FLASH MARRIAGE; CHARMED BY THE RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE CEO - Chapter 86

Chapter 86: Troubled

“Blaze Anderson?” Amelia echoed with incredulity and mounting horror.

“Yes, dear.” The Senator concurred with a sigh, failing to pick up the tension in Amelia’s voice.

“You need to see your sister’s face. It’s covered with different slap marks all inflicted by that heartless young man. Mr Anderson not only assaulted my daughter for a crime I doubt she committed but further humiliated her by having her and Jerry arrested. I also have a feeling that he threatened them to plead guilty to a crime they never committed and ripped Jerry off his hard-earned money. Can you imagine that level of cruelty?”

“No, I can’t.” Amelia’s voice was barely above a whisper as she stood up from the couch, her confused gaze staring blankly at the wall. She didn’t recall Blaze leaving her side all through the night or did he while she was deep asleep?

Amelia started pacing up and down, her heart racing. She didn’t care about the part involving money since Jerry was indirectly living off her. But she was troubled by the rage in her father’s voice.

“You know, I don’t understand how that young man changed overnight.” Senator Gregory continued speaking, intensifying Amelia’s anxiety. “He used to be quite the charmer back in those days when his father first introduced him to me. But ever since his father’s death, he completely changed. Even his mother became cold towards me and stopped taking my calls when I tried to check up on her and lend her my assistance.”

“Really!” Amelia recollected how Maria had first reacted towards her when she introduced herself as Gregory Shawls’ daughter.

“Yes, dear.”

Amelia listened to her father’s sigh as if he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulder. She thought briefly before asking.

“Dad, what really happened to his father? Was he sick or died of natural causes?”

“He had an underlying heart condition which was triggered by a bad business deal and accusations of fraud. It’s a long story which I cannot explain over the phone. But one thing I can tell you is that Presley Anderson was a good man with a great vision. It’s so unfortunate he got entangled in company fund embezzlement. I always thought he was an honest man.”

“Fraud? Embezzlement?” Amelia echoed in her heart. She became more curious than ever to know more about this Presley Anderson.

“Although what happened to his father was truly tragic, the way Blaze cleared all his family company’s outstanding debt overnight was very suspicious. There is something uncanny about his sudden wealth, but that is none of my business. What I don’t understand is why the young man would go after my daughter. Accusing my own child of theft and having her unduly arrested is wrong and unacceptable. I would have gone after him and demanded justice if it hadn’t been for your sister’s teary plea.”

Amelia could feel her heart slamming widely against her chest as she listened to her father speak with so much anger and bitterness. She mentally pictured her father having a heart attack when she finally introduced Blaze as her husband.

“That is why I have come to this strict resolution. No member of our family must have anything to do with that young man. He is a terror and needs to be avoided. I know how good you are with people but you must never have anything to do with this young fellow, okay?”

Amelia gulped down the lump in her throat, as she ransacked her frozen brain for an answer.

“Amelia, are you still there?”

“Yes, Dad. Something just came up. I have to go. Bye.” She hurriedly ended the call and tossed the phone aside, her breathing heavy and laboured. She resumed pacing around the room thinking of what to do. All her activities of the day to get rid of stress suddenly evaporated, as the reality of her father’s words weighed heavily on her shoulders. She remembered Gwen and Jerry must have seen her with Blaze. She could tell Gwen hadn’t said anything to her father, which made her more worried.

Amelia thought of talking to someone. But who?

“Stacy, maybe? Nah!” Amelia shook her head, biting down on the tip of her forefinger. Weekends are her busiest days of the week and calling her right now may be selfish.

“How about Aunt Judith? Yes.” A thin smile crossed Amelia’s face. Judith knew about her relationship with Blaze and it would be easier to talk to her.

Amelia hurriedly changed into a grey tracksuit and sneakers which Blaze sent to her through Lance. She completed her look with a face cap before checking out of the presidential suite, with Pascal and Clay carrying her other stuff.

Onboard her car, she informed Lance of a change in her direction, giving him her aunt’s house address.

“But ma’am, the boss said we should take you straight home,” Pascal said tilting his head backwards to look at her.

“Sure. I’ll be going home once I’m done seeing my aunty.” Amelia replied firmly. “You can go ahead and inform him like you always do. I’ll take care of it.”

Pascal’s forehead furrowed. “Okay, ma’am.”

On their way to Judith’s house, Amelia started researching Presley Anderson and the former Ander Mineral Ltd.

Sadly aside from some of the past impressive achievements of the gold mining business icon, there was no other information that pointed to a fraudulent or embezzlement case. Every search in that regard produced nothing. It seemed someone had wiped out every information regarding that issue from the internet and Amelia didn’t need to ask who. If Presley was her father, she would do the same to preserve her family’s image.

Amelia opened one of Presley Anderson’s business profile pictures. A sad smile crept into her eyes as she gently stroked the cheerful face of the mature man.

Now she could tell where Blaze got his handsome look from. He was a spitting image of his dad, except for his cold and dangerous nature.

“What really happened to you, Presley? Did someone betray you like my family betrayed me?” Amelia muttered under her breath, peeling her gaze away from her phone screen and staring at the window lost in her thoughts. She watched as the busy street passed by in a blur, her heart skipping a beat every now and then.

There were a lot of questions clamouring for attention in her mind and she needed answers real quick before she lost her senses.

Amelia was desperate to know what kind of relationship existed between her father and Presley. Were they business partners? Was her father involved in the business deal that led to Presley’s cardiac arrest? Was Presley guilty of fraud and embezzlement? If Blaze despised her father, why did he agree to marry her? Did he really go after Gwen and Jerry last night? Was there something Blaze wasn’t telling her?

“Ma’am, we are here,” Lance announced as he arrived outside the Wales gigantic black iron gate with golden designs.

“Oh…wow!” Amelia snapped out of her thoughts. “That was really quick. She lowered her side window and identified herself to the security men before they were granted access to the compound premises.”

“You guys can wait for me inside the car. I promise I won’t be long.” Amelia said as she took off her face cap and alighted from the car.

“Okay, ma’am.” Pascal nodded, shutting the door behind her.