Chapter 14

Amelia reacted in a flash, catching Sabrina just as she "stumbled." "Oh, Sabrina! Are you okay? Look at your dress—it's soaked. Here, let's get you to the restroom and clean that up." Sabrina scowled, her plan in ruins. She had approached holding a glass of juice, intending to "accidentally" spill it on Amelia. Instead, Amelia had subtly shifted, causing Sabrina to lose her balance and douse herself. Feigning deep concern, Amelia pressed, "You're not hurt, are you?" "I'm fine," Sabrina bit out through gritted teeth. "Let's just go." Amelia turned to Damien with an apologetic look. "Mr. Taylor, please excuse me for a moment." From his vantage point, Damien had seen the entire sequence clearly. While Amelia had indeed caught Sabrina, it was only after she had given her a slight, clever shove that caused the juice to spill. The whole incident was a blur of motion, making it ambiguous to any casual observer. He had considered intervening but, seeing Amelia's composed demeanor, decided to let her handle it. Watching her lead Sabrina away, lively and poised like a forest spirit who had outsmarted a trap, a faint, appreciative smile touched his lips. "Whoa. Was that a smile?" Liam materialized beside him, grinning widely. Damien's expression instantly cooled. "Don't try to deny it! I saw that lovesick look," Liam teased. "Lend me the Black Feather for a few days. I'll play cupid—have her falling for you by tonight." "No," Damien replied flatly, his tone leaving no room for argument. -------------------------------------------------------- Inside the restroom, Amelia worked soap into the stain on Sabrina's dress. "Sabrina, I'm afraid this stain is setting. Perhaps you should take the dress off? I might be able to treat it better that way." "Amelia," Sabrina snapped, her patience gone, "it's bad enough when you make a fool of yourself. Must you drag me into your mess?" Amelia blinked, her expression all innocence. "Sabrina, I know I make mistakes, but I truly didn't do anything just now. I even helped you. If I hadn't caught you, you would have fallen and caused a real scene." "You pushed me!" Sabrina hissed, her eyes blazing. "That's why I spilled the juice all over myself!" Amelia's voice softened to a concerned whisper. "Sabrina, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to. It all happened so fast. I just reacted instinctively to get you out of the way. Otherwise, the juice would have ruined my dress, and Mr. Taylor would have been so embarrassed." "So what am I supposed to do now?" Sabrina fumed, stomping her foot in frustration—only for the heel of her shoe to snap clean off. Amelia quickly covered a laugh with a cough. "How about I go buy you a new dress and shoes?" "Just give me yours," Sabrina demanded, glaring. "I'll go get new ones, and you can wear my things for now." Amelia shrugged helplessly. "Be reasonable. Your feet are bigger than mine, and my dress wouldn't fit you either." "You—!" Sabrina was seething. "Wait here," Amelia said quickly. "I'll go see if Ethan can help." Before Sabrina could protest, she turned and hurried out. Instead of searching for Ethan, Amelia made her way back to the main hall—only to run directly into him. He grabbed her arm and pulled her into a quiet side corridor. "Ethan, what are you doing?" Amelia said, pulling her arm back uneasily. His voice was cold. "I've called a car for you. Go tell Mr. Taylor you're leaving and go home. Now." "I can't," Amelia shook her head. "Damien said he would take me home after the party." Ethan's frown deepened. "Do you have any idea who Damien Taylor is? He is not someone you can play games with." She blinked up at him, her eyes wide and sparkling. "Exactly. That's precisely why I can't possibly offend him. I promised I'd wait." Ethan wasn't buying it. "Did he really offer, or is this your idea?" Amelia bit her lip, feigning a hurt expression. "Why would I dare suggest such a thing? He offered." Ethan's voice dropped to a low, threatening whisper. "Stop playing games with me. Or else—" "Or else what?" Amelia cut him off, already knowing where this was headed. Slowly and clearly, Ethan delivered his ultimatum. "If you embarrass the Johnson family again, the engagement is off."