Chapter 239

After a long day of shopping, Amelia was exhausted and fell asleep as soon as she got home. Little did she know, when she woke up, her whole world at home had been turned upside down. The internet cable had been cut, all her communication devices were confiscated, and the security guards at home were now all unfamiliar faces.

“What’s going on?” Amelia blurted out.

Both Amelia and Gloria had their hands tied, staring in shock at the only person in the house who was still free: Kayla. That same scarred face, that unpredictable aura—sometimes gentle, sometimes as cold and ruthless as a blade.

‘What’s going on with Kayla?’ Amelia wondered.

“Kayla, what’s gotten into you? What are you trying to do?” Gloria asked, her voice trembling.

Kayla sat gracefully on the sofa, legs elegantly crossed, exuding an air of effortless confidence, with several tough-looking men standing behind her like bodyguards.

“Mom, I won’t hurt you. As long as you behave and do what I say,” Kayla said, her voice cool and composed.

Amelia asked, “Kayla, is this all because of Landen? Did the Kington Gang threaten you with him?”

“That’s right,” Kayla nodded. “So don’t hold it against me. As long as you do exactly what I say, no one will get hurt.”

“Alright, what do you want us to do?” Amelia asked.

Kayla replied, “Go along with Eddie’s threats.”

“Let Aiden go, and make sure the Flying Tiger Sect never messes with the Kington Gang again?” Amelia asked.

“Exactly!” Kayla said.

Gloria demanded angrily, “Kayla, that’s not what you were saying a few days ago…”

“Landen is my own flesh and blood. There’s no way I could just ignore him. Everything I told you a few days ago was just a lie,” Kayla said, her tone cold and unapologetic.

“How could you do this?” Gloria was both furious and desperate. “I told you, if you just said the word, we’d go all out to save Landen!”

“Well, I don’t need you risking your lives right now. I just want you to be hostages for a while. Why are you making such a big deal out of it?” Kayla sneered.

Gloria shot back, “Because you tied us up! And you let the enemy right into our house. How am I supposed to not be angry?”

“Mom, don’t get so worked up. Just do as I say, and this will all be over before you know it,” Kayla said, her voice calm but commanding.

“Does it really have to be like this?” Gloria asked, her voice trembling with emotion.

“Yes!” Kayla’s tone was firm, leaving no room for argument.

Gloria never dreamed her daughter would turn out this way. The heartbreak was almost too much to bear.

Amelia watched in silence for a long time before finally comforting her mother-in-law, “Mom, since Kayla’s plan won’t hurt us, let’s just go along with it.”

“Amelia…” Gloria sobbed.

Being used as a bargaining chip by her own daughter completely shattered Gloria’s heart.

“Mom, it’s okay. Kayla’s had it really rough. We need to try and understand her,” Amelia said softly.

Thinking about all the suffering her daughter had gone through, Gloria sobbed even harder.

Kayla got up impatiently and left, simply instructing her men to keep watch over them.

With their hands tied, Amelia and Gloria had to help each other even to wipe away their tears and runny noses.

Fortunately, those men really didn’t give them any trouble.

Gloria, exhausted from crying, finally drifted off to sleep–only to wake up and feel the pain all over again.

Amelia, worn out from staying by her side, also collapsed on the sofa and drifted off.

Even in her sleep, Gloria would sometimes sob quietly, while Amelia lay there wide awake, unable to get any rest.

Everything had happened so suddenly, and she just couldn’t wrap her head around it.

No matter how she thought about it, Kayla would never be the kind of person to do something like this.

Just what could have happened to make her turn on her own family like this?’ Amelia wondered.

“Well, well, look at you–tied up and helpless, huh?” Elaine came.

As soon as Amelia heard her voice, it was like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water right over her head, snapping her wide awake.

“Elaine? How did you get in here?” Amelia blurted out, her voice full of shock and disbelief.

