Ch. 6..10: My Sugar And Your Spice Chapter 6-10

Chapter 6

“It’s your turn,” Amelie urged. Her eyes were sparkling. The smile on her face couldn’t be any wider as she signaled him with her chin to press the button to confirm. Opposite them were the employees watching them. The employees who walked past them also slowed down in anticipation of his response. Leo stared at her. Did she press the button to confirm the divorce because she felt that he would keep his promise to Bria to remain married to her? He slowly lifted his finger, which made Amelie nervous with wide eyes. I knew it. She’s been backed into a corner and is desperate now! She’s trying to force me to make her stay! Amelie never thought about that whatsoever. Her nervousness was a result of her wanting Leo to speed up because she didn’t want to be proclaimed that she was divorced under the public’s eagle eyes. It took Leo more than ten seconds to press the confirmation button! He thought that she would reveal her true colors and ask for the process to be stopped, but she never said a word until the end! His fingers curled in silence at this realization. At this moment, a crisp voice sounded in the air. “Leony.” Elyse, her face as bright as the sun, came over with her assistant. She just happened to watch the staff stamping the seal, after which the lady showed the divorce certificate to both Leo and Amelie. Then, Elyse gaped. “A-Are you really divorced?” Amelie pursed her curved lips in a mocking manner. Leo originally looked greatly annoyed, his movements as slow as a snail. But when Elyse came, he immediately agreed to confirm the divorce, which exemplified his great care for her. Elyse didn’t delve too deep on the matter, after which she held Leo’s arm. “I was in a rush and haven’t had my breakfast yet. I heard there’s this decent coffee shop nearby. Leony, do you mind accompanying me for breakfast?” Amelie was uninterested to see them displaying their affection, so she turned to leave. “Miss Dillon, would you like to join us?” Behind her came Elyse’s question. Looping her arm around Leo’s, she rested her head on his shoulder like a dainty lover. “Even if you guys are divorced, we can still be friends.” Amelie was well aware that Elyse was flaunting her victory, but she was not in the mood to humor her. She replied lightly, “Nah, I’m not in the habit of being divorced and remaining friends with my ex.” “Or you could leave your number?” the assistant behind Elyse suggested. “Elyse has an established network, so she knows a lot of people. If there’s a suitable

opportunity in the future, we will definitely recommend it to you. We won’t let your life be affected by the divorce.” “Hey, watch what you’re saying!” Elyse whispered softly, revealing zero pretentiousness. What a well-acted play… Amelie looked at Elyse and couldn’t help grinning. Know your place, Elyse Clayton. I alone can support hundreds by myself. Who are you to show concern for my quality of life? “Miss Clayton, you don’t have to worry about Amy’s life.” Before Amelie could say anything, a male voice interrupted. Immediately after, she felt something of decent heft landing on her shoulder. Someone grabbed her shoulder. “My monthly sales profit is more than enough to buy Bespoke Media ten times over and splurge on Amy. Even after that, there would be some balance.” Bespoke Media was Elyse’s current employer. Those words had done its part to sarcastically humiliate Elyse for overestimating her abilities. “M-Mr. White?” When she saw the man in front of her, her expression changed rapidly as her eyes widened in disbelief. “It’s you?” On the side was Leo, whose expression darkened as his gaze fell on the hand on Amelie’s shoulder. He finally understood that Amelie really wanted the divorce. And her reason was because of this man! There was no way she could get a man in such a short period of time, so she must have cheated during the marriage! Leo felt Amelie’s betrayal deeply and was even angrier than when he was forced to marry her! Elyse obviously felt his anger and her heart couldn’t help but race. “Let’s go.” Jamie refused to look at the others as he spoke to Amelie. She nodded. “Sure.” The two of them ignored everyone else as they left the building. Behind them were shocked employees who had witnessed the entire event. “Isn’t that the online live-selling streamer, Jamie White?” “He hit the jackpot last year, so Starlight Media had made a lot of money and turned him into a star.” “Now, everybody knows who he is. Everybody must have at least purchased one of his items, so his monthly sales are in the trillions!” “Not only that, but his father is the number two entrepreneur in our city. He’s a through and through nouveau riche!” Such a man was on par with Leo, if not comparable. Amelie had married into a rich family in the beginning, but she was now joining another rich family? Elyse balled her fists in silence. This woman ruined my marriage four years ago, but hasn’t even learned her lesson four years later. Instead, she’s caught the eye of such a perfect man like Jamie White? … “Julia asked you to come, right?” Once they had arrived at a quiet spot with no people, Amelie pushed Jamie aside and asked. Jamie’s face resembled a smiling puppy, which made him look adorable. “It has nothing to

