Ch. 461..470

Too Much to Bear My Love Chapter 461

Threw Up

Amelia did not ask the suspect too many questions. After another two questions, she came out and saw a middle-aged man with a beer belly sucking up to Oscar.

“Mommy!” Anthony, who was on Oscar’s lap, saw Amelia and reached out to her.

Amelia carried Anthony and said, “Oscar, who is this?”

When that middle-aged man saw her, he was mesmerized and nearly forgot that Oscar was next to him.

Oscar’s gaze turned cold, and he deliberately spoke loudly. “Amelia, this is Chief Gardner. He heard that you have been threatened and rushed here all the way.”

Will instantly regained his senses.

Amelia smiled politely at him and offered a handshake. “Chief Gardner, nice to meet you. I’m Amelia.”

“I’ve always heard that Mr. Clinton’s wife is an extremely charming woman. Now that I see you in person, the rumors are true. You’re indeed a beauty. Together with Mr. Clinton, the both of you look like a match made in heaven.” Both of Will’s hands were holding on to Amelia’s hand. The touch of her skin made it impossible for him to let go.

Oscar’s face darkened immediately. He cleared his throat, and Will snapped out of it quickly. Worried that Oscar might be angry with him, he released Amelia’s hand and smiled awkwardly.

“Mr. Clinton, my subordinates will interrogate the suspect. We’ll look into every single detail. Once we find out who the mastermind is, we will have them arrested and locked up,” said Will sincerely.

“I shall thank you in advance, Chief Gardner. Once you have the mastermind in custody, I’ll treat everyone in the station to a meal,” responded Oscar.

“If Mr. Clinton is treating us, I’m sure everyone will attend. I doubt anybody in Tayhaven will dare to turn down an invitation from you, Mr. Clinton,” Will groveled.

Oscar said humbly, “I’m just a small-time businessman and a common citizen. I’m nothing compared to an official like yourself, Chief Gardner.”

Despite what Oscar had said, Will dared not utter anything. The power of the Clintons had already gotten as high as the military. Even the army had to give Oscar their due respect. A low-ranking chief like himself would certainly not dare to put on airs in front of Oscar.

Will laughed. “Mr. Clinton is such a joker. How can I be comparable to you?”

Oscar chuckled slightly before saying, “Chief Gardner, our son has yet to have his dinner. Let me take the two of them for their meal. As for my wife’s issue, I shall leave it in your good hands.”

“It’s already so late, and all of you haven’t eaten yet? Then, Mr. Clinton, you better go ahead. I’ll get someone to interrogate the suspect. Don’t worry about it. I should be able to get some results within a day.”

They chatted briefly before Oscar left the police station with Amelia and Anthony.

Once they were in the car, Oscar asked, “Did you recognize that person?”

Amelia was sitting in the backseat with Anthony on her lap. She shook her head and said, “I don’t know the suspect. As for the mastermind, I couldn’t recall anyone I know based on his descriptions.”

Oscar’s face fell. “Don’t worry. Chief Gardner will investigate this matter thoroughly.”

“Did you ask him to come here?”

Oscar answered casually, “I called him specially.”

Amelia looked at her son and said, “Tony, see how nice Daddy treats me. The moment someone bullied me, your daddy immediately taught the person a lesson. Your daddy is an invincible hero. With him around, we will be safe and sound.”

Anthony stood up and looked at Oscar. He turned back to Amelia and agreed by nodding his head. “Big Meanie is a hero, but he is still not as good as Daddy. But, since Mommy likes him, I will like Big Meanie more. Whoever treats Mommy well is a good person.”

Both Oscar and Amelia could not help but laugh out loud.

Anthony seemed pleased too. He continued with gusto, “Mommy, I’ll finish that Big Meanie who bullied you for you.”

Amelia pulled her son into her arms and kissed his cheeks. “My good son, you’re so adorable. I want you to be by my side always.”

Anthony leaned in her embrace and said, “Mommy, I like you a lot. You are my favorite person. Not even Daddy.”

Amelia’s heart was about to melt. With such a lovable son by her side, no obstacles were unsurmountable.

Oscar was not driving in the direction of their home. Amelia noticed that and asked, “Oscar, where are we going? Aren’t we heading home?”

“Tony has been back for a while now, but we haven’t brought him to the amusement park yet. Since tomorrow is a weekend, I thought we could take him there.” With his hands on the steering wheel, he turned around and asked Anthony when the traffic lights turned red, “Tony, shall we go to the amusement park, or do you want to go somewhere else?”

The little boy’s eyes widened with interest, and he asked excitedly, “Big Meanie, can I really go anywhere I want to?”

Oscar nodded.

“Then, I want to take the roller coaster,” proclaimed Anthony loudly.

Oscar was taken aback.

“Tony, do you really want to go on the roller coaster ride?” asked Oscar tentatively.

The young boy nodded his head solemnly. “I think it will be very thrilling to take the roller coaster ride. In the past, I asked Mommy and Daddy to take me there, but they refused. Big Meanie, why don’t you take me there? If you do that, I’ll regard you as a hero.”

Oscar chuckled. This boy is really smart. At such a tender age, he already knows how to manipulate others. Tony certainly reminds me of myself when I was young. He is, without a doubt, my son.

“Fine. I’ll take you there.”

There was no protest from Amelia as well.

By the time they arrived at the largest amusement park of Tayhaven, it was already close to ten o’clock. The place closed only at half-past eleven, so they still had some time to play.

Oscar went to purchase the entrance tickets. After that, he placed Anthony on his shoulders, and they looked at the Ferris wheel. They could hear loud screaming coming from the rides. “Tony, are you sure you won’t be afraid?”

On the contrary, Anthony was eyeing the Ferris wheel with a face full of excitement. He started hopping up and down on Oscar’s shoulders and shouted, “Daddy, I want to go up on that one. Quick! Quick!”

Oscar held the boy firmly and asked Amelia, “Amelia, are you all right with it?”

She smiled. “Oscar, go and spend some quality time with Tony.”

He reached out to caress her face and said with a smile, “I’ll go with Tony then.”

Both Oscar and Anthony were finally seated on the Ferris wheel while Amelia looked on from the ground. After one round, the boy was still as excited as ever. On the other hand, Oscar looked dumbfounded, and his eyes seemed strange.

Amelia asked worriedly, “Oscar, are you all right?”

He shook his head.

However, Anthony said excitedly, “Daddy, I want more.”

Oscar looked dizzy. Hence, Amelia carried Anthony and told him, “Tony, once is enough. Remember what I told you before? Even if it’s something we like very much, having it once is sufficient. We mustn’t be too greedy.”

Anthony pouted his lips and shot Oscar a pitiful look.

Oscar, who had always been cold to most people, could not refuse when he saw Anthony looking at him like that.

He carried Anthony from Amelia and said, “It’s fine. He hardly comes to the amusement park. I’ll take him for another round.”

“Then, I will go too. The three of us will go as a family,” Amelia insisted.

“Are you up for it?”

“Of course! I have no fear of heights.”

In the end, the family of three went on the Ferris wheel.

After the second round, Oscar’s face had turned pale. When Amelia saw that, she was shocked too. “Oscar, are you sure you are okay?”

Oscar had initially wanted to shake his head. However, he felt nauseous. He ran straight to one corner and started throwing up violently. Amelia was stunned when she saw that.

She ran over with Anthony in her arms, put her son down, and patted Oscar’s back. “Oscar, how are you feeling?”

Oscar felt so much better after he finished vomiting. He waved his hand and responded, “I’m fine.”

It was very embarrassing for someone as fearless as Oscar to vomit after a Ferris wheel ride. Unfortunately, that was something he would have to live with for the rest of his life.

When Amelia saw him in that state, she did not know whether to laugh or cry. At the same time, she felt sorry for him too.

Amelia could clearly see the changes in Oscar, and she was touched.

He used to be an aloof person who deemed himself superior to others. Now, he was willing to take a ride on the Ferris wheel like a commoner for the sake of both her son and herself.

“Oscar, since you cannot take the Ferris wheel, why didn’t you say so earlier? I feel so bad to see you get sick.”

Once Oscar felt better, he stood up and caressed her cheeks. “I didn’t expect to have such a reaction either. Did I make a fool of myself just now? Tony must be very disappointed with me.”

Amelia looked at him lovingly and said, “No, you are particularly attractive today. I understand you so much better now. I find it harder to leave you as I discover more merits of yours.”

Just then, Anthony tugged at Amelia’s dress and interrupted their romantic moment.

“Big Meanie,” Anthony called out as he looked up at Oscar. “Shame on you. You vomited just now. But, since you went on the Ferris wheel twice with me, you are still a hero in my heart.”

Oscar could finally rest assured. He was really worried that Anthony might think poorly of him.

He was so thrilled to become Tony’s hero that the happiness he felt at that moment outweighed the satisfaction he got from a successful business deal that was worth billions. It looked like the time spent between a father and his son was more precious than what money could buy.

Too Much to Bear My Love Chapter 462

Right Ways To Handle A Love Rival

After the trip to the amusement park, the relationship between Oscar and Anthony improved vastly. The little boy showed no sign of exhaustion. In fact, he was more energetic than before. During the ride back home, he was unable to sit still. Oscar, who was looking after him, did not know what to do with him.

The moment the three of them arrived in the neighborhood, they saw Kurt standing outside the entrance of the apartment.

Both Amelia and Oscar were taken aback. Anthony, on the other hand, was very eager to see Kurt. He jumped down from Oscar’s arms and threw himself into Kurt’s arms. “Daddy, you’re back!”

Kurt carried Tony in his arms, and the little boy smacked a passionate kiss on his cheeks. With his arms around Kurt’s neck, he asked, “Daddy, where have you gone to? Why were you away for so long?”

Kurt avoided Anthony’s question. Instead, he asked one back in return, “Have you been a good boy?”

“Yes, I always listen to Mommy. Now, I’m okay with Big Meanie. Just now, Big Meanie took me for a ride on the Ferris wheel.” Anthony looked very happy, and he continued, “Daddy, you have no idea how fun the Ferris wheel is. Big Meanie carried me, and we went up and down the Ferris wheel.”

