Chapter 5

"Dad, Mom, I'm home!" Having just regained their composure, Robert and Patricia immediately lit up with warm, welcoming smiles. They fussed over Amelia with genuine concern while addressing Alexander with polite, flattering deference. Meanwhile, when Alexander's gaze fell on Eleanor, he subtly frowned. It seemed he had only just realized that Eleanor was Amelia's sister. At dinner, the long table naturally seated Amelia and Alexander on one side, with Eleanor alone across from them. Throughout the meal, Eleanor watched Alexander's meticulous attention to Amelia. He served her carefully, peeled shrimp for her, and gently wiped the sauce from the corner of her mouth with a napkin. Patricia's face lit up. "Amelia, how did you meet Mr. Grant? Tell us all about it." Amelia's cheeks flushed a soft pink. "It was at a charity gala. I saw a stray cat stuck in a tree and tried to help it. I almost fell, but Alexander caught me, and later, he asked for my contact information." She looked at Alexander affectionately. Eleanor couldn't stop herself from snorting. After all, Amelia had hated animals since she was a child. She had even killed her own cat back then, so there was no way she would have gone out of her way to save one. Either the story was staged, or she had some hidden, cruel motive. Eleanor's sharp laughter cut through the silence, drawing everyone's attention. Amelia's expression shifted slightly, but she smiled softly. "Elean, what about you? Have you had any boyfriends all these years? When are you going to bring one home for us to meet?" Eleanor curled her lips into a radiant, audacious smile. "Bring one home? That's out of the question." Amelia frowned. "Why?" Eleanor's gaze flicked meaningfully toward Alexander before returning to Amelia. "I have far too many," she said. "I'm not like you, taking a whole three years to bring home just one. I have admirers lined up all the way from Hayes Manor to Parisse, stretching across the globe. There's no way I could bring them all here." "Eleanor!" Robert's face darkened, and he slammed his hand on the table. Patricia's chest heaved in frustration, too. Meanwhile, Amelia looked wronged. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears as she glanced helplessly at Alexander. Alexander put down his fork, wiped his hands with a napkin, and, under everyone's gaze, gently took hold of Amelia's hand on the table. "Amelia doesn't need to compete with anyone," he said firmly. "In my heart, no one compares to her. She is the best, and there is no one like her." The words landed like a verdict, sending Eleanor into a chasm of silent despair. Tears turned to laughter on Amelia's face. She held his hand tightly, radiating pure joy and triumph. Eleanor stared at their hands clasped together. Her heart felt shattered, and the pain made it nearly impossible to maintain her arrogant mask.