do with her. I came on my own. What I said earlier was not a joke, though. We can get married now if you want!” “Oh, man. I don’t want your dad to come after me. There’s a beautiful life ahead of us, so I want to have a few more decades of peace.” Amelie looked very reluctant. They had been acquainted for years, so there was nothing they couldn’t talk about. Jamie chuckled and the two cracked innocuous jokes for a while before heading off on their separate ways. Amelie headed off to Starlight Media to search for Julia. “Jamie made a scene today, so keep your eyes and ears open. Something’s bound to happen.” Julia placed the tablet on the table. “It’s too late. Something has indeed happened.” When Amelie took the device and lowered her head to look, she sighed in annoyance at the content. Which busybody posted photos of my divorce from Leo as well as my friendship with Jamie on the internet so quickly? At least the other party had a conscience because her face was blurred out. Despite that, the photos were causing the incident to spread like wildfire on the internet. In less than 20 minutes, there were more than 300,000 people who had seen the post. Amelie only felt an impending headache. “Jamie White! Are you happy now that I’m in trouble?” Julia’s carefree action of placing her hand on Amelie’s shoulder came before she explained, “You should be well aware of Starlight Media’s PR capabilities. Don’t worry, I guarantee that everything will be alright.” “It’s just that you are divorced, so you can’t be in hiding forever.” Julia quickly shifted the topic to Amelie and continued, “How about we revive our old business? Everyone’s been missing you loads.” Amelie’s eyes lit up when she heard Julia’s suggestion. “Sure, but I want to bring Bria along.”

Chapter 7

Twenty minutes later, Amelie showed up at Starlight Media with Bria. “I kept all your costumes. Here!” Julia exclaimed as she handed Amelie a snowy white fox mask. Her eyes were shining with excitement. “Everyone would be ecstatic if they knew Foxy has returned.” Amelie silently took the mask and wore it. “The mask looks so interesting. Mommy, I want to wear a mask too,” shouted Bria excitedly after she saw Amelie wear the mask. Like performing a magic trick, Julia swiftly handed Bria a little pink fox mask. “Here you go, Bria. I’ve prepared one for you too.” At once, Bria’s big eyes beamed with fascination as she held the mask cautiously. Then, she quickly wore the mask with Julia’s help. After that, she happily ran to Amelie’s side, tugged at her sleeve, and asked, “Mommy, are we cosplaying?” She flicked Bria’s little head and answered, “We’ll be doing a live stream.” While they were talking, Julia had turned on the live stream for her. Only a few people were watching. Even so, Amelie was incredibly excited. Even after four years of not doing live streaming, it was like there was a magical drive guiding her as she greeted the audience naturally, “Hello everyone, it’s your good friend, Foxy. You guys must be wondering why I’ve disappeared for four years, right? Well, I’ll tell you guys all about it.” She briefly talked about her marriage and childbirth before introducing Bria to everyone in the live stream room. The initially empty live stream room instantly became lively a few minutes after the introduction. ‘Damn! I’m not seeing it wrongly, am I? Foxy is back?’ ‘Could it be someone disguising as her and deceiving us?’ ‘It’s possible. After all, Foxy is a certified and famous live streamer with millions of fans. How would the industry be willing to give up such a profitable asset?’ ‘It’s no fun if it’s not Foxy. So, let’s leave, guys.’ As Amelie silently read through the dazzling array of comments everyone posted, she smiled slightly before singing a song. Then, she performed a little magic trick. She even cracked a joke while she performed the trick. At once, the comment section was in an uproar. ‘It’s Foxy! It’s her! I’ve watched each and every of her past live streams! I would recognize her live-streaming style, regardless of what she’d become!’ ‘Yes! I recognized it too. Foxy really has returned!’ ‘Foxy! Foxy! I love you!’ The atmosphere in the live stream room immediately became boisterous. The comment section constantly buzzed with various words of enthusiasm. Not only that, some even frantically sent gifts to Amelie.