Anthony rattled off his experience earlier on.

Kurt was upset. Looking at the animated way Anthony was talking about Oscar, he felt as though his child had been taken away from him. No matter how well he had treated Anthony in the past, Oscar was still his biological father. Blood would always be thicker than water.

Tons of thoughts raced through Kurt’s mind, but his stern face revealed none of the conflicts within him.

With Anthony in his arms, Kurt walked over to Oscar and greeted respectfully, “Boss.”

Oscar kept his eyes on Anthony, who was snugging in Kurt’s embrace, and responded calmly, “You’re back.”

Amelia was worried that things would become awkward, so she took out her house keys and said, “Kurt, it’s good now that you’re back. Since you have come here in the middle of the night, you must have something important to discuss with Oscar. Why don’t you come in?”

Kurt walked into the house with Anthony.

Once they were inside the house, Amelia took Anthony from Kurt and said, “Kurt, why don’t you go to the study with Oscar for your discussion? I’ll get a bowl of pasta ready for you. You look like you have endured a long journey. Knowing you, I’m sure you have not eaten yet.”

Kurt nodded.

Once both men were inside the study, Oscar got straight to the point. “Is everything done?”

“Boss, he has been dealt with. This is the book that we have found in his safe box. It contains the details of every transaction he ever had with the Golden Triangle drug lord behind Clinton Corporations’ back all these years.”

The book was not big, but it was pretty thick. Oscar took the book from Kurt and opened it. It was filled with numbers. Oscar’s eyes darkened, and Kurt could not tell what was on his mind.

“Kurt, well done.” Oscar patted him on the shoulders and praised him, which was rare.

Kurt was completely caught by surprise with the compliment.

“Thank you, boss. I’ll work harder in the future,” responded Kurt.

Oscar placed the book on the study table and both his hands behind his back. “There’s no need to be so formal with me. Otherwise, how can you be my rival in love?”

Kurt widened his eyes in disbelief and stared at Oscar’s back.

“Boss, I have never thought of stealing your woman. I’m also aware that Amelia will never fall for me. You’re the only man in her heart.” Kurt told the truth though he did sound dejected if one were to pay close attention.

A smile appeared on Oscar’s face. He turned around and walked right up to Kurt. Both men were of the same height, and their eyes met. Kurt could sense the danger coming from Oscar’s gaze.

“Kurt, you know your place well. That’s what I like most about you. I have plans to make you my right-hand man. I don’t blame you for the things that happened two years ago. After all, Amelia would have had a tough time raising Tony all by herself without your help. Nevertheless, I’m jealous that Amelia allowed you to leave with her. Compared to me, who has been her husband of five years, she treats you so much better.” It was hard to tell how Oscar truly felt.

Kurt dared not speak much. “I’m her bodyguard. Naturally, I will go whenever and wherever she goes.”

Oscar was taken aback and then laughed out loud. He smacked Kurt’s shoulders three times. As he did that, Kurt’s expression changed a little each time. Afterward, a trace of pain appeared on Kurt’s face.

“Does it hurt?” asked Oscar.

Kurt lowered his head and changed the topic. “Boss, thank you for the lesson.”

Oscar pouted his lips and found him boring.

“The people around me are so boring. Both Hugo and you are the same. Come on! Give me a smile.” Oscar’s casual request sounded like a difficult demand to Kurt. He was a bodyguard, not a clown.

Oscar narrowed his eyes and asked in a threatening tone, “What’s wrong? Can’t I order you around now?” It was Oscar’s intention to mess around with Kurt. That was how petty he was. When he saw his wife and son treated another man so well, it would be a lie if he said he was not jealous. That was why he was abusing his power to humiliate Kurt.

The latter forced himself to smile.

Looking at Kurt with disdain, Oscar said, “After being with Amelia for two years, you haven’t improved in the slightest. All I asked for was a smile, and you acted as if you were about to be beheaded. You don’t seem to respect me anymore.”

Kurt immediately bowed and apologized, “Boss, I’m sorry.”

“Please don’t apologize. When Amelia sees you like this, she will accuse me of bullying you again.”

Kurt was speechless.

He would have to be very dumb if he did not figure out that Oscar was trying to make things difficult for him.

When he said nothing in response, Oscar changed the subject and became a nice boss again.

“All of you didn’t leave behind any trace of evidence, did you?”

Kurt froze. He did not expect Oscar to change the topic so quickly.

“What’s wrong with you? Why are you in a daze?”

Kurt regained his senses and became alert. “Boss, everything had been dealt with appropriately. There won’t be any evidence left behind.”

Oscar replied, “That’s good then. You may go. If not, the pasta that Amelia has made for you would be ruined.”

Kurt looked puzzled. He had no idea what Oscar was up to. Oscar had always been an unpredictable man. He could be smiling at someone, and the very next second, he would make the person go bankrupt. Kurt had always been in awe of Oscar and never dared to challenge him. The only time he ever did that was when he left with Amelia. He was able to evade Oscar’s hunt for them again and again by using the tactics that he had learned from Oscar.

Shortly after, Oscar patted his back and said, “Oh, my! You’re really in a daze. Go on. Don’t let Amelia’s effort go to waste.”

As he watched his boss walk toward the door, Kurt asked nervously, “Boss, why do you still allow me to be close to Amelia and Tony? Aren’t you worried—”

“I’m a man with confidence. Only cowardly men will be worried that their women will be stolen from them. A confident man will dote on the woman he loves more frequently. Once she has been spoiled, I’ll be the only person who can tolerate her. That way, she will stay by my side willingly. This is the trick. In the future, if you meet someone who really loves you, you should give this a try.” With that, Oscar opened the door and went downstairs.

Kurt pursed his lips and smiled wryly. There would always be a vast difference between Oscar and him. In terms of their statuses and the way they managed their love lives, he would always be inferior to Oscar. As for Amelia, he doubted he would ever get the chance to be with her.

Once he went downstairs, Kurt saw Oscar kissing Amelia on her lips when he accepted the pasta from her. Kurt’s eyes darkened, and he felt a tinge of ache in his heart.

Amelia said graciously, “Kurt, come over and have your pasta. Why don’t you stay here for the night? Tony has been missing you for the past few days. Spend some time with him so that he doesn’t keep asking for his godfather.”

Kurt threw Oscar a glance. He was worried that Oscar might blame Amelia for extending the invitation without his permission. Then again, he remembered that Oscar had allowed him, his rival in love, to step into the house. Hence, there was no way Oscar would blame Amelia for inviting Kurt to stay for the night.

He laughed bitterly to himself. Not many people could be as calm as Oscar when it came to their lovers.

It was just like what Oscar had said. When faced with their rivals in love, cowardly men would panic and start to blame their wives for attracting other men’s attention. Those men who were confident would spoil their wives so thoroughly that no other men would be able to tolerate them. That way, the woman would always belong to him and him alone.

It had to be said that Oscar’s pride and confidence were a reflection of his respect and trust for his wife. He trusted that she would not be seduced by temptations and would stay faithful to him until they both grew old and died.

Oscar chimed in, “It’s getting late now. Stay for the night.”

“Yes, boss.”

Amelia scooped some pasta for him and said, “Eat up. You must have been busy running errands for Oscar. Have more pasta. You seem to have lost weight.”

“Thank you.” Kurt sat down at the dining table. When he saw the table of piping hot food, he felt touched and got teary. This was what home felt like. Sadly, she was not his wife.

That would be one of his biggest regrets in his life.

Kurt ate his pasta in silence. When he finished, he complimented, “Amelia, the pasta you cooked is very tasty.”

“One of these days when all of you are available, come over, and I’ll cook for everyone.”

“Thank you!”

Kurt helped himself to another delectable bowl of pasta.

Too Much to Bear My Love Chapter 463

The Worry Of Kurt

After eating the pasta, Amelia told Kurt to go to bed with Anthony while she cleaned up the dining table.

After that, Amelia turned to the grim-faced Oscar and smiled. She even pinched his cheek. “Give me a smile.”

Oscar pinned Amelia against the wall, and she could feel his warm breath on her face. Amelia scrunched up her nose as she felt an itch.

Oscar gave her a kiss on the lips and said in a deep voice, “The way you treat Kurt makes me jealous. How are you going to make it up to me?”

Amelia looked at him with her sparkly eyes. She started drawing circles on his chest with her finger as if she was seducing him. “Are you really jealous?”

Oscar’s eyes darkened. Amelia’s eyes were so seductive that he could not resist her temptation. He realized that was what love was about.

Amelia cupped his face with her hands and smirked. “What are you thinking? How dare you focus on something else when I’m standing in front of you? I want to punish you.”

Amelia tiptoed and bit his lower lip.

She then gazed into Oscar’s eyes and asked, “Are you satisfied with the punishment?”

Oscar replied, “Yes.” He then pinned her against the wall.

“You’re playing with fire, woman.” Oscar’s voice became more coarse.

Amelia knew that. After losing and regaining her vision, as well as reuniting with Oscar, she had become more courageous to do things she had never done before.

She wrapped her arms around Oscar’s neck and whispered, “Let’s go upstairs. You can do anything to me tonight.”

Oscar immediately carried her in his arms and walked upstairs.

It was going to be a sleepless night.

Meanwhile, Kurt stood by the window in the middle of the night and quietly observed the noises coming from the next room. He was only able to relax his stiffened face when the noises stopped.

He was about to light a cigarette, but the moment he saw the child sleeping peacefully in bed, he put away his lighter.

Kurt stood by the bed, feeling utterly frustrated. He was still obsessed with Amelia, but there was nothing he could do. To make things worse, he even had to witness how happy the family of three was. On the one hand, Kurt was glad that he could still take care of Amelia and Anthony, but on the other hand, he also felt hurt when the love of his life was all smiles when she was with another man. It was torture for him, yet he still wanted to stay by her side to protect her. He only did it because he wanted to see her smile, even though he knew the smile was not for him.

Kurt, who used to be a man with a big ego, seemed to have transformed into a humble person. That was the power of love.

He could not help but sigh upon hearing how the woman he loved moaned in the embrace of another man. He did not know if Oscar did it on purpose, but as someone with a sharp sense of hearing, he could hear them clearly even though the room was soundproof.

