Capítulo 15: It's Mrs. Ashford

The dimmed lights of Amelie's hotel suite were making her sleepy, but she still had to finish the final preparations for the benefit. She was just about to send an email to Anna when the ringing melody of an incoming call interrupted her.

Amelie looked at the phone screen and frowned. It was Richard.

She had no desire to talk to him but decided to answer the call anyway.

"Must you always be so cold and rude?" Those were the first words he said to her. Apparently, they were now at the point where they didn't even greet each other.

Her husband's irritated, stern voice continued, "If you don't want to be friends with her, that's your choice, but I have never seen you deliberately try to make someone your enemy, Amelie."

His words were followed by a sigh.

"She's already had a difficult life, Amelie. She's been through a lot of trouble, and the last thing she needs right now is you upsetting her with your cold attitude. All I ask is for you to be a little more considerate. Your whole life revolves around your charitable work, so show some compassion."

"I don't have to show her anything. She might be a person in need, but you are the one taking care of it. This charity... is yours."

Richard's voice lowered. "You have changed, Amelie."

This single sentence made Amelie's heart beat faster with agitation. She couldn't believe her husband's arrogance.

"I have changed? Then how exactly do you expect me to behave?"

"Forget it."

Those were the last words Richard said before hanging up on her.

Amelie threw her phone on the bed and covered her face with both hands. All the hurt she had finally managed to suppress came back to choke her once again.

'What do you want me to do, Richard? What am I supposed to do when she is pushing me out of everything while I have nowhere else to go?'

She had never felt this miserable before. She had witnessed her friends dealing with their husbands having affairs, and she had watched them remain stoic and strong as if it never bothered them.

So why was it bothering her so much? Perhaps they all just pretended. After all, admitting that they were hurt would be admitting that they were weak. Nobody wanted to admit that they could be so easily hurt.

'Even if I never had lasting romantic feelings for you, Richard, you were still my friend for so many years… and now… what are you now, Richard? What am I?'

***

The benefit was fast approaching, and foreign guests were already beginning to arrive. It was decided that they would stay at the Emerald Hotel, allowing Amelie to ensure their stay was comfortable and that nothing would go wrong.

During the final preparations, both Amelie and Richard were occupied with their respective tasks, and Mrs. Ashford was grateful that she hadn't had to face him until now.

Today, however, she had no choice but to stand side by side with him to greet their guests. All of them were important businessmen, some even potential partners.

Welcoming guests of such status required both of them to be present; it was a tradition.

The tall doorman opened the heavy, ornate door, and two bellboys immediately rushed to the entrance to assist with the guests' luggage. The first guest to arrive was the infamous Liam Bennett.

Accompanied by his assistant, Liam walked toward Amelie and Richard with deliberate, confident steps, his entire demeanor exuding an impressive aura of self-assurance.

Amelie wasn't sure whether every rumor about Mr. Bennett was true, but one thing she could now confirm for herself—he was astonishingly handsome.

Unlike Richard, who was also quite attractive and had an air of maturity about him, Liam's features were refreshingly soft, even though he appeared older than his years. Amelie couldn't help but wonder if this was due to the sequence of tragedies that had plagued his family like a curse.

Liam's face was fair and devoid of any blemishes. His sharp jawline contrasted with the soft curves of his full lips and the small, angular shape of his nose. His eyes were dark, reminiscent of stormy skies, and the thick black frame of his long lashes gave him a slightly exotic look.

The most prominent feature, however, was his jet-black, carefully styled hair. The color was so intense that under the bright light of the fading sun, it had a peculiar, almost silver glow. Watching it reflect the rays of light was an enchanting experience.

'He is not just handsome; he is strikingly gorgeous...'

Amelie caught herself admiring Liam's beauty and felt her face grow hot. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt so flustered in the presence of a man. It was almost embarrassing.

As if to come to her aid, the rest of the rumors about young Mr. Bennett rushed through her memory, and her mind picked the most unpleasant one to focus on.

