Chapter 233 Friendship Over If You Keep This Up
Carter walked toward Amelia in a surge of emotions. His hands were clasped tightly together as his bottom lip quivered for a long while before he found his voice. “Amelia, is what you said true?”
Carter had never lost his nerve like this before. Amelia’s text imploring him for help had made him happier than the prospect of signing deals worth several hundred million. Though his excitement was so intense that it made his hands shake, he found it slightly overwhelming as he drove all the way over to the Clintons’ residence just to hear to answer from her.
Amelia looked worried. “Carter, what’re you saying? Is what true?”
Out of the corner of his eye, Carter noticed the maid eavesdropping on them as she pretended to look busy. His eyes widened in revelation as he became aware of the suddenness of his question.
With a fake hacking cough, he attempted to reinstate his calm demeanor.
“Amelia, I have several questions for you. Could you come out with me for a little while?” Carter spoke with as much sincerity as he could muster.
Amelia glanced furtively at him as the suspicion within her grew.
“Carter, just say whatever it is you need to say. I’m now a wife and mother. If I were to be alone with you, I’m afraid that Oscar might get the wrong idea. Though there’s nothing going on between us, I do not wish for him to overthink and feel awful about it.” Amelia decided against accepting Carter’s invitation after giving it a thought.
However, Carter construed Amelia’s reluctance as Oscar mistreating his wife to such a degree that she felt guilty for being alone with another man. This had only served to affirm his decision to take her away from the Clintons.
Perhaps the two texts that he had received had clouded Carter’s judgment. He remained stubborn in his belief that the aloofness on Amelia’s face was in fact pity. It was, to his observation, a silent plea to take her far away from the Clintons to spare her the pain and indignity she suffered in their hands.
Carter leveraged the two texts to construct a fantasy for himself, in which he was the protagonist. As the knight in shining armor in the story he penned, he had arrived at the side of the princess after innumerable obstacles to rescue her from the clutches of her imprisoners.
“Don’t be afraid, Amelia,” said Carter as he gazed at her in earnest. “I just want to speak to you alone, just like old times. Is it wrong for an old friend to buy you a cup of coffee to ask for your help?”
Faced with the overwhelming sincerity of Carter, Amelia felt the rejection that had risen to her lips fall away in spite of herself.
As Carter had pointed out, they had not been lovers for five years, opting to remain as friends. Before, she had given birth to Tony in secret with Carter’s help. Since she and Oscar had confessed to one another, it would seem unreasonable for him to force Amelia to cut Carter completely out of her life.
“Fine, but I’m going upstairs to check on Tony for a bit. Wait for me,” Amelia said. After some intense introspection, her attitude toward Carter had become more obliging.
Carter smiled widely. “I’ll come with you. The last time I came to see you, Tiffany was the one who had brought me to see Tony. I haven’t seen the little man in a long time.”
Amelia nodded her assent.
The two of them ascended the stairs together and made their way into the nursery. Carter had not expected a man to be in there, especially one whose large body brimmed with strength and masculinity. The two attractive men stared at one another in a fierce contest.
Carter’s eyes swept up and down of Kurt as a sense of foreboding tingled within him. Kurt return his stare, though his expression was not as tense as Carter’s.
“Amelia, who is this man?” Carter asked, turning to address her.
“This is Kurt,” Amelia answered. “He is the bodyguard assigned to me by Oscar. It’s a waste of his talent to be devoting all his time to Tony who is still so young.” Turning to the other man, she said, “Kurt, this is an old friend of mine, Carter Scott, who is the owner of Scott Group.”
Kurt nodded tersely at the introduction, while Carter’s hostility dissipated. However, he still remained slightly suspicious.
Amelia paid no attention to Carter’s feelings toward Kurt. Walking over to the cot, she gazed down tenderly at Tony who was fast asleep before turning to face Carter. “Here’s Tony.”
Carter glanced down at Tony as conflicting emotions engulfed him. He was forced to admit that Tony was a good-looking child despite being less than two months old. His eyes being fully opened, he looked better than the last time Carter had seen him. His skin had become fairer as well as if he had obtained the best traits of both Oscar and Amelia. His nose looked like Oscar’s but his lips more closely resembled Amelia’s. With a mop of soft hair cascading around Tony’s ears, he looked like an exquisite doll.
Carter could not help feeling envious of Oscar. Not only did he get to marry Amelia, but she had also willingly given him a child. It was the sort of envy that had the potential to go on to become a jealous rage.
Carter regretted not having been more proactive and capable five years ago. Perhaps things could have gone differently between him and Amelia. If he had resisted the circumstances with more vigor, Tony might even have been his son.
Carter felt his heart being squeezed painfully by an invisible hand. The woman whom he had loved for so long had ultimately become the wife of another man and the mother of his child. Being a spectator to their happiness was more than Carter could bear.
It was a good thing that things were coming to an end. The woman that he loved was not truly in love with Oscar as she had personally sent him a text to ask him to rescue her. They would be able to pick up where they left off five years ago once she was out of the Clintons’ house. They would be able to get married and Tony would be his son.