Kurt still had the cigarette in his mouth. He took out his phone and made a call. “Are you asleep?”

“Not yet. I’m still finding information for Boss. Why are you still awake at this hour?” Hugo asked.

“I’m staying at his place now,” Kurt replied.

Hugo froze for a bit. “He didn’t kick you out of the house?”

“No. He allowed me to spend a night here.”

“He’s willing to let his love rival spend a night at his place? That’s unusual. Why did you call me, though? You should take a good rest.”

“They’re in the next room. I can’t sleep.”

Hugo, who was drinking from a glass, nearly spewed the water in his mouth. “What?”

“My heart sank because I could hear them from my room. I couldn’t help but give you a call. I’ll hang up if I’ve disturbed you.” Kurt was a taciturn man, and he could only talk to Hugo. After all, they had worked closely for years and treated each other like brothers.

“Wait a second,” Hugo said.

Kurt did not end the call. He did not know what else to say.

After remaining silent for a while, Hugo cleared his throat and said, “You must understand that she belongs to Boss, and they’re a happy family. Why would you torture yourself like this? I can always introduce you to girls if you want a girlfriend. Don’t try to steal his woman. Listen to me, tell Boss to transfer you back, and let’s work together for years to come. By the time he raises a new generation of bodyguards when we hit the age of forty, we could retire honorably and find a job in Clinton Corporations. With the money we earned, we could easily marry a wife and raise a family.”

Kurt kept mum.

“Hey, did you hear me?”

“Yes, I’m listening.”

“Dude, I meant what I said. You wouldn’t have a future with Mrs. Clinton. Had she had any feelings for you in the last two years, she would have agreed to be with you since she was divorced. You do notice she only sees you as a friend, don’t you? We might be Boss’ bodyguards, but we all know it’s not a glamorous occupation. Do you think you’re a good match for her?” Hugo hit the nail on the head. He hoped Kurt would back off and stop being so fixated on Amelia. He only uttered such harsh words to dampen Kurt’s spirit because he knew the two of them were clearly incompatible. Hugo just did not want Kurt to continue living in a fantasy.

Once again, what Hugo said had rendered Kurt speechless.

“Come on, say something. If you want a life partner, get someone who’s compatible with you. More importantly, you should get someone with a ladylike demeanor,” Hugo suggested. “Forget about Mrs. Clinton. It’s time to move on.”

“I’m going to bed now. I’m tired,” Kurt said with a frown before hanging up the phone as if he did not care to listen to Hugo.

Kurt became even more perplexed after talking with Hugo. Everyone seemed to opine that he was not worthy of Amelia’s love. Even Tiffany, who initially supported him, changed her mind when Oscar appeared.

He did not expect Amelia to reciprocate his love. All he ever wanted was to observe her up close, but now, someone had robbed him of the chance to do so. The agony he went through was indescribable, yet no one bothered to ask how he felt. Everyone seemed to think that he should forget about Amelia and move on.

Kurt tousled his hair in frustration like a beast trapped in a cage.

Too Much to Bear My Love Chapter 464

The Hidden Truth

The next day, Eva, James, Rory, Tiffany, and Derrick went to visit Amelia. Amelia stood in front of them, and her mouth twitched. What a coincidence. Did they plan to come together?

The moment Tiffany saw Kurt coming downstairs while carrying Anthony in his arms, she could not help but utter, “You really made yourself feel at home even when you’re under Oscar’s watchful eye, huh? I’m impressed, Kurt.”

I’m actually more impressed with Oscar. He knew Kurt had feelings for Amelia, yet he still allowed his bodyguard to linger around. What’s going on in Oscar’s mind? But I guess he only did it because he trusts and cares for his wife.

Kurt gave Tiffany the cold shoulder. He then gently placed Anthony on the couch.

“Come here, Tony. Come.” Tiffany grinned as if she was not mad at Kurt.

Anthony got down from Kurt’s arm and ran toward Tiffany. Eva, too, was thrilled to see the little boy. “You’re becoming more and more adorable. You haven’t seen me for a week. Do you miss me?”

Anthony hopped out of Tiffany’s embrace and ran in Eva’s direction. He then gestured for Eva to squat down so that he could plant a kiss on her cheek. “Aunt Eva, you finally stop wearing makeup like a panda. You look pretty today, and I like pretty girls. So here’s a kiss for you.”

Upon hearing that, Eva froze for a bit. She then picked him up and kissed him on his cheek repeatedly. “My baby nephew, you’re so adorable!” She then turned around and looked at James. “I want to give birth to a cute son like Tony after we get married. A cute daughter would be nice too. Oh, it would be best if we could have a son and a daughter!”

James almost choked on his saliva upon hearing what Eva said.

“We’re just friends, Eva. Please don’t make such a scary remark anymore,” James pleaded while placing his glass of water on the table. In the last few days, Eva had visited James at the hospital, which he and Oscar had recently acquired. Never in James’ life had he met a Chanaean woman as spicy and open-minded as Eva.

After placing Anthony down, Eva hopped to James’ side and sat next to him. Rory, who was sitting on the other end, had to get up to make space for her.

“Don’t be shy, James. Once you become my boyfriend, I can cook for you and wash your clothes. I might look flamboyant, but I’m good at house chores. You’re looking for a dutiful Chanaean wife, right? You should consider me. I’ll live up to your expectation and serve you like a king,” Eva said while looking at James with hopeful eyes.

Besides being terrified by how persistent Eva was, the baffled James had no other feelings for her at all.

Upon seeing how shocked James was, Amelia stepped in to get him out of a tight spot. “You’re good at cooking, aren’t you? Come and help me with the ravioli.”

Eva reluctantly left James and followed Amelia into the kitchen.

The former looked around the kitchen but did not see any ravioli. She frowned and asked, “Where’s the ravioli?”

Amelia washed her hands and gently pulled the corner of Eva’s blouse. “How’s your work? Is everything going well?”

“Not bad. At first, Some bodyguards thought I was just a pretty face since I’m a woman. I called for a match and defeated all those who looked down on me with a shoulder throw, and guess what? They all became cry babies. I absolutely despise men like them. This week, I made them run about twelve miles and hop ten thousand times while carrying two hundred pounds of objects. Those who failed to complete the training were not allowed to eat. These weaklings all crumpled in a heap. The training regime I designed for them is the same as that of the soldiers, but they couldn’t live up to my expectation.” Eva expressed her disappointment.

Upon hearing that, Amelia’s mouth twitched.

Had these words not come out of Eva’s mouth, Amelia would have thought it was a macho man who made these remarks.

“You’re a woman, Eva. Can’t you be a little more ladylike?” Amelia reminded her.

Eva looked at Amelia, spun around, and asked sincerely, “Am I not ladylike enough? I feel women in the twenty-first century should be bolder and more decisive. Don’t you agree?”

Amelia was stumped.

“Do you really like James, Eva?” Amelia asked.

“I guess it’s quite clear, right? I’ve been chasing after him for a few days, but he kept avoiding me. I’m not worried, though, because I know he’ll one day be mine,” Eva said confidently.

Amelia was rendered speechless once again. It’s good to be confident, but being overconfident could turn people off.

“I won’t stop you from going after James, but do you know what kind of women he likes?” Amelia asked.

“I don’t know, and I don’t need to know because I know for sure he’ll fall for me,” Eva answered steadily.

The confidence Eva exuded had left Amelia speechless.

Eva was an optimistic and bubbly girl with high self-esteem, and that was why her actions could sometimes make people feel uncomfortable. But her close friends would know that she had no bad intentions.

“If you’re really fond of James, you need to dial it down a little. Though he’s from an open-minded country, your enthusiasm could still frighten him away.”

Eva widened her eyes. “Did he tell you this?”

“No.”

“Then how do you know what’s on his mind? Perhaps, he’s just playing hard to get. He might seem annoyed, but deep in his heart, he might enjoy all the attention I’ve given him. You wouldn’t know if he’s interested in me, would you?”

Once again, Amelia was rendered speechless.

“You won’t stop me from going after James, right?”

Amelia calmed down and replied in a serious voice, “As long as you’re not afraid of getting hurt, go ahead and do what you think is right. You can always come to me if you’re hurt.”

Eva gave Amelia a big hug and kissed her on the cheek. “You’re the best, Amelia. Uncle Dominic told me to stay away from you because you’re married into an affluent family, and he didn’t want others to think we’re trying to take advantage of you. He also didn’t want us to disturb you, as you finally get to enjoy a peaceful life now.”

Amelia froze for a moment. Her throat felt a little dry all of a sudden.

Amelia cleared her throat and asked in a coarse voice, “Did my dad mention me in front of you?” Her father had never shown any concern for her in the past. That was why Amelia was surprised to learn that he mentioned her in front of Eva.

“Of course! His eyes would turn red every time he looked at your photos. I remember asking him—why wouldn’t he call you if he misses you? He said some people in the Winters family did not want him to treat you well. After all, you don’t belong to the family. Besides, Uncle Dominic had also made a promise to his benefactor to stay away from you, and he had to live up to that promise. He then went on telling me other things that I didn’t understand,” Eva said.

Upon hearing that, Amelia was stunned. For the last three decades, the Winters family had always treated her indifferently, but somehow, she felt there was more to it than meets the eye.

Did something happen in the past that I’m unaware of?

Amelia remained silent and went deep in thought.

Too Much to Bear My Love Chapter 465

Guest

Once Eva emerged from the kitchen, she draped her arms around Amelia’s shoulders. Upon seeing how Eva clung to the latter, Rory beamed. “Amelia, who is this? The two of you look very close. Is she a relative of yours?”

Eva glared at Rory as she knitted her brows together. “I’m her cousin,” she retorted indignantly. “Who are you? Also, do you mind sitting a little further away from James? A woman should have the appropriate manners and bearing. Did you think you could pass off as someone from the upper class just because you tried? Just take a look at your tanned skin. It’s clear that you’re a country bumpkin.”

Immediately, a look of anger flitted across Rory’s gaze. She didn’t expect Eva to respond so impolitely. She lacks even the most basic mannerisms. How despicable!