Truthfully, Amelie started doing live streams as early as her college days. She was undoubtedly an Internet celebrity, and her popularity was no less than that of an online star with a huge fan base. Unfortunately, because the Alstons refused to accept an Internet celebrity as their daughter-in-law, Amelie stopped doing live streams after she married into the family. Back then, as she loved Leo wholeheartedly, she felt that such a sacrifice was worth it for the sake of love. Nevertheless, now that she looked back at her actions, she realized how foolish she was. Therefore, she reached out, turned off the gift-giving function, and said, “It’s our first gathering after four years. Thank you all for still remembering me. I’m here today to reconnect with you guys, so I won’t be accepting gifts.” Amelie, who resumed her live-streaming activity, suddenly regained her spirit. There would be times when she would alternate between the persona of being mischievous, innocent, cute, and aloof. Regardless of the requests, she could pull off all kinds of styles, repeatedly showing her unique talent. Bria, who was beside her, was a little shy at first. Yet, after she saw how relaxed and happy Amelie was, she, too, joined in. She sang, danced, and performed magic tricks with Amelie. The two of them had a great time. Leo, on the other hand, was in a terrible mood. I guess I’m a celebrity now, thanks to the drama that unfolded this morning. Right now, the whole city knows that I’m divorced! One whole morning, he’d received several calls from friends around him, but their first reaction wasn’t to congratulate him. Instead, they asked, “Did you two really divorce? It’s a little pity, don’t you think?” Is it really, though? What’s so unfortunate about divorcing a woman as scheming as Amelie? Regardless, that wasn’t what annoyed Leo the most. Instead, what frustrated him even more, was the fact that Jamie’s act of protecting Amelie had made the headlines. Someone even asked Jamie about his relationship with Amelie on the same day he did his live stream. In his live stream, Jamie explained that Amelie was the girl he’d admired for a long time. Regrettably, he didn’t have the courage to confess to her due to the big gap between their popularity back then. Now that she was divorced, he hoped he could accompany her well. And as for the future, he told his fans that he would do his best to win her over. Tch! The woman I despised is the woman Jamie loves most and has been very proud of for many years. Isn’t that just an obvious criticism mocking me for being blind to Amelie’s good traits?! The more Leo thought about it, and the more angered he became. In fact, he was so enraged that he attended the

grand ceremony without having lunch and gulped down glass after glass of wine. Next to Leo sat Toby. He happened to be reading articles related to Jamie as he swiped through the tablet screen in front of him. “I never knew your wife was so popular!” There was a gloating smile on his face when he said those words. Leo saw Toby’s gloating smile and felt that it was a piercing sight. His mood increasingly worsened, and he corrected Toby with a cold demeanor. “Ex-wife!” “Fine. Fine. Ex-wife. But it’s quite unfortunate, come to think of it. Although she did plot some scheme against you back then, she still behaved discreetly and didn’t throw any tantrums all these years. Besides, what she did back then was beneficial to you, too… Forget it. Just pretend I didn’t say anything.” Chatting endlessly at first, Toby hurriedly kept his mouth, for he knew he’d touched Leo’s raw nerve after seeing Leo looking like he was about to skin him alive. Leo massaged his temples and allowed his thoughts to linger on the affairs of their divorce. Amelie Dillion, that good-for-nothing woman, where did she have the confidence to divorce me? What right does she have to file for divorce? “What’s so unfortunate about divorcing a woman like her?!” Ashton, who was on the other side, pouted unhappily. He added disdainfully, “But I must say: since she left without taking any property after the divorce and didn’t even bother to come up with any explanations regarding the child’s custody, she clearly wanted to be passive-aggressive. She definitely has something up her sleeves. I can assure you that she’ll definitely return with the child within three days, looking all pitiful and begging you to remarry her. You’ll fall into her trap if you get all soft-hearted and agree.” For some reason, Leo actually felt his mood inexplicably improve when he heard Ashton say that Amelie wasn’t genuine in wanting to divorce him and even had plans to remarry him. Nonetheless, another burst of frustration surged within him moments later. What am I thinking? I should have divorced a woman as sinister and despicable as Amelie long ago! “No way! Foxy has returned?!” Toby suddenly yelled. Then, he shoved his tablet in front of Leo with great excitement. “Leo, it looks like there’s hope for our plan to enter Skaynia’s market after all.” Although Leo was annoyed to death, he would never be sloppy about work. So he glanced at the person inside the screen and ordered, “You shall follow up on this matter first.” “Okay,” Toby responded with a nod. Then, he shoved Leo again the following day and said, “Don’t you think that Foxy looks like your ex-wife?”

