Bound by Fate

Jealous Hearts

Chapter 19

Amelia had always believed jealousy was an ugly emotion.

Petty.

Possessive.

Unnecessary.

She certainly never imagined herself experiencing it.

Yet life had a way of proving people wrong.

Especially when Xavier Knight was involved.

The trouble began on a bright Thursday afternoon.

Knight Manor was hosting a small networking luncheon for several investors and business partners.

Nothing as extravagant as the charity gala.

Just an elegant gathering.

The kind Xavier attended regularly.

The kind Amelia normally avoided whenever possible.

Unfortunately, Mrs. Hawthorne had assigned her to assist with coordinating refreshments.

Which meant there was no escape.

By noon, guests had begun arriving.

The manor buzzed with conversation and polite laughter.

Amelia focused on her work.

Everything was going smoothly.

Until she met Daniel Hart.

Daniel was one of Knight Corporation’s younger investors.

Tall, charming, and annoyingly handsome.

Unlike many wealthy guests, he didn’t carry himself with arrogance.

Instead, he possessed an easy confidence that made people comfortable around him.

Including Amelia.

Their first conversation was completely innocent.

Daniel simply asked where he could find the garden terrace.

Amelia showed him the way.

That should have been the end of it.

It wasn’t.

Twenty minutes later he found her again.

This time near the library.

“So you’re Amelia.”

She blinked.

“How do you know my name?”

Daniel smiled.

“Everyone knows your name.”

Amelia groaned immediately.

“The rumors.”

“The rumors.”

His grin widened.

“For what it’s worth, I don’t believe most of them.”

“Most?”

“Well, the secret heiress story was entertaining.”

Amelia laughed despite herself.

The sound surprised her.

She hadn’t expected to enjoy his company.

Yet Daniel was easy to talk to.

Friendly.

Funny.

Normal.

Something increasingly rare in Xavier’s world.

Over the next hour, they crossed paths several times.

Each conversation lasted only a few minutes.

Yet Daniel somehow managed to make her laugh every single time.

Unfortunately, someone else noticed.

Xavier.

He was speaking with a group of investors when he first spotted them together.

Daniel was telling some story.

Amelia was laughing.

The sight shouldn’t have bothered him.

There was absolutely no logical reason for it to bother him.

Yet it did.

Immediately.

His attention drifted toward them again several minutes later.

Then again.

And again.

Each time he looked, Daniel seemed closer.

More comfortable.

More interested.

The realization irritated Xavier far more than it should have.

“Are you listening?”

Xavier looked away from Amelia.

One of the investors stared at him expectantly.

“Of course.”

The man looked unconvinced.

Sophia, who happened to be nearby, followed Xavier’s gaze.

Then smiled.

“Oh.”

Xavier instantly regretted her presence.

“What?”

Sophia laughed softly.

“Nothing.”

“That smile says otherwise.”

She folded her arms.

“You’re jealous.”

“No.”

“Xavier.”

“No.”

Sophia’s grin widened.

“It’s actually adorable.”

“I am not jealous.”

“You absolutely are.”

Xavier returned his attention to the conversation.

Primarily because continuing this discussion would only make things worse.

Unfortunately, Sophia wasn’t wrong.

And that was the problem.

Meanwhile, Amelia remained blissfully unaware of Xavier’s internal crisis.

At least initially.

Until Daniel asked a question.

“Can I be honest?”

Amelia hesitated.

“That depends.”

Daniel smiled.

“Fair answer.”

Then his expression softened slightly.

“I think Xavier likes you.”

Amelia nearly dropped the tray she was holding.

“What?”

Daniel laughed.

“See?”

“There is no ‘see.’”

“There definitely is.”

Amelia immediately shook her head.

“You’re mistaken.”

“Am I?”

“Yes.”

Daniel’s smile suggested he didn’t believe her.

At all.

The conversation ended when another guest called him away.

But the damage was done.

Because now Amelia couldn’t stop thinking about the possibility.

What if Daniel was right?

The thought followed her throughout the afternoon.

And somehow made every interaction with Xavier feel more significant.

More dangerous.

By evening, the luncheon finally ended.

Guests gradually departed.

Staff members began cleaning.

The manor slowly returned to normal.

Amelia was helping collect empty glasses when she heard footsteps approaching.

She didn’t need to look up.

She already knew who it was.

“Long day?”

Xavier’s voice sounded unusually calm.

Too calm.

Amelia glanced at him.

“Very.”

A brief silence followed.

Then:

“You seemed busy.”

The comment felt strange.

Amelia frowned slightly.

“Busy?”

“With Daniel.”

Understanding dawned instantly.

And before she could stop herself, a smile appeared.

A genuine smile.

One that made Xavier suspicious immediately.

“What?”

Amelia shook her head.

“Nothing.”

His eyes narrowed.

“Amelia.”

Now she was definitely smiling.

“You noticed.”

The words escaped before she could stop them.

The moment they did, silence followed.

Dangerous silence.

Xavier stared at her.

Amelia stared back.

Neither looked away.

Because suddenly they both understood what she had meant.

You noticed.

Not Daniel.

Not the conversations.

Him.

His attention.

His jealousy.

His feelings.

The realization hung heavily between them.

Neither ready to acknowledge it.

Neither capable of ignoring it.

Finally, Xavier cleared his throat.

“He talks a lot.”

Amelia laughed.

Relief flickered briefly across his face.

“I noticed.”

“He seems to enjoy hearing himself speak.”

“He does.”

Another laugh escaped her.

And somehow the tension eased.

Just slightly.

Later that night, Amelia found herself in the library again.

Some habits were impossible to break.

She settled into her favorite chair and opened a book.

Ten minutes later, Xavier appeared.

Not surprising anymore.

Almost expected.

He sat across from her.

Silence settled comfortably between them.

Then Amelia spoke.

“Can I ask you something?”

His eyes lifted.

“You usually do.”

She smiled.

Then hesitated.

“What if someone likes someone they shouldn’t?”

The question surprised both of them.

Xavier studied her carefully.

For a moment, she worried he might understand exactly what she meant.

Then he answered.

“I think most people don’t choose who they care about.”

Her heart skipped.

“That’s not really an answer.”

“It is.”

A pause.

Then:

“Sometimes feelings happen whether they’re convenient or not.”

The room grew quiet.

Because suddenly the conversation felt less hypothetical.

Less safe.

Amelia looked down at her book.

Unable to meet his eyes.

Across from her, Xavier wasn’t doing much better.

Because for the first time, it felt like they were standing at the edge of something neither could control.

Something growing larger every day.

Something becoming impossible to deny.

And neither of them knew what would happen when they finally stopped pretending.

The answer was coming sooner than either expected.

Because very soon, one of them would need comfort.

And the other would be unable to stay away.

That night would change everything.

At least emotionally.

And neither of them would ever be quite the same afterward.