"Miss, it ain't what you think!" Harry's voice shook with panic, his face drained of color. He never imagined such a stupid mistake could happen. A bit of trash here and there wouldn't have been a big deal, but a bra?
Amelia's eyes narrowed in fury, her voice rising. "Not what I think? No wonder Nick had the nerve to call this place his love nest! He's probably been bringing girls here to have fun!" She hurled the pink lace bra at Harry's face, her anger boiling over.
Harry stood there, trembling, still clutching the offending piece of lingerie. He cursed under his breath, realizing this was probably a prank by the previous owner who'd been forced to sell the place in a hurry. It had to be. And sure enough, Harry was right, but that didn't make the situation any better.
Meanwhile, Nick was on the phone, deep in conversation, trying to wrap up some business. He looked up, startled, as Amelia stormed past, dragging her purple suitcase behind her with a face like thunder. "What's wrong?" he asked, baffled.
Amelia didn't hold back. She crossed her arms and glared at Nick, her voice rising with every word. "I'm willing to help you, Nick, but there's no way in hell I'm staying under the same roof as you. Not after… this!"
Nick threw his hands up, bewildered. "What are you talking about, Amelia? What's gotten into you? My father's already got his spies sniffing around us. If we're not together, they'll know something's up."
Amelia snorted, her eyes flashing with anger. "Oh, I bet they'd love to know about the 'good times' you've been having here, wouldn't they? How many women have you paraded through this house, Nick? How many?"
Nick took a step back, genuinely confused. "Good times? Women? Amelia, what the hell are you talking about? I haven't—"
Harry, who had been standing off to the side, finally found his voice, though it wavered with fear. "Miss Amelia, please, this is all just a misunderstanding! It's the bra, Nick. She found… a bra."
Nick's expression darkened as the situation became clear. He turned on Harry, cursing him out for his stupidity. "You idiot! How could you let this happen?" Without a second thought, Nick fired Harry on the spot. "Pack your stuff right now!"
Harry's panic only grew. He couldn't afford to lose his job, not like this. Desperate, Harry turned to Amelia, practically begging her. "Miss, I swear, Nick hasn't been with any woman. He's been all about work, nothing else!"
Amelia crossed her arms, not buying it. "Yeah, right. What grown man doesn't take care of his needs? You expect me to believe that Nick, the same Nick who was a beast in bed, has been celibate for six years?"
Harry was nearly sweating bullets now, seeing no way out. In a last-ditch effort, he blurted out, "Miss, he hasn't even divorced you yet! Why would he cheat if he never moved on?"
Amelia froze, the truth of that statement hitting her harder than she expected. She had assumed the worst, convinced Nick had moved on the moment she was out of the picture. But hearing that he hadn't filed for divorce after all this time, it left her speechless.
She'd heard Nick say something like that before. She thought it was just him talking trash to get her to go along with his plan. But hearing it from someone else? That hit different. Made her stop and wonder—could it really be true?
Seeing Amelia's hesitation, Harry continued pleading his case. "Miss, Nick's been loyal to you. He's buried himself in work because he's been waiting—"
"Enough, Harry," Nick cut in, his tone softer now, but still firm. He wasn't about to let Harry spill every little secret.
"So, how the hell did this end up here then? You gonna tell me Nick's lost his damn mind and started secretly collecting stuff like this?" Amelia snapped at Harry, waving the bra in front of his face.
"That's because—"
"Harry, stop!" Nick cut in sharply.
"Nick—" Harry gulped, clearly nervous, but if he was about to lose his job, he figured he might as well say what he'd been holding back for years. "Nick hasn't been able to stay in this house since you left. Every time he stepped in, it reminded him of you... he couldn't even work well. So he sold the place. But since you asked to come back here, Nick made me buy it again. This... this is something left behind from the previous owner."
Amelia's eyes went wide, her breath catching. Something heavy settled in her chest. Could she trust what Harry was saying?