Chapter 8

Meanwhile, Ashton, who never joined in the conversation between the two as he was playing cards on his mobile phone, glanced over. “Toby, please. Why do you see every woman as Amelie?” Ashton had made the same remark the last time Toby saw the dancer within the sea of dancers. In fact, Ashton would show apparent signs of distaste every time someone mentioned Amelie’s name. Since Leo was already in a bad mood in the first place, Toby and Ashton weren’t much of a help in making him feel better with them constantly talking about his ex-wife. Eventually. he could no longer bear sitting and listening to the two as he rose to his feet and walked out of the private dining room. Finally, the one- hour-long live stream ended. However, Amelie and Bria were still riding the high of their successful stream. After Bria removed the little fox mask, she blinked her bright eyes and looked at Amelie as she said, “Mommy, it’s my first time seeing you smile so happily. You look so pretty when you smile!” When she heard that, she was momentarily stunned. Yeah. After four years of marriage, I almost forgot how to put on a genuine smile. Still, she pinched Briar’s adorable chubby cheeks as she praised, “You’re amazing too. I never knew you could dance so well.” Just as Bria was fascinated by her, Amelie, too, was astonished by Bria’s performance today. Bria looked down at her words and sheepishly said, “Actually, I have always liked dancing, but I also know Grandma and Aunt Jodie dislike it. I am afraid that it will annoy them, and they will, in turn, scold you, so…” Tears instantly welled up in her eyes when she heard Bria’s answer. So that’s the reason! After getting married, I have been living with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law. Never once did we move out of the house. I’ve always remembered that Bria would move her body to the music within a few months of her birth, and when she reached 1 or 2 years old, she would dance away and even choreograph her own dance moves. But for some reason, she became less fond of dancing as time went on. Initially, Amelie thought that Bria just didn’t like dancing anymore. Hence, never once did it cross her mind that Bria did it out of fear that Jodie and Melissa would scold her. A sense of guilt surged within her. Once again, she hugged Bria tightly and said, “Don’t worry, Bria. You can dance as much as you want in the future. You no longer have to worry about anything else. Also, there’s one more thing that I have to tell you. We will no longer live at

Grandma’s house. Your father and I have separated too. A-Are you willing to leave them and stay with me?” Since she didn’t discuss with Bria about the divorce, she was highly uneasy at this moment. “Can I really stop staying at Grandma’s house?” Bria was merely stunned for a moment, and a hint of joy immediately surfaced on her face as she cheered, “Hurray!” “Bria, you don’t want to… stay there either?” Amelie asked, and she was somewhat surprised by her response. “I don’t like staying there.” Bria shook her head without thinking twice. “Grandma and Aunt Jodie isn’t fond of you and me, so I dislike them too!” Alas, her statement only aroused Amelie’s deeper sense of guilt. Due to the fact that Amelie’s father only worked as a shoemaker, the Alstons always felt that her family background wasn’t as prestigious as theirs. So they constantly gave her an attitude, and as a result, they were prejudiced against Bria too. Now, three years had passed since Bria was born, yet her existence was completely kept hidden from the outside world. Perhaps in the eyes of the Alstons, Amelie giving birth to the family’s descendants was a disgrace and a stain on their prestigious lineage. Amelie couldn’t help but think, Will everything turn out differently if I hadn’t made such an impulsive decision back then and secretly given birth to Bria and raised her by myself later after I found out I was pregnant? After they ended the live stream, Julia told her that the studio apartment she would stay in was already vacant and ready for her to move in. Hence, Amelie took Bria to the apartment she bought before marriage. Although she didn’t come from a wealthy family, she made a lot of money through live streams. She bought this studio apartment with the money she earned from live streams. “Hi, Master, my name is Leony, and I’m your most loyal, intelligent steward. Just give me the order if you have anything that you wish me to do for you. I will definitely work extremely hard to serve you.” A respectful and enthusiastic voice sounded from inside as soon as she opened the door. She couldn’t help but chuckle, “Julia, are you an idiot? I left that house just so I could completely forget about him. Why did you program the smart home system to have the same name and even share the same voice as Leo?” “You were wronged so much while living in his house. Since you can’t get them to compensate you in hard cash, the least you can do is to compensate you in terms of mental state. So let me tell you: not only did I program the system to talk in that b*stard’s voice, but I also inserted his mother and sister’s voices in the system too. So you can switch between their voices and order them around as much as you like