'He is a well-known womanizer who likes to sleep around... Well, I guess I can see where these rumors are stemming from. He is too handsome to be ignored.'

When Liam finally approached the married couple, Amelie thought he would greet her husband first, just like everyone always did. However, to everyone's bewilderment, the man turned to Mrs. Ashford, took her small hand in his, and planted a light kiss that barely brushed over her soft skin.

Amelie's eyes widened, and everyone else seemed to share the same thought—young Mr. Bennett was definitely a player and a flirt, finding nothing wrong with directing his subtle romantic gestures towards a married woman whose husband was standing right next to her.

Amelie found it strange, and yet her heart refused to slow down.

"Welcome back, Mr. Bennett. It is a pleasure to finally meet you." She tried to sound as detached as possible but her stern voice failed to fool Liam. Still holding her hand in his, he smiled and nodded, "The pleasure is all mine. You look absolutely stunning."

Amelie didn't get a chance to answer as Richard chimed in, offering Liam to accept his handshake.

"It is nice to meet you, Mr. Bennett. Too bad your brother couldn't make it. I was looking forward to meeting him too."

Liam didn't seem very interested in Richard's words. Their handshake barely lasted a second and his words sounded almost disrespectfully as he replied, "It's a pleasure."

Mr. Bennett quickly turned his full attention back to Amelie and smiled again. "I hope to see you often from now on, Miss Ashford."

"It's Mrs. Ashford," Amelie tried to correct him but the man paid no heed to her words. Instead, he playfully winked at her and walked away, escorted by his assistant towards the elevators.

Amelie watched him disappear behind the elevator doors, his hot breath brushing over the skin of her hand still lingering in her memories.

Slowly, she covered that hand with the other as if to seal that feeling forever and felt a pair of sharp eyes drilling her back from behind. She turned around and saw Richard looking down at her with the most unpleasant glare.

He was angry.

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Capítulo 16: The Gardens

Amelie took a sip of white wine and looked at the rectangular screen of the old mobile phone. She hadn't received a message from the mysterious man since that day and wondered whether she should text him first to find out how long she was supposed to hold onto this "valuable" item.

Perhaps it was the wine that gave her a bit of extra courage, but Amelie's fingers moved on their own. She finally pressed the send button, delivering a message to the enigmatic recipient.

"Why did you say your name was Captain Pantaloons?"

The man replied almost immediately.

"It is the name of one very annoying dog who is being treated like a king."

That message was quickly followed by another one.

"Do you want to know who I am?"

"I do, but I won't insist if it's uncomfortable for you."

His reply was only a smiling face emoji, and Amelie thought their conversation was over. Suddenly, the phone vibrated once again.

"I am one of the guests for the benefit."

Amelie's eyes widened in shock. Her assistant Anna handled the guest accommodations at the Emerald Hotel, but for security reasons, all guests were registered under aliases. If Amelie wanted to find out who they were, she would have to go through their credit card history. Given that most people used company-wide accounts to pay for business trips, this would be a tedious task.

And even then, what would it give her?

Her busy mind was interrupted by yet another message notification.

"If that helps, my room number hasn't changed."

Amelie felt more disappointed than intrigued. She couldn't believe the man staying in the suite next to hers was one of their guests all along. Not only had she failed to greet him properly, but she had also been rude to him on the phone, and now, she was being too casual with her messages.

It was embarrassing.

Still, the man's behavior was equally rude, and it was already too late to change her own attitude.

"How shameless of you to put me in such a difficult position! You should have told me who you were right away."

His immediate reply was just as brazen.

"No, it's more fun this way."

Amelie scoffed and shook her head. He was right; it was fun.

***

Since the benefit was taking place at the Emerald Hotel's VIP venue, Amelie spent all her time in her office there. The hectic preparations for the event's opening night demanded her constant presence, and after her message exchange with her mysterious "friend," she felt too anxious to overlook any detail related to the important guests staying at the hotel.

