Mrs. Zhao's eyes gleamed with a smug grin as she sized up Amelia. "Don't tell me you came here for free," she sneered, her words dripping with disdain.
Amelia's ears burned at the insult. She wanted to fire back, but the truth was, Mrs. Zhao wasn't entirely wrong. Nick had offered her compensation for being here. That fact stung more than she'd like to admit.
Mrs. Zhao crossed her arms, her voice sharpening. "If it weren't for my husband, I'd have kicked you out the second you walked in. Nick deserves someone better than you, and he has that now."
Amelia closed her eyes for a brief moment, gathering her thoughts. She needed to put this venomous old woman in her place.
Opening her eyes, Amelia met Mrs. Zhao's cold stare head-on. "You know," she began slowly, "we're not so different, you and I. I know Nick isn't scared of losing his father's inheritance. He lived simply before. But you? You're the one who can't stand the thought of living without that money, aren't you?" Amelia leaned closer, her voice dropping to a whisper that dripped with venom. "You're the real gold digger here, letting me stay around just to secure your husband's fortune."
Amelia slipped her arm around Nick's, pulling him close before planting a soft kiss on his cheek. "Let's go home, darling. I'm exhausted from that long flight."
Nick smirked, catching on to her game. He played along, not missing a beat. "Alright," he said, but then his eyes caught sight of someone approaching—another woman, young, dressed in an expensive-looking semi-formal dress. Perfect timing. He couldn't resist stirring the pot just a little more. "But only after one more kiss."
Before Amelia could protest, Nick leaned in and kissed her, full on the lips, much longer than she expected. She tensed at first, her mind screaming to pull away, but Nick's hand slid behind her neck, holding her in place. And damn it, despite herself, she relaxed into it, her hands resting on his chest. The kiss deepened, and they both got a little too lost in it.
A shrill voice cut through the moment like a knife. "Aunt Zhao! What is going on here?"
Amelia and Nick snapped apart, both of them catching their breath. They turned to see the young woman staring at them, horrified, her eyes darting between them and Mrs. Zhao, who was now flustered and scrambling for words.
"Maia, dear!" Mrs. Zhao stammered, her face pale. "This is not what it looks like. I'll explain everything!"
Nick wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, a satisfied smirk tugging at his lips. "Let's go, baby," he said to Amelia, ignoring the chaos he'd just caused.
Amelia shot him a side-eye, still reeling from the kiss. She muttered under her breath, "You're unbelievable."
As they walked toward the exit, the sound of Mrs. Zhao trying to calm down Maia trailed behind them. Amelia was relieved to get out of that suffocating situation. But damn it, Nick really knew how to make things complicated.
Just as they were about to step outside, a doctor in scrubs walked into the hospital lobby, chatting with a colleague. His gaze drifted over to the scene unfolding near the VVIP area, curiosity piqued.
"What's going on over there?" asked the doctor, Aiden, adjusting the stethoscope around his neck.
"Oh, Aiden!" his blonde colleague, Dr. Michelle, turned with a grin. "You just missed it. Some lovebirds were causing quite the scene, kissing in the VVIP hallway."
Aiden raised an eyebrow, shaking his head in disbelief. "Lovebirds? In the hospital? Ridiculous. Doesn't matter how much money they have, people like that will always act out."
Michelle chuckled, rolling her eyes. "True. But hey, at least it broke up the usual dull hospital routine for a bit."
Aiden grumbled as they continued toward the elevator. "Let's just hope they didn't disrupt anything important. Dr. Lim's waiting for us in surgery."
Aiden glanced at his watch and groaned. "Well, I left my phone in the car. I'll grab it and meet you up there." He spun on his heel and jogged out toward the parking lot.