An Ocean Between Hearts

Still trying to piece everything together, Amelia pulled into the driveway and stepped out, sketch board in hand.

The second her feet hit the ground, the villa's staff practically mobbed her. Their faces screamed relief, and a few looked like they'd been one bad day away from crying.

"You're finally back! The house has been chaos without you. Mr. Felton hasn't liked anything we've done—he's been impossible!"

Ah. There it was.

This wasn't about her. Chad didn't care where she'd been; he just couldn't function without his built-in caretaker.

Too bad for him. He'd better get used to it because soon, she'd be out of his life for good.

Amelia gave them a polite smile and headed inside.

The villa was dark, not even a lamp on. Chad was sitting alone on the couch, moonlight cutting across his face and throwing half of it into shadow. It made him look as unreadable as ever.

When he heard her footsteps, his eyes snapped to hers, lingering for what felt like forever. His voice broke the silence, low and sharp. "Where have you been the last few days?"

Amelia shrugged off her coat, her tone as flat as her mood. "Up in the mountains. Sketching."

Chad's brows pinched. "Since when are you into painting?"

She'd always been good at art. If it weren't for her whole 'sacrificing-my-dreams-for-you phase', she'd have been abroad, living her dream as an artist.

But explaining that to Chad? Pointless.

She grabbed a glass of water, took a sip, and replied casually, "I just felt like it."

Chad pressed his fingers to his temple, his voice softening like he was trying to reason with a stubborn child. "About the soup thing—I didn't leave you on purpose. Irina's always been... delicate. She cries over the tiniest scratch. We grew up together, so I'm used to taking care of her. That's why I took her to the hospital first.

"Besides, you didn't say anything at the time, so why make a fuss and leave? Irina's moved out now that her place is ready. Don't blow this out of proportion over something so minor."

His tone carried just enough blame to make it clear—he thought this was her fault. Not just for leaving, but for somehow making Irina move out early, too.

But Amelia didn't care anymore. She just nodded, set her glass down, and headed for the stairs.

"Amelia!" Chad called after her.

She stopped and turned, watching as he stood from the couch. "I'm hungry. Make me some pasta."

Without a word, Amelia raised her bandaged hand. "Did you forget? My hand's injured too."

Chad froze, clearly not expecting that.

Not that she stuck around to see his reaction. She turned and walked upstairs without a second glance.

...

The next morning, Amelia stepped out of her room and was met with something shiny and gaudy shoved in her face.

She blinked and looked up to see Chad standing there, looking a little... awkward.

He cleared his throat. "About the soup incident... I didn't check on you because I was busy taking care of Irina. This is to make up for it."

Amelia's eyes flicked to the jewelry, her expression shifting ever so slightly.

Five years.

In all that time, Chad had never given her a gift—not once.

And now, this wasn't even a real gift. It was compensation. A shiny bribe for the time he spent doting on Irina instead of even pretending to care about her.

Her thoughts wandered to the pile of perfectly curated gifts she'd seen in Chad's study—every single one meant for Irina. Bitterness rose in her chest, sharp and familiar, but she swallowed it back down.

She'd never expected anything from him before. She definitely wasn't starting now.

Chad misread her hesitation entirely.

"If you don't like it..." he started. "I've been busy with Irina's... matters. I asked Leon to grab the most expensive piece at the auction. If it's not your style, then—"

Leon. His assistant. Of course.

Before he could finish, Yara's voice cut through the room.

"Irina! What did I tell you? Chad adores you! You never should've moved out. But even if you did, you should visit more often!"

Amelia turned, just in time to see Yara dragging Irina into the room.

Then Yara's eyes locked on the jewelry box in Chad's hands, and her entire face lit up.

"Oh my God, Chad! Irina just said how much she loved this set, and you actually got it for her!"

She turned to Irina, practically vibrating with envy.

Irina flushed, her cheeks turning the color of rose quartz as she ducked her head in shy embarrassment.

Chad froze. For a split second, something like hesitation flickered in his eyes.

Without missing a beat, Amelia took the jewelry box from Chad and handed it to Irina.

"Since it's for you, then take it," she said, her voice calm.

The decision Chad couldn't make? She'd made it for him.

For the first time, Chad didn't look at Irina. His gaze stayed on Amelia instead.

There was something about the way she carried herself now—graceful, unbothered. It threw him off.

She wasn't the same Amelia anymore, but he couldn't quite figure out how.