Chapter 86

Amelia: [Let’s get a divorce.]

Landon stared at the words on the screen in disbelief.

He had been biding his time, waiting for Amelia to cave first, but now she wanted the divorce ahead of schedule. He wondered, ‘Is it because I found out she met with Daniel alone last night and kissed her forcefully? Did it really warrant this?’

Landon’s brow twitched. After the initial anger passed, a wave of indescribable loss and panic surged through him. The weight of those emotions washed away all the pride he’d clung to. He needed to see her desperately. He wanted to make things right, but…

His gaze shifted to the handkerchief hanging below the window. Without realizing it, his fingers gripped the armrests of the wheelchair tightly.

Daniel wasn’t just any man. A man of his standing wouldn’t casually offer a woman a handkerchief. Landon wondered if Daniel was trying to make a move on Amelia. The thought hit him like a punch, and his expression darkened.

“Mr. Kingsley, is it Mrs. Kingsley?” Aaron’s voice was careful, reading the tension in the air as he spoke.

Landon tossed his phone at him. “Find her and take me to her now.”

“Yes, Mr. Kingsley,” Aaron replied, already on his way to carry out the order.

At Sapphire Estate, Amelia kept glancing at her phone, hoping for a response from Landon. But he never replied, and she wasn’t sure if he’d even seen the message. Still, her mind was made up. Whether he agreed or not, she was leaving.

“You seem troubled,” Daniel said, breaking the silence.

“It’s nothing,” Amelia replied with a faint smile, though her mind was far from calm. In truth, she couldn’t even focus on the conversation with Daniel.

Daniel, perceptive as always, saw right through her, but he didn’t push her to open up.

The two of them sat in companionable silence, sipping coffee and watching the scenery. Occasionally, they exchanged a few words. Thankfully, neither of them was particularly chatty, so it didn’t feel awkward.

The air in the mountains was refreshing, the breeze carrying a light, fruity scent that lifted the spirits.

About two hours later, Aaron hurried over, wearing a pleased smile as he called out, “Mrs. Kingsley.”

“You’re here?” Amelia wasn’t really surprised. Landon had his ways, and she’d already guessed what would happen when she sent that message.

“Did you get the cherries here, Mrs. Kingsley? I heard this place is famous for that. Also, when are we heading back?” Aaron asked smoothly, never once hinting at the events of the previous night.

If Daniel hadn’t been so sharp, he might’ve believed Aaron’s carefully crafted words.

“Just get to the point,” Amelia said, her patience running thin. Her gentle expression faded as she listened to Aaron’s words.

“Mrs. Kingsley, it would be better if we talked in the car,” Aaron suggested.

Sapphire Estate was full of dirt paths, making it difficult for Landon to get through in his wheelchair. Plus, it wasn’t exactly a good place for them to talk, with Daniel being here.

“I’m not going,” Amelia flatly rejected. “We can talk on the phone.”

Aaron hesitated, his face scrunching in discomfort. “Mrs. Kingsley, on behalf of Mr. Kingsley, I apologize…”

“Wait, you’re apologizing on his behalf?” Amelia scoffed, half amused, half irritated. “What’s next? Can you eat, drink, and make love with me for him too?”

Aaron choked on his own words. Sure, he could stand in for eating or drinking, but making love in Landon’s place—he didn’t even want to imagine it.

“Go and tell him that this is non-negotiable. I’ve made up my mind,” Amelia said coldly.

She was done with this marriage. If Landon didn’t want to go along with it, she’d just buy a plane ticket and leave the country. The world was huge, and she wasn’t about to believe he could track her down.

“Mrs. Kingsley, I’ll…check with him again,” Aaron said, turning away to make a call. The sound of wheels grinding against the dirt caught their attention, and soon the driver appeared, pushing Landon in his wheelchair.

