“Patrick’s the one who needs an X-ray,” Wesley said with a laugh. “Amelia, you probably don’t know this, but Landon’s been trained in Unstoppable Force. Normal people can’t hurt him.”
“What?” Amelia stared at him, dumbfounded. She thought, ‘Isn’t that just some made-up thing from novels and TV dramas?’
Landon explained calmly, his eyes glinting with amusement, “Unstoppable Force is not as wondrous as being invincible to blades or bullets, but it does protect the body from impact. I’ve been practicing it since I was a kid.”
Landon clearly enjoyed Amelia’s concern—it proved she cared about him. “God, you scared me,” Amelia finally exhaled, relief washing over her.
“Well, if there’s nothing else, I’ll get going,” Wesley announced, vanishing as quickly as he had arrived, as if staying a second longer would cost him dearly.
Amelia turned her gaze back to Landon’s chest, bruised and swollen. “Does it hurt?”
“Not really,” he said with a shake of his head. But an idea popped into his mind, and he thought, ‘Technically, it doesn’t hurt much, but soft tissue injuries can still sting.’
Sure enough, Amelia, who had just started to relax, immediately tensed up again. Landon thought again, ‘When I got hurt as a kid, my teacher’s wife, Grace, would blow on it to make it better. Worked like a charm.’
Amelia hesitated. She remembered how, as a child, she would always run to Melissa to blow on her bruises whenever she got hurt. It didn’t actually heal anything, but it always made her feel better. She thought, ‘Should I blow on Landon, too?’
“Honey,” Landon said softly, his voice low and gentle, “time to apply the medicine.” He thought, ‘It’s already tender–putting on medicine will definitely hurt.’
Amelia grabbed the bottle of spray Wesley had left and knelt down beside him. Up close, the bruises looked even more alarming and were pretty gruesome. Unable to hold back any longer, she leaned in and began blowing gently on Landon’s chest.
Warm puffs of air caressed his skin, and Landon’s eyes fluttered shut in bliss. He looked utterly content, like a cat basking in the sun.
Amelia blew earnestly for a while before looking up at him. “Does it still hurt?”
“It’s much better now,” Landon replied, tilting his chin up just enough to hide the triumphant smirk threatening to spread across his face. “You can go ahead and apply the medicine.”
Still worried about causing him pain, Amelia carefully sprayed the medicine, her movements slow and deliberate. Once done, she got up and fetched a fresh shirt from the lounge. “Do you need help changing?”
“No.” Landon paused briefly before beginning to peel off his torn shirt, leaving his upper body completely bare. His well-defined muscles and sharp lines were now fully on display right in front of Amelia.
Amelia’s face turned crimson, and she instinctively wanted to look away. “What’s there to be shy about?” Landon asked lazily. “It’s not like you haven’t seen it before.”
Though flustered, Amelia had to admit he had a point. She thought, ‘Fine. No harm in enjoying the view. I can’t be intimidated.’ She turned back to watch Landon, feigning calm as he casually slipped into his new shirt.
Out of the corner of his eye, Landon noticed her bold gaze and smirked to himself, satisfied. He thought, ‘Amelia is clearly trying to act bold despite being shy—it’s so adorable.’
Landon, catching her feigned composure, deliberately slowed his movements while putting on his shirt, dragging out the process for a full three minutes.
Amelia, satisfied with her own show of confidence, decided to poke fun. “You should hit the gym more often.”
Chapter 104
“Why?” Landon’s pride took a hit, and he jerked his head up to glare at her.
“You’ve been laid up for months. Your ‘Unstoppable Force‘ has declined–you couldn’t even fully withstand Patrick’s punch,” she said with mock seriousness. Her gaze briefly flicked downward before returning to his face. “And your abs…they’re not exactly popping.”
Landon blinked hard. His hand went straight to his stomach. He thought, ‘I have abs—how could she not see them? Maybe it’s because I’m sitting? That had to be it. No, this wouldn’t do. I need to stand up and set the record straight.’
Landon smiled, “Honey, give me a hand.”
“For what?”
“Just help me up.”
Unsure what Landon was up to, Amelia obediently helped him to his feet. The next moment, Landon lifted his shirt, inhaled deeply, and flexed. The sequence of movements was smooth—a perfect display. Now, Amelia would get a good look.
“Does your stomach hurt?” Amelia asked, puzzled.
“No.” Landon shook his head.
“Then why are you holding your breath?”
Landon froze for a second. His flawless pose collapsed instantly. Recovering quickly, he grabbed her hand and placed it on his abs. “Eight-pack. Count them.”
“Well…” That was when it hit Amelia—Landon’d gone through all this trouble just to prove his body hadn’t gone soft. Suppressing a laugh, she tried to pull her hand back. “Fine. I get it.”
“No brushing me off. Feel them properly,” Landon insisted, guiding her hand across his stomach. Every ridge of muscle was unmistakable under her palm, radiating warmth that seeped into her heart.
Amelia’s cheeks burned crimson. In a small voice, she admitted, “I can feel them. You’re in great shape.”
Satisfied, Landon released her hand and tucked his shirt neatly into his waistband. Amelia shook her head and thought, ‘Landon’s competitive streak is ridiculous—but those abs are really something.’
Landon looked at her flushed face and couldn’t resist giving her a playful pinch. “Come on, let’s go to the mall.”
“We’re not done with work yet…”
“Tomorrow is Grandma’s birthday. We’re going together.”
Amelia thought he was going to buy a gift, so she agreed. But to her surprise, Landon led her into a women’s clothing store. “Do you think Donna would wear anything here?” Amelia glanced around, her eyes landing on a new item the sales assistant was holding.
Amelia immediately liked it and wanted to buy it. It had been ages since she’d gone shopping and even longer since she bought something for herself. Nowadays, Gloria handled most of her shopping and daily needs.
To be honest, since being reborn, Amelia hadn’t spent any of the Kingsley family’s money–except for that one time she bought the bed with her own card. “Excuse me, can you bring the size S?” Landon asked.
S was her size. Amelia looked at the elegant silver gown, her heart racing. “Is this for me?”
“Yes.” Landon smiled as he looked at her, his eyes warm with affection.
His gaze was so tender it nearly made the saleswoman swoon. “Mrs. Kingsley, Mr. Kingsley is so good to you.”
Amelia blushed, flustered, and took the dress to try on.
Chapter 104
She decided to embrace it. If Landon was willing to buy clothes for her, there was no reason not to accept them. Whatever he bought today, she’d accept without hesitation. As she changed, Landon picked up a magazine and casually flipped through it, waiting patiently.
Soon, Amelia came out of the fitting room. The deep-V, fishtail dress clung perfectly to her figure, and the silver-and-gold fabric shimmered elegantly in the light. She looked like a princess, stunning and ethereal. Landon was completely mesmerized.
It took him a few moments to find his voice, and when he finally spoke, he couldn’t hide his admiration. “Honey, you look so beautiful.”
“Stop it…” Amelia was so embarrassed by his compliment, her face turning bright red, like a ripe apple.
The saleswomen giggled, covering their mouths. “Mrs. Kingsley, Mr. Kingsley is absolutely right. You look like a princess in that dress.”
Landon nodded in agreement, ready to ask them to wrap the dress up, but before he could, a familiar female voice called out. “I’ll take the new arrivals you just got in today. Please wrap them up for me.”