Since She Met Lucian

This was not the way Amelia wanted things to turn out. The seeds of guilt were quickly taking root inside her, creeping up her insides with thorny vines. She reached out to Lucian hesitantly and held on to his arm. "Was that really your mother's idea?" she asked in a small voice.

'Fannie doesn't like me? Why was she urging them to have a child?' she was wondering.

Lucian took notice of the trembling hand in his arm. "Amelia, I was just kidding," he said carefully, wanting the shadows in her eyes to disappear.

"Right. Of course. Whatever you say," Amelia answered. Lucian's expression had turned more grave as the seconds passed, and Amelia's apprehension grew with her uncertainty.

Sumptuous dishes appeared on the table one after another. Dinner went on with neither of them breaching the topic once more. Amelia focused on the food, but it even that felt lukewarm in her mouth.

Lucian was a regular in this restaurant, and so he was well-known among the waiters. On top of that, the Zhan Group owned shares in the business.

It was a quiet place, and Amelia was almost able to put off her worries with the warm and relaxing ambiance until a woman's voice broke through the momentarily found peace.

"Lucian, why did you take her with you?"

Amelia looked up from her plate and met her eyes.

The woman was vaguely familiar. Amelia had a faint sense that she had met this woman before, but where and when, she couldn't place. The stranger exuded the air of someone well-known— dressed in luxury brand clothes, with a tall figure and an undeniably beautiful face highlighted by her perfect make-up.

She moved closer to Lucian without hesitation, as if it was something she had done thousands of times before and threw a sharp glance at Amelia. "I don't think it was a good idea to bring her. At the very least, she should be wearing clean clothes."

Amelia tried her best not to flinch under the woman's scrutiny. She understood perfectly well what was happening.

It was true that she was wearing plain clothes. Oil stains dotted the otherwise clean fabric from cooking in the construction site. Then, as if on cue, she smelled hints of oil and smoke from her clothes.

But Lucian didn't seem to mind, so who was this woman to go off and criticize her? Amelia gripped the silverware as the beginnings of anger stirred up inside her.

"Jessie, what a coincidence! Have you eaten yet?" Lucian quickly noticed Amelia's sour mood and greeted the other woman instead.

But it did nothing to distract Amelia from her temper. Hearing his gentle voice of Lucian as he spoke to her, Amelia's annoyance flared dangerously hot.

"Lucian, we haven't seen each other in so long? You've been ignoring me you heartless man," Jessie answered, her voice soft and feminine.

Anyone who looked at them would have thought them the perfect couple. Amelia felt stabs of pain in her chest as she couldn't help but admit that Jessie matched Lucian well. Her lips trembled as she watched them, but she didn't want to seem like she was acting like a victim. Instead, she brought her attention back to her food, sending one delicious bite after another in her mouth. The food was definitely good, but it was like rubber in her mouth. There was no way she would be able to enjoy her meal when her heart weighed heavily in her chest.

to meet

them could have a grand time together for all she cared. Amelia pointedly ignored them as

water to swallow her food in one go.

serving dishes, and Jessie

woman called Jessie touched Lucian's arm from time to time as they talked. Lucian didn't seem to mind and just kept smiling at

in her hands. An ugly feeling started in

knew where the shiver had come from.

you," Lucian looked at Amelia

fell open at Lucian's words. She immediately recovered and greeted Amelia politely the next moment.

a low voice as he reached over to fill Amelia's bowl with more

nerves,' she thought. She looked at the

"You don't have to eat it if you don't like it. Is there something else you want to eat? We can

married a strange one," Jessie spoke, once again eyeing Amelia's clothes. "Not only is she unrefined, she seems to be temperamental too." Jessie said the words so casually as if she was just commenting on the weather.

moment, Amelia's chopsticks had stopped moving. Raising her eyes, she met Jessie with a fierce gaze and said, "Miss, don't you think

come out harshly, calling the attention

of letting go of him, Jessie only moved closer

no longer hold her temper when this woman was deliberately making a show

a petulant child, throwing a tantrum. But at this moment, she couldn't care less. She had borne this quietly for the past

at her. With that, something inside her snapped. Did he think this was

Was he seriously telling her

but she blinked them to stop her tears. Putting down her silverware, she said in a low voice, "Enjoy yourselves.

gone far enough. As she stood up, however, Lucian called out

down. Let me introduce

temper was really blowing over the roof now. However, she sat down as he told and smiled. "You're right, Mr. Lucian Zhan. We went here together after all. We should go

he didn't resolve the situation quickly.

his throat, he said, "Amelia, this is my cousin, Jessie. She is a TV host. You might have seen

what did you say?" Amelia answered with wide eyes. Jessie was grinning at her with a

me all that much," Jessie laughed. Amelia couldn't believe that they were having fun at her expense.

an apology, feeling embarrassment rise to her cheeks. Lucian, that devil, didn't even

at this time, Lucian came over to her and put his hands on her shoulders. "It doesn't matter. Now that

but Amelia knew he was still laughing at her. Her husband had the time of his life watching

again quickly being replaced by annoyance, but she held herself back. She didn't want to cause a bigger