whenever you feel upset.” No one knew about Amelie’s pain and grievances for the past four years better than Julia. Likewise, she was also the most outraged by the injustice that Amelie had suffered. Still, Amelie accepted her goodwill and gave her an ‘I don’t know what to do with you’ eye roll as she led Bria into the house. Everything in the new house sparked Bria’s curiosity, especially when she saw she even had her own little room that was painted pink and filled with beautiful lace dolls. Bria joyfully ran to her own little heaven to play, whereas Amelie and Julia were at the coffee table. They were browsing through their phones while sipping on the newly bought tea. “Say: you own so many villas, yet why did you choose this apartment? Don’t you think it’s too small?” Nonetheless, Amelie didn’t care about the size of her home. As she swept her gaze at the house, she said, “I think it’s better to live in a less spacious house. Then, at least, it won’t look so empty.” After she had lived in the Alston Residence for four years, it had made her sick and tired of living in a house with an empty and uninviting vibe. “Besides, I bought this place before I got married. I just want to go back to being me.” Initially, tears almost welled up in Julia’s eyes because of her words. But that sadness was bulldozed over by overwhelming joy when she heard Amelie say that she wanted to return to her former self. “That’s the spirit.” As the two talked, they started scrolling their phones out of occupational habit. The popularity of the news about Jamie and Amelie had yet to subside, making Julia beam with happiness from time to time as she browsed through her mobile phone. “Everyone seems to be quite in favor of you two being together. In my opinion, Jamie is much better than that sc*mbag Leo.” “I can’t deny that Jamie is a good guy, but you can’t randomly matchmake us. I just want to live a happy life with Bria. I don’t wish to talk about love right now.” Falling in love with Leo alone was torture enough to last her for a lifetime. So, the current Amelie no longer held hope for love. “Damn!” Two were chatting when Julia suddenly slammed her hand on the coffee table, causing the teacup to move away from its saucer. “Leo is absolutely the trashiest guy I’d ever seen! You two have just divorced, yet he’s already planning to have an engagement with Elyse?! Did he not learn any lesson after getting cheated on by her back then?! He’s planning to let himself constantly get cheated on for the rest of his life?!” Amelie looked over upon hearing Julie’s outraged cries and saw the post on Elyse’s Facebook page. There was a photo attached, and in the image, Elyse’s face was lit up with joy as her fingers intertwined with another

person. Even though the other person’s face wasn’t revealed in the photo, Amelie still recognized the red mole on the person’s middle finger. It’s Leo! The words in the caption clearly stood out as they stated. ‘The season of love has arrived. A season that’s suitable for engagement.’ Amelie merely glanced at the picture and smiled faintly as she said, “They are now just passers-by to me. It’s none of my business whether they want to get engaged or get married.” After that, she looked away and didn’t bother taking a second look. “Still, I’m very upset! If you hadn’t stood up for him back then, Leo would have been humiliated long ago, and the Alston Corporation would have suffered from downfall too!” In a fit of anger, Julia kept hitting the table hard, creating a loud noise. “Not only is he ungrateful to you, but he also ignored you! I know you won’t make a fuss about these things, but what’s the meaning of him making such an official announcement about him being together with Elyse? Isn’t that the same as telling you that everything you did was superfluous and you had no one but yourself to blame for all the grievances you suffered?” “That’s precisely the thing that’s running in his mind,” Amelie sighed, already accepting reality as it is. “F*ck! What a b*stard!” Julia grabbed her teaspoon and scratched it against the coffee table, completely imagining it as Leo. “It’s okay if you lose in terms of love, but we can’t just sit here and let him look down at you. Since he sees you as a vile woman he can trample on at will; we should also come up with something to suffocate him! How about we call in our mutuals, Blakey, this time? He definitely can crush Leo with his invincible noble demeanor!” Julia quickly decided and picked up her mobile phone to make a call. “Please stop coming up with crazy ideas.” Amelie feared that Julia would think of some weird plans. “You have already involved me in scandals with two men this month. Those who don’t know me will really think I’m a flirtatious woman. Besides, Blakey is different from Jamie. He’s pure and innocent. I can’t bear to get his innocence tainted if you shove him into my arms.” “You.” An exasperated look was written all over Julia’s face, for this wasn’t the outcome she’d hoped for. Anyhow, Julia eventually had to toss the idea into the bin as she couldn’t change Amelie’s decision. Although she had no plans to take advantage of Blakey, Amelie still took Bria to visit him after she learned that he had returned.

