Chapter 177
By the time Amelia got home, dusk had settled in. Landon was fresh out of the shower, blow-drying his hair.
Amelia walked over, took the hair dryer from him, and helped him dry his hair.
“Since when are you so sweet?” Landon leaned back in his chair, enjoying his wife’s attention.
“You always dry my hair, so I thought I’d return the favor for once.” Amelia smiled, looking at the relaxed man in the mirror, then let her gaze settle in his eyes.
Amelia thought, ‘Their eyes… They look so much alike. The more I look, the more similar they seem. Am I just being paranoid, seeing suspicious resemblances everywhere?’
“Style me up. Make me look even hotter.” Landon got all cocky, insisting on a late-night hairstyling session.
Amelia chuckled and shook her head, then styled his hair into a slicked-back look for him.
Landon was speechless. ‘Ugh, this looks awful. She must have done this on purpose.’
“Honey, I saw a mixed-race boy today who looked just like you when you were a kid,” Amelia said as she put away the hair dryer.
Landon’s expression instantly turned serious, all ease vanishing. “What? Are you suspecting I have an illegitimate child out there again?”
“No,” Amelia said, frowning. “It’s just that… Well, how do I put it?”
Amelia thought, ‘Both Landon and Kayla inherited their eyes from Gloria. Could that boy be Kayla’s? Otherwise, why would he look so much like Landon?’
But then, she felt it was unlikely.
‘Paloma is the girl whose father owns Merry Group in Dreicean, after all,’ Amelia thought.
Landon took her hand and pulled her into his embrace. “Honey, just say what’s on your mind. Don’t hold back. I’m always ready for interrogation.”
Amelia hesitated, biting back her doubts.
‘Kayla is the deepest wound in this family,’ Amelia thought. ‘I can’t just reopen old wounds based on unfounded suspicions.’
So she said, “Edith is back in Norava.”
“That’s good news. It means Edith has finally moved on and is ready to face us again,” Landon replied.
“It turned out that, besides Giovanna, Edith had another close friend named Paloma. When you investigated Edith before, did you ever come across her?” Amelia asked more tactfully.
‘If Landon had known about Paloma all along,’ Amelia thought, ‘it would mean my suspicion was wrong. But if he didn’t…’
“No, I didn’t find anything about her,” Landon said, got up, and wrapped his arms around her from behind. “What’s this? Jealous that other people have more friends?”
“Maybe a little,” Amelia admitted with a playful smile.
“But others envy you for having me,” Landon chuckled softly, his lips deliberately brushing against Amelia’s earlobe, sending shivers down her spine.
Amelia shrank back with a playful pout and protested, “I’m trying to be serious here.”
“I’m serious, too,” Landon chuckled. “Who needs a bunch of friends when you’ve got a husband this great?”
Chapter 177
Amelia asked playfully, “Hey, if we have a child, do you think they’d inherit your eyes?”
Landon was surprised momentarily, then turned to face her with a teasing smile. “So, you want to be a mom now?”
“Kind of,” Amelia said with a playful blink. “I just realized you got your eyes from your mom.”
“That’s right. My mom’s genes are strong. Both my sister and I got her eye,” said Landon.
At the mention of Kayla, a familiar ache surged through Landon’s heart.
‘It’s been twenty years…’ Landon thought. ‘What does Kayla look like now? It’s all Tuff’s fault for messing everything up. I could’ve found Kayla ten years ago if not for him.’
Amelia said with a soft smile, “So our child will inherit your eyes,” gently steering the conversation away.
‘Let me double-check first,’ Amelia thought to herself.
“So, should we start working on a baby now?” Landon asked.
“Oh…” Landon replied, looking quite down.
Surprisingly, the two corporate titans in Norava, the Kingsley Group and the Merry Group, had no business dealings whatsoever, sparking widespread speculation.
Meanwhile, as Aiden was aggressively expanding Merry Group’s operations, Kingsley Group was fast-tracking the approval procedures for the Yeatsmarsh Mountain project.
Two weeks later, Aaron burst in with exciting news. “Mr. Kingsley. The mining department’s survey is complete. Yeatsmarsh Mountain is rich in iron ore!”
