Love Me Back (Amelia and Daniel) novel Chapter 156

Now that she mentioned it, Amelia realized Sophia was right—something did feel off.

Sophia tensed immediately. “You don’t think it’s Daniel, do you? That jerk?”

“No way.”

Daniel would never drive such a beat-up car; even his cheapest ride cost more than most people’s houses. Besides, he wasn’t nearly bored enough to stalk them in the middle of a workday.

Just as they were debating whether to call the police, the black sedan behind them suddenly turned off onto another street.

False alarm.

Sophia let out a dramatic sigh. “See? This is all Scumbag Daniel’s fault. He’s given us such a complex, now we see creeps everywhere. Ugh, what a loser!”

These days, Sophia had three main hobbies: eating, sleeping, and cursing out her ex. She was living her best life.

It wasn’t quite peak cherry blossom season, so the park at Blossom Haven was blissfully quiet.

A gentle spring breeze fluttered through the branches, carrying cascades of pale pink petals. The cherry trees were bursting with blooms, the whole world swathed in a soft blush.

The friends wandered at their own pace, stopping to rest whenever they felt tired. They found a bench beneath a canopy of blossoms and sat for a while, soaking it all in.

Eventually, Sophia excused herself to use the restroom. Amelia leaned back, eyes closed, letting the wind play with her hair. Her phone buzzed in her pocket—a message from Sophia.

[They’re out of toilet paper. Can you bring me some?]

The restrooms weren’t far. Amelia stood, grabbing a pack of tissues from her bag, and headed over.

As she stepped inside, something about the situation made her freeze.

No, this wasn’t right.

If Sophia had really run out of toilet paper, she’d definitely gripe about the uselessness of public restrooms first—not just ask for a delivery. And the wording wasn’t like her at all.

A cold wave of dread swept through Amelia. She spun around to leave, but before she could move, a damp, chemical-soaked cloth clamped over her nose and mouth. The sharp, stinging odor flooded her senses.

Samuel poured himself a drink, unhurried. “Honestly, you two are ruthless—backed people into a corner. If you push hard enough, it doesn’t take much to make someone turn on you for the right price.”

Amelia scanned the room. Nothing special. Her clothes were intact—no one had touched her. She’d been out for a while; if Samuel wanted to harm her, he’d have done it already… assuming he even could. Daniel had made sure of that.

Thinking of it, she almost wished Daniel had finished him off for good. The bastard deserved it.

“You know exactly who I am. Aren’t you afraid Daniel will come after you for this?”

Samuel’s jaw clenched at the mention of Daniel, but he quickly masked it, downing a sip of whiskey. “Who said I kidnapped you? I simply invited you here.”

“Oh, is that what you call it? Maybe next time I’ll have someone beat the crap out of you and call it a wellness retreat. How’s that for a special invitation?”

He snorted. “Sharp tongue. No wonder Daniel can’t stand you and prefers that Deceptive Lily.”

Amelia’s glare hardened. “What do you want, Samuel?”