“I’m just here to enjoy the show–look at you, what a mess!” Elaine crossed her arms, looking down at Amelia with a smug, superior grin.

She was all dolled up, looking absolutely pleased with herself.

Amelia’s heart raced as she remembered running into Elaine at the mall yesterday.

“We’re on the same team now,” Elaine chuckled. “Bet you never saw that coming, huh? We’ve been in cahoots with Kayla for ages.”

“Since when?” Amelia demanded, staring hard at Elaine, her mind racing to make sense of it all.

She remembered how Elaine had taunted Kayla at the mall last night–Amelia just couldn’t picture the two of them ever being on the same side.

‘Something’s definitely not right here, but I just can’t figure out what,’ Amelia thought, frustration gnawing at her.

“Amelia, aren’t you supposed to be some business whiz? Life’s just like business–you gotta cast a long line if you want to catch a big fish,” Elaine sneered.

Her gaze landed right on Amelia’s belly.

“Oh, I almost forgot! They say pregnancy brain lasts for three years. Ha ha…”

Amelia sat up, her tone sharp and confrontational. “What exactly are you planning?”

“Me? Obviously, I’m here to help Kayla pull off her big move! As for you…” A vicious glint flashed in Elaine’s eyes. “Relax, I’ll make sure you live long enough to have that baby.”

“By doing this, you’re hurting Landon too. He’ll never forgive you for it!” Amelia snapped.

Elaine just laughed. “Who cares? Doesn’t the Kington Gang have that amnesia trick? We’ll just wipe his memory again, simple as that.”

“You!” Amelia was so furious she could barely speak.

Elaine knew about the Kington Gang, and even about the amnesia chip… ‘Could it be that the Atkinson family has already sided with the Kington Gang?’ Amelia thought, her mind reeling.

Suddenly, a name flashed through her mind. Amelia steadied herself and said, “Monica won’t do what you want.”

“Who’s Monica?” Elaine blurted out.

Amelia’s eyes flashed–she was already scheming.

‘So Elaine really doesn’t know about Monica. She’s been fooled by Eddie and Kayla!’ Amelia realized, a faint spark of hope flickering in her heart.

“Amelia, just tell me–who is Monica?” Elaine pressed, her voice growing impatient.

“Monica is the daughter of the Kington Gang’s second-in-command. She likes Landon. When Landon went missing before, it was because she had him. If I hadn’t found him in time and helped him regain his memory, the two of them would already be married now,” Amelia said, all the while watching Elaine’s expression.

As Amelia spoke, she kept a close eye on Elaine’s face.

As expected, Elaine exploded with fury. “Well, well, Kayla! So you’ve been playing me for a fool? Where is she?”

“Upstairs,” Amelia answered.

Elaine stomped upstairs in a huff to find Kayla, and soon enough, their angry voices could be heard arguing from above.

Gloria woke up with a start, looking terrified. “Amelia, what’s going on? Who’s here?”

“It’s Elaine,” Amelia whispered. “She’s teamed up with Kayla. She came here just to mock me.”

“What?” Gloria blurted out, her mind a tangled mess.

“Mom, just be nice to her,” Amelia whispered.

“No way!” Gloria spat. “I can’t stand her! I’ll never let her take your place!”

“Mom, this is just for now. She’s arrogant and overbearing–you have to humor her and go along with whatever she says,” Amelia said.

“But Amelia…” Gloria said, her voice full of worry and heartache.

“Mom, really, I’m okay. We just have to focus on keeping ourselves safe until Landon comes back,” Amelia reassured her, sounding calm and steady.

Gloria choked up in confusion, her voice trembling. “The two of us are hostages now… Landon will be so heartbroken…”

“That’s why, Mom–we need to keep ourselves safe first, then figure out a way to get out of this. Just trust me and do as I say, okay?” Amelia said gently.

Gloria was completely lost–right now, the only person she could count on was her daughter-in-law, Amelia.