“How much are we looking at?” Landon asked.
“Based on current iron ore prices, this could earn us 15 to 20 billion dollars!” Aaron beamed with excitement. “Mr. Kingsley, Mrs. Kingsley is amazing. She has an uncanny eye for profitable projects.”
“Indeed.” Landon narrowed his eyes thoughtfully and said, “If anyone asks about the investment, just say it was my decision.”
“Wait, what?” Aaron was shocked, thinking, ‘How shameless! He’s stealing Mrs. Kingsley’s credit.’
“Treasures invite trouble,” Landon rapped on the table.
‘If word gets out that Amelia has an uncanny ability to spot valuable mines, that would be a disaster,’ Landon thought.
Hearing that, Aaron’s eyes widened with sudden realization.
‘A backwater like Yeatsmarsh Mountain, once completely off the radar, is now sitting on massive iron ore deposits. There must be many people coveting it now,’ Aaron thought.
As expected, Landon’s evening got hijacked by a dinner meeting before leaving the office.
The invitation was from Devon, Elizabeth’s father.
Their family was good at jewelry appraisal, which had nothing to do with iron ore. But as Devon said, “In the world of commerce, no connection is impossible.”
Aaron couldn’t refuse Devon, so, with a grimace, he asked, “Mr. Kingsley, are we going to the appointment?”
“Yes!” Landon replied.
Chapter 177
“What about Mrs. Kingsley?” Aaron asked.
“She’s not going,” said Landon.
“But Mr. Young personally invited Mrs. Kingsley,” Aaron pointed out.
Devon once again held the party at his home. Being here again, Amelia couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
Every time Elizabeth approached to propose a toast at the party, Amelia couldn’t help but remember how Elizabeth had spiked her drink last time.
Elizabeth beamed at Amelia. “Let bygones be bygones, Mrs. Kingsley. Let’s look to the future.”
With a cold expression, Amelia said, “I don’t see any future between us, Miss Young.”
“How could that be! Our family is also quite interested in mining,” Elizabeth said with a smile. “But don’t worry, Yeatsmarsh Mountain’s mine already belongs to the Kingsley Group. We won’t compete for it.”
“Well then, I wish you every success in your career, Miss Young. But I’ll have to pass on the drink. We’re, uh, trying for a baby.” Amelia set down her glass, refusing even to toast with water.
Elizabeth could tell Amelia was still angry about the last time. She wasn’t bothered. Leaning close, she whispered, “See that boy over there? Doesn’t he have Landon’s eyes?”
Amelia’s heart skipped a few beats. She turned around, and sure enough, Aiden came holding Landen’s hand.
“Mrs. Kingsley, did you know that Landon used to have a girlfriend too…” Elizabeth asked.
“I know that kid. He’s the young heir of the Merry Group,” Amelia said, cutting Elizabeth off.
Elizabeth was taken aback for a moment. “Is that so?”
“He’s very well-behaved. I quite like him,” Amelia said calmly.
Elizabeth stared at her as if she were a freak. “Are you out of your mind? Don’t you suspect he’s Landon’s illegitimate child?”
Amelia said, “Oh, I’ve already checked with Landon. He’s not the father.”
“What if he’s lying to you?” Elizabeth challenged.
“Doesn’t matter.” Amelia smiled faintly, carefully avoiding any mention of Kayla.
“You are indeed something else,” Elizabeth clicked her tongue. Having gotten nowhere, she walked away.
Today, Aiden paired black trousers with a matching top, unbuttoned to the third button, revealing a teasing glimpse of his chest. A silver statement necklace hung around his neck.
Amelia thought, ‘He doesn’t look like a proper CEO.’
Amelia was about to leave, but Aiden intercepted her with a grin. “Well, Mrs. Kingsley, fancy meeting you here again.”
“Mr. Kyle, you’re late. They’re already deep in discussion inside. Just go and join them,” Amelia said, forcing a fake smile.
“Alright then. Could you keep an eye on Landen for me?” With that, Aiden casually released Landen’s hand and strolled off.
Amelia was at a loss.