As she was scanning one of the financial reports, Anna Hayden knocked on her door and entered once Amelie granted permission.

"Mrs. Ashford, Mr. Liam Bennett is here to see you."

Caught off guard, Amelie almost dropped the papers on the floor. She instantly recalled their first encounter, and hot blood rushed to her cheeks.

She felt embarrassed to face him, but at the same time, there was no way she could refuse to see him. She had already managed to neglect one important guest; she wouldn't make the same mistake again.

"Please ask him to come in."

Anna nodded and invited Liam into Amelie's office.

The moment he stepped inside, the room filled with the assertive scent of his cologne—a leathery aroma mixed with woody undertones. She found his scent soothing, yet somewhat hypnotizing.

The initial discomfort brought on by his presence instantly dissolved when Liam stretched his lips into a warm smile, addressing Amelie in the most friendly tone.

"Hello, Miss Ashford! I heard you were extremely busy preparing for the benefit, so I came here to be an even bigger burden!"

Amelie arched her eyebrows. "Pardon? And it's Mrs. Ashford."

"I consider it a crime to be cooped up in the office all day when the weather is so wonderful! I came here to steal you... No, to ask you to take a walk with me and show me around the hotel. It's so beautiful and vast that I feel like I need some guidance or else I will get lost."

Mrs. Ashford's confusion lingered. It was true that the Emerald Hotel was more of a city resort than a mere hotel, but it wasn't so grand as to require a personal tour. The designated members of the personnel could have done that in her stead if needed.

Nevertheless, given that Liam Bennett was one of the most influential figures in the business world, she had to be attentive to his request. And she had to admit, she did need a break.

"Very well, let me show you around then."

Their tour inside the hotel was brief because Mr. Bennett was already quite familiar with its interior. Instead, they headed straight for the hotel's most famous feature—the flower gardens.

As they walked in the shade cast by the tall, meticulously tended trees, Amelie found herself overwhelmed with strange feelings. With her busy and hectic life, she couldn't remember the last time she had come here and actually appreciated the garden's beauty, despite it being part of her own domain. She almost felt regretful.

Amelie was instantly jolted out of her calm state when she heard a familiar female voice calling out her name.

"Mrs. Ashford!"

She turned to her right and saw Samantha rushing towards her.

'What the hell is she doing here?' Amelie furrowed her eyebrows as Samantha came to a halt before them, breathing heavily as she tried to catch her breath.

"Hello! I had no idea you'd be here, another pleasant coincidence," Samantha said cheerfully.

Mrs. Ashford didn't reply, her eyes narrowing slightly. Samantha, however, seemed uninterested in Amelie's reaction. Instead, she turned her attention to Liam and smiled brightly. "Good afternoon. My name is Samantha Blackwood. I'm a friend of Mr. Richard Clark."

Liam quietly examined her appearance with his sharp gray eyes, taking in the new presence with an unreadable expression.

'Richard Clark's friend? Ahh... I see.'

He, too, offered her a polite smile and nodded. "Liam Bennett, nice to meet you."

They shook hands, and Amelie noticed Samantha blushing. This time, it wasn't an act—she was genuinely flustered to meet Liam.

Recalling her husband's words, Amelie decided to let Samantha be. Being rude to her in front of Mr. Bennett really wasn't worth it.

She forced a smile and looked at Liam. "Mr. Bennett is the youngest son of the Bennett family and is about to inherit the Diamond Group. He has just returned from abroad."

Samantha's eyes lit up with excitement. "From abroad? Where were you exactly?"

Liam chuckled. "Just... all around Europe."

"Wow, I've always wanted to visit Europe! Do you mind telling me how it was living there? I can show you around, and we can get to—"

Suddenly, Liam cut her off with an unexpectedly cold tone. "I'm sorry... Miss Blackwood, was it? I was in the middle of my walk with Miss Ashford, and our conversation isn't one that involves someone I have just met. Please excuse us."

He gently touched Amelie's arm and quickly led her away, leaving Samantha alone and completely bewildered.

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