Chapter 3

The guests were visibly shocked, staring at William in disbelief.

Ever since his accident, he rarely spoke in public and showed little interest in anything or anyone.

Rumors had it that despite his gentlemanly facade, he was actually gloomy and cruel, even mistreating his servants.

No one expected him to speak today, and with such a gentle voice at that.

Helen, stunned at first, was now tearing up with excitement. "Of course, absolutely."

Since his accident, William had been disinterested in everything, but today he seemed to be in a good mood.

Bianca, fearing William might speak to her, shrank behind Ava, her face full of rejection.

Meanwhile, Amelia walked over to William without hesitation, pushing his wheelchair and asking naturally, "Where should we talk?"

It was obvious to everyone that the two women had very different attitudes towards William. Helen's gaze towards Amelia changed instantly, filled with both admiration and relief.

"The guest room," William said, glancing at Amelia.

Amelia pushed William, deliberately passing by Bianca, intending to mock her.

"Ms. Bianca Martinez, did you just think I wanted to talk to you?" William's clear male voice cut in, accompanied by a faint sneer.

Bianca's face turned bright red, overwhelmed with embarrassment.

In the guest room.

As soon as they entered, both Amelia and William's expressions turned cold.

She parked William by the door and walked over to sit on the couch.

William, with a half-smile, said, "Leaving a guest with mobility issues at the door is quite impolite, don't you think?"

Amelia looked him up and down. "No worries, your third leg seems pretty strong. Use it to walk over."

Yesterday, that penis almost wore her out.

William was stunned.

He had never expected Amelia to start with such a vulgar comment.

Then William smirked, speaking nonchalantly, "I suggest you keep your mouth shut. You wouldn't want people to know that the esteemed Ms. Martinez has a sexual disease, would you?"

Amelia didn't even blink and replied, "Then you were thoroughly infected by me yesterday. Aren't you afraid I'll tell everyone that Mr. Brown from the Brown family has AIDS?"

William's gaze darkened, filled with suppressed danger, his tone mocking. "Who would believe a cripple has AIDS?"

His chiseled features, even more striking when he was serious, were hard to look away from.

Amelia, noticing the stark contrast in his expression from when he first arrived at the Martinez Villa, smiled brightly. "Not pretending to be the humble gentleman anymore?"

She crossed her legs, swinging them leisurely, ignoring William's initial threat and instead making a teasing remark.

William's gaze locked onto Amelia. Her playful demeanor was at odds with her mischievous face.

But he had dealt with many who tried to threaten him and knew how to handle them skillfully.

"Ms. Martinez, you should know that on your own, you wouldn't last three days before being kicked out of the Martinez Villa," William reminded her leisurely.

Amelia's long lashes fluttered, but she didn't respond.

She knew all too well that with the Martinez family's favoritism towards Bianca, three days was a generous estimate.

William expertly maneuvered his wheelchair closer to her, his smile not reaching his cold eyes. "With that face of yours, Ms. Martinez wouldn't let you leave the Martinez Villa unscathed."

"How about we make a deal?" William asked.

Amelia looked up, meeting his gaze directly, and asked knowingly, "I keep your secret, and you help me stay in the Martinez family?"

"Not just stay in the Martinez family. If necessary, I can help you crush Bianca underfoot. How about that?" William's eyes gleamed with cunning, his voice slightly coaxing.

For some reason, Amelia was reminded of last night when he hoarsely coaxed her for another round, making her ears heat up.

William, as if reading her mind, added a hint of teasing to his gaze. "Of course, if you need other 'special services,' I can provide them depending on my mood."

Amelia suddenly smiled. "It seems like you didn't get enough last night."

She stood up, placing her left hand on the right armrest of his wheelchair, her right leg between his, and her slender fingers traced from his brow down his high nose, over his lips and Adam's apple, hooking his tie and pulling him sharply towards her.

"Deal. But crushing Bianca is my own business."

"As for special services? Mr. Brown, don't overestimate your charm."

Their noses almost touched, their breaths mingling, the scents of their perfumes intertwining into a new, almost aphrodisiac fragrance.

Amelia's gaze traveled from his eyes to his mouth.

Just being stared at made William's throat dry, and his pants gradually tightened.

Amelia abruptly let go of his tie, glancing pointedly at his pants, and teased, "Looks like someone else is the one wanting 'special services.'"

With that, she stepped back, waved goodbye, and left the room first.

William felt a sudden frustration. He prided himself on his self-control, yet he couldn't seem to hold back around Amelia!

After calming down a bit, he took out his phone and made a call. "Grandfather, I've met her. She's the child adopted by your old comrade, Amelia. Could you tell me more about her when you have time?"

Outside the room, Amelia didn't rush back to the party. She walked to a quiet corner, took out her phone, and logged into an account called "Melody Distinction."

She snapped a random photo of the ground and found a pre-written melody in her drafts, editing the post to say, "Busy today, here's a preview."

She was about to wait for her followers' responses when a shadow blocked her light.

The man said, "Ms. Martinez, what are you doing here alone? Bianca is looking for you everywhere, waiting for you to introduce yourself. How rude."

It was a stranger, but he had a bit of the Martinez family's look.

Amelia put away her phone, her expression blank. "Who are you?"

The man was taken aback, then tried to save face. "You can call me Aiden Martinez, like Bianca does."

It sounded like he was implying Amelia was only related to him through Bianca's favor.

Amelia's sneer didn't change. "Don't you have a name?"

Aiden's face darkened. Just as he was about to say something, he noticed her necklace, as if he had found a weakness. "How disgraceful, wearing such a dirty, worn-out thing to an important event. Aren't you ashamed?"

Amelia's necklace was a faded piece, a gift from her adoptive grandmother Evelyn Thomas for her eighteenth birthday. It was gold-plated, but the plating had worn off over the years, leaving only the pendant with "Amelia" engraved, shining brightly.

Her face tightened and she said, "Watch your mouth."

Aiden couldn't hold back. "How dare you speak to me like that? Clearly, you have no manners. Today, I'll teach you..."

Bianca suddenly rushed over, grabbing Aiden's hand, pleading pitifully. "Aiden, don't be mad at Amelia. It's my fault for not introducing her first. She's still upset, so she didn't wear the necklace the family gave her."

The guests were already drawn by the commotion, whispering and looking at Amelia with disdain and disapproval.

Mabel's face was livid. This newly returned Amelia was embarrassing the Martinez family just to make a point!

Amelia squinted at Bianca, her smile cold. "Necklace? When was it given? Is there surveillance? Maybe the delivery person stole it, because I never received it."