Matteo Montgomery hadn't been joking when he said that he had a new dress prepared for Amelia. She had considered that he would be, or at least, perhaps he would've borrowed a last-minute dress for her so that he wouldn't lose his face because of her, but she hadn't expected to see something like that.
"See if it's your size," Matteo calmly said once the door was pushed open and Amelia walked in. He tucked one hand into his pocket, the other on the door handle. "If you need any adjustments, I'll call for the seamstress to come over."
To call it a champagne dress would be a severe understatement. It would probably even work as a wedding dress! It was an off-shoulder dress that had a fitted bodice and a mermaid tail flare. The bodice had a low cut and was fitted with chiffon and shimmering beads, while the flare of the skirts had layers upon layers of fabric to create a full body.
It was a light gold color, similar to the sparkling alcoholic beverage, and Amelia wondered if the wine had somehow seeped into her system for she must be hallucinating this entire thing.
"I… I can't possibly wear this!" Amelia all but yelled, panicked.
It was beautiful, but if Kelsie Friesent destroyed this dress like she did Amelia's original outfit, Matteo Montgomery was going to have her head for it! There was no way she could pay him back if this dress was ruined. It didn't seem like something within her payroll, even with the ridiculously high salary her new employer was offering.
"Why not?" Matteo asked, looking genuinely confused. His head tilted slightly to the left as he stared at Amelia. "I am sure the measurements wouldn't be too far off."
"M-Measurements―" Amelia had to stop herself from screaming. How did he even know her measurements?
"I will be outside if you need me," he curtly said, ignoring the way Amelia's face was changing colors as though she was a chameleon. With that said, he left the room and clicked it shut.
Left alone with the stunning new dress, Amelia had all the time to gawk. She had only seen such a masterpiece off runways and magazines. She hadn't even dared to look into the fancy boutiques down the city central, knowing that those weren't pieces she could afford back then.
Reaching out, her fingers grazed the beads. The cold stone caused her hand to shiver. Goodness. These crystals felt strangely like diamonds.
Truth be told, Amelia was worried but at the same time, insanely excited. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! When else would she be able to try on a dress like this?
Wasting no time, she quickly locked the door and slipped out of her stained dress before donning the new one. The zipper was an issue but she managed to pull it all the way up before opening the door.
"Mr. Montgomery?" she called out, poking her head out the door.
She pressed her hand against the low cut of her dress― it didn't cause anything that shouldn't show to show, but Amelia wasn't comfortable with showing this much skin. All of her clothing pieces prior to this had been conservative, and the most scandalous clothes she had would be lingerie that never saw daylight past her bedroom doors.
Granted, there was a thin translucent veil that covered her cleavage, but it was much more fleshy than normal. It did, however, hug her curves perfectly as though the dress was made just for her.
Matteo had been leaning against the wall, his eyes glued to his phone screen. When he heard Amelia's voice, he quickly locked his phone and stuffed it into his pocket before turning to look.
When his eyes landed on her, they widened. It wasn't an obvious movement, but when paired with the roll of his Adam's apple as he swallowed and the slight dilation of his pupils, Amelia shifted uncomfortably in his gaze.
They weren't standing too far apart, and all these minuscule movements weren't hard to spot. Matteo's lips parted slightly before he lightly cleared his throat.
"It fits you wonderfully," he said. He then held out his arm for her to take. "Shall we?"
Amelia hesitated only for a fraction of a second before she took Matteo's arm. Following his lead, they re-entered the main hall where the charity auction was held.
"They will be conducting the bids soon," Matteo said as they made their way through the crowd. It parted for them like the Red Sea, and Amelia could feel the hot gazes of the onlookers watching them. "Let me know if anything catches your eye."
"My eye?" Amelia squeaked, confused. Why would her likes and dislikes matter here at the auction? She wasn't capable of buying anything!
They found their seats and Matteo helped her settle down before sitting right beside her. He adjusted his suit before he turned to look at her. A small smile danced upon his lips, and now it was Amelia's turn to be awed by him.
"Consider this as an onboarding gift from me to you," he said before turning back to the stage, ignoring the way Amelia practically gawked at his words.
At that time, Amelia had yet to understand the severity of the situation. It was only when the first item was listed, then the second, did Amelia's face turned paler and paler.
"Going once, going twice… Sold at thirteen million dollars to Mrs. Rutherford!"
"Thirteen… million…" Amelia swallowed, trying to regain some moisture in her mouth. Her throat had gone dry, and by the time the fifth item was shown, she thought she might pass out. Every item that was brought out easily cost more than her annual salary, and none of them seemed as though they were worth that much.
"And now, ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce this wonderful new piece of art that had traversed decades before landing in our hands," the auctioneer eagerly said as his assistants wheeled out a small table behind him.
With a flick, he revealed the item, causing Amelia's eyes to widen and her heart to stop. Her breath was caught in her throat, and at that moment, the world truly began to spin rounds and rounds to the point where Amelia wasn't able to focus on anything but what was on that stage. It had been years since she had last seen it― and at that time, she hadn't expected to see it here of all places.
She sold it, she remembered it clearly, and not for a price that would warrant its appearance at this charity auction. There was no way she would have recognized the item wrongly. True enough, she quickly reached for the pamphlet and haphazardly flipped through it until she found the item she was searching for. The photo detailed the item clearly, and it was just as she remembered it to be, down to the tiny stamp that bore their family crest.
"My flute…"