Love Me Back (Amelia and Daniel) novel Chapter 117

On the other side of the glass doors, other guests were mingling. The frantic splashing and cries for help quickly drew their attention, and hotel staff rushed over to pull someone from the water.

By the time Violet was hauled out, both Daniel and Mogan had arrived, drawn by the commotion.

“What happened here?” Daniel demanded.

Violet, ghostly pale and shivering, sat hunched in a wheelchair, the white towel given by a staff member wrapped tightly around her shoulders. Droplets of water still trickled from her hair.

Mogan shot Amelia a murderous glare, as if he could tear her apart right then and there. “What do you think happened? This is all her doing!”

Daniel glanced at his assistant, who immediately understood. He stepped forward, politely but firmly ushering the gawking guests away and urging everyone to return to their own business.

Once the crowd dispersed, Amelia finally spoke up, her tone sharp. “If you’re not going to use your eyes for anything useful, you might as well not have them. There’s a security camera right above us—why don’t you go check it before throwing accusations?”

Amelia and Mogan had never had much to do with each other. She was usually polite, even distant, with people she didn’t know well. But this was too much—he’d barged in, dumping blame on her without a second thought. She saw no reason to hold back.

Mogan’s expression darkened to a stormy gray as he shrugged off his suit jacket and draped it over Violet’s shoulders.

Violet seemed to snap out of her daze just enough to croak, “It wasn’t Amelia... Don’t blame her.”

Amelia was startled for a moment. Was Violet actually defending her? That wasn’t what she’d expected from Miss Third Wheel.

Violet continued, her voice hoarse, “We were arguing... I got upset and slipped. It was my own fault.”

So, that’s how she wanted to play it.

Mogan’s glare felt like a knife. “Maybe you didn’t push her, but Violet ended up in the pool because of you. The least you can do is apologize!”

Amelia felt numb. She’d been through scenes like this so many times, the pain was still there, but it no longer burned as sharply. The walls around her heart had only grown thicker. “I’ll apologize,” she said, “but only if Daniel agrees to sign the papers.”

Daniel turned to look at her. The shimmering reflections from the pool danced in his eyes. For a moment, the blue seemed to darken to an inscrutable, icy black.

Amelia took his silence as consent.

She stepped forward, voice flat, almost mechanical. “I’m sorry.”

Mogan snapped, “Say it twice. Both times were your fault.”

Saying the words wasn’t hard; it cost nothing but breath. But when Violet’s triumphant gaze met hers, Amelia felt as if she’d been slapped—again and again—until her face stung with humiliation and helplessness.