“Eva, apologize to Rory,” Amelia uttered in a low voice.

Taken aback by Amelia’s words, Eva stared at her. “Amelia, what are you saying?”

Amelia heaved out a heavy sigh and softened her tone. “Eva, Rory is a friend I invited here. Since both of you are millennials, I assumed that the two of you would share many similar topics. It was rude of you to treat her with such disrespect. If you keep this up, I’ll get mad. Oscar will be here soon; you should get your act together.”

Unexpectedly, Eva did not blow her top. Instead, she cheekily bowed at Amelia. “I’m sorry. Please don’t hold it against me, or Amelia will berate me again,” Eva nonchalantly said as she turned to Rory.

The latter merely smiled and said nothing more.

When Eva trotted over, Rory instinctively moved away. She strongly disapproved of Eva’s appearance and behavior. Deep down, Eva’s bold mannerisms and rough demeanor reminded her of an uncivilized woman.

At the same time, Eva disliked Rory and the latter’s tendency to act more mature than her age. It seemed like their dislike for each other could have stemmed from their intuition or their difference in age. When Eva saw James sneaking glances at Rory, she couldn’t help but seethe in rage. Is James blind? How could he fall for such a pretentious woman like Rory?

Eva deliberately sat beside James. “James, look at me. Though you may not fancy me right now, you cannot take an interest in other ostentatious women like the one seated next to me. I am willing to wait for your love. There’s a saying in Chanaea that goes, marrying a woman is like a question that needs to be solved. If you marry well, prosperity and peace will bless your future. If you don’t, you will spend the rest of your life in bitterness. Hence, you should only either consider me as your wife. If not me, you should set your sights on other virtuous and wise women.”

Awkwardly, James averted his gaze before glancing dismissively at Eva. “Eva, I have not taken an interest in other women. Could you please sit a little further away from me?”

Following his words, Eva discretely moved away. With a loud voice, she declared, “James, since you’re playing hard to get, I’ll try my best to win you over. It’s the twenty-first century; men shouldn’t be the only ones doing all the work. If you sit idly and wait for someone you fancy to chase after you, you’ve practically lost the game of love! Right now, one must act swiftly and decisively when it comes to love. Now that I have my sights set on you, I will crush any pesky busybodies that try to get between us.”

James felt like she’d just slapped a target on his back.

Eva’s brazen declaration prompted Tiffany to laugh so hard that she collapsed into Derrick’s arms. “Eva, your boldness might scare him off. Not everyone can put up with your demanding nature.” Tiffany chuckled as she gave Eva a thumbs up.

Initially, Tiffany didn’t have a good impression of Eva too. Even so, recently, they started regularly conversing on WhatsApp. Through their exchanges, Tiffany’s opinion of Eva took a turn for the better. Although she can be loud and straightforward, she holds no ill intention.

Eva returned Tiffany’s thumbs up with one of her own.

Amidst their laughter, Rory couldn’t help but feel out of place. She had never been particularly close friends with Tiffany. Furthermore, Rory once had feelings for Derrick, who never reciprocated them because he only had eyes for Tiffany. Upon seeing them joke with each other, her inferiority complex began to resurface. It felt like they were scorning her lack of wealth and lowly upbringing.

Promptly, the sound of the doorbell relieved Rory of this awkward situation. Amelia quickly moved to open the door herself. When she saw the man standing at the entrance, she asked hesitantly, “Are you, Julian?”

Julian smiled warmly. “Amelia, it’s been a long time since we last met. I’m surprised that you still remember my name.”

“Please come in. We can continue our conversation inside,” Amelia offered as she moved aside to let him in.

Julian accepted her invitation graciously. With gifts in hand, he made his way into the living room. Upon noticing the large crowd, Julian chuckled. “Amelia, it looks like you have a lot of guests today. If I had known this earlier, I would have brought more fruits.”

Amelia took the fruits from Julian’s outstretched hand and called Anthony over to greet him.

“Hello, Mr. Julian. My name is Anthony. But since you are so handsome, I’ll let you call me by my nickname, Tony,” Anthony greeted as he looked up to meet Julian’s friendly gaze.

A look of delight flitted across Julian’s face when he noticed that the little boy looked like a mini replica of Oscar. He retrieved the limited edition Ultraman he’d bought and handed it to the boy. “Tony, I bought this Ultraman for you as a special gift. Do you like it? Even if you don’t, I can purchase other toys for you.”

When Anthony received the gift, he lit up with joy. “Tony, what should you say to Mr. Julian?” Amelia asked.

“Thank you, Mr. Julian. I love it!” Anthony beamed at Julian as he hugged his new toy.

While patting Anthony’s head, Julian asked, “Tony, can I carry you?”

Anthony opened his arms in response to Julian’s question. As Julian scooped him up, Anthony wrapped his arms around the man’s neck and pecked him on the cheek. “Mr. Julian, this is my thank you gift!”

Although Julian was taken aback, he quickly broke out in laughter. This little rascal knows his way into my heart. Not only is he bright, but he’s also a sweet-talker. I’m sure people find his charm irresistible.

“Tony, you’re such an adorable child. I like you a lot,” Julian praised him.

Upon hearing that, the bright smile on Anthony’s face got wider.

After that, Amelia introduced Julian to the people he hadn’t met before. “Julian, since I’m sure you’ve met Derrick, I’ll skip over his introduction.”

Julian nodded his head at Derrick. “Mr. Hisson is a man of many talents. It’d be hard for anyone to forget about him once they’ve met him.”

“I can say the same for you, Mr. Hayes. It is an honor to meet you here,” Derrick replied graciously.

Their polite exchange caused Tiffany to wave her hand. “Stop flattering each other. We are at Amelia and Oscar’s shared apartment, not a business meeting. There’s no need to be so formal.”

Though Tiffany had interrupted their conversation, Derrick didn’t look the slightest bit annoyed. Instead, he caressed her cheek lovingly.

On the other hand, Julian shifted his attention to Tiffany. “Though we have not met in eight years, you remain as straightforward as always. I am in awe of your boldness, Tiffany,” Julian remarked with a light-hearted chuckle.

Similarly, Tiffany returned Julian’s smile with one of her own. “Mr. Hayes, thank you for your praise. It’s an honor that you could still remember a nobody like me.”

Julian burst out laughing when he heard Tiffany’s teasing reply. “Tiffany, you truly haven’t changed. In fact, I dare say that you’ve become even more humorous. I heard from Oscar that you got together with Mr. Hisson. I must admit, I thought that the both of you weren’t compatible with each other. Yet, seeing the understanding that you have for each other has changed my mind. The two of you are practically a match made in heaven.”

Tiffany shot him a thumbs up. “Mr. Hayes, I love how refreshing you are. Although many people have said similar flatteries to me, they then turn around and gossip behind my back, claiming that I’m too ugly to be with Derrick.”

“Too ugly?”

Tiffany merely grinned. “Well, it can’t be helped that Derrick is too stunning. His beauty makes me look like an ugly witch when I’m standing next to him.”

“Tiffany, you never fail to pique my interest.” Julian chuckled.

Tiffany shrugged in response.

“Amelia, I caught wind of your return a while ago. However, I was overseas at that time. When I arrived home yesterday, I raced out to purchase these gifts this morning before coming here.” Julian shifted the conversation back to Amelia.

“I’m glad that you could spare the time to visit us.” Amelia smiled gently. “Oscar will be home soon. Why don’t you join us for a meal? It’s such a rare occasion that everyone is present. We should seize this chance to enjoy each other’s company.”

“Of course, it’d be wrong of me to decline your generous offer,” Julian agreed without a second thought.

“I’ll get Molly to buy more dishes.” With that, Amelia excused herself to the balcony to call Molly. Inside, her guests continued to chat amiably with each other.

Too Much to Bear My Love Chapter 466

Affection

Oscar ignored the people in the living room when he got home and placed a kiss on Amelia’s lips when she opened the door for him. He then pushed his tongue past her teeth and deepened the kiss.

She couldn’t help but get immersed in the kiss and subconsciously let out a moan in the process.

Envy and jealousy flashed across Rory’s eyes as she and the others in the living room watched them kiss. Eva, on the other hand, started clapping excitedly and whistled at them. “Woohoo! You’re so cool, Oscar! Go on, press Amelia against the wall and give her an even more passionate kiss. I don’t mind it even if you were to do the deed right now. I can record everything and post it online to get some money. With a handsome man and a beautiful woman like you guys, I’m sure I’ll be able to earn a lot. What’s more, you’re even the heir of Clinton Corporations.”

Everyone turned to look at her, but she was still utterly entertained by her cousin, totally unaware of their gazes.

Amelia finally snapped out of it and quickly pushed Oscar away. Her face was flushed red as she reached up to tidy her hair that wasn’t even messy. Avoiding the man’s gaze, she then said, “We have guests.” Once she was done speaking, she walked over to Eva and the others.

Unfortunately, her cousin was such a dense person that she didn’t notice how awkward things had become. “Your face is so red, Amelia. But you look better with your face like that. I think you look much prettier than the celebrities on TV. Oh, no. What should I do? I’m so captivated by you.”

Amelia could feel her face burn with embarrassment. Ugh, Eva. You just had to rub salt on my wound. I’m already in my thirties. How could I kiss Oscar in front of so many people? How embarrassing.

She wanted to find a hole and bury herself.

Tony chimed in suddenly, “You look the best with your cheeks red, Mommy. You look like a pretty fairy.”

The woman’s face reddened further when she heard that.

Taking in a deep breath, she forced herself to calm down as she looked up at everyone in the living room. “I’m going to see if the water has boiled.”

“Is your mind still on the kiss, Amelia? You’re not boiling any water in there,” Eva reminded with a laugh. Amelia’s just too cute blushing like that. It makes me want to tease her even more.

The former took a sideways glance at her, the blush on her face finally fading a little.

“Please wait a moment. I’ll bring you guys some tea,” she said graciously.

After Amelia left for the kitchen, Eva turned to Oscar and said, “You were so cool, Oscar. I can’t believe you kissed her in front of so many people. You really couldn’t resist the temptation, huh?”

Hearing that, the man’s lips tilted upward into a smile as he said, “Watch and learn. You might be able to use it someday.”

