“What is Amelia trying to do now?” he muttered.
Vincent’s father, Bentley Dester, snorted,
“Now you care? Where was this responsibility when you ran out of the engagement party? You made our family look like fools!”
Vincent’s mother, Diana Dester, sighed, “Vincent, what were you thinking? Amelia might be stubborn, but she’s still the real daughter of the Nygards. How could you left the party?”
Vincent suddenly looked up, his eyes cold. “She’s not the real heiress. The Nygards only recognized Gianna as the real daughter now!”
Bentley slammed his hand on the table. “You fool! Do you think our family cares about that? Amelia owns 30% of the Nygard Group’s shares. That’s what matters! If she marries into our family, all those shares become us.”
The living room went completely quiet.
Vincent snapped back to reality.
That was exactly why he had wanted to marry Amelia in the first place.
“Don’t worry, Dad. I’ll find Amelia and apologize. She’s always liked me. If I talk to her nicely, she’ll forgive me,” Vincent said confidently.
Bentley’s face softened a little. “It better work out.”
Vincent had planned to ignore Amelia at first, hoping she would reflect on her mistakes.
But he didn’t expect her to be so stubborn-cutting ties with the Nygards and running away.
He quickly grabbed his phone and sent Amelia a series of apology messages. His tone was gentle, as if he hadn’t been the one to run off from the engagement.
“Amelia, I was confused that day. I just realized how much I love you.
“Please give me a chance. Can we talk in person?
“I know you still care about me. Let’s start over, okay?”
But the messages were all ignored. Amelia didn’t reply a single word.
Vincent’s face darkened with every passing minute. Finally, he tried calling her-only to find out he had been blocked!
“Damn it!” He threw his phone onto the sofa, his eyes burning with anger. “Amelia, do you really think you can get rid of me that easily?”
Saturday.
At the night of the charity gala, the most luxurious hotel in Brookhaven, Starluxe Hotel, glittered with lights.
Everyone there was rich or powerful. Almost all the high society elites had shown up.
Gianna wore a custom-made designer gown, her arm linked with Maxwell’s as they walked in.
She chose a deep wine-red gown that made her skin glow, with tiny crystals on the skirt sparkling under the lights. Everyone immediately stared at her.
A proud smile spread across Gianna’s face.
This was the kind of life she was meant to enjoy-not like Amelia, that country girl who had foolishly cut ties with her family.
Amelia probably wouldn’t get a chance to come to a glamorous event like this.
“Gianna, Vincent’s here,” Maxwell whispered.
Gianna turned and saw Vincent walking toward her in a sharp suit, his eyes bright when he spotted her.
But then she remembered something and pretended to look away, keeping a composed air.
“Gianna, you look stunning tonight,” Vincent said, offering her a glass of champagne, his eyes focused on her.
“Vincent, you made it. But Amelia … ” Gianna bit her lip, feeling hurt.
Vincent was about to comfort her when the ballroom doors suddenly pushed open by the staff.
A low murmur spread across the crowd.
Everyone turned to look at the entrance.
It was Jeremy!
The head of the Curran Group, known in the business world for his ruthless power, had rarely appeared at social events. But what surprised everyone more was the woman beside him.
“Amelia?” Gianna almost spilled her champagne.
Amelia wore a champagne-colored gown that made her skin look flawless.
Unlike Gianna’s flashy style, Amelia’s look was simple and elegant, yet she had a charm that no one could copy.
Vincent’s face darkened.
He stared at Amelia linking arm-in-arm with Jeremy, his eyes full of anger.
“Amelia!” He stepped forward, but Jeremy’s cold glare stopped him.
Amelia glanced at him coldly, like he was a stranger.
Then she turned to the Nygards and gave a small, polite smile. “What a surprise. Didn’t think I’d see you all so soon.”
“Amelia, I need to talk to you,” Vincent said at last, desperate to explain himself.
But Amelia just laughed coldly. “There’s nothing more to say. The engagement is off.”
Gianna ran over. “Amelia, how can you say that? Vincent has been going crazy looking for you these past few days!”
“Looking for me? Or for my shares?” Amelia replied with a sly smile.
Then she walked away with Jeremy.
She had come tonight only to shake up the Nygards.
Seeing the shock on their faces, she knew she had succeeded.
Jeremy leaned close and whispered in her ear, “Happy now?”
Amelia’s lips curved into a small smile. She whispered back, “This is just the start.”
Jeremy chuckled softly, his eyes full of warmth. “Do whatever you please-I’ve got your back.”
That had been the deal from the start. He would be her support.
Their interaction caught the eyes of many of the high-society guests. Whispers quickly spread among the ladies and socialites nearby.
“Wow, Amelia really knows how to move. She actually got Jeremy? That’s the Currans!”
“Bet Vincent regrets it now. He gave up the real heiress for a fake.”
“Yeah, it seems you don’t need hard work to rise through society. Just swap babies with a rich family, and even if the truth comes out, as long as they’re attached, they’ll treat the fake like a treasure and throw out their real daughter. Tsk, tsk!”
“Shh, be quiet. The Nygards are still here!”
Gianna could hardly keep her smile as she heard people whispering around her.
Vincent looked even worse. His face was dark and stormy.
He stared at Amelia and Jeremy, feeling jealous and frustrated inside.
“Vincent … ” Gianna gently tugged his sleeve, her eyes a little red. “Don’t be mad. Maybe Amelia is just trying to annoy you … “
Vincent couldn’t believe Amelia could move on so fast.
He was sure she was just angry with him.
Seeing Vincent lost in thought, Gianna panicked a little inside.
Bitch! Amelia, just wait! She silently thought, gritting her teeth.
At the party, everyone was laughing and chatting.
Jeremy, who rarely went to events like this, had a lot of people coming over to greet him.
He was there tonight to stop rumors.
Recently, the media had been hinting that he was very sick. If he didn’t show up, the company’s stock might drop.
Amelia wasn’t interested in the business gossip.
She wanted to get some fresh air, so she headed to the hotel’s small garden outside. She had just had a little bit of wine.
The air outside was nice, and there was a swimming pool sparkling in the light.
Seeing Amelia go outside, Gianna smiled to herself and followed her outside.
“Amelia.”
Amelia rolled her eyes. Can’t I get a little peace?
She turned and saw Gianna putting on a sweet, soft smile. She said, “No one’s here. Stop pretending. What do you want now?”
Gianna’s smile quickly turned cold as she dropped the act.
“Amelia, you did this on purpose, didn’t you? You left the family. You should stay away and not show up in front of us,” Gianna said, trying to make Amelia angry.
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.