Nathan Taylor observed her change in complexion, knowing that she had taken in what he'd said. He then stopped talking and focused on driving carefully.
The Fosters Residence still bore the same appearance it had three years ago. From the plants in the yard to the furnishings inside, nothing had changed. However, as Amelia returned to this place, it felt like a lifetime had passed.
The only difference was the addition of a small kitten in the house.
Like most women, Amelia had a soft spot for fluffy little creatures. Her eyes immediately softened at the sight of it…
When Daniel Cooper walked into the room, he saw both Amelia and the kitten curled up and fast asleep on the sofa.
Amelia's small face was flushed red. She was too thin, looking pitiful wrapped up in a blanket like a homeless stray cat.
A hint of heartache hidden deep in his eyes, the man's lips unconsciously curled slightly. He leaned down to pick her up.
Anxious and not really asleep, Amelia suddenly felt a dark shadow looming above her in her dazed state. Her instinct was to lift her hand and slap it away.
He grabbed her wrist in one swift motion, then furrowed his brows as he realized that her clothes were damp and her body temperature alarmingly high.
He stared down at her condescendingly, his gaze heavy on her face. "Are you running a fever?"
Amelia pulled her wrist back and sat up, looking him straight in the eye. "Are you worried about me being ill, or are you calculating something else?"
"Didn't you volunteer to sleep with me? Do I need to scheme for that?"
Why was she always so prickly towards him, yet completely defenseless against the schemes of others?
His annoyance turned to laughter, and his words became merciless. "Didn't you say you'd do anything to save your father? Is this the sincerity you're showing me?"
Amelia was left speechless by his retort. Indeed, she had said that because she gambled that he wouldn't actually go through with it.
It seemed she had miscalculated.
Could an environment truly change a person's nature?
The otherwise impatient man was surprisingly patient this time, waiting in place for a while before slowly speaking. "If you're not willing, then forget it. I'll have someone take you away, and don't ever come looking for me again."
As he turned to pick up the landline phone, Amelia hurriedly crawled over and pressed her burning fingertips onto the back of his fair, phone-holding hand.
With his eyes downcast, Daniel's gaze softened as he silently watched their touching hands.
The next second, he lifted his eyes and resumed his cold, indifferent demeanor, gazing at her coolly.
Examining him nervously, Amelia reluctantly said in a barely audible voice, "I didn't say I wasn't willing…"
Having uttered her acceptance, Amelia lowered her head, feeling the full weight of having her self-respect trampled. Her already feverish cheeks felt like they were burning. Biting her lip hard, she fully abandoned her dignity and softly called out to him, "Daniel…"
Her face was smiling, but her heart felt like it was suffocating. They used to be in love. How could he treat her like this now?
Daniel finally eased his grip on the phone receiver, feeling his ear go momentarily numb from her tender call.
He hated that she was so easily able to appease him. Deep down, his anger could have buried a mountain, yet he found it impossible to harden his heart against her.
Still maintaining his icy expression, he pulled out a first aid kit from under the coffee table, found some fever-reducing medicine, and tossed it to her. "Take the medicine first. I'm not interested in a woman who's unconscious."
He had already experienced how stubborn and ruthless this woman could be. To seek vengeance and anger him, she wouldn't even spare her own flesh and blood. Naturally, to achieve her goal, she would throw her body to the wind as well.
Amelia's fever was making her delirious, but she neither took the medicine nor spoke.
Out of patience, he threw the pills onto the coffee table. "If you don't want to save your father, keep acting like this."