Carter’s love for Amelia was so deep that he would treat Tony as his own. He loved Amelia and was willing to live his entire life without a child of his own blood for her sake. Tony being their only child was more than enough.
“Tony is a very handsome boy,” Carter exclaimed in earnest praise. “What’s his given name?”
“Anthony.”
“Anthony,” repeated Carter. “Like Mark Antony. It’s a good name. He is destined to be a capable and outstanding statesman for his country just like his namesake.”
Amelia, as with all mothers, was pleased to hear praises being showered upon her child. It delighted her despite the possibility of Carter saying all of it as a courtesy.
“I don’t care what he becomes, I just want him to lead a happy life.”
“That’s not a problem,” Kurt replied. “I’m very fond of Tony.”
Amelia’s lips parted but she understood the futility of further advice. “I’m heading out with Carter for a little while,” she said in an effort to change the topic. “Aside from the people who have my permission, nobody else is to get close to Tony. I hope you would not deign it degrading if I asked you to personally handle his feeding and diaper changing, as you are the only one I trust to do so.”
“Go on, ma’am,” Kurt said with grave professionalism. “I will take good care of Tony.”
Amelia nodded with gratitude.
Amelia descended the stairs with Carter. “Maggie, I’m heading out with a friend,” she addressed a maid. “If Dad and Mom return before I do, please tell them that I will be right back.”
Maggie glanced knowingly at Carter before nodding.
“Mrs. Clinton, will you be returning for lunch? Mr. Clinton had called earlier to inform me that he would be returning to have lunch with you.” Maggie seemed to direct her words at Carter though she met Amelia’s eyes as she spoke.
Amelia smiled, unaware of Maggie’s hostility toward Carter. “Is Oz coming home for lunch? Why didn’t he tell me?” she laughed.
“Perhaps Mr. Clinton had intended for it to be a surprise?” Maggie returned Amelia’s smile. “Ever since he got married to you, he had become extraordinarily romantic. Those days, all he had on his mind was work. However, after he married you, he would always come home for lunch and dinner with you no matter how busy he became. I think the pair of you are a perfect match.”
Amelia shot a startled glance toward Maggie as she was under the impression that her employee was a reticent character. It was uncharacteristic of Maggie to be singing praises about the love between her and Oscar. This, coupled with the hostile way Maggie looked at Carter, only served to increase Amelia’s suspicions.
Amelia was bemused. Maggie must have felt threatened by Carter on Oscar’s behalf.
Amelia regarded Maggie with a sudden surge of affection.
“Maggie, I’m leaving. See you during lunch.” At that, Amelia and Carter left.
As soon as their footsteps died down, Stephanie who had been skulking around a corner on the second floor emerged and ran after them.
At the parking lot, Amelia was adamant about each of them taking their own car but Carter insisted that he gave her a ride.
“Carter, I’ll drive myself while you lead the way,” Amelia suggested as an excuse. “That’ll save you a trip to drop me back later. It’s an hour or two to the city center from here.”
Carter gazed at her and suddenly, seized by an impulse, grabbed and hugged her tightly. “Amelia, you obviously like me, otherwise you wouldn’t have sent me those text messages. Why are you being so distant now? The way you are pushing and pulling me from you is making me anxious.”
Amelia did not expect Carter to lose control of himself and hug her. She was stunned for several seconds before struggling to push him away. With a resounding slap across his face, she broke free.
Amelia’s eyes blazed with fury. “Carter, I don’t think you are mature enough to be having this conversation with me. I don’t think we have anything to talk about. Please go. We’ll talk again when you are better able to control yourself.”
At that, Amelia turned and walked away.
“Amelia, if you do not like me, why did you send me the messages?” Carter muttered to himself. “Do you know how much bravery your two messages had given me? If you did not dare speak out loud in the Clintons’ residence, you still have me. I would fight the entire Clinton family for your sake. I am no longer the pathetic kid five years ago who did not have the power to destroy powerful families. Now, I am capable of protecting you from anything that threatens you. You don’t have to fight this alone anymore with me by your side.”
Amelia stopped in her tracks as her composure recovered.
She turned and faced Carter with suspicion. “What messages?” she asked suspiciously.
Carter laughed bitterly. “Amelia, stop pretending. You can’t have forgotten about the messages you’ve sent out just two hours ago. If you fear the Clintons, you can rely on me. I will fight them for you.”
Amelia was losing her patience. “Stop!” she cried with a wave of her arm. Carter, I have no idea about the messages that you’re referring to. I do not wish for you to offend the Clintons for my sake. I am getting along well with Oz, and the three of us are very happy together. If you really care about me, you’ll drop this matter completely, or I’d be very upset. If you negatively affect my life in any way, there would be no reason for our friendship to continue.”
At Amelia’s words, Carter looked as if he was struck by lightning. He gazed mournfully at her as his heart pounded painfully with uncertainty.