Aaron’s jaw dropped in shock because they were supposed to keep Landon’s recovery a secret. “Mr. Kingsley, how are you…”

Amelia turned around and froze for a moment. But quickly, she suppressed any emotion and coldly stared at Landon. He could speak, he could think, and he was well enough to return to work tomorrow. There was no reason to keep hiding it anymore.

Daniel, too, was watching Landon, his surprise evident.

The report from yesterday still said Landon was in a coma, lying in bed for over three months, with Kingsley Group already under Amelia’s management. But to Daniel’s surprise, here Landon was—alive, speaking, and moving—showing up at Sapphire Estate so soon.

Daniel thought, ‘Landon must have been in the car with them yesterday, right? To cover their tracks, they hadn’t even bothered to fix the car—they just paid the repair fee.’

“Honey, do you like it here?” Landon’s voice broke the silence, and Amelia nearly choked.

Amelia’s face turned bright red as she coughed, staring at Landon as if he were some kind of monster. She couldn’t believe that he just called her that. She was clearly his employee, and their working relationship was about to end.

“Honey, are you okay?” Landon wheeled himself over, concern in his voice as he patted her back.

Amelia shot to her feet, panic flashing in her eyes. “Don’t touch me.”

Daniel raised an eyebrow, thinking, ‘Has their marriage really gotten this bad that they’re fighting like this?’ Suddenly, he couldn’t stand Landon.

“Honey, I know you’re still angry. Couples fight, but they always make up, right? Calm down and come home with me, okay?” Landon asked, sounding all serious, but his tone was utterly insincere.

But Amelia’s heart started to race. Just as she was about to call him out for being shameless, she heard a thought in her mind, ‘You meet Daniel behind my back and now you want a divorce? Not a chance.’

“Landon, I’m done with this marriage,” Amelia shouted, her voice thick with emotion.

Landon froze for a moment, then thought, ‘How is she still hearing my thoughts when I can speak now?’

Amelia smirked, her eyes sharp as she looked at him, thinking, ‘Didn’t see that coming, huh? Landon, you can’t hide anything from me.’

Landon was speechless.

Meanwhile, Daniel observed the scene and thought, ‘Looks like she’s figured out Landon’s secret. Nice job.’ Daniel gave Amelia an approving look.

“Aaron, Mrs. Kingsley likes it here. Go talk to the estate owner,” Landon ordered.

Amelia, now a little calmer, shot Landon a look of disdain. ‘How childish! Throwing money around like anyone’s impressed by that.’

Daniel, with his Rolls-Royce and fancy handkerchief, was clearly in a different league than Landon. What was Landon even trying to prove?

“Mr. Zuckerberg, your handkerchief,” Landon said, rolling his wheelchair to a stone table and pulling out a neatly folded silk handkerchief from his pocket.

Amelia blinked in surprise. She had no idea what Landon was up to now.

But she did regret not taking Daniel’s handkerchief when she left last night. Now that Landon was returning it, it worked out perfectly. At least she didn’t owe Daniel anything anymore.

“Thank you,” Daniel said, accepting the handkerchief without hesitation. Daniel didn’t care that Landon had investigated him. He gave Landon a thoughtful look and praised, “Mr. Kingsley, keeping your recovery a secret was a clever move.”

“Mr. Zuckerberg, I trust you’ll keep this between us,” Landon said with a faint smile, but there was no warmth in his eyes.

“Of course,” Daniel replied, but he didn’t make any move to leave.

Landon frowned and said, “Mr. Zuckerberg, my wife and I need to talk privately. Can you give us a moment?”

Daniel turned to Amelia. “What do you think?”

Amelia hesitated. Honestly, she was scared Landon might force her to go home. If Daniel were around, maybe it would be better for her.

Then, she heard Landon’s voice in her head, ‘If this guy doesn’t stop being so shameless, I’ll spill everything that happened in bed just to provoke him.’ Amelia shivered, then quickly changed her mind as she said, “Mr. Zuckerberg, I’ll see you later.”