Karma Doesn’t Sleep: The Revenge Queen Rises novel Chapter 42

The Salmeron living room buzzed with easy conversation, laughter popping up here and there. On the surface, it looked like any close-knit, happy family gathering.

But in a family like this—old money, big egos—harmony was just for show. When it came to real power or real stakes, they could turn on each other in a heartbeat.

Amelia sat quietly at the far end of the couch, peeling a tangerine, practically invisible—more like part of the furniture than a guest. A few years ago, she would’ve felt the sting of being ignored. She would’ve jumped up to pour tea, forced herself into the conversation, doing whatever it took to fit in. Back then, she’d wanted so badly for Clive’s family to accept her.

Now? She honestly couldn’t care less.

The only reason she’d shown up tonight was to spend a little extra time with the kids and maybe visit the old lady upstairs.

Years ago, when she was stuck in bed, Clive would bring Timmy and Penny to see her. She still remembered him mentioning that Timmy loved these little tangerines…

She thought about the way her son had stood up for her earlier and couldn’t help but smile to herself.

Across from her, Clive’s cousin Sammy lounged in his chair, phone in hand. He was a year younger than Clive, and at one point, everyone assumed he’d take over as Cloudcrest’s CEO—until Amelia came out of nowhere and changed everything.

When they’d first met, Sammy had felt a weird mix of suspicion, curiosity, and even some admiration toward his new sister-in-law. But after seeing her bend over backwards to please the Salmeron family and constantly play second fiddle to Clive, he’d written her off as hopelessly dull.

Since Amelia walked in, Sammy hadn’t even bothered to look her way.

Now, as he finished a game on his phone, his eyes drifted over to her—just for a second. In that soft sea-green dress, Amelia looked almost ethereal, like she’d stepped out of a painting. Her head was slightly bowed, lost in thought, lips curved in a secret smile. For a moment, her whole face seemed to light up.

Sammy paused, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

Maybe he was imagining things, but the Amelia sitting there—blind and all—seemed even more beautiful than she’d been five years ago. There was something new about her, something alive that he couldn’t quite put into words.

Klaus checked his watch for the third time, looking more and more impatient.

That’s when Lee, the butler, approached. “Sir, the kitchen says dinner’s ready and the dining room is set. Would you like to start?”

She’d seen Ryan’s paperwork. Under “parents,” he’d written: “orphan.”

Maybe that was why he’d turned out so proud and so guarded—a bundle of contradictions.

She remembered being eighteen, cornered by Ryan in a dim stairwell, his dark hair falling over his eyes, his whole vibe colder than the night outside.

“Amelia, who do you think you are? My savior?” he’d snapped.

Right in front of her, he’d taken the application form she’d filled out for him—the one for a spot at a top research institute overseas—and ripped it up, piece by piece.

“Ryan, no one else knows I paid the application fee for you. You can pay me back someday. Dr. Borgen recommended you—don’t waste this chance…” she’d started to say.

But she never finished. Ryan, tall and tense, stepped closer. She caught a whiff of him—clean, woodsy, with a faint trace of cheap laundry soap.