tragedies of her past life replayed in her mind like flashes of nightmare. Betrayal, loss, and pain all collided at once, filling her with a desperate longing to march out and confront them, to see them pay for their crimes.
“My in-laws?” Gloria arched a brow, her expression unreadable as she turned to Amelia. “Amy, do you want to go back with them?”
“No,” Amelia answered without hesitation. Going home with the Edwards family would be akin to walking into a trap.
Their plot to perform a needless surgery on her had already been exposed. She had no doubt they’d come up with another way to harm her if she returned. She wouldn’t go back. That wasn't her home. It was hell.
“Good,” Gloria said, a reassuring smile spreading across her lips. “Ethan, show them in.”
Walter Edwards and his wife, Melissa Edwards, stepped into the grand living room, their faces darkening the moment they saw Amelia nestled comfortably beside Gloria.
In their minds, a furious storm brewed. ‘This little brat dared to get married behind our backs. Does she even see us as her parents anymore?’
Walter cleared his throat, forcing a polite smile. “Mrs. Kingsley, I apologize for the intrusion. I’m here to take my daughter home.”
“Mr. Edwards,” Gloria replied with a calm yet authoritative tone, “Amy has her own home now. You’re always welcome to visit, but she won’t be leaving with you.”
Walter and Melissa exchanged stunned looks. ‘Could Zachary have been telling the truth? Has Amy married Landon Kingsley? That doesn’t make sense. The Kingsley family has never had any dealings with us, and Amelia couldn’t possibly know Landon.
She must have pulled some trick to gain their protection and dodge the surgery. If we can just coax her back, everything will be back under our control.’
“Mrs. Kingsley, you must be joking,” Melissa chimed in with a strained laugh. “Amy is engaged to Zachary, after all.”
Gloria didn’t even blink. “I’ve already discussed this with Zachary. There’s no need to repeat myself.” Her voice was steady, her demeanor poised and unbothered.
Amelia, on the verge of an outburst, felt her fiery anger simmer down under Gloria’s composed presence. ‘True revenge isn’t about shouting and chaos–it’s about playing the long game!’
Walter, refusing to back down, pressed further. “But Mr. Kingsley and Amy have never even met. How can they be husband and wife?”
“I’ve met him before,” Amelia blurted out. It wasn’t a lie. She had met Landon, albeit briefly. Though, to be honest, she doubted he even remembered her.
“Amy, how come you never mentioned this before?” Melissa’s heart skipped a beat, regret flooding her chest.
She thought, ‘If I had known Amelia was acquainted with Landon, I wouldn’t have bothered with Zachary at all. The crumbs from the Kingsley family’s table would be enough to sustain our family for a lifetime.’
Melissa’s gaze met Walter’s, and a silent understanding passed between them. Walter immediately shifted his tone to one of fawning delight. “Well, in that case, I have no objections. But we could discuss the wedding arrangements properly…”
Amelia let out a cold laugh, her eyes sharp with disdain. ‘They came here planning to drag me back for surgery, but now they’re falling over themselves calculating the potential benefits of my marriage! These two really know how to ride the wind and change their tune!’
“There won’t be a wedding,” Amelia said icily, her words cutting through their schemes like a blade. “The Kingsley family isn’t trying to take advantage of me, and I’m not looking to gain anything from them.”
Melissa’s face turned an alarming shade of pale, but she quickly plastered on a smile, attempting to salvage the situation. “Amy, what are you saying? A proper marriage requires proper traditions…”
“Traditions?” Amelia’s voice dripped with sarcasm as she fixed Melissa with an icy stare. “Does the Edwards family even have such a thing? And besides, you’re not my mother. What gives you the right to lecture me about any of this?”