Marry My Billionaire Second Husband - Chapter 167

Chapter 167: Cryptic
“Not very long,” he said with a coy smile. “I was just getting a drink when I noticed Little Miss Brat make her way over to you with her puppeteer. Wanted to see what she was up to.”

There was a twinkle in his eye as he raised the wine glass for Amelia to see, as though to prove his word. Then, he brought the glass to his lips.

“I must say,” Aiden said, “I did enjoy the show. You’re finally growing a backbone, Lia.”

Amelia wrinkled her nose at the nickname, her distaste apparent. However, she did not comment on it. Instead, she turned her gaze down at the rest of the party.

There was a roar of laughter every once in a while, and as the hosting family, Horace Hawthorne made sure to make his rounds with the guests who were invited. Emmeline was by his side, and occasionally, she would also greet the guests with a demure smile while exchanging some words. Some investor Amelia couldn’t recognize from this distance offered her a drink, which she declined.

“Aren’t you afraid that she will steal all your credit for the charity’s success?” Aiden asked, his voice pulling her back to the present.

“As long as she doesn’t sabotage the charity, there can be nothing more I hope for in this aspect,” Amelia said with a huff.

Yes, the credit would be nice. That was especially after how Emmeline had abandoned it and Amelia had to work through many sleepless nights to organize everything up until today. She and Danielle deserved every bit of recognition for this. However, what was more important to Amelia was that Carlo and the others had a secure future.

If Emmeline taking credit for it would mean she was putting herself publicly responsible for the charity’s success and failure, Amelia wouldn’t mind stepping back and working from the shadows. At least that meant that Emmeline wouldn’t dare to do anything to the Hope for Scholars Charity now that her name was riding with it.

However, if Emmeline tried to ruin whatever progress had been made, she would be in a world of hurt, promises to their grandfather be damned.

Aiden clicked his tongue. “Tut tut,” he said, “And to think I just said you were growing a backbone. That crazy bitch and her equally deranged mother will always be one step ahead of you if you’re always giving way to them.”

“I am not giving way,” Amelia said. “I am just operating as per my grandfather’s intentions. Emmeline is still his granddaughter, and he watched her grow up for a longer period of time than he had known me for.”

Come to think of it, Horace Hawthorne had probably spent more time with Emmeline Hawthorne than he did with Elaine Hawthorne. Amelia’s mother had run away from home when she was in her younger years― she couldn’t have been older than Emmeline was now.

“They will trample all over you in that case,” Aiden said with a roll of his eyes. “Kelsie Friesent sure isn’t holding back, at least.”

“Are any of them?” Amelia shot back rhetorically, smiling grimly. However…

Her eyes searched the crowd before landing on Kelsie. She stood in a corner and was debating animatedly with her father. While Amelia couldn’t hear what they were talking about, she guessed it was most likely about the news she had just learned about W&W’s mess.

Kelsie Friesent was a smart girl. Amelia would not pin her for a woman who would go down with the ship in the event she had to abandon it. If Caleb was a bigger liability than he was an asset, she would ditch him without turning back.

Then, Amelia straightened, her eyes widening significantly.

“You referred to Kelsie as a puppeteer,” she said.

Aiden’s lips twitched. “Did I?”

Amelia raised an eyebrow. “What was it that the little bird told you? What did you hear from the vine?”

“Nothing.” Aiden casually shrugged. “But I wouldn’t invite Emmeline or Kelsie to your wedding if I were you. Or Caleb Walton, if you’re into that sort of play.”

A wrinkle crept its way onto Amelia’s nose. “I can try to scrape the Friesent and Walton families out of the list,” she said, “but Emmeline will be difficult. She’s family, and your wife-apparent. Unless you’re suggesting that Matteo and I elope, that will be impossible.”

A boisterous laughter ripped from Aiden’s lips. “Oh, trust me, Emmeline wants nothing to do with me and everything to do with Matteo. If you thought that she gave up, you’re in for a treat.”

“I didn’t think so for even a second,” Amelia muttered bitterly under her breath. “She’s as tenacious as a roach creeping around a dilapidated kitchen for scraps.”

“I’ll drink to that,” Aiden said with a twinkle in his eye. “She probably wouldn’t. Apparently, she doesn’t drink these days anymore. Strange.”

He shrugged dramatically, finishing the glass of wine he was holding onto. With an exaggerated sigh, he placed the glass on the surface nearby before tucking his hands into his pockets.

Aiden leaned closer to Amelia, and while he wasn’t close enough for her to instinctively draw back, it was enough for her to smell the fruity alcohol clinging to his breath as he whispered.

“I wonder why that is.”

Whistling a merry tune under his breath, Aiden all but sauntered away, returning to the party.

Amelia stood watching from one side, her eyebrows furrowing at Aiden’s cryptic words. It seemed almost as though he was trying to warn her of something. Amelia wasn’t too sure what it was. However, she immediately searched for Emmeline through the crowd.

As though she felt Amelia’s gaze on her, Emmeline turned and looked, their gazes clashing. Even from such a distance, she could see the fierce determination clinging to Emmeline’s eyes. She held that gaze for several seconds before she turned back to the guests, returning to their conversation.

Amelia straightened up.

Aiden was right. This was her night. This was her hard work. She would be damned if she let anyone steal anything else from her from under her nose. If they did, they should be prepared to pay the price.