Chapter 6 Male Classmates
Sophia mentioned that her dad had been moved to another hospital, but she had no clue where.
From what Chris said, Amelia figured Paxton was probably with him.
"Why should I tell you?" Chris sneered, grabbing her chin firmly and making her look up. "Miss Tudor, weren't you all tough just now? Why the sudden change?"
He laughed, a nasty sound.
Amelia froze, tears filling her eyes.
She was lost. How did she end up dealing with such a jerk?
In a flash, Chris let go and got into his car.
Amelia ran after him, pounding on the window, tears streaming down her face. "Chris, where's my dad? Tell me!"
Chris started the car, driving slowly so she could keep up and suffer. He was quite pleased to see her in a messy state.
"Chris, tell me! Where's my dad?" Amelia's voice shook, and she tripped, falling forward. A car horn blared, brakes screeched.
At the last second, a strong arm pulled her back.
"Are you okay? How could you be so careless?" A man, shocked and worried, held her shoulders. "Amelia, is that you?"
"Shawn?" Their eyes met, and she recognized him.
Shawn Jones, an old classmate who always competed with her but never won. He was always second, always teased.
They were academic rivals all through school, right up to the final exam where Amelia came out on top.
"What are you doing here?" Shawn looked surprised.
Seeing her like this, he couldn't believe it. How did the strong, capable Amelia end up like this?
"Can you help me?" Amelia's voice was rough as she pointed to the black SUV driving away. "Help me catch that car."
Shawn didn't hesitate.
He helped her into the passenger seat. "Buckle up and hold on!"
He drove fast, catching up with Chris in minutes.
"Who is he? Why are you chasing him? You almost got hit! He is such a terrible guy" Shawn glanced over while driving.
Chris rolled down his window, his sharp eyes scanning them.
Shawn tensed.
Amelia grabbed Shawn's shoulder, glaring at Chris. "Where's my dad, Chris? Don't be so despicable! If anything happens to him, I'll never forgive you!"
Chris sneered, but his eyes lingered on her hand.
She was almost leaning on Shawn, close, but she didn't seem to notice.
Chris's eyes narrowed, anger flaring. He pulled over and got out quickly.
Shawn stopped too.
Before they could react, Chris was at their car, yanking Amelia out.
Shawn grabbed her arm in a hurry. "Hey! What's going on? How can I help you?"
Before he could finish, Chris had pulled her away, almost carrying her out. He roughly took off her shawl and tossed it aside, disgusted that it had been touched by an unknown man.
"Are you crazy? What are you doing?" Amelia, now in a white camisole dress, glared at him. However, her anger had no real force, making her look like an angry kitten.
Chris was amused by her reaction. "You think I'm interested in you?" He sneered, shoving her into the passenger seat without another word.
Amelia kept quiet. She knew he was taking her to see Paxton.
Chris was driving like a maniac, speeding up and slowing down randomly, like he was trying to shake someone off.
After about ten minutes, Amelia noticed something odd. In the rearview mirror, she saw Shawn's car tailing them at a steady distance.
When Chris sped up, Shawn sped up. When Chris slowed down, Shawn slowed down. He couldn't lose him.
"Who the hell is he?" Chris growled, teeth clenched.
Amelia stayed silent.
"Answer me!" His tone was harsh, his whole vibe menacing.
Amelia shivered, tears welling up. She wiped her face, smudging her makeup.
Seeing her like that, Chris suddenly stopped questioning and slammed the steering wheel. "Fuck!"
They finally pulled up to a private hospital.
Amelia rushed to the inpatient building and found out Paxton was on the first floor. She ran in.
Paxton was awake, a nurse helping him with his meds.
When he saw Amelia, he lit up. "Amelia, you're here. Where's Chris?"
Amelia didn't answer. She ran to him, hugging him tight. "Dad, I'm so glad you're okay. I was so worried. How did you end up here? Did they treat you well? How are the doctors?"
Paxton gently patted her head. "Silly girl, it's all thanks to Chris. He got me transferred here and found a new medical team. They said I just..."
"The patient shouldn't talk too much now. Let him rest," the nurse cut in.
Amelia was stunned. Paxton had just had an episode. That meant when she was with Chris at City Hall, he knew Paxton wasn't well and insisted on taking her out. Could he be that considerate?
She didn't dwell on it. She helped Paxton lie down, chatted with him a bit, and coaxed him to sleep.
After a while, she reluctantly left the room.
Chris was sitting on a bench in the hallway, waiting. Legs crossed, phone in hand, he looked like any other guy, except for his striking looks and commanding presence. But she knew better than to have any illusions about him or to thank him.
"Shawn Jones, heir to the Jones family and a wannabe race car driver. No wonder he kept up with me." Chris looked up, giving her a pointed look. "But does the little Jones family think they can mess with me?"
Amelia's heart sank. "I just ran into him. He hasn't done anything to you. Please, don't cause him any trouble."
As soon as she said it, she realized it might put Shawn in danger, so she quickly shut up.
She knew Chris too well. As his ex-wife, she was fully aware of his possessiveness. Even if he didn't care for her, he'd lose it if he thought she had an affair during their marriage.
Chris slowly stood, his tall frame looming over her. "He's still outside, demanding to see you."