Chapter 20

Instinct almost made Dayna want to say that Jaxton would agree, but suddenly, the memory of the hospital incident flashed in her mind.

She remembered how Amelia had insisted on ending the engagement, and what had Jaxton done in return?

Rather than agreeing, he had exploded with anger right there.

Catching the conflicted look on Dayna's face, Ricky offered a wry smile. "Looks like you already know the truth, Dayna. You've always been clever. Now that you have your answer, I trust you'll know the right step to take from here."

He left Dayna with that thought and turned his attention to Janessa, who remained on her knees.His tone softened."Dayna is my daughter. I won't let anyone mistreat her. But the Morrison family tie is vital for us,and we can't afford a single mistake.Is that clear?"

Janessa picked up on the warning in his stare and bobbed her head in frantic agreement.

Pleased with her reaction, Ricky helped her up from the floor. His focus returned to Dayna. "Stay away from Jaxton from now on. Do you understand me?"

Although Amelia felt a storm of protest inside, she also nodded under Ricky's gaze.

Just then, a sudden, thunderous crash rang out from upstairs.

Dayna's features changed at once, and she dashed upstairs, arriving just as Amelia shoved her piano over the balcony's edge.

Months of anticipation for that grand piano had led to this-now a deep, ugly crack marred the instrument.

There was no hope for fixing it.

The cost for the piano alone was staggering-over five million spent and months of pleading with Janessa.But now, Amelia had destroyed it in a heartbeat. Originally, Amelia had meant only to gather her belongings and leave quietly, but her key had failed to open the door to her room.

She hurried to the storage room for tools and forced her way in, only to discover her room transformed into Dayna's personal piano studio.

In a fit of resolve, Amelia didn't hesitate to push the piano straight off the balcony

Besides the piano, the room was filled with various decorations and items. Amelia grabbed them at random and tossed them out without even looking.

Dayna.watched in horror, her chest tight with pain. Ricky's presence downstairs forgotten, she shrieked and charged at Amelia, her voice cracking. "Amelia, I am going to kill you!"

While Dayna's rage exploded, Amelia's face showed nothing but composure. As Dayna lunged for her Amelia caught her wrist, then gripped a fistful of hair.

"Let go,Amelia-ah!"

Amelia didn't ease up, pulling so hard that Dayna felt as if her scalp was being torn off.

This was the Flynn family's home, and Ricky was only a floor below. That thought gave Dayna a final burst of nerve as she glared at Amelia and threatened, "Dad's right downstairs; don't you dare-"

Her words barely left her lips before Amelia dragged her toward the balcony, pinning her against the rail.

From up there, Dayna had a clear view of her shattered piano.

Terror gripped her. For a moment, all she could do was stare, too frightened to speak another word, fearing Amelia might truly push her off.

The stairway erupted with noise as Ricky came over and spotted the chaos. His cheeks blazed with anger."Amelia, have you lost your mind? Stop this right now!"

"You have thirty minutes to clear these things out of my room and put everything back where it belongs. If you ignore this, you know what will happen," Amelia said. She grabbed Dayna's wrist and shoved her forward, eliciting another sharp cry from Dayna's lips.

Janessa's hands shook when she saw the scene. It had never crossed her mind that Amelia would behave like this even while Ricky was present.

Just then, the driver arrived to take Ricky to the hospital, and Janessa had no choice but to call the servants to move the items, complying with Amelia's demand.

Only after that did Amelia let go of Dayna. Just then, her phone started to ring.

A text had just come in from Carlee. When Amelia checked her phone, she found a photo of Jaxton locked in an embrace with a woman she didn't recognize.

That woman wore a daring outfit, a wild look in her eyes, and there was an obvious intimacy between the woman and Jaxton.

Just as Amelia prepared to send Carlee a reply, Dayna snatched the phone right out of her grasp.

Frozen as she stared at the photos, Dayna refused to believe Jaxton could ever do such a thing.

She always saw herself as Jaxton's one true love. To her, even Amelia's engagement meant nothing to Jaxton.

Amelia reached for her phone, but Dayna hurled it to the floor, smashing the screen. "All of this is fake. You paid someone to fabricate this photo, didn't you?"

Without hesitating, Amelia shoved Dayna's face toward the broken glass, pressing it down with force.

While Dayna sobbed, she exclaimed, "Amelia, don't try to fool me with some fake photo! Jaxton would never betray me. I'm the one he really loves."

Amelia's laughter echoed coldly. "Time will tell just how little Jaxton truly values you."