Chapter 41

Curiosity tugged at Ricky, though suspicion darkened his gaze the moment heremembered Amelia was the one who had brought the box here.

His guarded expression did not go unnoticed. With a look brimming with sarcasm, Amelia said, "What's the matter? Do you honestly think I'd smuggle explosives in here just to kill you? I am still here.I'm not about to throw my life away just to get rid of you.I haven't gotten my sixty percent share yet. There's no way I'd die before that."

Her taunt made Ricky's cheeks flush a deep red with anger. The ache in his side kept him from losing his cool, and he opened the box on the desk.

Only sparkling jewelry met his eyes. Relief washed over him, but irritation quickly followed. He shot a glare at Amelia. "Why did you bring jewelry here? What's the point?"

Seeing this, Amelia rose and dumped the jewelry onto the desk.

"Go on. Take a closer look. Don't you think these pieces of jewelry seem a bit familiar?" she said.

Ricky fixed his gaze on the jumble of jewels. Slowly,it dawned on him that these were gifts he had given to Janessa.

Whenever Janessa was around Ricky, she liked to play the part of someone careful with money.She barely wore the jewelry he'd given her, which explained why nothing rang a bell for him at first.

The realization hit hard, and a wave of shock passed over Ricky's face. With a sneer, he turned to Amelia."Did your mother never teach you right from wrong?What gives you the nerve to steal-"

Amelia cut him off by tossing a neat stack of receipts she had gotten from Monroe onto the desk.

The receipts were proof of transactions from selling the jewelry.

Ricky bristled, and the first words out of his mouth were an accusation. "This is impossible! You're making this up!"

"The receipts are real. Take a look at them. You're the CEO of the Flynn Group. Surely, you should be able to tell if the stamps are genuine, right?"

Amelia's words prompted Ricky to examine the stamps carefully.

There was no denying it-they were real.

Janessa had indeed sold the jewelry without a word to him. Even though he'd given the pieces to her, he believed Janessa had no right to sell what belonged to the Flynn family.

To Ricky, these pieces of jewelry were still family property.

Seething,he stuffed the receipts and jewelry back into the box and marched out of the office with it. The sight sent Amelia trailing after him.

When he heard her footsteps behind him, Ricky's expression turned fierce. He shot her a glare, only to see her extend her hand toward him.

Confused, he stared at her hand.

"You need to pay me. I had to shell out a fortune to buy those pieces of jewelry back. Don't think you can just take them from me like this," Amelia said.

"How much do you want?"

"Fifty million."

Ricky didn't have time to argue with Amelia, but when she named her price, his grip on his phone tightened in anger, and veins bulged across his hand."I bought these for just over ten million, and you're asking for fifty million for me to buy them back now?"

"This isn't about the jewelry. I spent fifty million to salvage the Flynn family's reputation. Do you know what people said when they handed the jewelry to me? They wanted to know if Flynn Group was bankrupt. If not for the reputation of Flynn Group and the Flynn family, I would never have come here. So,pay up-fifty million, not a penny less!"

Shaking with frustration, Ricky completed the transfer, his warning trailing behind. He insisted Amelia keep quiet about the matter.

No sooner had Ricky left than Amelia made her way to Dalia's office.

As soon as Dalia saw Amelia, she asked worriedly,"How did it go? Did Ricky give you a hard time?"

Waiting anxiously at her desk, Dalia had considered checking on the situation herself, but she'd held back to avoid complicating things for Amelia.

"You don't have to worry about me, Dalia. I know how to deal with my father. What worries me is you-my father views you as a constant obstacle and will do anything to kick you out of the company. Please be careful."

Dalia felt a bittersweet pride learning how well Amelia had dealt with Ricky.

If only Katrina were still around, Amelia wouldn't have to fight these battles.

Dalia's voice turned serious as she said, "Don't worry. I'll make sure Ricky never gets any leverage over me."

Ricky wanted to oust her and take full control of Flynn Group, but it wouldn't be easy.

For Amelia's sake, she had resolved to stand her ground and remain in the company, no matter what it took.

Dalia looked at Amelia and said, "By the way,according to that agreement, you get those sixty percent shares after you're married. When is your wedding with Jaxton supposed to happen? Tell me solcan-"

"Actually, I'm ending things with Jaxton1," Amelia interjected.

Until this point, she had kept the plan to herself. Still, the thought that Dalia might reach out to the Morrison family nudged her to reveal her plan now.

She braced herself for objections or questions.But Dalia just squeezed her hand, voice unwavering."Whatever you choose, Amelia, I'll always support you."

So many people had turned their backs since Katrina's passing, but Dalia remained steadfast in loyalty to Katrina, caring for Amelia.

Gratitude filled Amelia, though words felt inadequate.She would carry this kindness with her, always.

Though her main reason for coming here was to tell Dalia about the broken engagement, Amelia also had another matter to discuss with Dalia.

Hearing that Amelia needed her help, Dalia immediately replied, "Just tell me what you need. I'm ready to help."

Amelia glanced at the closed office door, then lowered her voice to whisper a few words in Dalia's ear.

Dalia's face lit up with understanding after hearing Amelia's words. "That will keep Janessa and her daughter busy for a good while. Alright, sit tight-I'l find someone to handle it right away."