Chapter 9

Blakey’s full name was Blake Gareth. He was a rising star within the figure skating world within these two years. When Amelie and Bria arrived, he was leaning against the railing with his skates on and was still in his training uniform. His figure was slim, his legs were long, and as the sleeves of his uniform fluttered, Blake looked just like an exiled celestial being. He completely portrayed the image of a handsome nobleman, especially when he had a few bangs delicately framing his stunning face. Awestruck by Blake’s unparalleled charm, Amelie sighed, “What a fine man! His gentle bearing truly overshadows all men.” A sheepish smile painted across Blake’s face when he saw her. “Hey, Amelie.” With that, she pulled Bria closer, motioning her to greet Blake. “Quick. Call him Mr. Blake.” “Mr. Blake, you are so handsome and ethereal, like a celestial being. I shall call you Mr. Celeste.” Bria, who had left the Alston Residence, completely let herself run wild and tossed all her etiquette lessons to the wind. Hence, she no longer spoke cautiously. Blake smiled shyly at her earnest praise. He even gave Bria a small white bracelet as a gift. Bria liked it so much that she started examining and playing with it alone. “Amelie, I’ve heard… about your news. Are you alright?” Blake only cast a concerned look at her after he saw Bria leaving their vicinity. Amelie shrugged indifferently as she said, “It’s all in the past. I’m doing pretty well.” The gaze in Blake’s eyes flickered as he scrutinized her. Since he was an extremely detail-oriented person, he naturally knew that Amelie hadn’t completely recovered from her previous marriage. Even so, he still sensibly stopped asking any more questions. Thus, he suggested thoughtfully, “Amelie, let’s perform a figure skating routine, shall we?” As they said, one should learn healthy coping mechanisms. Hence, her heart pumped with excitement the moment she heard his suggestion. Although her figure skating skill wasn’t as good as his, she, too, had undergone some serious training before. Initially, she practiced figure skating just so she could convince Blake. She didn’t expect that she would fall in love with the sport herself. “Sure.” Since she had nothing better to do anyway, she thought it was an excellent time to have some fun. “But I want Bria to skate with me.” He naturally had no objection to her request. When Bria heard that Blake and Amelie were going to take her skating with them, she was so happy that she clapped her hands and jumped for joy. Shortly after,

he brought skates and training uniforms for the two before leading them into the skating rink. While Amelie started doing her warm-ups, Blake first took Bria to familiarize herself with the rink and taught her some simple exercises. For a 3-year-old, Bria was a surprisingly fast learner, for she was able to perform some spins around the rink under Blake’s lead in no time. Soon, Amelie chased after them with graceful glides and took Bria’s other hand. Just like that, the three skated together in the rink. A trio containing two adults and a little girl made their appearance on the skating rink. The adults looked like a match made in heaven, and the little girl was adorable, so they immediately garnered a lot of attention and praise from the audience. At some point, melodious music sounded over the rink. Amelie spun as she instinctively pushed Bria, whereas Blake firmly caught her. She found the routine fun and giggled happily as she demanded more. Then, Amelie lifted her up. Blake, on the other hand, skated behind her. He firmly grabbed her waist, balancing her as he led her to do another spin. Since Blake’s figure skating skills were superb, Amelie was not at all worried that she and Bria would fall. They danced and skated to their heart’s content, completely immersing themselves in the passionate beat of the music. As she possessed a pair of long legs, a thin waist, and exceptional dancing skills, every movement she made perfectly matched the rhythm of the music. In addition, her graceful and beautiful movements made her look just like a mysterious elf dancing across the ice as she spun between Blake’s arms. Each glide she made was elegant yet exuded a mesmerizing aura. Blake’s gaze softened at some point. He slightly clasped his arms which allowed room for Amelie to embrace Bria as she spun between his arms. The corners of his lips curled into a tender smile. Meanwhile, on the other end, Elyse and Leo walked in. When Elyse saw this scene, she exclaimed, “Wow! What a harmonious family!” Leo looked over at the comment and saw three figures skating gracefully. Because Bria and Amelie were wearing helmets, Leo didn’t recognize them at all. Like Elyse, he, too, thought the scene was beautiful. Just then, the music ended. Amelie took off her helmet and flicked her long hair coolly. “That was awesome! Leo’s face showed obvious signs of surprise the moment he recognized Amelie. I never knew that Amelie could skate—not to mention being able to skate so gracefully. But, in my impression, apart from having a dishonest nature, she’s a dull and boring person. In the meantime, Bria took off her helmet too. “Mommy! It’s so fun!” As she was totally captivated by Blake’s charm and

