Chapter 98

Maybe it was the lavender pillow, but Amelia had the best sleep she’d had in a while. When she got up the next morning, Landon was already awake. He was impeccably dressed in a tailored suit, startling her. Amelia asked, “Why are you dressed like that?”

Because of his long-term confinement to bed and wheelchair, Landon usually wore casual clothes for comfort. In all the time Amelia had been married to him, she had never seen him in a suit—not even when he went to Sapphire Estate to pick her up.

He had just thrown on a coat over his loungewear. But now, standing there in his sharp suit, Landon not only looked dashing but also exuded the confidence and vitality of someone basking in their moment of triumph.

“I’m feeling much better. I can’t keep lounging around in pajamas,” Landon said as he reached for his cologne and gave himself a couple of spritzes.

“Fair enough,” Amelia said with a thumbs-up, catching the light, refreshing scent in the air. For the first time, she found herself not minding a man wearing cologne. She thought, ‘Life is too short—one should indulge in little joys like this.’

After washing up, Amelia checked the time and hesitated. “Landon, should I head to the office today? Or stay home and wait?”

“Wait for what?” he asked, glancing at her.

“Zachary’s case isn’t resolved yet…”

“And what does that have to do with you?”

Amelia blinked, momentarily speechless. She thought, ‘Well, technically, it has nothing to do with me, but the police have opened a case, and I’m a key eyewitness.’

“Go to the office,” Landon said, his brow faintly furrowing. He thought, ‘Does she still not trust herself enough? Is that my failure as her partner?’

“Alright, whatever you say,” Amelia replied. She quickly gathered her things and headed out. Work would keep her mind occupied.

As for Pamela, having lost her eldest son, she would undoubtedly raise hell at the police station every day until the killer was found. Amelia just needed to wait for the storm to pass.

At the office, Amelia spotted Henry and immediately remembered the bet was due today. “Amelia, I heard you got yourself caught up in a murder?” Henry sneered, his chubby face radiating malice.

“Careful with your words,” Amelia said coldly, her face hardening. “I was just a witness at the scene.” Even as she spoke, her mind was racing, mentally reviewing every major and minor event in the company over the past month.

She thought, ‘I have paid extra attention to the finance department’s performance. This month, the company is in the black. There shouldn’t be any problems, right?’

“Still, getting tied up in something like this is bad luck,” Henry remarked, brushing it off. “Anyway, today’s the deadline for our bet. I’m here to see your results.”

“Of course.” Amelia calmly instructed her secretary to summon the department heads. It was time to witness a miracle. Seeing her confidence and the way she rallied the executives, Henry couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

He thought, ‘Could she really have pulled it off? Impossible. We have meticulously set everything up to ensure her failure.’

“Pay close attention,” Amelia said to Henry as she signaled the departments to begin their reports. One by one, they delivered their updates, each smooth and trouble-free.

The chaos that had engulfed the company after Landon’s accident had completely subsided under Amelia’s leadership. Now, the company was running as seamlessly as it had when Landon had been in charge.

Henry’s smug grin slowly faded as he listened, his expression growing darker with each passing moment. “Amelia, how did you manage this?” he finally blurted, his disbelief evident.

“I’m just that good,” Amelia replied with a triumphant smile, her confidence shining through. She thought, ‘See? Leaving the Edwards family and Zachary behind has done me a world of good.’

“Don’t get cocky,” Henry snapped, his face darkening. He turned to the finance director and demanded, “What are the final numbers?”

“Based on the monthly reports from all departments, the company made a net profit of 25 million dollars this month,” the finance director announced, handing copies of the report to both Amelia and Henry.

Amelia was satisfied, though she felt a pang of guilt. She thought, ‘Is that all? If I had just asked Landon for funding from the start, this month’s profits wouldn’t even have been able to cover the staff’s salary.’

“You lost,” Amelia said with a light tap of her fingers on the table, ready to declare the bet over.

“Wait a second,” Henry chuckled darkly, and then pointed at David Wells from the engineering department. “You, report.”

David, a balding man in his fifties, trembled as he picked up the file in his hands. “Mrs. Kingsley, we’ve had a major issue with the island project.”

“What is it?” Amelia’s face darkened, and she sat up straight.

David continued, “Our project on the island went wrong, causing a 100-million-dollar loss.” The room went silent as everyone’s face turned pale, and they immediately began reprimanding David.

Someone said, “How could you let this happen? The island project was personally negotiated by Mr. Kingsley, It’s been running for over six months without any issues until now.”

Someone questioned, “How did the bridge collapse? Have you investigated the cause?”

The departments were furious. David, utterly ashamed, could barely lift his head. “It was an accident. There’s nothing I could have done. I’ve been doing everything I can to minimize the loss.”

Amelia’s fists tightened. Anger and panic surged inside her. She had prepared for everything, but she never imagined the problem would come from the engineering department. She thought, ‘What now? Am I really going to hand over the management rights and lose Gloria’s shares?’

“Looks like you’ve lost,” Henry sighed deeply, leaning back in his chair with a smug grin. Amelia clenched her teeth in frustration and racked her brain for a solution.

But with so little experience, she couldn’t figure out how to pull together 100 million dollars to cover the loss. She thought, ‘What could I do?’

Just as Amelia began to break into a sweat, Aaron rushed in. “Mrs. Kingsley, I’ve just received news that the sales in the Southwest market have surged this month, netting a profit of 70 million dollars.”

An overseas procurement report appeared on the screen. With the company’s regular profits, not only could they cover the engineering department’s loss, but there would also be a surplus.

Everyone let out a collective sigh of relief, and Amelia felt as if she had narrowly escaped disaster. She said, “Henry, you’ve lost.” Henry’s face became pale. He slammed his fist hard on the conference table.

The loud noise startled everyone, and Brooke quickly stepped between Amelia and Henry, just in case he lost control. “A bet’s a bet. You should leave the company now and never set foot in here again,” Amelia said, standing tall with unwavering authority.

At that moment, she felt like a victorious general returning from battle. With Landon’s support, she was no longer afraid. “Amelia, do you think it’s over now?” Henry suddenly laughed, sending a chill through the room.

“Yes, you’ve done a good job managing the company. You’ve turned a profit. But you shouldn’t have embezzled funds." Henry pulled out a document showing proof of Amelia’s unauthorized fund transfer.

He added, “Abusing your power for personal gain—100 million dollars—just like that. Amelia, are you planning to take over the Kingsley family while Landon’s in a coma?” Everyone turned to look at Amelia. Though no one spoke, their eyes were full of suspicion.

They thought, ‘100 million dollars embezzled? That’s audacious. Rumors have circulated that Amelia has married the comatose Mr. Kingsley for money, but Gloria has always been supportive of her. Mr. Kingsley’s loyal aide, Aaron, has always been by her side.

‘We have all believed that Mr. Kingsley has married a good wife. Have we all been deceived?’

“This was authorized by Landon,” Amelia replied, standing tall, her back straight, fearless, and unfazed.

“Landon authorized it?” Henry laughed derisively. “Stop joking. How could he, in his current state, speak to you? How could he sign off on anything?” Henry’s laughter echoed.

The others exchanged uneasy glances and thought, ‘Yes, it’s true—Mr. Kingsley couldn’t speak or move, so how could he possibly approve the transaction?!