Chapter 68

Upon returning home, Amelia conducted a thorough sweep of her apartment, checking every drawer and cabinet to make sure nothing else was missing before arranging for a locksmith to change the locks.

No sooner had she seen the locksmith out than her phone buzzed-Ricky's number flashing on the screen.

Without any preamble, Ricky launched into a rant,accusing Amelia of secretly helping the Morrison family get the project.

He instructed her to come back to the Flynn estate immediately.

Coincidentally, Amelia was also planning to go back,so she immediately agreed.

No sooner had Amelia entered the living room than a glass shot through the air in her direction. If her reflexes hadn't been so sharp, she'd have taken the blow right to the head.

Ice settled in her eyes as she fixed Ricky with a gaze that could freeze fire. "Go ahead, try to hit me again if you dare."

The resemblance between Amelia and Katrina was uncanny. At that moment, Amelia's cold demeanor was exactly like Katrina's.

For a fleeting instant, Ricky felt like he was facing Katrina. The memory rattled him enough that his raised hand fell to his side.

Still,he was furious. He blurted out, "You haven't even married Jaxton, and already, you're betraying your own family for him! All those warnings for us to stay out of the bidding... So it was your plan all along to let the Morrison family win the bid?"

Amelia didn't bother justifying herself to a man she considered foolish. So, she crossed the room and dropped onto the sofa, pretending not to hear him at all.

Her relaxed posture only stoked Ricky's anger further.

Catching his furious glare, Amelia met it with a resigned sigh. "If all those top companies wanted the contract, how did the Morrison Group-an ordinary company-end up walking away with the win?"

Before Ricky could get a word in, Amelia continued,"I'm telling you, I never passed any inside information to the Morrison family."

She was certain that, even without Dayna meddling, Jaxton would have still landed the deal.

The bigger players weren't stupid-if she spotted the red flags, they definitely did, too. They just kept quiet,not wanting to risk crossing Wyatt

Jaxton, of course, was too clueless to see the problem.

As Amelia laid out her reasoning, the fury in Ricky's eyes started to fade.

Janessa,standing nearby, seized the opportunity to stoke the fire. "That's the Stewart Group we are talking about. Their projects have never had issues all these years."

Amelia didn't let it slide. "Maybe you should worry less about this and more about giving my father a son,"she said, changing the topic so suddenly that Ricky and Janessa both froze.

Catching a glimpse of Lainey lingering on the stairs,Amelia added, her tone sweet, "I'm just your daughter,Dad. Sooner or later, I'll get married and leave the family. What's going to happen to the Flynn family after that?"

Janessa's voice rose, sharp and panicked as she watched Ricky's face turn thoughtful. "Don't try to twist things, Amelia! Your mother made sure you got sixty percent of the shares before she died. Who are you trying to fool with these words now?" Calmly finishing her glass of water, Amelia answered with patience, "Ask yourself,Janessa-why would my mother insist on that? You know exactly why."

"Why would I know that?"

"It has something to do with you. If you hadn't been in the picture, my mother would never have felt the need to take precautions. She left those shares to me to guard against you."

"That's nonsense!"

Rarely did Janessa lose her composure, but now, her fury was impossible to miss.

Everybody in Kretol knew the truth: Katrina had protected those shares from Ricky, not Janessa.

"I think you're the one talking nonsense here, Janessa!"Lainey blurted out, unable to bite her tongue any longer.

As her grandmother drew near, Amelia hurried over to offer support. "Grandma, maybe you should have a word with Janessa. Look around Kretol-every prominent family ensures there's a son to inherit the family assets. If Janessa could give my father a son, I'd happily hand those shares over myself."

"Amelia, do you really mean that?" Lainey asked. Before Janessa or Ricky could say anything, Lainey's grip tightened around Amelia's arm.

Quietly, Amelia slipped her arm free, her eyes wide and earnest. "I mean every word."

Janessa, nearly fifty, had no chance of providing an heir-Amelia's remark was a calculated move to stir up trouble.

Lost in her own worries, Janessa could only sit with it as Lainey turned and fixed Ricky with a cold stare."Ricky, you should divorce Janessa soon!"