Chapter 73

‘He hasn’t broken any laws,’ Landon said, his voice grave, his expression serious.

Amelia sighed, “So even you can’t do anything? Is he really that untouchable?”

‘Not untouchable, just twisted,’ Landon said, giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. ‘Don’t worry. He won’t go after you!’

“Are you sure?” Amelia was skeptical. The whole Henry’s family was shady. She couldn’t imagine Patrick not having some kind of design on her.

‘His biggest strength is that he plays the long game,’ Landon explained.

Amelia didn’t quite follow. All she knew was that Patrick was dangerous. “Well, I’m prepared anyway.” She opened her bag and pulled out a can of pepper spray. “See?”

Landon’s lips twitched with amusement. ‘That little thing? It won’t be enough to handle him.’

“Huh? What should I do then?” Amelia pouted, her full lips forming a cute little frown. Sunlight streamed through the blinds, casting warm stripes across the floor.

Landon found her utterly adorable. He reached out, his left hand gently resting on her shoulder. ‘I’ve got you covered. I’ve prepared a secret weapon.’

“A secret weapon?” Amelia wasn’t exactly thrilled. ‘Come on, it’s not like we’re ninjas. What kind of secret weapon could you possibly have?’ she thought skeptically.

‘Go to the safe in my room and look for a ring,’ Landon instructed. ‘And be careful. Don’t touch anything else. Just grab the ring and bring it straight back down.’

Amelia didn’t hold out much hope, but she followed his instructions anyway and went to the safe. The code was a familiar sequence of numbers—920303. It looked an awful lot like a birthday.

Amelia frowned, a pang of jealousy hitting her as she thought about the woman carrying Landon’s child. But her attention was quickly drawn to the contents of the safe.

Inside, there was an array of weapons. Strange, intricate devices that were clearly no ordinary tools, and a handgun.

“What the…” Amelia blinked, wondering if her eyes were playing tricks on her. It was hard to imagine Landon, a CEO, keeping this kind of stuff in his safe.

Amelia blinked hard, making sure her eyes weren’t playing tricks on her. Then, cautiously, she reached out and lifted the ring.

It was an extravagant piece, a large rose blossom more than half an inch across. The open petals were crafted in oxidized silver and layered for a vintage, artistic look. It felt heavy in her hand.

“This must be it, then.” Amelia headed downstairs, her heart pounding with a mix of nerves and excitement. ‘Who on earth keeps a safe full of elaborate hidden weapons in their house?’ she thought. ‘Have I just stumbled onto Landon’s secret?’

“Is this it?” Amelia asked, handing the ring to Landon.

‘Right.’ Landon, with only his left hand mobile, found maneuvering the ring a bit tricky. ‘Give me your hand,’ he instructed.

Amelia extended her hand, and Landon slid the ring onto her middle finger. It was a perfect fit. The antique rose design complimented beautifully with her delicate fingers.

Landon was pleased. ‘Look closely. There’s a small switch on the inside of the band. Press it with your thumb.’

Amelia did as she was told, and a tiny needle shot out from the center of the rose. “Oh,” Amelia gasped, startled. “So this… this is one of those legendary hidden weapons?”

‘Exactly!’ Landon nodded, secretly delighted that she was impressed. ‘The needle is coated with a highly concentrated anesthetic. It can take down a man twice your size.’

“Oh my gosh, that’s incredible.” Amelia brought the ring closer to her eye, and sure enough, she could see a strange shimmer on the tip of the needle. And the needle was hollow. It could be refilled.

“No wonder this ring felt so heavy. It had something hidden inside.” Amelia was amazed. “Landon, where did you find such an amazing weapon?”

‘I made it,’ Landon said, his chin lifting slightly with pride.

Amelia’s jaw dropped. “You made it? But what about the ones in the safe…?”

‘I made those too,’ Landon replied, his expression even more...

“You’re incredible,” Amelia said, genuinely impressed. ‘He’s not just a business whiz, he’s a master craftsman of hidden weapons too,’ she thought to herself. ‘And that gun… Surely he didn’t make that himself? That’s illegal. If Henry found out, he’d have Landon thrown in jail in a heartbeat!’

“About that gun…” Amelia said hesitantly.

‘Someone gave it to me,’ Landon said casually.

“Whew,” Amelia sighed, relieved. “That’s a relief.”

Landon chuckled, watching her. ‘What? Worried I’ll drag you down with some illegal activity?’

“More than that,” Amelia said. “It would affect the kids too.”

Landon’s eyes narrowed, a warmth welling up inside him and spilling into his gaze. He looked at her with an intensity that made her blush.

Amelia suspected he’d gotten the wrong idea that she was eager to have his baby. Her cheeks flushed as she explained, “I know you don’t care about your children’s reputation, but I do.

“I want my kids to have a future, maybe even go into politics. Something like this with their father could really hurt their chances.”

Landon’s eyes widened. ‘You want kids?’

Amelia avoided his eyes, fiddling with her ring. “Not right now. But someday, definitely.”

In her past life, Amelia had longed for a child of her own. Especially when Zachary was never home at night. The loneliness and emptiness had been unbearable.

However, Zachary’s claim of wanting a “platonic relationship” had trapped her in a sexless marriage for three long years.

Amelia knew with absolute certainty that she wanted a child in this lifetime. She didn’t need a specific partner for that—sperm banks existed for a reason.

She could choose exactly what she wanted—ethnicity, looks, IQ range, everything. It seemed like a far better option than marriage had turned out to be.

‘I’ve got the money to do whatever I want,’ Amelia mused, her eyes sparkling as she imagined the possibilities ahead.

‘What are you thinking about?’ Landon asked, giving her forehead a playful flick.

“Babies,” Amelia blurted out.

Landon froze, clearly taken aback. ‘Huh?’

“I’m trying to figure out which nationalities make the cutest and smartest babies,” Amelia confessed, deciding to be completely open about her plans. If she was going to do this, she would try her best.

She’d find a gorgeous guy with mixed heritage, add in her own good looks. Amelia was confident their child would be stunning.

‘Amelia Edwards!’ Landon’s face darkened, and he practically growled her name, each syllable laced with fury.

Amelia clapped her hands over her ears and glanced around nervously. “Jeez, what’s with the yelling? Keep it down. It’s a good thing no one can hear what you’re really thinking.”

‘Amelia, we’re still married,’ Landon said, his voice cold and sharp.

Amelia flinched, shrinking back slightly. “I know that. I’m saying, after we get divorced…”

‘No way,’ Landon roared again.

“I said, after we get divorced,” Amelia retorted, exasperated. “It’s not like I’m cheating on you. What’s the big deal?”

Landon’s jaw was clenched tight, his left hand gripping the armrest of the chair so hard that the veins in his hand bulged. He couldn’t understand this surge of anger. Their arrangement was clear—a mutually beneficial transaction devoid of emotions or physical intimacy.

‘I’m going to divorce her as soon as I recover anyway, so why should I care?’ Landon told himself. But the thought of her squandering the money she’d gotten from him, gallivanting around with handsome, mixed-race men, made his stomach churn.