Amelia raised her eyes to look at him, and after a few seconds, she still grabbed the medicine and stuffed it into her mouth. Her hand trembled so badly that most of the water in the cup spilled out.
The man frowned as he watched, his face cold as he asked, "You're not feeling well, yet you deliberately get caught in the rain and sleep in wet clothes. Do you think that if you make yourself look this pitiful, I'll soften up?"
Amelia placed the cup back on the coffee table, her originally fair cheeks now as red as a carrot. She forced a smile at him while her voice hoarse, "You don't have to go easy on me. As long as Mr. Cooper will show mercy to my father, that's enough."
Since he had relented, she had to strike while the iron was hot, appeasing him with soft words.
Hearing the address she used for him, Daniel Cooper's eyes narrowed slowly, his gaze suddenly filled with irony. But he seemed to let it go quickly and calmly said, "Then go upstairs and take a bath first. We'll discuss the rest later."
Taking a bath definitely wasn't as simple as just bathing...
Amelia knew his temper, that he could be persuaded with gentle words but not with coercion. Yet, that last bit of stubborn decency was still tearing and struggling within her, so she made an excuse, "I feel dizzy from the fever. I can't move right now."
Daniel glanced at her, "Then should I carry you up?"
"...I don't feel so dizzy anymore."
Amelia forced herself to stand up from the sofa and slowly walked toward the staircase.
Half an hour later, she came out of the shower, having forgotten to bring her pajamas. She was now wrapped in only a bath towel.
Daniel was sitting on a single sofa looking at his phone and glanced at her when he heard her coming out.
Even though she had prepared herself, Amelia couldn't help but freeze in her tracks and raise a hand to cover her chest.
He looked at her reaction and frowned slightly, then lowered his gaze back to his phone a few seconds later, either too lazy to bother with her or having lost interest due to her reaction.
Amelia stood in place for a while, then calmed herself down and walked over to stand in front of him, trying hard to appear less self-conscious, "I'm done taking a shower. You can go now."
As Daniel was about to reply, his gaze suddenly caught her bruised knee, and his fingers instinctively reached out, "You..."
Before he could finish his words, the woman beside him suddenly let out a soft cry, retreating back. He didn't expect her to be so resistant, and a nameless anger sparked in his heart. Daniel grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him.
Caught off guard, Amelia stumbled into his embrace, her heart beating fast enough to kill her. Yet, her face was cold as ice.
She resisted internally, but she held back from struggling and tensely let him hold her. The two of them remained silent for a while, and the only sound in the quiet room was their breathing.
The air conditioner in the room was quite warm, but as Amelia remained in his arms, she couldn't help but tremble, as if all the grievances and resentment of the past few years were being released at once.
After quite a while, Daniel rubbed her shoulders and pushed her away, his eyes dark as he stared at her, "You've become as stiff as a steel plate. I don't like to force things."
Was he subtly suggesting she take the initiative?
A subtle pain rose in Amelia's heart. In the years following the Fosters' disaster, she had been weighed down by a heavy debt and her father's illness, barely able to breathe under the immense pressure.
If she could truly lean on this shoulder and catch her breath, it would be a great relief. However, reason told her that it wasn't right to do so.
With great difficulty, she tried to negotiate with him, "Can't we agree on different terms? You're already married, and I don't want to be a shameful mistress who tarnishes my father's reputation."