The tablet in Amelia's hands made a thud sound as the screen made contact with the floor.
Amelia's eyes widened, confused, why did the dean hit the tablet in her hands?
"Don't…don't sign it, Amelia, my dear, don't sign that contract, you mustn't have any business with that family". The dean spoke with grave fear on her old face.
'What is going on, what's wrong?', Amelia kept questioning herself, this wasn't the way she had thought the dean would react to this information, even though she knew that her grandmother hated the Riggs family.
'Didn't she hate them because they were wealthy, or is there another reason she is not aware about?'.
"Grandma, calm down, I don't understand why you are reacting like this…". Amelia spoke as she rubbed softly on the dean's back.
The dean held Amelia's hand tightly as she gazed directly into Amelia's face with teary eyes.
"Amelia, don't leave me, don't sign that contract, stay here with me, please". The dean pleaded.
Amelia had never seen the dean this emotional apart from the day she separated from the children at the orphanage, she had never shown this type of emotion before.
Is it as a result of her sickness or was she scared that Amelia won't be with her throughout the fourteen months, what if it was both?
Amelia smiled as she wrapped her hands around the dean in a comforting hug.
The dean really cared so much for her, she was beginning to get emotional.
"Grandma, I promise I won't leave you, once you have recovered fully, you will live there with…".
"Amelia, no! Don't go there, I don't want you to have anything to do with that family, you will re…". The dean raised her voice as she clutched tightly to her chest, squeezing her face in pain.
"What happened? Grandma, are you okay? Please stop talking, don't stress yourself anymore and relax". Amelia spoke, panicking.
The dean ignored her, she gripped Amelia's palm as she tried to talk, still clutching on her chest with the other hand.
"Don't do it, please, for my s…". The dean couldn't finish her statement when she fainted, Amelia grew scared as she ran out of the ward shouting to get the attention of a nurse, she no longer cared about the other patients.
Coming to the hospital seemed great before, but now she regretted it.
The nurse explained that her grandmother was doing fine, but the cause of that reaction was because she heard a bad news, one that made her scared and as a result of that, her brain triggered a surge of adrenaline which made her weak heart beat faster than normal causing her pain.
Amelia wondered what was so bad about being a surrogate mother for a billionaire, if anything, the dean was supposed to be happy for her because of the money she will earn from it.
The screen of the black tablet was severely cracked but apart from that, the device appeared to be working well, she wasn't going to sign the contract now until he grants her a request.
She sighed deeply as she came out of the hospital, what would he think of her when he sees the surface of the gadget he just handed to her an hour ago? He would definitely assume she was careless no matter the excuse she brings up, she would just apologize, this shouldn't be much of a problem for him.
She wondered if he even remembered her bumping into him the other day, it would be embarrassing if he does after seeing this.
~~~~~~~~
"I have a request to make before I sign the contract". Amelia spoke as she closed the door, hiding the face of the gadget between her thighs.
"What is it?". Mr. Alex asked.
"My grandmother is currently ill but, she has shown signs of recovering, she will be okay in a week or two". Amelia started.
"I would like it if she gets to live in the same place with me throughout the time of my pregnancy after she gets discharged from the hospital, it will be great for me and will aid in fast recovery for her, she can't live without me".
Mr. Alex didn't respond this time, he just kept his calm, which strongly suggested that he wasn't in the position to speak.
Calvin let out a light chuckle, he found what Amelia said to be amusing.
Amelia felt awkward, she didn't know what was worth the chuckle in what she had just said.
Calvin turned his head to glare at Amelia, his face didn't look like one that had just laughed, it was unreadable and intimidating.
Amelia pressed tightly on the tablet in her thighs as she swallowed her saliva nervously.
'Did she say anything wrong?'. She thought to herself.
"I will think about it, sign the contract, I have places to be". Calvin uttered casually.
"Umm, I need your agreement before I sign the contract". Amelia responded with uneasiness.
Calvin nodded slowly with a smirk on his lips.
"Fine, I agree with that".
Amelia brought out the device from her thighs and turned on the screen, she was thinking of an excuse to give for the broken screen, she couldn't tell him that her grandmother threw it from her hands, he would know that she wake conscious.
She signed in her name and passed the tablet to Calvin once she was done.
Calvin took a glance at the broken screen as he received it and immediately passed it to Mr. Alex.
'What an amusing, clumsy thing'. Calvin jeered internally as he returned his attention to his phone.
"I sincerely apologize, I tripped on my toes on my way out of the hospital and fell on my face". Amelia explained as she rubbed her fingers against the tip of her nose while using her thumb to press lightly on the tip of her fingers.
This usually happened to her whenever she told a lie, she didn't know whether it was a habit, or it was as a result of the anxiety she feels whenever she tells a lie out of the blue.
He wasn't that bad to speak with, she reasoned to herself, happy that he didn't make a fuss about it.
Calvin understood Amelia's body language, although he wasn't staring at her directly, he could still notice that little detail from his side view even without reading her facial expression, he could state for a fact that she had just told a lie.
When blood isn't properly distributed to your vessels, it causes the tips of the fingers and nose to go numb, it is most likely that most of your blood is being sent to your brain and heart at an abnormal rate because of the nervousness, the body consumes a lot of energy when a tensed person is trying to think of a lie or is probably telling a lie. The brain tries to squeeze out lies, especially one that wasn't prepared for, so it's takes blood from the tip of your fingers.
