Chapter 11: The Rescue Plan
1245 Words
A heavy silence filled the living room.
Richard stared at Ethan.
Ethan stared right back at him.
The temperature in the room seemed to drop.
"You threatened my wife," Ethan repeated, his voice cold.
For some reason, Richard felt a shiver run down his spine.
He forced a laugh.
"I was only joking."
"No, you weren't."
The smile on Richard's face disappeared.
Amelia had never seen Ethan like this before.
His expression was calm, but his eyes were icy.
He looked dangerous.
Very dangerous.
Vanessa nervously glanced between the two men.
She had heard stories about Ethan Kingsley.
Stories about his intelligence.
Stories about his power.
Stories about how nobody dared to cross him.
And now her father had just threatened his wife.
This wasn't good.
Richard cleared his throat.
"Mr. Kingsley, I think you've misunderstood."
"I understood perfectly."
Richard swallowed.
Amelia stepped forward.
"Ethan…"
He looked at her immediately.
The coldness in his eyes softened.
She gently shook her head.
She didn't want things to get worse.
Taking a deep breath, she looked at her stepfather.
"Please, just give me my mother's ashes."
Richard's expression hardened.
"I already told you my condition."
Her heart sank.
"You would really do this to me?"
"Yes."
She couldn't believe it.
How could someone be so cruel?
Richard crossed his arms.
"You should be thanking me."
"Thanking you?" she whispered.
"I'm giving you a chance to marry a wealthy man."
She laughed bitterly.
"I am already married."
"That marriage means nothing."
The room became silent.
Amelia froze.
Richard looked directly at her.
"You've always been a disappointment."
The words hit her like a slap.
Vanessa looked away.
Even she felt uncomfortable.
But Richard continued.
"You never listen."
"You never obey."
"And now you've embarrassed this family."
Tears filled Amelia's eyes.
"Family?" she repeated softly.
Richard frowned.
"You stopped being my family the day my mother died."
Silence.
A tear rolled down her cheek.
"You've never treated me like a daughter."
Another tear followed.
"You've only treated me like a burden."
The room became quiet.
For the first time, guilt flashed across Richard's face.
But it quickly disappeared.
"Enough," he snapped.
"I'm not giving you the ashes."
Amelia's shoulders slumped.
She had known it wouldn't be easy.
But it still hurt.
Very much.
A hand gently touched hers.
She looked up.
Ethan.
His expression softened.
"We're leaving."
She blinked.
"What?"
"We're leaving."
"But…"
"We'll find another way."
She looked at him helplessly.
"I don't know what to do anymore."
For the first time since they had arrived, Ethan smiled.
A small, reassuring smile.
"Trust me."
Those two words made her heart skip.
Trust him.
For some reason…
She did.
She slowly nodded.
"Okay."
Richard looked surprised.
"You're just leaving?"
Ethan turned toward him.
"This isn't over."
Something in his voice made Richard uneasy.
Then Ethan took Amelia's hand.
"Let's go."
Without another word, the two of them left.
The front door closed behind them.
Inside the house, Vanessa looked nervous.
"Dad…"
"What?"
"I think you made a mistake."
Richard frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"That's Ethan Kingsley."
"I know who he is."
"No, I mean…" She swallowed. "He's powerful."
Richard laughed.
"So?"
Vanessa looked worried.
"I don't think we should make him our enemy."
Richard remained silent.
For some reason, he suddenly felt uneasy too.
---
Meanwhile, inside the car, neither Ethan nor Amelia spoke.
Amelia stared out of the window.
Her eyes were red.
She looked heartbroken.
Ethan hated it.
He hated seeing her like this.
Finally, she spoke.
"I'm sorry."
He looked at her.
"For what?"
"You got dragged into my problems."
He frowned.
"They're our problems now."
She blinked.
"Our problems?"
He nodded.
"We're married."
Her heart warmed.
A small smile appeared on her face.
He noticed immediately.
"There it is."
She looked confused.
"What?"
"Your smile."
She laughed softly.
"You really like seeing me smile, don't you?"
"Yes."
The answer came so quickly that both of them froze.
A blush appeared on her cheeks.
Ethan suddenly found the road very interesting.
After a moment, she smiled again.
"Thank you."
He glanced at her.
"For what?"
"For always making me feel better."
He didn't know how to respond to that.
So he simply smiled.
A few minutes later, they arrived at the mansion.
The moment they entered, Ethan's grandmother noticed Amelia's red eyes.
"Oh dear, what happened?"
Amelia tried to smile.
"It's nothing."
The older woman wasn't fooled.
She looked at Ethan.
"What happened?"
He sighed.
Then he explained everything.
By the time he finished, his grandmother looked furious.
"What?!" she shouted.
"He took your mother's ashes?"
Amelia nodded.
"And now he's blackmailing you?"
Another nod.
The old woman looked outraged.
"That man is shameless!"
Ethan almost smiled.
He had expected this reaction.
His grandmother marched toward Amelia and took her hands.
"Don't worry, dear."
Amelia looked at her.
"We'll get your mother's ashes back."
Tears filled Amelia's eyes.
"Really?"
"Of course."
The old woman smiled warmly.
"You're family now."
Family.
That word again.
Why did the Kingsleys keep making her want to cry?
She nodded.
"Thank you."
The older woman hugged her.
"Everything will be okay."
For the first time all day, Amelia felt safe.
---
Later that evening, Ethan sat in his study.
He was deep in thought.
A knock sounded.
"Come in."
Lucas entered.
"You wanted to see me?"
"Yes."
Lucas sat down.
"What's wrong?"
Ethan explained everything.
By the end, Lucas looked angry.
"That man is horrible."
"I know."
"So what do we do?"
A thoughtful expression appeared on Ethan's face.
"We get the ashes back."
"How?"
Ethan looked out the window.
"There are many ways."
Lucas blinked.
"That sounds scary."
Ethan almost smiled.
"I'm not going to do anything illegal."
"Good."
Silence.
Then Lucas grinned.
"You're really worried about her."
Ethan looked at him.
"Of course I am."
Lucas smiled.
"I've never seen you care this much about anyone."
Ethan didn't answer.
Because… Lucas wasn't wrong.
He did care.
A lot.
More than he should.
After a moment, he stood up.
"I need information."
"What kind?"
"Everything about Richard Carter."
Lucas immediately understood.
"Consider it done."
---
At the same time, Amelia stood on the balcony outside her room.
The night sky was beautiful.
But her heart felt heavy.
Would she ever get her mother's ashes back?
A soft voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Can't sleep?"
She turned around.
Ethan.
She smiled faintly.
"Not really."
He walked over and stood beside her.
For a few moments, neither of them spoke.
Then he said quietly,
"I meant what I said."
She looked at him.
"We'll get them back."
She sighed.
"I don't even know why you're doing so much for me."
He turned toward her.
"You really don't know?"
She shook her head.
He smiled softly.
"Because I care."
Her breath caught.
The world suddenly seemed very quiet.
Their eyes met.
For a long moment, neither of them moved.
Then he gently brushed a strand of hair away from her face.
Her heart began beating wildly.
"Ethan…"
He looked at her.
"You don't have to carry everything by yourself anymore."
Tears filled her eyes again.
This man…
Why was he so kind to her?
She slowly nodded.
"Okay."
He smiled.
And for the first time…
Amelia realized something.
This marriage that had started as an impulsive decision was slowly becoming something much more important.
Something neither of them expected.
Something dangerous.
Because little by little…
She was beginning to fall for her husband.
- Writer
