All heads spun around to look at the door, with profanities hanging off of Nigel's lips, ready to drop at any time. However, when he finally realized who it was who stood out there, all color fled from his face.
"M-Mr. Montgomery! What a delightful visit!" Nigel spluttered. He quickly gathered himself and bowed. "You're absolutely right, this woman should be fired immediately for her incompetence!" Amelia's heart sank as she waited for the inevitable; she was going to be missing a husband and a job…
"Amelia, pack your things. You're―"
"I was referring to you," the man, Mr. Montgomery, interrupted, his voice cutting and cold.
Amelia shivered instinctively; it was as though a blizzard's chill had swept through the room, leaving everyone frozen in his wake. Even Caleb's table, which had been nothing but noisy, was surprisingly silent.
Amelia couldn't help but be curious about the man who held such power. She had always been too low in the ranks to meet Nigel's boss, and she wondered what sort of man could have struck Caleb and his cronies dumb with his presence. However, his name, at least, was common knowledge among those who lived in Solara, and even those beyond the borders of the country.
Matteo Montgomery, one of the leading powers of the business empires in Solara. He was one of the youngest entrepreneurs in the country, on top of managing the Montgomery family business that had been thriving for generations. The club she was working at was but one of the many businesses he owned.
She slowly tilted her head, trying her best to take a peep at the man without him knowing.
Her heart raced as she caught sight of her savior through her messy hair. She had to tilt her head higher just so she could catch a glimpse of his face.
Matteo was devastatingly handsome. His strong jawline, high cheekbones, and broad shoulders gave off an intimidating, almost regal presence. With his jet-black hair and glacial blue eyes, Amelia could almost imagine him as a king, complete with a crown on top of his head.
Her heart, broken and shattered as it was, couldn't help but tremble.
Her eyes darted lower; she couldn't help but notice the veins in his forearms, thanks to the rolled-up sleeves of his shirt. He seemed like someone who didn't mind doing hard work.
As though he sensed her glance, Matteo turned those glacial blue eyes on her. Amelia quickly ducked away, not wanting to attract any more of his attention. She didn't know him well― he might simply decide to change his mind and let Nigel beat her.
Or worse, he might pity her.
She knew how she must have looked in his eyes. She was nothing but a poor employee who looked like a wreck, with wine splashes on her uniform and her hair a disheveled mess, her eyes swollen and teary, and scratched wounds all over her hands.
But because she looked away, she did not see how his gaze softened as he gazed at her.
"Since when did I give you leave to hit my employees?" Matteo demanded. His tone was icy, but his blood was boiling underneath the surface. He detested anyone who laid a hand on the weak and powerless.
Sweat began to bead on Nigel's temples, and he quickly glanced at Caleb Walton's table, hoping that one of them would chime in and save his skin. However, all of them dared not to speak in Matteo's presence, when his anger was a palpable shroud, threatening to strangle them all.
"I… I was just teaching her a lesson!" Nigel protested. "This worker is very clumsy― she shattered this bottle of priceless wine―"
"And will beating her up magically fix matters?" Matteo asked with a raised eyebrow. "I had no idea violence was magic."
Unbidden, a small smile crossed Amelia's face at his wit.
"Nigel, you're fired. Turn in your staff pass and your keys by tonight."
Nigel paled. "Mr. Montgomery! Please, this was a misunderstanding! I wouldn't have if not for―"
"Be thankful that I'm not suing you for workplace violence," Matteo growled out, anger rearing its ugly head at Nigel's insistence that he had not done wrong. "Now, get lost!"
Nigel wisely fled the room without a backwards glance. Once Nigel's back retreated from the room for good, Caleb finally spoke up, standing up to walk towards Matteo. Amelia flinched, half-expecting Caleb to shove her, but she was as good as air in his eyes.
Her husband only had eyes for Matteo.
"Hi Matteo, fancy seeing you here! It's been a long time, hasn't it?" Caleb asked, his tone friendly and welcoming.
Amelia's heart gave a tiny lurch in her ribcage― it was as though the nastiness of earlier was a figment of her imagination. This was her husband again, as she knew him.
"This is my club," Matteo replied flatly. "It would be much stranger if you didn't see me."
Caleb laughed awkwardly, but he continued to speak, not dissuaded by Matteo's coldness. "Well, I know you must be busy, but would you have the time to spare a drink with us?"
"Since you know I'm busy, why did you even bother asking?" Matteo retorted, staring at Caleb as though he was soft in the head.
Amelia blinked― she had never met a man so blunt and so impervious to Caleb's friendliness before.
It was almost like he had a personal hatred for Caleb's presence.
Caleb's face darkened, but he still kept on smiling.
"It was worth a shot! You are a hard man to catch, Matteo. I hope you―"
To Amelia's surprise, Matteo didn't even bother responding to Caleb's words. Instead, he turned to Amelia, wordlessly cutting Caleb off to address her.
"Follow me."
"What?" Amelia asked, wondering if she had misheard.
"You need to dress your wounds. Follow me," he repeated, holding out his hand for her.
"There's no need―" Amelia protested, holding her hands close to her chest, staring at his hand as though it were a live wire. Her wounds hurt, but it was nothing that good old iodine could not fix.
Her broken heart was another matter altogether. She chanced a quick look at Caleb, only to spot the derisive curl of his lips as he sneered at her.
"I agree, Matteo, there's no need to trouble yourself with someone like her," Caleb said with a cavalier laugh. "She has a pair of working legs; she can make her own way out."
Amelia bit her lip so hard it nearly bled. She did not recognize this callous man in front of her.
Matteo's eyebrows furrowed in distaste, but he did not bother to respond to Caleb's words. Instead, he gazed at Amelia, wordlessly cocking his head.
His hand was still outstretched, waiting for Amelia to respond.