“Of course. You might even have to teach me a few tricks next time.”

Oscar didn’t respond to that. Instead, he took a seat on the couch and turned to Julian.

“When did you come, Julian?” he asked.

“Not too long ago. Amelia has been home for quite some time now, so I should at least come to see the little one. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have known that I exist.”

“Enough with that nonsense. There’s no need for the pleasantries between us. Amelia spent quite some time and effort looking for you. She just told me that she wanted to treat you to some homecooked food yesterday, but here you are, showing up uninvited.”

“Really?”

“There’s no need for me to lie to you.”

Julian smiled upon hearing that.

A moment later, Molly returned from getting groceries. He quickly went up to help her. Taking the bags of groceries from her hands, he said sweetly, “It’s been a long time since we last met, Molly. I’ve missed you.”

She smiled endearingly at him as she said, “You seem to have gotten more handsome over the past few years, Mr. Hayes. I almost couldn’t recognize you. Do you have a girlfriend yet? Mr. Clinton has already gotten married and has a child now. You should hurry up too. You shouldn’t lose to him.”

“Oscar has had his life planned out since he was young, Molly. He made plans on when he should finish his studies and when to take his career to the next level. All of us thought that he would be the last to get married. Who would have thought that not only does he have a wife, but he even has a son now? He’s already accomplished so much when he’s only thirty years old. None of us can ever be compared to him, Molly,” Julian replied nonchalantly.

Hearing that, Molly smiled from ear to ear as if someone had just praised her son.

“It’s been years but it seems like you’re still good with your words. I’ll make sure to cook the best dishes for you since you’re here. If I remember correctly, you love eating grilled prawns, don’t you?”

A blissful expression surfaced on Julian’s face as though the plate of grilled prawns were already in front of him.

“Your grilled prawns are the best. I’m already drooling at the thought of them!”

The older woman giggled at his response. Then, giving him a pat on his arm, she said, “It seems like you still love joking around. You should hurry up and find a girlfriend so she can joke around with you.”

“Don’t worry, Molly. I’m going to make it my priority now.”

After Juliane left the groceries in the kitchen and came back out again, Oscar said, “Looks like your skill of hitting on girls hasn’t grown rusty after all these years.”

Julian almost choked on his saliva upon hearing what his friend said.

H-Hitting on girls?

He stared in disbelief at his friend. Did that phrase really come out of Oscar’s mouth?

“I never knew you’d say stuff like that too,” he said in shock.

Oscar shot him a look for being shocked at something so minor before saying calmly, “Don’t people use these words on social media?”

But you never wanted to acknowledge words like these before. All you thought of was work.

“You’ve fallen behind, homie. I’m only keeping up with the times. I have a son now, and I don’t want him telling me that I’m outdated when he’s older. I don’t want him looking down on me for not knowing what ‘hitting on girls’ means. Would you be able to stand it if a kid did that to you?”

All right. Fair point.

Molly, Amelia, and Tiffany worked together to prepare a table full of dishes. There was a good mix of meat and vegetables, and the food looked vibrant and delicious.

“Let’s eat. You guys go ahead first. I’m going to feed Tony,” Amelia said.

Hearing that, Molly quickly suggested, “Mrs. Clinton, I can feed him. I’ll feed him downstairs and bring him to play with the kids in the neighborhood later.”

Amelia looked at her son and asked gently, “Tony, Molly’s going to feed you downstairs, is that okay?”

Tony nodded in response.

At that, Molly brought the boy downstairs, and the rest of them took their seats by the table.

Amelia acted like the lady of the house as she beckoned everyone to eat, and she told Oscar to get the bottle of wine he had kept for years for them to drink.

“Is there anyone who doesn’t want to drink?” he asked while popping the bottle open.

No one answered.

They were all shocked that Oscar was pouring them the wine himself. He was the successor of Clinton Corporations, after all. There was never a time when he would pour drinks for others.

Once he was done filling up the glasses, Julian teased, “I’ve known you for almost thirty years, but this is the first time you poured me wine, Oscar. Maybe I’ll see the sun rise from the west once I’m done drinking.”

With that, everyone laughed, and the previously slightly tense atmosphere seemed more relaxed now.

In the middle of their meal, Rory got up and said sincerely, “Here’s a toast to you, Amelia and Oscar. I’m very thankful that I’ve received so much care from Amelia since I arrived in Beshya. Even though I am her caregiver, she’s the one who takes care of me the most, and I am very thankful for that.”

Then, she finished the contents of her glass in one gulp.

Amelia got up and downed hers as well, while Oscar merely took a sip out of his glass. If it wasn’t for his wife, he would have just ignored it when women like her gave toasts to him.

Once she was done drinking, Rory secretly took a glance at Oscar while she wiped her mouth. Love and admiration flashed through her eyes in an instant.

However, Tiffany started nitpicking when the woman sat down. “You’re being unfair, Rory. Derrick and I took quite good care of you in Beshya too. Why didn’t you thank us?”

She didn’t like that Rory was trying to butter them up all of a sudden or the discreet look she gave Oscar earlier. She used to like Derrick, and now she likes Oscar. How can she change who she likes so quickly? I’m sure she only likes them for their wealth. How annoying!

Rory quickly poured herself another glass and stood up to thank them. However, she had moved too quickly and bumped into the corner of the table, nearly causing her wine to spill out as a result.

Her face tinged red out of embarrassment and anger. She was ashamed of what had just happened, especially when Oscar was right in front of her.

With the glass still in her hand, she looked over at him, not knowing what to do. Yet, the man was calmly scooping some food into Amelia’s plate. He didn’t even bat an eye at her. At that, disappointment instantly welled up in her heart.

“Ahem!” Tiffany coughed slightly to gain Rory’s attention. She had never seen such an idiotic person. So what if you like him? How can you look over at someone else’s husband so shamelessly? Did you watch too many dramas and think that being a mistress is a proud thing to do? Is that why you want to snatch someone else’s husband so shamelessly?

When the caregiver finally snapped back to her senses, she was met with Tiffany’s mocking smile. Her eyes, which were once full of love for Oscar, instantly cleared up. Forcing a smile, she raised her glass again and said, “Here’s a toast to you, Tiffany, Mr. Hisson. I was originally going to thank you earlier but was afraid that you’d think that I was just trying to get on your good side. That’s why I hesitated.”

“Is that not the case?”

The question put Rory in a tight spot, and an awkward expression immediately appeared on her face.

“Tiffany,” Amelia warned. Since there were so many people around, she didn’t want her friend to humiliate Rory any further. After all, they were going to have to see each other again since everyone was friends.

Tiffany shrugged but still drank to Rory’s toast.

The latter heaved a sigh of relief, but her mood had still been affected when she finally sat down again.

Too Much to Bear My Love Chapter 467

Wedding

After lunch, Amelia and Tiffany brought the dirty dishes to the kitchen.

Rory and Eva wanted to help with the washing-up, but Amelia shooed them away.

As the two of them were washing the dishes, Amelia couldn’t help but lecture, “Tiff, what you did to Rory just now wasn’t nice. After all, she’s a white-collar worker at a company now instead of the simple and innocent farmer she used to be. Why were you so harsh on her? You know she’s quite prideful.”

Tiffany glanced at her and said, “Babe, didn’t you notice something off about her?”

“What is it?”

“Babe, I think you’ve let your guard down as a result of living such a comfortable life. Either that or you’re really just that oblivious.”

“What do you mean?”

“Did you not notice how Rory looked at Oscar?”

“Of course, I did.”

Tiffany stared at Amelia, her eyes wide in disbelief. “Then why do you still let Rory be around Oscar?”

“Since Oscar is okay with having Kurt around to keep Tony company, what right do I have to not let any woman who fancies him near him? Oscar is an incredibly capable man. Besides, he’s from an influential family and very handsome. Unsurprisingly, women would be all over him. To be honest, I won’t even be surprised if a man fancies him because he’s that good. No matter what I do, I can’t stand in the way of everyone that likes him, can I? Hence, I choose to trust him completely. If someone still manages to capture his heart after everything we’ve gone through, I’d yield and leave him. I’d still be happy because at least he’d have someone to care for him for the rest of his life.”

“You’re so silly.” Tiffany was pissed off and concerned at the same time when she realized how much Amelia trusted Oscar. It was almost to the point of blind trust.

“Although you’re okay with another woman taking over your place, have you ever thought about what’s going to happen to you and Tony?” Tiffany asked.

“If my relationship with Oscar really does reach that stage, I’ll bring Tony away for good,” Amelia answered honestly.

“Amelia, have you become an idiot?”

Amelia cracked a smile and said, “I was just speaking hypothetically, Tiff. Don’t worry; I won’t give up that easily. After the hardships we’ve been through as a couple, I’ll stay by his side persistently unless he really doesn’t want me anymore.”

Tiffany couldn’t help but smile upon hearing that. “Babe, what happened to your dignity?”

Amelia chuckled gleefully in response.

After cleaning all the dishes, Tiffany kept them on the shelves and warned, “Babe, I suggest you keep an eye on Rory. Not everyone is as grateful as you think. Who knows? She might even turn around and betray you one day.”

Amelia was rather amused. “What’s with you and Rory, Tiff? Has she wronged you in any way? Why do you despise her so much?”

“Perhaps I just don’t like the way she carries herself around. Just because she has the looks, she thinks she’s the woman of every man’s dream. I wonder where she got such a sense of superiority. She’s just a country bumpkin. I hate how prideful she is.” Tiffany frowned and huffed in dramatic disdain. Funny enough, Tiffany had never been one to look down on others. However, her dislike for Rory was through the roof.

Amelia was nonplussed.

Worried, Tiffany reminded, “Babe, I’m serious. You better watch out for that girl. Although I believe Oscar has self-control, I’m sure you know damn well how desperate girls can get when they’ve set their eyes on seducing rich and powerful men. I suggest you stay away from girls with such intentions. Don’t say I never warned you.”

Amelia suddenly froze, and her hand trembled slightly while still holding a plate.

With a bitter smile, she was seemingly deep in thought.

Tiffany nudged her and whispered, “What is it? Did I say something that upset you?”