oblivious to Leo’s arrival. She took Blake’s hand and refused to let go. “Mr. Celeste, can I not address you as Mr. Blake? How about you be my father instead?” Bria heard from Julia that after Amelie and Leo divorced, Amelie would find a better man to be her father. Since she really liked Blake so much, she thought it would certainly be great if Blake could be her father. Alas, her innocent remark made Leo’s face abruptly become sullen. Although he didn’t say a word, Elyse still felt the sudden chill surrounding her. Her heart involuntarily skipped a beat due to fear. “Blakey, help me look after Bria for a while. I’m going to the bathroom.” Amelie didn’t catch what Bria had said to Blake. Instead, she entrusted Blake to look after Bria before she entered the bathroom. As soon as she walked in, the door behind her closer with a bang. She was taken aback by the noise, and when she turned around, she saw a gloomy and sullen face. Leo stood behind her—malice and ruthlessness filled his gaze as he stared her down.

Chapter 10

Truthfully, Amelie was quite surprised to stumble upon Leo here. Still, out of courtesy, she smiled and said, “Mr. Alston, you’re in the wrong place. This is the women’s bathroom. The men’s bathroom is next door.” “I don’t care whether you’re hooking up with another man, but you will not take Bria with you! She’s my daughter! Return her to the Alston Residence at once!” Leo habitually commanded her to do his bidding. After she heard his rude demands, the polite smile she initially had quickly melted away as she sneered, “Your daughter? Mr. Alston, do you know the time I gave birth to Bria? Was Bria born in the morning or the afternoon? And the weather on the day she was born. Was it cloudy or sunny that day? Also, do you even know what we went through after her birth?” In an instant, her pointed questions shut him up. He was utterly stumped and unable to answer any of her questions. After I married Amelie, I spent more time in the company. In fact, I spent two-thirds of my time in the entire year on business trips. The only thing I remembered was that Amelie had already given birth to Bria by the time I returned home from my trip. Amelie looked down, disappointed by Leo’s reaction. I once read the introduction of a novel about a woman who had gone through her pregnancy alone, went for check- ups alone, and even gave birth alone. At that time, I felt that the female lead character in the novel was very pitiful. It wasn’t until I bled profusely during childbirth to the point that I had to sign a notice of critical illness for Bria that I realized the scenario described in the book was only one-tenth of what I had endured. For that reason, ever since he didn’t pick up my distressed calls, I deliberately kept this matter hidden from him. So what if I told him the truth? He would probably just ridicule and mock me anyway, saying everything that happened to me was due to my scheming against him and my karma for ruining his relationship with Elyse. She hid away the grief in her heart as she raised her head and gave him a fierce smile. “Don’t worry, Mr. Alston. Bria is the apple of my eye. So naturally, I won’t make her suffer the same fate as me. I won’t let anyone think she’s of lowly birth. Instead, I will provide her a life that’s filled with utter dignity!” Immediately after she finished saying her piece, she bypassed him and stormed out of the bathroom. The following days were much calmer. After Blake’s return, he began his e-commerce live-streaming activity every day. He earned himself a considerable fanbase thanks to

his exceptional temperament and reputation as a figure skating champion. His live stream was so successful that one wouldn’t think the staff members at the Starlight Media were boastful if they told them that the company was profiting greatly every single day. Bria even transformed into Blake’s biggest fan. She would follow him around like a duckling. This made Jamie so jealous that he, too, tried his best to win Bria’s favor. Bria was totally overjoyed to be able to hang around with these two handsome guys daily. On the other hand, Amelie had a lot of free time since she didn’t have to look after Bria all the time. Hence, Julia came knocking early in the morning and took her out on a shopping spree. Since Julia was an influential lady boss in the e-commerce live-streaming industry, everyone in the store instantly recognized her the moment she entered. The staff wasted no time gathering around her, wishing they could persuade her to try on all the clothes in the store. Unlike Julia, Amelie was used to keeping a low profile. She watched as everyone gathered around Julia and simply exited the store quietly. Then, she randomly walked into another store. Soon, she had her eyes on a pink dress. Although the dress had a simple and minimalistic design, it was both chic and beautiful. She immediately took the dress, approached a staff member, and said politely, “Please wrap it up for me.” “Right away, Miss.” The staff wasted no time as she bagged the dress. “Lookie here! Isn’t this the especially tough Amelie?” Suddenly, a piercing and sarcastic voice sounded from outside the boutique. Amelie swiveled her head toward the voice in slight annoyance and saw a woman walking into the store with several people in tow. The instant she laid her eyes on the woman, she could feel the woman’s glares stabbing her like daggers. The woman had her lips curled into a smirk as she sized Amelie up with her eyes filled with contempt and disdain. This person was none other than Amelie’s former sister-in-law, Jodie. Jodie had always looked down on her. Hence, when she saw the dress in the staff’s hand, she snorted derisively, “With that little capability of yours, you still dare to shop for clothes at a store such as this? Do you even know how expensive the clothes here are?” “It’s not that expensive,” Amelie retorted indifferently. Most of the clothes here only cost thousands of dollars. This amount of money is nothing to me. “Ha! How boastful! From what I see: you knew precisely that I would come here to shop and specifically waited for me here. Instead, you want me to pay for you and, simultaneously, complain about how broke you are in the hopes that I will bring you back to the Alston