Average and untrained people like Amelia wouldn't be able to hide habits that expose the fact that they are lying or even resist the urge to itch certain parts of their body when they lie.
Calvin wondered what she was hiding, even though he found it amusing that she couldn't properly tell a lie without outing herself.
Her apology sounded vaguely familiar, like he had heard her apology to him before now.
~~~~~~~~~
Mr. Alex pressed a button and kicked the car into gear as he accelerated out of the premises of the hospital.
Amelia has prepared herself mentally, starting from now her life has taken a new turn, from now until the next fourteen months, she was going to live as a different person, faraway from her home, under the protection and provision of a billionaire, she would be living her life for the next fourteen months not for herself but for the man sitting beside her, practically her life for the next fourteen months is in his hands for the child in her womb, even though biologically she is the mother of the child, the contract terminated all motherly rights she had over the child five months after birth.
She didn't like that, but it was for the better good, for her and the dean.
An intrusive thought came to her mind, what would happen if she seduces him during that five months, and he falls for her? Will he allow her to raise their child together? Amelia wanted to facepalm herself, that was a wild thought, people like him wouldn't even glance at her when it involves interest of that kind with a second thought, she should just forget it and not do something stupid to breach the contract, he wasn't an average person who would just let her go after terminating the contract, worse comes to worst, she might end up dead without a trace, one of the many reasons she was terrified of wealthy people like him.
She turned to steal a gaze at him and as she expected, his eyes were shut, head posed in a resting position on the seat's headrest.
```````````
"Mr Alex, please, I would like a favor". Amelia spoke up, breaking up the silence that dwelled in the car.
"Please, go ahead". Mr. Alex responded.
"I would like to pick up a few things I would need from my apartment before I leave…".
"Why? I don't think there is anything of value in your apartment". Calvin pronounced before Mr. Alex could reply.
Amelia was stunned at what she heard, here she was thinking he wasn't as bad as she had formerly imagined, not knowing that he was worse.
Why would he say such a thing?
What angered her most was the fact that she couldn't retort to it with anger or even refute his absurd assumption.
Of course, there was something of value, the dean's picture with her and her diary.
"You don't have to worry about anything…". Mr. Alex said.
"I know that, but, I just require two things with me, a picture and a diary". Amelia requested.
"I will order someone to get them for you, you can't be seen on the streets until the fourteen months is over, for your safety, Ms Amelia, I hope you understand". Mr. Alex discussed.
Amelia felt uneasy by that answer, what if the person peeps into her diary? And, why will she be unsafe in the streets? Has she automatically become exposed to violence because she signed the contract?
"Alright, Please, order them not to peep".
"I will, Ms Amelia".
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Amelia awed at the sight before her.
The scenery was fabulous with a tranquil neighborhood, there were flower beds on every sidewalk, the apartments stood tall and with just a few meters away from each other.
They all had the same architectural design except one.
This different apartment appeared the largest and was the farthest apartment from the other apartments in the neighborhood.
It can be considered as the penthouse of the neighborhood, it had high-end fixtures and finishes.
The view became more magnificent as she got a closer look, the car rode smoothly into the garage of the apartment before making a stop.
Amelia felt thrilled as she took in the fresh scent of flowers for oxygen, it was a refreshing feeling as the air sailed smoothly into her nostrils, giving her a sense of life, she couldn't wrap her head around the fact that this is the apartment she will be staying in for the next fourteen months even though she knew the answer, she just had to wait and not get her hopes too high until Mr. Alex explained what was happening.
It was better than the one Liam stole from her.
~~~~~~~~~
There were four persons standing in a parallel line in the front of the apartment, Amelia wondered why they were standing there, they bowed their heads slowly in respect, making Amelia baffled.
Why were they bowing? She questioned herself.
She gazes to her side, and then it dawned on her that it was because of the person besides her.
Of course, they were here to welcome him, why would they be bowing to her?
Calvin walked into the apartment, following behind him was Mr. Alex, Amelia forgot herself for a second, as she scanned around with her eyes the beautiful cape before sensing that the duo was inside.
"This is where you will be staying in from now on until the next fourteen months under the twenty-four hours professional care of these workers…". Mr. Alex started as she and the workers entered inside.
"Introduce yourselves".
"My name is John and I will be your personal driver". The only guy among the workers spoke.
Amelia wondered why there was a driver employed for her, the contract stated that she wasn't allowed to go out of the apartment except when permitted.
"My name is Ophelia, and I am the house worker".
"My name is Basra, I am a perinatal nurse, always at your aid".
"My name is Sarah and I am also a house worker".
They all introduced themselves.
"My name is Amelia, I hope we all get along with each other's company". Amelia introduced herself with a warm smile.
Calvin walked towards Amelia, he handed her a phone before leaving the apartment to receive a call.
"Please, hand over your old phone, Ms Amelia, you won't be needing it for now". Mr. Alex spoke.
"Uhh, Ohh, here". Amelia stuttered as she brought the phone out of her cloth pouch.
"Sarah will give you a tour of the apartment if you want, you can always contact me if you require anything or want to make a request, until then, see you later". Mr Alex said politely with a slight bow of his head.
"I sure will, thank you". Amelia responded, confused at the sudden act of respect she was shown.
Wasn't it expected? She was carrying the next heir to the Riggs empire in her womb definitely, she should be respected and treated like a queen.
Amelia smirked at her own thought.