Chapter 100

Wyatt felt Amelia's reassuring presence beside him.Standing his ground, he replied in a measured tone,"Grandpa, do you really want me to follow the same path as my father?"

A heavy silence fell. Regret flickered in Conroy's eyes,mingling with something unspoken.

Wyatt waited a beat. When Conroy said nothing,he reached for Amelia's hand and guided her toward the exit. "Let's go."

"Grandpa, you're really letting them walk away just like that?" Jaycob voiced his dissatisfaction as he watched the two figures retreating.

Conroy's sharp eyes caught every hint of Jaycob's intention. He barked in irritation, "Don't think I can't see straight through what you are thinking."

Without waiting for a reply, he waved Jacob away in irritation. "Get out of my sight. I have no patience left for you today."

With no choice left, Jaycob strode out of the pavilion,fished his phone from his pocket, and dialed a number.

It took a while for the person on the other end of the line to pick up. A clear woman's voice answered,"Why are you calling me?"

"Wyatt got married."

"What did you just say?"

The woman's voice grew sharp with urgency. Jaycob's eyes flashed with cunning as he replied, "Just figured you ought to hear it from me first, since we've known each other so long. I am being good to you, right?Just don't-"

She ended the call before he could finish.

Staring at the disconnected phone, Jaycob wasn't upset; a smile even appeared on his face.

Meanwhile,Amelia followed Wyatt across the lot and caught sight of Barrie, who looked anxious.

"After today, you're fired. Don't bother coming back to work," Wyatt said to Barrie.

Barrie was about to open the car door for them and froze when he heard that. His face fell. He looked like he wanted to defend himself, but before he could do that, Amelia spoke up. "Barrie's not at fault. I was the one who insisted on going with Doug."

Amelia met Wyatt's deep gaze. Though her nerves prickled,she held her head high. "We just got married,and your grandfather wanted to meet me. As your wife, it wouldn't be right for me to refuse him. That might affect your reputation."

"I couldn't care less about what people think of me,"Wyatt said.

"You might not care about that, but I do! I can't stand hearing people say bad things about you."

For Amelia, things were simple. Now that she was married to Wyatt, she believed she owed it to him to shield his reputation.

Usually, Wyatt rarely changed his mind once he made a decision, but he was willing to do it for Amelia.

Noticing her gentle resolve, he finally softened. He said to Barrie, "Don't let something like this happen again!"

Relief washed over Amelia as she realized Wyatt had decided not to fire Barrie. She tossed a look in Barrie's direction. "Well, what are you waiting for? Thank your boss now!" Smart as ever, Barrie picked up on the reason behind Wyatt's forgiveness. A bright grin spread across his face."Thank you,Mr. Stewart. And also thank you, Mrs.Stewart."

If Amelia hadn't spoken on his behalf, Barrie was certain his days with the Stewarts would have ended right then.

Soon, the car eased past the gates of the Stewart Mansion.

Inside the car, Wyatt brought up a new concern."Your apartment isn't secure enough. If you don't like Hillside Villa, we can get another place as our new home."

That suggestion left Amelia torn. Normally, she would have refused, but the incident earlier made her rethink.After weighing her options, she said, "There's no need to buy a different house. I'll move into Hillside Villa."

After a pause, she quickly added, "Barrie can go back with me to pack up my things. You should head straight to the company."

Wyatt felt a quiet thrill at her choice. The thought of her living at Hillside Villa made him happy, and he readily accept her arrangement.

Barrie first drove Wyatt to the office, then took Amelia back to her apartment.

During the drive to Amelia's apartment, Barrie's gratitude surfaced again. "Mrs. Stewart, thank you for speaking up for me earlier."

Embarrassment colored Amelia's cheeks. "You shouldn't be thanking me. My decision dragged you into this. Really, I owe you an apology. I'm sorry."

Years of working for Wyatt had shaped Barrie.When assigned to watch over Amelia, he hesitated at first,uncertain how it would go.

At first, he'd assumed working for a woman would only mean more trouble. But now, he was happy that he was working for her.

After the car pulled to a stop in front of the entrance,they both stepped out. Just then, a sudden movement caught their attention. Someone rushed toward Amelia, and Barrie didn't hesitate. He stepped in front of her, arms out to protect her. "Watch out,Mrs. Stewart!"