Raymond shouted, his voice shaking with rage. “Ungrateful brat! Gianna will always be our precious daughter. This will forever be her home!”
“How unlucky for us to have such a cruel sister like you. Gianna is our sister, but you? You’re the biggest shame our family has ever had.”
Their cruel words piled on, one after another, making Amelia’s anger from the past two years explode.
Her eyes turned completely cold.
“Fine. Perfect,” she said slowly, her voice sharp. “Since you’ve chosen her, from today on, I’m cutting ties with this family. We are strangers now.”
She turned around and walked away without looking back, as if staying one more second would suffocate her.
“Get out! We don’t want a daughter like you!” Raymond roared.
Emery was shaking with anger, too. “Worthless child! We should never have brought you back!”
Gianna held onto Emery, crying as if her heart was broken. But behind the tears, a quick, smug smile flashed in her eyes.
“I always wanted to get along with Amelia, but she just hates me.
“Dad, Mom, after all, she’s your real daughter. Maybe I should leave instead. She looked upset. You should comfort her. I’m just an outsider. Please don’t ruin the family because of me.
“Or maybe I should beg her, apologize, and ask her to look after you all after I leave.”
Her heartbreaking cries made the family feel touched and sorry for her.
Emery said, “Silly girl, don’t say that. You’ll always be my little girl, part of this family.”
“Let that troublemaker leave!” Raymond snapped.
“But Amelia has company shares. Grandpa gave them to her. If she … ” Gianna hesitated, her eyes flickering.
The truth was, the only reason Vincent wanted to marry Amelia was because of those shares.
She owned a huge amount of company shares. If he married her, the Desters would rise higher.
When Amelia returned, her grandfather was so overjoyed-or maybe just losing it or trying to make up for the past-that he actually gave her 30% of his shares.
If Amelia left, those shares would be a problem.
“Hmph! If she’s not part of the family anymore, we’ll just take the shares back.”
Amelia knew exactly what kind of dirty tricks they were planning.
But as long as she didn’t sign anything, they couldn’t touch her.
For now, she’d settle in.
Just then, her phone rang. It was Josie calling.
She answered while walking away.
Suddenly, a Rolls-Royce sped past. Its tires hit a puddle, sending water splashing high into the air.
Water splashed everywhere, flying straight at Amelia.
Amelia spotted it in time. With a quick, perfect turn, she dodged the splash perfectly.
Screech!
The Rolls-Royce stopped not far away.
Amelia hung up her phone.
The driver jumped out, apologizing in panic, “I’m so sorry, Miss. I didn’t notice you.”
Amelia patted her clothes calmly and said, “It’s fine. Just be careful next time.”
Then the back window of the car slid down slowly.
“What happened?” A deep, cold voice came from inside.
Amelia raised her eyes and saw a man with a strikingly handsome face.
His dark eyes, thin lips, and commanding presence made the air feel heavy, even in silence.
But his skin looked pale, almost sick, like he was unwell.
He was so handsome it seemed unreal, yet his cold aura made him frightening.
Still, what a pity. He’d been poisoned.
I guess life really is fair after all.
Amelia thought with a quiet sigh.
“Mr. Curran, I-I’m sorry. It was my fault,” the driver stuttered, clearly afraid.
Jeremy Curran glanced at Amelia.
“Miss, I’m sorry. Just tell me how much you want. I’m in a hurry,” he said in a cold voice. He pulled out a checkbook from his suit pocket. “Here’s compensation.”
Amelia looked him over, annoyed by his arrogance, then let out a short laugh. “What’s the rush?”
She paused on purpose, then continued.
“Relax. You’ve got around three months before the poison in your body kills you. If you don’t get treated by then, even the best doctor won’t be able to save you.”
Jeremy’s eyes narrowed, his tone colder than before. “What do you know?”
Amelia shrugged lightly. “I just happened to know a little about medicine. Let me guess. You’ve also got a crippled leg, insomnia, and no appetite? Guess that’s what happens when health problems pile up.”
She pushed the checkbook back. “Keep your money. You’ll need it to pay for your hospital stays.”
Then she turned on her heels and left.
She wasn’t about to put up with his arrogance.
Her mood was already ruined by her family troubles.
What a bad day, filled with nothing but problems.
The driver gasped quietly, staring in horror at the bold woman.
Anyone who dared talk to Jeremy like that was either not born yet or already dead.
Jeremy’s eyes turned sharp with danger. “Who are you?”
Amelia lifted her hand and waved without looking back. “Nobody. Just someone passing by. You better hurry and find the best doctor, because normal doctors won’t be able to cure you.”
Jeremy’s face grew darker, and his chest tightened for a moment.
How could this stranger know about the illness I had kept secret for so many years?
“Stop her,” he said coldly.
Two men in black suits got out of the car and blocked Amelia’s path.
Amelia turned, raising one eyebrow at him. “What’s this? You want to trap me here?”
“If you can diagnose it, then you can cure it,” Jeremy replied, pulling out a blank check. “I’m Jeremy Curran. Name your price.”
Amelia froze for a brief second.
Jeremy Curran?
The leader of the Curran Group?
The richest man in Brookhaven?
She remembered well that her family and the Currans had always been rivals.
Back then, the Nygards were the richest family in Brookhaven, until Jeremy stepped in. Once he took control, he crushed them completely.
So the title changed hands.
And because Jeremy kept such a low profile, the media barely managed to take his photo.
She hadn’t expected the famous, cold-hearted tycoon to be right here in front of her.
Suddenly, a thought sparked in Amelia’s mind. She had already broken ties with her family. What she needed now was a powerful backer.
And this man was the perfect choice.
Her lips curved slightly, and her eyes flashed with determination.
“So you’re Mr. Curran.” She accepted the check, then slowly tore it into pieces in front of him.
“I don’t care about the money. But if you agree to do me a small favor, maybe I’ll think about saving you.”
Jeremy’s dark eyes narrowed, sharp like a knife. “Speak.”
Amelia didn’t rush. She said calmly, “I’m Amelia Nygard, the eldest daughter of the Nygards. But I’ve just cut ties with them.”
His gaze lingered on her face for a moment, and the corners of his lips curved into a faint smile.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.