Chapter 456 Darling Tony
News of the horrid prank against Amelia spread through the office like wildfire. Mr. Moore rushed over to check on the situation, paling when he saw the bloodied hairball on the ground. His gaze roved over the staff in the design department as he barked, “What the heck is going on?”
Everyone exchanged uncomfortable glances before Rory eventually stepped forward and elaborated, “Mr. Moore, a courier delivered these to Amelia earlier. The sender didn’t leave his name, and this fell out of the box when Amelia opened it. We don’t know what’s going on either.”
Mr. Moore exhaled heavily and approached Amelia. He asked worriedly, “Are you okay, Amelia? I hope you weren’t too shaken up by the incident. Don’t worry. I promise our company will get to the bottom of this.” He had selfish reasons for showing his concern, of course. If Amelia’s fear incited Oscar’s wrath, their company would undoubtedly suffer.
Amelia forced a smile on her face and said, “I’m okay, Mr. Moore.”
Reassured by her words, Mr. Moore glanced at Rory and asked, “Have you called the cops?”
“Yes, Mr. Moore. They should be reaching anytime soon,” came Rory’s answer.
Mr. Moore nodded in approval before suggesting, “Would you like to call your family, Amelia? I suppose you should share your concerns with them after such a harrowing incident.”
To his surprise, Amelia shook her head determinedly and uttered, “It’s fine, Mr. Moore. I don’t want to worry them unnecessarily. It’s just a hairball and a photo. It might just be a petty act by a jealous party.”
“Are you sure? Don’t feel obliged to put up a strong front. Please let me know if you need me to help with any difficulties.”
Amelia insisted, “Thank you, Mr. Moore, but I really am fine.”
The police arrived shortly after and took Amelia’s statement. They also interrogated her colleagues in the design department, who shared every morsel of gossip they knew with the authorities. Mr. Moore stepped forward and implored, “Ma’am, this is a vile prank toward one of our employees. I hope the police can conduct a thorough investigation and bring this prankster to justice. As the manager of this company, I view the wellbeing of my employees with the utmost importance.”
The policewoman nodded and reassured, “We will do our best. This evidence is coming with us, and we’ll get back to you once we make some headway in our investigation.”
The police left as quickly as they came. They had already written off Amelia’s incident as a harmless prank and only came by to collect statements as a formality. Frankly, they had more serious crimes to deal with than a petty prank.
Meanwhile, Mr. Moore dismissed everyone to their desks and had Rory escort Amelia to the cafeteria to collect herself before resuming work.
They occupied an empty bench in the cafeteria as Rory piped up, “I’m sure it was a nasty but harmless prank, Amelia. You can rest easy now that the police are involved. Besides, celebrities receive threats almost daily. They’re all walking around fine. And bloodied items? Please, that was so last year.”
Amelia struggled to repress the fear in her heart. She would have been unfazed if the prankster had targeted her. After all, she had been through unspeakable hardships ranging from accidents to even blindness. It was not an exaggeration to say that Amelia had suffered every misfortune under the sun. Unfortunately, the prankster had had to go after her beloved son. After her harrowing accident, the doctor had given her some devastating news. The accident not only gave her a permanent blood clot in her brain but also jeopardized her fertility. In other words, she was at a much higher risk of miscarriage in the future. Of course, miracles could occur yet, but for now, Amelia viewed Anthony as the only child she would ever have in her lifetime, and she would do anything in her power to keep him safe.
Kurt! I should call him. I can breathe easy if Kurt is taking care of Tony.
She pulled out her phone and called Kurt. Surprisingly, he only answered after the line had been ringing for a long time.
He sounded hoarse as he greeted her. “Amelia.”
Amelia swallowed the request on the tip of her tongue. Instead, she asked concernedly, “Are you okay, Kurt? You sound a bit off.”
Kurt reassured, “I’m fine. I was negligent and allowed the enemy to injure my arm during an assignment. Nothing big, so please don’t worry.”
“Oh no, is the injury serious? Did you see a doctor? What did Oscar ask you to do? How did you injure your arm?” Amelia blasted him with a series of questions. Despite Kurt and Hugo’s bodyguard titles, Amelia knew that Oscar kept them around for more than simple guarding duties. While injuries on their assignments were not wholly unexpected, she could not help but worry after hearing about his arm injury. Kurt had supported her greatly when she lost her sight, and she had grown close to him over that bleak period in her life.
Though she could not see him, she felt him smile before replying, “I’m fine. It’s a small injury, I swear. I taught my opponent a harsher lesson, I assure you. Anyway, I should be back in a couple of days after wrapping things up. How are you and Tony? Are you both well?”
“I’m fine. Tony is with his grandma, and I’ve found a job. It’s more for the experience than financial needs. You should hurry back once you’ve completed your assignment; Tony misses his godfather dearly.”
Kurt paused before uttering, “All right.” Do you miss me too? He stopped himself before blurting the question plaguing his mind. Amelia has only ever seen me as a good friend. I can’t ask something like this and make things awkward between us.
Suddenly, both of them fell into silence.
Almost half a minute passed before Amelia pleaded, “Kurt, Tony needs your protection. Please, you’re the only person I trust with his safety.”
Her words put Kurt on alert as he asked, “What’s wrong? What happened to Tony?”
“Tony’s fine. I just wanted to take some precautions. There are plenty of people harboring selfish intentions toward Tony over his status. I’d feel safer with someone I trust around him. You promised you’d always watch over him, right?” Amelia was ashamed of her selfishness. She had vowed to keep her distance from Kurt, yet now she was breaking the same vow to protect her son. I did the very same thing two years ago. Dear God, I’m a terrible human being.
Kurt promised, “I’ll be back as soon as I can. I’m sure Boss will keep Tony safe even if I’m not there.”
Amelia merely grew solemn as she urged, “I know, but Tony is close to you too. I know I’m asking for too much, but I hope you can keep an eye on Tony when Oscar is too busy. I need Tony to be safe at all times. Can you do that for me?”
“I’ll take good care of him,” Kurt said. “We may not be blood-related, but Tony recognizes me as his godfather, and I will protect him as if he’s my biological son.”
Moved by his words, Amelia thanked him profusely, “Thank you so much, Kurt!”
Kurt probed, “What happened, Amelia? Is there something you’re not telling me?”
“Nothing. I’ve started working again, and I’m worried that Oscar’s also too busy to keep an eye on Tony. That’s why I called you to check when you would return. Anyway, that’s all. Thanks! I’ve got to go now!” Amelia hung up hastily.
She met Rory’s questioning gaze and explained, “That was Kurt.”
Rory looked away and commented, “I didn’t know you’re still on such good terms with Kurt. I even mistook him for your husband at one point, if you remember. I’m still sorry about that. How is he, by the way? I heard you mention that he injured his arm. I hope it’s nothing too serious.”
Amelia shook her head to alleviate Rory’s concern and shared, “It’s fine, Rory. Thanks for accompanying me the entire morning. The incident this morning must’ve given you a shock as well. I’m so sorry for involving you in my mess.”
Rory replied in mock anger, “Amelia, I’ll get pissed for real if you keep chucking these formalities at me.”
“All right, all right! I won’t do that anymore.” Amelia smiled gratefully although her heart still felt as heavy as before. She had no idea who hated her so much that they would drag Tony into the mess. Tony is the most important person in my life, and I have no qualms about killing anyone who harms a single hair on him!
