Chapter 70

“Henry, you just won’t rest until you pin some crime on me, will you?” A mocking smile played across Amelia’s lips. “At your age, isn’t it a bit pathetic to be so obsessed with taking down someone young enough to be your daughter? No wonder your sons can’t find a wife.”

“You little bastard–” Henry’s face flushed red with anger. “I’m simply addressing the facts here.”

His two sons, Patrick and Kenneth, had been constant sources of disappointment. They spent their days wasting time with women in questionable pubs, showing no interest in settling down with respectable partners.

Henry knew that if he had a grandson, he could use that leverage perfectly.

Amelia turned to Lanny. “You’re Lanny, right?”

“Isn’t that what you’ve always called me?” Lanny shot back cleverly.

Donna.

‘Poor thing,’ Amelia thought. ‘He’s terrified, but at least his brain’s still functioning.’ She pressed on, “Alright then, when was the last time we slept together?”

“Yester–no, today,” Lanny stumbled, changing his answer mid-sentence. ‘The more recent, the more believable, right?’ he thought.

Even without the pregnancy scandal, the Kingsleys would never tolerate a woman who cheated on their son. As long as Lanny’s testimony got Amelia kicked out, he’d be rewarded handsomely.

“And where exactly did this happen?” Amelia asked.

Lanny’s confidence wavered as he shot a panicked glance at Henry, silently pleading for help.

Henry collected his thoughts, taking a moment before nodding at him. He knew Amelia’s life was strictly regimented between work and home. Since an affair at home seemed unlikely, it had to be at the office.

“The office,” Lanny stammered.

“Morning or afternoon?” Amelia pressed.

“A–Afternoon.” Lanny forced out, trying to maintain his composure.

Amelia smiled, “I wasn’t even at the office this afternoon.”

Both Lanny and Henry were dumbstruck. In their minds, Amelia was the picture of diligence, never leaving before closing time. The idea that she wouldn’t be at work seemed impossible.

“Butler,” Amelia called out, “bring me the dashcam footage from my car.” Her seemingly unrelated request caught everyone off guard.

The butler hurried off, and understanding dawned on Gloria’s face. “Yes, the dashcam footage will show whether Amy was at the office or not.”

Henry and Lanny exchanged panicked looks, realizing they’d backed themselves into a corner. They’d been so confident in their accusations that they’d left themselves no room for backtracking.

The butler returned quickly with the dashcam, handing it to Gloria. After reviewing the footage, she exploded, “Just as I thought, you’re both lying. Amy left the office around eleven this morning.”

“I–I made a mistake,” Lanny scrambled to explain. “We weren’t at the office. I was somewhere else.”

“Oh? Where exactly?” Gloria challenged, pointing at the footage. “Amy was in Greenville visiting my friend today. Are you telling me you were in Greenville too?”

Lanny, who’d moved here from out of state, had no clue about Greenville. If that turned out to be another place Gloria had made up, he’d only be digging himself into a deeper hole.

Unable to maintain his web of lies any longer, he hung his head in defeat.

“Henry, this whole charade is just your attempt to drive a wedge between us, isn’t it?” Gloria’s voice thundered with anger. “For Landon’s father’s sake I’ll let this slide–but get out. And don’t come back.”

With no leg left to stand on, Henry turned his fury on Lanny, giving him a rough shove. “You little brat, you played me too.”

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking straight when I made up those lies,” Lanny mumbled.

“Get out.” Henry grabbed Lanny by the collar and stormed out, cursing under his breath.

Gloria and Amelia exchanged knowing looks. They both knew Henry had been pulling the strings all along.

With Donna backing Henry, they weren’t strong enough to challenge him yet. All they could do was bide their time until Landon recovered. Then they’d settle the score.

“Amy, I’m so sorry.” Gloria’s voice cracked with emotion, her eyes welling up with tears. “I feel so helpless. Even knowing what he’s done to you, I can’t stand up to him.”

“Grandma treats Henry like her precious golden child,” Amelia said, handing Gloria a tissue. “If we confront him today, Grandma’ll be in the hospital tomorrow, claiming we’re trying to infuriate her to death.” Amelia paused and then added softly, “Gloria, it’s okay. We just need to hold on a little longer. Landon’s getting better.”

“Amy, thank you for understanding.” Gloria nodded tearfully.

“You know, Gloria, it’s actually a blessing I wasn’t pregnant.” Amelia reflected, a shiver running down her spine. “Henry would have tampered with the paternity test results at the hospital. And then I wouldn’t just lose the baby…” Her voice trailed off. “I’d also lose my rights as a mother.”

Gloria held Amelia tighter, her anger about the fake pregnancy dissolving into concern for Amelia.

“Gloria, are you angry?” Amelia said softly. “The fake pregnancy… It was actually Landon’s idea. He had Dr. Harrington bring the medication that night.”

Gloria remained silent. If Landon didn’t want children, there wasn’t much she could do about it. Given that she couldn’t protect Amelia right now, maybe holding off on having kids was for the best.

“Amy, sweetheart,” Gloria finally said, “I won’t pressure you two anymore. I just want you both to be happy. That’s what matters most.”

“Thank you,” Amelia smiled, feeling a weight lift from her shoulders. The suffocating pressure to have a baby was finally gone.

After spending time consoling each other, Amelia finally left Gloria and returned to her room.

Landon set down his phone with visible irritation. ‘Why didn’t you call the police?’ he demanded.

“I wanted to protect the Kingsley family’s reputation,” Amelia replied, shrugging off her jacket and pouring herself a glass of water.

‘I don’t care about that,’ Landon snapped, his expression hardening with anger.

What Amelia hadn’t mentioned was her other reason. She refused to give Zachary and Sandra the satisfaction of seeing her humiliated within the family.

“It was just some domestic trivia, and I handled it,” Amelia said, setting down her glass and crossing her legs elegantly. “Landon, your mother’s carrying the weight of this household on her shoulders. You need to get better soon, for her sake.”

Landon fell silent, his chest heaving with emotion as his eyes slowly filled with a dangerous glint. He knew Gloria had always been sheltered–pampered by his father when he was alive, and after his death, it had fallen to Landon to take care of her.

Now, the fragile Gloria had to put on a brave face for his sake, fighting to keep both him and the company alive. If it hadn’t been for that accident, he would never have allowed Gloria to endure such humiliation.

“Landon, you’re a victim too. Stop blaming yourself,” Amelia said softly, picking up on his mood.

Landon looked at her, feeling a wave of gratitude wash over him. Amelia’s appearance in his life was nothing short of miraculous–a gift from above when he needed it most.

If Amelia hadn’t been able to sense his thoughts and brought him home before Henry could make his move, Landon might never have returned. And if Amelia hadn’t stepped in to run the company in his place, Henry would have seized control long ago.

‘Amelia, thank you,’ Landon said softly, those simple words carrying the weight of everything he couldn’t express.

“Well, well,” Amelia teased, “you’re finally acknowledging my contribution. That’s a first.”

‘I’ll be there for you too,’ Landon silently promised. Once he recovered, he would help her uncover the truth about Debra’s death and origins.

Given Debra’s apparent wealth, she was most likely a wealthy heiress who had ended up on the streets due to her mental illness. If he could help Amelia find Debra’s real family, perhaps it would fill that void of familial connection she’d always yearned for.

“I’m holding you to that, Landon,” Amelia said with a playful smile, willing to go along with his mood. She had no way of knowing then that his simple expression of gratitude would completely transform her life.

“By the way,” Amelia added thoughtfully, “Henry’s really hung up about you having an heir. Make sure you protect her well–the woman carrying your child.”