Chapter 151
"Found it!" Elaine exclaimed, raising her voice as if the volume alone could prove she was telling the truth.
What she didn’t realize was that her actions only solidified Landon’s thoughts. Just another scheme from this airhead to toy with my feelings, he mused.
"Ethan!" Landon roared.
Ethan and several bodyguards rushed in without delay. "Mr. Kingsley!" Ethan exclaimed.
"Get anyone irrelevant out of here!" Landon ordered frostily.
"Yes, Mr. Kingsley!" Then, Elaine was unceremoniously escorted out.
Amelia flashed a triumphant smile. "Honey, wasn’t I amazing?"
Landon didn’t praise her; he observed her in silence. In the dark, his gaze became even more impenetrable, like a deep pool without a bottom. It finally occurred to Amelia that he was angry.
‘Was it because we still haven’t located Kayla?’ she wondered.
Amelia crouched beside him and softly reassured him, "Honey, don’t lose hope. We will find Kayla sooner or later."
"Amelia Edwards, what am I to you?" Landon rarely referred to her by her full name. His deep voice and shadowed eyes bore a resemblance to those of a wounded beast struggling to maintain control.
Amelia froze for a moment, then instinctively tightened her grip on his hand. "You’re my husband–the greatest joy in my life."
"Husband? Joy? Is that all?" Landon’s gaze fell. ‘If I’m not your one and only, I could be left behind at any moment, then?’ he thought.
Amelia furrowed her delicate brows. "Honey, what on earth is wrong with you?"
Landon’s lips twitched, but ultimately, he remained silent. He pushed her hand away and wheeled himself back into the room.
Amelia attempted to eavesdrop on his thoughts but heard nothing. Feeling increasingly anxious, she quickly caught up to him and positioned herself in front of his wheelchair. "Landon, just tell me what’s going on!"
"What do you want me to say? Are you always ready to leave Kingsley Manor?" Landon retorted, his voice rising.
Amelia’s breath caught as she realized, ‘So that’s what’s been bothering him.’ "You big dummy," she said, exasperated, as she boldly sat down on his lap. "I was just testing Elaine. Didn’t you notice?"
Landon pressed his lips together, his inner voice muttering, "No!"
"The Atkinsons and the Kingsleys are longstanding family friends. If Mr. Atkinson had located Kayla, he would have informed us immediately. He wouldn’t jeopardize his relationship with the Kingsleys just for Elaine’s personal feelings!" Amelia found it increasingly absurd as she spoke.
"Landon, you always call me silly, but honestly, you’re just as much of a goof," she teased.
"Does worry blind me, or is it simply because I love you so deeply?" Landon’s inner voice murmured.
Amelia’s cheeks flushed as her heart raced with excitement. In the throes of love, he lost all sense of composure. He had rejected Elaine’s offer even before confirming whether Kayla was staying with the Atkinsons. His love for her was profound and overwhelming.
Amelia said firmly, "Honey, I won’t allow anyone to take you away from me. If someone tries to force an exchange, we’ll go along with it and outsmart her together!" With that, she nuzzled his cheek. "I want both you and Kayla! I truly believe that when a husband and wife work together as one, they can overcome anything," she added sincerely.
Held in his arms, her sincere words made her warmth even more reassuring. Landon secretly sighed in relief and tightened his hold around her waist, murmuring "Alright."
Seeing this, Ethan quickly ordered the bodyguards to leave.
"Honey, Elaine’s face healed so quickly. Where did she get it treated?" Amelia asked, curious.
"No idea," Landon replied.
Landon couldn’t care less about anything else right now; all he wanted was to snuggle with Amelia. Even if they didn’t do anything else, simply holding her made him feel at peace.
"I’ve been sitting on your lap for quite a while. Am I hurting your legs?" Amelia asked, a bit concerned as she tried to rise.
Landon pressed her back down firmly. "No, I’m not that fragile."
"What about your wheelchair?" Amelia asked again.
"I designed and built it myself; it’s top-notch quality," Landon said.
Amelia laughed as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She thought, ‘I’ve got a second chance, and everything is working out so beautifully. Every moment is worth it!’
The following day, the Meyers family was formally removed from the Project Azureveil Team.
Tyler seethed with frustration. A 200 billion loss had pushed the Meyers family to the brink of bankruptcy. All he could do was simmer in his anger, realizing that Joanna now held the reins of the family. This disastrous decision had been made in consideration of her daughter, Edith’s, marriage.
"Daniel, the Meyers family has officially withdrawn from Project Azureveil. Now, all that remains is for you to marry Edith and claim Velmira," Joanna said with a gentle smile.
Leaning back on the sofa, Daniel nodded nonchalantly. "Alright. You handle it."
"Excellent!" Joanna exclaimed, overjoyed. She quickly called her staff to begin preparations for the wedding.
In elite families, prestige and proper protocol hold immense significance. Such high-profile alliances must be publicly announced; it is never as simple as merely obtaining a marriage license.
In the days that followed, Joanna and the entire family were busy preparing for the wedding. Seething with anger, Maisie pulled Daniel aside for a private conversation. "Daniel, are you going to marry Edith for real?"
"Yes." Daniel nodded nonchalantly, as if it were no big deal. He remained calm and continued with his tasks as if nothing had happened.
"With Edith’s looks, can you truly envision spending the rest of your life with her?" Maisie’s voice quivered, her eyes filled with tears. "Please stop stressing over Amelia. If you let her go, you wouldn’t have to feel controlled by anyone!"
"I’m willing." Daniel chuckled lightly, showing no signs of concern. He appeared completely unconcerned. ‘As a son, I failed to protect my mother. Now, as an older brother, I must safeguard my sister!’ Daniel reflected silently.
"Daniel!" Maisie stomped her foot in frustration.
Finally, Daniel sighed and looked at her. "If you were the one who was sick, I would do the same thing."
"Daniel…" Maisie could no longer contain herself; she rushed to Daniel, wrapping her arms around him as she wept. It pained her to see her proud brother being forced to marry someone unattractive. The injustice of it burned fiercely in her chest.
"That’s enough; if Joanna sees you like this, she’ll scold you again." Daniel patted Maisie’s back, his expression dark and unreadable, as if he was planning something unspoken.
"Daniel, my mom… Well, never mind! Anyway, I’m not like her; I’m your sister, we are close," Maisie said.
"Yeah," Daniel replied nonchalantly, as if he didn’t believe her.
Maisie bit her lip, spun around, and dashed downstairs, determination shining in her eyes. "Daniel, I’ll show you I’m truly different from her."
Daniel let out a long sigh. With Maisie stirring things up, there might still be a chance for things to improve. However, using her like this for the first time left a bitter taste in his mouth.
The undeniable truth was that Maisie was also his sister, the girl he had watched grow up. That was precisely why he couldn’t give up on Amy.
He had been a good brother to Maisie for the past twenty years, and now he wanted to be the same to Amy for the rest of his life. As for Maisie, all he could offer her was an apology.