Residence,” Jodie said with absolute certainty. From Jodie’s point of view, this was the sole possibility that Amelie would show up here in this store. That was because she knew that Amelie had left the Alston Residence without taking a single cent and was currently unemployed. “How about you get down on your knees and beg me? Who knows? I might think about it.” With that, she crossed her arms in front of her chest and sat before Amelie imperiously. Her eyes gleamed with malicious intent as she tilted her head arrogantly at Amelie. In truth, Jodie never thought of allowing Amelie to return to the Alston Residence at all. Unfortunately, she was used to taking her frustrations out on Amelie. Therefore, she would feel as though ants were crawling under her skin if she didn’t get to bully Amelie upon encountering her. At this moment, Jodie’s heart was filled with immense pride, and she was so confident that Amelie would definitely allow herself to be humiliated just for a chance to return to the Alston Residence. Although her marriage with Leo brought Amelie nothing but misfortune, it also gave her a chance to see the true colors of the Alston Family. As they had lived under the same roof for the past four years, she certainly knew what Jodie had in mind, and she couldn’t help but smile faintly. Back then, I would roll over when Jolly started her daily ‘Amelie Hunting’ solely because I didn’t want to distract and trouble Leo with such trivial matters. But now that we have divorced, why should I continue playing meek little lamb? She dismissed Jodie entirely as she went straight to the counter and said calmly, “Check this out for me, please.” How dare Amelie ignore me?! The situation angered Jodie so much that it made her blood boil. She rudely grabbed the dress from the staff and slammed it on the counter. “I’m buying this dress!” “I got my hands on it first,” Amelie reminded her coldly. Regardless, Jodie was very much used to having her needs catered to. “So what? I’m the heiress of the Alstons. Not only am I able to buy this piece of dress, but it also won’t be a problem even if I buy this entire store!” Then, she ordered in an insufferably arrogant manner, “Can a staff member of this store immediately come over here and chase this penurious woman out?!” “Oh, how arrogant. Why don’t you buy this store before issuing such an order?” Julia’s voice cut in before Amelie could say another word. She held her small bag in her arms and sashayed over confidently. Her eyes were filled with distaste toward Jodie. At first, Jodie merely made that statement because she just wanted to boast of her wealth before Amelie. Nonetheless, now that Julia had made a bet with her, her face momentarily

crimsoned with embarrassment. “This is a family matter. Miss White, you’d be better off not meddling.” Julia was such a popular figure that Jodie naturally knew who she was. Hence, she couldn’t help reminding Julia. Julia sneered, “Amy is the only member of her family. Who the hell do you think you are? How dare you call yourself her family! Besides, she’s my best friend. So, Miss Alston, her business is my business!” Jodie immediately looked at Julia in disbelief. What’s happening? I wholeheartedly thought that Julia was simply standing up for the weak. But, in the end, she turns out to be Amelie’s best friend… How is this possible? Amelie is merely the daughter of a poverty-stricken shoemaker. How could she know Julia? Julia couldn’t care less about what Jodie was thinking. She made her way toward the counter, threw a black card, and announced generously, “I’m willing to offer twice the price to buy this store.” Everyone instantly became speechless at her words. Twice the price?! That’s like tens of millions! At that point, everyone was so shocked by Julia’s generosity that they didn’t even dare to breathe too loudly for fear of attracting her attention. “I’m afraid I may not be able to sell this store to you, but Miss White, we are able to carry out any orders you have in mind.” The store manager was a shrewd person. She had already picked up on the fact that Julia was trying to get even with Jodie. Julia curled her lips in a satisfied smile at the manager’s words. Then, she cast a glance at Jodie and spoke slowly…