Amelia lifted her head and smiled. “I know what to do.”

Seeing that, Tiffany decided to let the matter slide. “That’s good. Let’s head back before they think we might’ve been kidnapped by aliens!”

Amelia giggled at her joke.

Upon entering the living room, they only saw Tony, Rory, and Eva.

Amelia wiped her hands and asked, “Where are the others?”

“Kurt received a phone call and went out. As for Oscar and the others, they’re in the study room,” Rory answered.

While playing with Tony, Eva turned her head toward Amelia and said, “Amelia, Tony is such a smart boy! He’s so good at video games!”

“He was already good at them when he was one-and-a-half years old. Besides that, he’s really good with gadgets too! There was once he took Tiff’s new phone apart and put the pieces back together. Sometimes I forget he’s only two!” Amelia exclaimed proudly.

Tony had always been a smart kid. However, Amelia loved him so much that no matter what he did, she’d only see the cute side of him.

“Really?” Eva’s eyes lit up as she turned toward Tony excitedly. “Tony, let’s take apart a phone now and put it back together again! Scrap that. Let’s try something harder. Why don’t we try taking apart a computer? What do you think?”

Tony immediately nodded with excitement. “That’s awesome! Aunt Eva, let’s go get the computer!”

“Tony!” Amelia voiced.

Tony calmed down and pouted, saying, “We can’t do that, Aunt Eva. Mommy will scold me.”

“Amelia, you shouldn’t hold him back! Since Tony is such a genius, you should let him explore his talents. Who knows? Maybe one day he might become an inventor!” Eva protested.

“Eva, he’s still an innocent kid. Why are you messing around along with him? These gadgets cost up to thousands! Besides, how about the data in there? What if you guys can’t put it back together?” Amelia responded patiently.

Eva went silent.

“Aunt Eva, I’ll show you my collection of figurines! We can take those apart.” With that, Tony dragged Eva into his room.

“Amelia, your cousin’s attitude is the exact reflection of how she dresses! She’s so quirky and funny! It’s hard to believe she’s from the Winters family, considering how stern and strict they all are. She’s cute! I like her.” Tiffany laughed.

“Wow! It’s so rare for you to sing someone’s praises.” Amelia smiled and couldn’t agree more.

Since Eva was a straightforward girl who liked to mess around, people would naturally think she was a difficult person to be with. Deep down, she was actually an easy-going and honest girl. As far as Amelia was concerned, she figured that those were some of the reasons why James couldn’t bring himself to truly dislike Eva.

Rory suddenly cleared her throat awkwardly from where she was sitting on the sofa. “Amelia, she’s so different from you, but she’s quite adorable.”

Tiffany couldn’t help but take a swipe at Rory. “Rory, I bet you’re discriminating against Eva because of how unconventional she looks, right? You’re probably thinking about how she’s an ill-mannered wild-child, aren’t you?”

An awkward expression flashed across Rory’s face upon hearing that. Why is she so overbearing?

“Tiff,” Amelia called out in warning. Then, she put on a friendly smile and gazed toward Rory. “Please don’t mind Tiff, Rory. Would you like to have some fruits? I can get Molly to prepare some.”

“I’ll do it myself, Amelia.” Rory took two apples and went to the kitchen.

Tiffany snorted. “How dare she act all innocent in front of me!”

Amelia shook her head and quickly changed the topic. “Tiff, have you and Derrick decided on the wedding date yet?”

Tiffany suddenly looked crestfallen upon hearing that and shook her head in despair. “I have one too many misunderstandings with his mom. Old Mr. Hisson met up with me a couple of days ago only because he heard about my relationship with Oscar. However, I overheard his conversation with Derrick. He told Derrick I’m not worthy of being married into their family. Simply put, I’m not sophisticated and elegant enough. Despite all that, I’ve already tried my best to be as nice of a girl as I can. I don’t know what else I can do since they insist on picking a bone with me.”

“What does Derrick think about it?”

“He told me his grandpa likes me a lot, lying straight to my face! However, I know he did that just to protect my feelings. In hindsight, he’s been through a lot of pressure ever since he got together with me.”

“Take it slow, okay? If you guys stand strong, I’m sure his parents would eventually give in.”

Tiffany forced a smile and answered, “I hope so.”

“You’re a nice girl. I’m sure both of you will end up getting married.”

Finally, Tiffany broke into a blissful smile. “I think so too! By then, I expect a huge wedding gift from you!”

“That’s for sure. Since you’re my best friend, I’d definitely be as generous as I can! How about a check of eighty thousand? Is that enough?”

Tiffany rolled her eyes at that.

Amelia couldn’t contain her emotions and burst into laughter.

At that moment, Rory was holding the paring knife tightly in her grasp. She was still processing the humiliation she had suffered earlier on.

Too Much to Bear My Love Chapter 468

Colleague

After a fun weekend, the day most employees dreaded had arrived – Monday.

Amelia was one of them.

As she lazed in bed, she mumbled to herself blearily, “Back then, I used to envy those who go to work. Now that I’m one of them, I just realized what a luxury it is to laze in bed all day long.”

Right then, Oscar was coming out of the bathroom and saw how cute she looked when she was mumbling to herself. He walked over to her and spanked her butt lovingly. “Wake up, lazybones.”

Amelia then leaned onto Oscar lazily. After a while of cuddling, she jumped off her bed enthusiastically and ran into the bathroom. When Oscar saw her practically skipping her way toward the bathroom, he couldn’t help but notice how adorable she was.

Amelia showered and got ready as fast as she could before heading downstairs with Oscar. By then, Tony was already having breakfast with Kurt.

“Boss, Amelia, good morning,” Kurt greeted when he saw Oscar and Amelia walking down the stairs with their fingers interlocked.

Amelia flashed a smile and asked, “How did you sleep, Kurt?”

“I slept well!”

Amelia and Oscar then sat at the table and enjoyed the breakfast prepared by Molly. Suddenly, Amelia blurted, “Are you free today, Kurt? Could you watch Tony? I’m planning to only send him back to the Clinton residence tomorrow.”

“No problem,” Kurt answered.

“Thank you, Kurt. I don’t have to worry about a thing when Tony is with you,” Amelia said while putting some food on Oscar’s plate.

Kurt nodded and pondered for a while before saying, “Boss, Amelia, I’ve purchased the apartment opposite you. It wouldn’t be such a hassle anymore when Tony wants to see me next time.”

Oscar simply shot him a look and kept mum.

“Well, that’s good.” Amelia kept a smile on her lips.

After breakfast, Oscar brought Amelia to work while Tony stayed with Kurt.

Upon arriving at Amelia’s workplace, Oscar unbuckled her seatbelt. Then, he placed his hand behind her head and kissed her passionately.

They were both gasping for air by the time they were done making out. Their foreheads were pressing against each other when Oscar said, “You’re mine, Amelia. When I see you chattering happily with other men, I don’t feel so good here.” As he was saying that, he pointed his finger at his chest.

Right away, Amelia knew what he was talking about and apologized, “I’m sorry.”

Oscar calmed his emotions and planted a kiss on Amelia’s forehead with a smile. “Silly, I was just joking with you. Get to work, now.”

After getting out of the car, Amelia bent down and put on a serious expression. “Oscar, I only see other men as friends. I’ll never have feelings for any of them. Besides, you’re the only man I’ve ever loved. Unless you decide to let me go one day, I’ll always be loyal to you.”

Instantly, Oscar’s lips quirked up, and his mood brightened. “Silly girl!”

Amelia chuckled as well before walking into the building in her heels.

As soon as she exited the elevator, she sensed a strange atmosphere in the office. She could feel that everyone was looking at her strangely.

Amelia pretended like nothing was wrong and made her way toward the design department. What’s going on? The atmosphere is even weirder here!

Everyone had arrived at the office earlier that morning. Even the usual latecomers were already at their desks. When everyone saw Amelia, they rushed up to her and surrounded her.

“So you’re the wife to the heir of the Clintons, Amelia? Back then, the media purposefully misled us to believe you guys had divorced. I’ve even got on the internet to find a wedding photo of you guys. You looked so pretty at the grand wedding seven years ago!” one of the female employees said.

Not wanting to be left out, a male worker chimed in, “I’ve seen it too! Needless to say, you were stunning, completely unlike all you common women! It’s no surprise why Mr. Clinton was interested in you in the first place. You both look like a match made in heaven!”

While the others were fawning over Amelia, Rory gazed coldly toward her from afar. She didn’t bother to join the other employees in showering the woman with compliments. Gone was her usual docile and obedient demeanor around Amelia.

Instead, she was filled with all sorts of negative emotions as she held her purse tightly in her palms. As long as she’s around, no one’s going to pay any attention to me.

She took a deep breath and forced a smile on her face, pretending like nothing was wrong. Then, she clapped her hands as she walked toward the crowd. “Hey, everyone. It’s time to get back to work. Remember, Mr. Franklin is coming back today. If he sees everyone slacking off on work hours, I’m sure he’s not going to be happy.”

At that moment, everyone in the design department turned around and stared at Rory.

“What? Do you guys want me to get Mr. Moore here?” Rory raised an eyebrow at them.

“Rory, what’s with you? Everyone here knows how much you want to butter Amelia up. However, you can’t hog her to yourself all the time, you know? It’s not like we want something from her. We’re just expressing our concern as colleagues after the scare she went through. Is that too much?” One of the female employees had hated Rory for quite a while now. That was why her tone was less than friendly when she spoke.

Rory was enraged. “You—” Right then, Amelia stepped in to mediate and said, “Lydia, thanks for your concern. In fact, thank you, everyone. I’m all right. We’ll leave the package incident to the police. I think we’ll have some news on it soon.”

“Since Amelia has spoken, we shouldn’t dwell on it any longer. Everyone, let’s get back to work. Otherwise, someone here might get offended when she sees us being nice to Amelia, thinking that we have ulterior motives. Little does she know, everyone’s aware she’s the one trying her hardest to curry favor with Amelia,” Lydia said.

The rest of the employees quickly returned to their seats without saying a word.

Amelia threw a glance at Rory right after. As she was thinking about what to say to her, two police officers showed up. They were the same police officers they reported the incident to last Friday.

