Chapter 5

Out of nowhere, Amelia let out a piercing scream. In one swift motion, she yanked the fox fur coat off her shoulders, flinging it to the ground. Diana's brows immediately drew together. Was Amelia trying to humiliate her by throwing the coat she'd given her on the floor? That wretched brat! Diana was about to lash out when Sierra gasped. "Mia, your hand…" Diana lifted her gaze skeptically. To her shock, beads of blood had welled up on the back of Amelia's hand. Her skin was as fair as porcelain, and the crimson beads looked all the more jarring. "W-What's going on?" Diana was completely at a loss. All of a sudden, she had a bad feeling. Before she could figure out what had happened, Sierra ordered in a low voice, "Bring me the coat." "Right this instant, Mrs. Stevans Senior." The housekeeper beside her hurriedly stepped forward, picked the fox fur coat up from the floor, and placed it in front of her. Sierra ran her fingers over the sleeve and, to everyone's surprise, pulled out two long needles hidden within the snow-white fur. The housekeeper's heart skipped a beat. "If those had pierced an artery…" Before she could finish, Sierra's expression darkened even further. Her clouded eyes gleamed as she fixed Diana with an icy stare. "You've gone too far, Diana!" No matter how much Diana despised the daughter her husband had with his first wife, she should never have resorted to such underhanded tactics. One wrong move, and Amelia would have died. Realizing what had happened, Diana hurriedly defended herself. "It wasn't me, Sierra. I didn't put anything of the sort in that coat! I have no idea how this happened…" While no one was watching, Amelia discreetly pinched her thigh hard, causing tears to stream down her cheeks. "Mrs. Stevans…" She no longer addressed Diana as "Mom" but rather as "Mrs. Stevans". However, at this point, no one would think she was being disrespectful. Amelia wept, "If you don't like me, why did you bring me back?" "I—" No one valued her public image more than Diana, and now, she was being humiliated before a room full of guests and Sierra. Beside herself with anger, she pointed at Amelia's nose and bellowed, "You're lying! You're trying to set me up!" Winter hurriedly chimed in, "My mother's kind to everyone. She would never do such a thing!" "You're right…" Amelia bit her lip and paused before continuing, "Of course, you would never do such a thing, Mrs. Stevans. I must have misunderstood. T-There has to be some kind of misunderstanding!" By changing her tune and calling it a misunderstanding, she made Winter feel as if her punch had landed on thin air. For a moment, she was tongue-tied, and all she could do was look at Diana. Diana was livid; she felt like the ground was slipping out from under her. She'd always been the one framing others, never the other way around. She raised her hand to slap Amelia, but with just a look from Sierra, the housekeeper beside her immediately stepped forward and seized Diana's arm. "The guests are watching, Mrs. Stevans. Please don't act out of line." "I… S-She…" Diana stammered, frantically turning to look at Sierra. "It wasn't me, Sierra! No matter how reckless I am, I would never do something like this!" Sierra frowned. If this had happened before the white megonia incident, she might have suspected Amelia. However, she'd come to trust Amelia now, and her faith in her now outweighed the trust she had in Diana. That said, it was out of character for Diana to pull such a stunt in front of so many people. Sierra shifted her attention back to Amelia. The young lady was petite and frail, her eyes brimming with tears, and she appeared timid and uneasy. She hardly looked capable of setting Diana up. After all, she'd been raised in the countryside and had only just arrived in Shelwick. How could she have the wit to pull off such an intricate trick? Perhaps this was all part of a bigger scheme, meant to drive a wedge between her and her pitiful granddaughter… The thought enraged Sierra. She could have let it slide if Amelia alone had been targeted. Yet, to make her a pawn in the game as well? That was an insult she couldn't stomach. Did they really think so little of her? Sierra could no longer sit still. After forcing herself up from her wheelchair, she announced, "Everyone, I'm sorry you had to witness such a scene. I'll prepare a small gift for each of you later as a token of apology, and I hope you'll forget what you saw today." With that, she sent all the guests on their way. Then, she warned Diana, "I do not want this to happen again. Diana, I want you and Winter to go back to your rooms and reflect on your behavior! As for Mia… she will no longer stay in the room upstairs; she'll live with me in the little house in the backyard." It was clear as day that Sierra had taken Amelia's side. Amelia's heart leaped for joy. In her previous life, she'd never gotten close to Sierra, and it had been one of her greatest regrets. She hadn't expected that Diana's scheme would make Sierra take a liking to her. The innocent look on her face made Sierra instinctively protective of her. Deep down, Amelia took pleasure in seeing Diana heading up the stairs in anger and frustration. She vowed to make Diana and Winter pay back a thousandfold for everything they had done to her and Margaret. … That night, sleep eluded Amelia as she mapped out her plans for revenge. She looked up information about Tobias on the computer in her room. Tobias was known as a genteel man, crippled and oppressed by his vicious older brother. However, she knew that was nothing but a facade. In her previous life, she'd met Tobias the day after the birthday banquet. However, despite being her fiance, he hadn't come to see her at all but rather to deliver gifts to Winter. He'd barely acknowledged her. His attitude only took a complete 180 when he learned that she could cure his legs. Looking back on it now, she realized how foolishly naive she'd been. She had no idea that Tobias had treated her as a tool ever since then. Even though she couldn't get close to him at the moment, Diana and Winter were just within arm's reach. If she wanted to take them on, she would first have to completely win Sierra over.