“Hello, Ms. Winters,” the police officers greeted politely.

“Hi, officers. What brought you guys here?” Amelia responded accordingly.

“Ms. Winters, we’ve caught the culprit who sent you that parcel. She’s an employee in your department,” the female officer revealed.

Amelia was stunned momentarily before she took a cursory glance around the office to see who was absent. The only empty seat she saw was Jamie’s.

Amelia was still unable to regain her senses from shock. Have they made a mistake? There’s no bad blood between me and Jamie, and we’ve only been working together for a week! What’s her motive for hating me so much that she’d threaten my son?

“Who is the culprit?” Amelia asked the police officers.

“Her name is Jamie Lindt. We’ve run a background check on her. She’s your colleague, right? Ms. Winters, as the victim, we need you to pay our station a visit to take your statement,” the female officer said.

After a moment’s thought, Amelia nodded.

“Rory, could you help me inform Mr. Moore? I’ll be right back.” Amelia turned toward Rory and asked.

Rory immediately rushed up to her while pretending to be worried. “Amelia, would you like me to go with you?”

“No, that’s not necessary. I can go on my own.”

“All right, then. Please be careful on the road and call me if anything happens.”

Amelia nodded in response.

After Amelia and the police officers left, Lydia mocked, “Rory, who do you think you are? Don’t you know who Amelia is? If anything does happen, don’t you think she’d call Mr. Clinton? What makes you think she’d need you? You’re merely a lowly employee here, a nobody.”

Rory’s expression darkened when she heard Lydia’s harsh words. However, she quickly put on a smile and said, “Lydia, you’re just jealous of me, aren’t you? You’re still stuck in the same position even though you’re already in your thirties. Unlike you, I’m already on Mrs. Clinton’s good side. The company will definitely give me more benefits since I’m close to her. I guess the soon-to-be-vacant managerial post is most likely going to be mine. Even if that doesn’t happen, I’ll definitely get more benefits than you in the office, thanks to Amelia. Yes, I’m a suck-up, but at least I’m good at it. As for you, I guess you’ll forever be stuck where you are now.”

“How dare you—”

Before Lydia could finish her sentence, Rory cut her off by saying, “I have no time to talk to an old hag like you.”

With that, Rory took a stack of documents and left the office.

Lydia’s expression turned extremely sullen. A few of her colleagues then went up to comfort her. “Calm down, Lydia. There’s no need to be mad at her. It’s not worth it.”

“I didn’t even do anything to her! She came at me out of the blue. She’s so arrogant when she’s not even anyone’s superior yet. I hope she gets kicked out of the company soon!” Lydia grumbled.

Everyone in the office pretended like they didn’t hear that.

Indeed, workplace politics were common enough. Once a person managed to climb their way up, they’d use every advantage they could to assert their dominance. For the passive individuals, they’d normally just turn a blind eye to such incidents.

Too Much to Bear My Love Chapter 469

Imprisonment

At the police station, Jamie was trembling when Amelia saw her. Amelia still couldn’t wrap her head around why the latter would pull the prank.

“Amelia, please forgive me. It was a silly mistake. I promise I won’t do it ever again. Please withdraw the lawsuit because I don’t want to go to jail.” Jamie made to lunge toward Amelia, but two police officers held her down.

In truth, there wasn’t much the police could charge Jamie with based on the prank she pulled. However, the victim was Amelia. Oscar wasn’t going to let Jamie off the hook that easily. With Clinton Corporations’ team of lawyers, they could even sue her and make sure she would be sentenced to three to five years in jail. Jamie was still a young woman. Her life would be ruined if she had a criminal record.

Amelia looked at Jamie calmly before shifting her gaze toward the two police officers. “Officers, could you guys give us a few minutes of privacy?”

Since the police officers had been personally briefed by their chief about Amelia’s identity, they were very polite toward her. “We’ll be right outside, Ms. Winters. Just shout for us if you need us.”

“Thank you!” Amelia nodded.

Once Amelia and Jamie were left alone in the room, Jamie became even more anxious. “Amelia, I didn’t do it on purpose. I don’t know what had gotten into me when I did that.”

In contrast to her, Amelia was calm and collected. “Jamie, why did you do that? Do you hate me so much? Also, how did you come across my son’s photo?”

“Amelia, I was just angry when I found out you told Rory about the gossip I shared with you. When you first came to work, I thought you were different from the others. I thought you wouldn’t mind my constant chatter. However, I was very disappointed when I realized you betrayed my trust. You’re just like the others, including Rory. In my fit of rage, I thought about getting revenge. Out of a sudden, I received a package with your son’s photo in it. Next to it was a note saying that the boy was your son. I was so angry that I delivered the package to you straight away. The note was written by the person who sent me the package in the first place. I just wanted to scare you. That’s all I wanted, I swear!”

In response, Amelia kept staring at her silently.

Jamie was so frightened by Amelia’s cold stare that her lips started trembling. She then stood abruptly and wanted to approach Amelia. To her surprise, Amelia roared, “Don’t you come near me!”

Utterly terrified, Jamie froze instantly.

“Jamie, I’ll ask you once again. Who gave you the photo? Be honest with me, and perhaps I can get Oscar to bail you out.”

Jamie stared at Amelia with a lost look on her face. “Amelia, I really don’t know who that person was. I don’t know how she knew I wanted to get back at you. That day after I returned home, I received a phone call from a delivery man saying that there was a package coming my way. I swear that’s all I know! Please forgive me, Amelia! I won’t do such a thing in the future anymore. Please ask your husband not to sue me. If you can let me go, I’ll resign right away. You won’t see me ever again. I beg of you, Amelia! I’m still young, and I’m not even married yet! Besides, I’m the only child in my family,” she pleaded.

Amelia’s gaze was ice cold. She wasn’t fazed by Jamie’s remorseful act. If an apology could fix everything, then the justice system would be irrelevant.

“Jamie, you must pay for your mistakes. You shouldn’t have messed with my son. If it wasn’t for that photo, I wouldn’t have minded one bit. However, that’s not the case.” Amelia’s gaze was so merciless that Jamie felt a shiver run down her spine.

“Spend a few days in the lockup, and perhaps you’ll finally come to your senses. You’ve already been in the corporate scene for a few years now. How could you not know what it’s like with workplace politics? No one’s going to play by the rules. Your weakness is that you’re a busybody. I hope you’ll learn your lesson and stop meddling with others’ personal matters.” With that, Amelia turned and headed for the door.

At that moment, Jamie panicked as she lunged toward Amelia. While wrapping her arms around Amelia forcefully, she cried, “Please don’t do this to me, Amelia! I don’t want to be sent to jail. Since it was just a prank, I’m sure they wouldn’t punish me severely as long as you get Mr. Clinton to stay out of it. Please, Amelia! I don’t want to carry a criminal record for the rest of my life!”

“I want you to be kept away for a while so that you can learn not to behave so childishly.” Amelia was cold and merciless.

All Jamie could do at that point was stare at Amelia in disbelief. She didn’t expect Amelia to be so ruthless.

“Jamie, I’m no saint. Did you think I’d let it slide when you’ve threatened my son? How dare you? Everyone has to pay for their mistakes, and that includes you. Don’t worry; I’ll convince Oscar to not push for a sentence of three to five years. However, I want you to be kept away for at least half a year. You should reflect upon your actions. By the time you’ve thought it through, I’ll get Oscar to find you a job.” After that, Amelia shoved her off and left without sparing her a second glance.

Jamie fell to the floor in despair. How did things turn out this way? All I wanted was to pull a prank on her. How did everything turn out so terribly wrong? I’m still so young, and I’m not married yet. Imprisonment is going to ruin my life for good. What should I do now? I don’t want my life to end up this way.

She was utterly disheartened as she took a glance at the room she was in. Try as she may, no words could escape her mouth.

After getting out of the police station, Amelia pondered for a while before giving Oscar a call. He picked up the phone almost instantly.

“Did you miss me, Honey?” Oscar asked gleefully.

Almost immediately, Amelia’s mood was lifted upon hearing Oscar’s voice.

“Yes, I do miss you. I’d like to have fish for dinner tonight. Will you cook for me?” Amelia asked coquettishly.

“Fish?” Oscar paused for a while before continuing, “I can try! However, you must finish it even if it doesn’t taste nice, okay?”

Amelia smiled and answered, “Sure! As long as you’re cooking for me, I’ll even finish it if it’s poison.”

Oscar couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “Silly! Since I love you so dearly, why would I poison you?”

“All right, then. I’ve got to go. See you tonight.” After hanging up the phone, Amelia hailed a cab and gave the driver her office’s address.

On the other hand, Oscar’s face clouded over after the phone call ended, his earlier gentleness nowhere to be seen.

He rang Will and said, “Hello, Chief Gardner. It’s me, Oscar Clinton. I heard you guys have captured the person who sent my wife the package. Is she a colleague of my wife’s? My wife is a kind person. I don’t want others to take advantage of her kindness ever again, do you understand what I’m trying to say?”

Since Will wasn’t a fool, he understood Oscar right away. “You want her to be sentenced to jail, Mr. Clinton?”

“Why not? Aren’t people supposed to be sent to jail when mistakes are made? If all she needed to do was apologize, then what is the police force for?” Oscar retorted with a righteous tone.

“Yes, you’re right, Mr. Clinton. I’ll see to it. What do you think about a sentence of one to two years?” Will asked conservatively.

“My wife’s well-being was severely affected by the immense stress and pressure. We’re considering hiring a psychologist because she’s so traumatized by what happened. Do you think one to two years of imprisonment is enough for the psychological trauma she went through?” Oscar was putting pressure on Will.

“Then how many years of imprisonment do you have in mind, Mr. Clinton?” Will asked tentatively.

“Three to four years. You can manage that, right, Chief Gardner?” Oscar narrowed his eyes as a dangerous tone crept into his voice.

“Of course, I’ll try my best, Mr. Clinton. Don’t worry. I’ll get someone to find out everything unlawful she has ever done. I’ll make sure she’s kept away for a long time. Perhaps by the time she’s released, she’d realize that a commoner like her can’t afford to pull such a prank.”

“All right. In that case, I’d like to thank you in advance. Are you free for lunch tomorrow, Chief Gardner? I’d like to treat you and your officers to a meal.”

“Oh, Mr. Clinton. I’ll clear my schedule for you!” Will smiled happily.

“That’d be all. I’ll get my secretary to inform you of the time and location for lunch.” With that, Oscar let out a vengeful sigh.

Suddenly, someone was knocking on his door. Oscar put his phone down and flipped open the documents on his desk before saying with a deep voice, “Come in.”

Isabella walked in with a thermos in her hand. She cast the hard-at-work Oscar an admiring glance and said, “Oscar, it’s lunchtime now. I woke up at six this morning to make some chicken soup for you. Drink it while it’s hot before going back to work.”

Oscar lifted his head and glared at her. “Who let you in?”

Isabella walked toward him and said, “Oscar—”

Immediately, Oscar cut her off and ordered, “Get out.”

Fate Is Unpredictable

Isabella bit her lip and begged, “Oscar, don’t be like this. Your mother says you’ve lost some weight these days. That’s why I sent one of my house’s maids to slaughter the chicken at home at six o’clock in the morning. I personally made it for you to help nourish your body. For the sake of my hard work, please have some and not let my efforts go to waste.”

“Isabella, if you’re slacking off during work hours, then you should be removed from your position as the director. Clinton Corporations can’t afford to hire people who laze around. You should just return to the Walker family and be their rich daughter.” Oscar pointed at the door and said mercilessly, “I don’t need your concern. Your pestering only annoys me. Please get out.”

Hearing that, Isabella looked at him sorrowfully. “Oscar, do you really have to be that cruel?”

Seeing how she was reluctant to leave, Oscar immediately gave Linda a call to get the woman out. However, he did not expect another secretary to enter the room. She said cautiously, “Mr. Clinton, Linda has an upset stomach. She went to the restroom and isn’t back till now. I didn’t stop Ms. Walker from entering just now because she said she brought some food for you on Mrs. Clinton’s orders.”

Oscar buried his face into the documents and uttered coldly, “Take her out. If this happens again, you can go straight to the finance department to claim your salary for that month and leave this company forever.”

The secretary let out a sigh and spoke to Isabella in a courteous manner. “Ms. Walker, this way, please. I’m just an employee here. Please don’t make things difficult for me.”

Isabella’s expression turned ugly in an instant. I can’t believe I came all the way here just to be humiliated.

After giving the secretary a glare, she marched toward the office table in her high heels and placed the thermos on it unhappily, pleading, “Oscar, I shall not bother you anymore, but please have some of this chicken soup. I spent two hours making it for you. Please, I’m begging you.”

Nonetheless, Oscar did not even bother to lift his head.

Isabella had no choice but to leave while suppressing her hurt feelings. Yet, she did not take the thermos with her. It looked slightly lonely among the pile of documents.

“Take it away,” Oscar said without lifting his head.

The secretary, who was still rooted to the spot, was at a loss. She then lifted the thermos carefully and said, “Mr. Clinton, are you really not going to have some? This is, after all, Ms. Walker’s kind intention. If I take it away, she might feel sad.”

It was at that moment that Oscar finally lifted his head and glanced coldly at her. “Renee, if you’re still unclear about your position and bring your personal feelings into work, I’ll have to reconsider your suitability for this job.”

Renee could not help but shudder at his words. She nodded hurriedly. “I know what to do. I’ll leave now.” With that, she walked away miserably, her high heels clicking on the floor.

After that, Oscar continued to focus on his work, not at all affected by Isabella’s trivial disturbance.

As he was focused on dealing with all the documents, another knock sounded on the door. “Come in,” he said sternly.

Linda pushed the door open and said, “Mr. Clinton, Mr. Hayes is here.”

Oscar lifted his head and raised his eyebrows when he noticed Julian standing behind Linda. He did not expect Julian to come looking for him during office hours.

“All right. You may leave, Linda,” Oscar said, waving his hand.

“Okay, Mr. Clinton.”

“Oh, please bring in two cups of coffee. One without sugar, the other with less sugar,” Oscar instructed.

“Yes, Mr. Clinton.” Linda walked out and closed the door behind her.

Oscar then got to his feet, walked past his desk, and sat on the sofa with Julian. He crossed his legs elegantly, staring at his visitor. “What brings you here?”

“I heard Clinton Corporations is interested in joining the entertainment industry. Hence, I’ve prepared a proposal. I wanted to discuss it with you and see if I could get a piece of the pie from your company,” Julian said lazily, pulling out a proposal and throwing it onto the table.

Oscar leaned over and picked up the document. After going through it, he said, “This proposal is quite good, but since when did your company dabble in the entertainment industry?”

Adjusting his posture, Julian flashed him a smile. “I’m planning to start an entertainment agency. Besides, my brother is handling the company. There’s no need for a rich heir like me to look after it, so I want to start an entertainment company for fun. Moreover, there are many pretty ladies in the industry. Who knows? I might even get lucky and find myself a girlfriend.”

After studying him in silence, Oscar uttered a sentence that immediately exposed his friend’s lie, “What happened? I’ve never heard you say you were interested in the entertainment industry. Please don’t forget that we’re best buddies. There’s no secret you can keep from me.”

Julian laughed aloud.

“Oscar, sometimes you’re just so smart that I want to beat you up,” Julian said casually.

Oscar merely shrugged, not bothering to respond.

Just then, Linda knocked on the door, bringing two cups of coffee in with her.

As she placed them on the table, Julian smiled and said, “Linda, you’re so beautiful, capable, and caring. Anyone who marries you is a lucky man. Actually, why don’t you consider me?”

Linda was a wise woman. Naturally, she knew Julian was making a joke. She smiled politely and replied, “Mr. Hayes, I’m just a lowly secretary. A son from a prominent family like you is way out of my league. Anyway, please carry on with your discussion. I’ll take my leave.”

A hint of admiration appeared in Julian’s eyes as he smiled. “Linda, I really appreciate understanding women like you. If Oscar mistreats you one day, feel free to jump ship to my company. I promise to increase your pay.”

“Thank you, Mr. Hayes,” Linda said and left the room.

“What is this? You fancy her?” Oscar asked, lifting his cup of coffee.

Julian laughed and lounged back on the sofa. “I wouldn’t dare snatch your staff. However, I’ve got to admit that Linda is a strong, capable woman. With a secretary like that, you should give her more power.”

“Since when did you become a mediator for my employees?” Oscar questioned, raising his brow.

In response, Julian shrugged and changed the topic. “Oscar, are you interested in investing in my new entertainment agency after reading my proposal? I’m thinking of running this company as my primary business.”

“What’s up with you?” Oscar asked in confusion.

“Would you believe me if I said I got into a tiny dispute with my father?” Julian asked in return.

“Excuses.”

“He took a liking to some family’s only daughter, and he wants me to date her. Why should I date someone whom I’ve never even met? In the end, I couldn’t hold it in and got into a fight with my dad. Thank goodness he didn’t fall sick from getting angry. Anyway, I was a little impulsive and told him I wanted to go solo,” Julian explained nonchalantly as though he was talking about someone else’s affairs.

“Based on your capabilities, you won’t fail even if you go solo. However, what I want to know is why you suddenly got into a fight with your father? If I remember correctly, you’ve always respected him.”

“It’s nothing much. It’s just that I don’t have any plans to get married for now. He keeps bugging me about it, so I finally lost my temper and talked back to him.”

Oscar eyed him for some time, processing his words. Suddenly, he said, “It’s been so many years. Have you still not forgotten her?”

Julian stiffened when he heard his friend’s words. Feigning ignorance, he shrugged his shoulders and said with a smile, “What are you talking about? I’m a playboy with no strings attached, okay? Don’t slander me as some person who’s loyal to their relationships.”

Hearing that, Oscar retracted his gaze. “I won’t ask anymore if you don’t want to talk about relationships. However, I have to remind you that woman already married a foreigner two years ago. You shouldn’t limit your options and be so hung up on her. It’s not worth it.”

Suddenly, Julian burst out laughing so hard that tears streamed down his cheeks. However, there seemed to be traces of desolation and an inexplicable sadness behind his laughter.

“Oscar, I never knew you could say such funny jokes,” he teased.

Oscar rolled his eyes and said, “You’re not young anymore, Julian. It’s time to think about getting married and having children. All our close friends like Michael, Lucas, Yohan, and Lewis have all found the most important woman in their life. On top of that, Michael’s and Yohan’s wives are pregnant. You should hurry up as well. After all, that woman is already gone.”

Julian laughed bitterly. “Don’t you think you’re going a little overboard by exposing my past relationship like that?”

“Aren’t you a professional playboy? Yet, you can’t even forget a woman who betrayed you in the past. And now you’re going around saying things like you’ve never fallen in love and that you don’t know what it’s like. These words can only work on young, innocent girls, my friend,” Oscar said calmly.

Julian side-eyed him. “I just realized today is not a suitable day to come looking for you.”

“Okay, that’s enough. You’re already here. Aren’t you here to talk about starting an entertainment agency? So let’s get back to the main topic. I think your proposal is quite good. I’ll consider collaborating with you,” Oscar said.

Julian raised his brows, finding his reaction suspicious.

“On one condition. You have to apologize to your father and get serious in looking for a future partner. I don’t want you to be alone for the rest of your life.”

“Are you trying to be a matchmaker?”

“Do we have a deal?”

“Well, I actually have a candidate, but I want to get your approval first.”

Oscar eyed him suspiciously.

“I think the eyes of Amelia’s cousin look similar to that woman’s in my memory. If you agree to let me pursue her, I’ll actually consider your condition.”

Oscar immediately shot him a look that seemed to question his eyesight.

“I’m serious. Their eyes really look alike. Maybe it’s because I miss her. Anyway, can I pursue her?”

“No way,” Oscar rejected without hesitation. “You can pick anyone to replace that woman but not Amelia’s cousin. I’ll never let you harm her.”

Julian shrugged and said, “I’m just saying.”

What Julian did not know was that he had a strong fate with Eva—a fate that would link them together for the rest of their lives.