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Love Me Back (Amelia and Daniel) novel Chapter 174

The next day, Amelia visited a little DIY bakery.

The owner, a gentle woman with flour on her apron, patiently showed Amelia how to pipe decorative borders on a cake. Watching Amelia concentrate so intently, the owner chuckled. “Your husband’s a lucky man. Starting your practice this early, all to make him a birthday cake?”

Amelia just smiled without answering. Her first attempt wasn’t exactly a triumph—the frosting was uneven and the words “Happy Birthday” looked like they’d been penned by a nervous child. Still, she wasn’t discouraged. A few more tries, and she’d get it right.

When Amelia got into her car, she noticed some flour on the back of her hand that she hadn’t washed off. She didn’t bother with it and drove straight to the hospital.

Violet felt, for the second time, as if she’d seen a ghost in broad daylight.

Amelia had come to visit again, this time carrying a small box.

“I baked this myself,” Amelia said, setting the box on the bedside table. “Doesn’t look like much, but the taste should be good.”

Violet eyed her warily. “You didn’t poison it, did you?”

The question made Amelia laugh. If Violet somehow got sick from her cake, did Violet really think Daniel would let her get away with it?

“How about I take the first bite?” Amelia offered lightly. “If I’m still alive, you can have some.”

She’d barely finished speaking when footsteps echoed in the corridor. The door swung open, and Daniel walked in with Mogan at his side.

Before Daniel could ask, Amelia spoke up. “I made a little cake myself and thought Violet might like something sweet, so I brought it over.”

Her gentle tone and friendly manner were so out of character that even Mogan shot her a double-take, wearing the same “what on earth is happening” look as Violet.

“You only made one for her?” Daniel glanced at the cake, its ribbon tied in a neat bow, a note of jealousy in his voice. “Didn’t save a piece for me?”

“Nope,” Amelia replied simply.

Daniel’s gaze dropped to the flour smudge on her hand. He remembered his upcoming birthday and let out a quiet, knowing laugh. “Little liar.”

Amelia’s eyes sparkled. “When have I ever lied to you? Was it about your heart, or your wallet?”

Daniel, usually quick with a risqué comeback, seemed to remember Mogan’s presence and merely cleared his throat, changing the subject. “We’ll head home together in a bit.”

Violet watched their easy banter, her hand tightening on the blanket until the fabric wrinkled beneath her grip.

She couldn’t figure out what Amelia was after these days. The woman’s whole demeanor had shifted—gone was the cold indifference, replaced with a gentle, understanding warmth. Daniel clearly loved it.

Amelia was pregnant now. If their relationship kept improving, there’d be no way the marriage would end.

Suddenly, Violet saw Amelia’s plan with perfect clarity. Amelia clearly didn’t want a divorce. She wanted to wait until things were just right between them, then reveal the pregnancy—ensnaring Daniel’s heart for good.

This woman—her tactics were impressive.

“Violet?” Amelia’s voice cut through her thoughts, gentle and genuinely concerned. “You don’t look well. Are you feeling alright?”

Snapping out of it, Violet forced a thin smile. “No, I’m fine. Thank you for the cake.”

Perhaps it was Amelia’s willingness to make peace, but Mogan’s attitude toward her seemed to soften as well. He didn’t say anything unkind, though he still wasn’t exactly friendly.

As they left, Violet called after them with a stiff “Goodbye,” but couldn’t resist shooting a pointed look at Amelia’s stomach.

The moment they got into the car, Daniel pressed a button to raise the partition. Before Amelia could react, he pulled her close and kissed her—without warning, without asking.

Amelia tried to push him away, but he caught her wrist easily and tightened his arm around her waist, holding her firmly in place.

After he finished the call, Daniel turned back to her. “Mogan wants us to join him for dinner.”

Amelia’s smile was perfectly polite. “Go ahead.”

Daniel laced his fingers through hers. “He invited both of us.”

So this was what being the “perfectly agreeable partner” got you—even Mogan, who’d never liked her, was now asking her to join them for dinner. But Amelia had no interest in going.

Who knew what Violet was plotting now? Besides, she could only keep up the act for so long before it became exhausting.

“I spent all afternoon baking. I’m tired. You go—I'll head home.”

“If you’re not going, neither am I. We’ll go home together.”

For once, Daniel actually passed up an evening out with his first love—for her.

Amelia was briefly surprised, then found it almost funny.

So, being gentle and considerate really was the best way to win a man’s heart. But she didn’t want his heart anymore.

Daniel kissed her again, cupping her face, the kiss more tender this time—slow, savoring, as if she were the rarest delicacy.

Amelia stared at his thick lashes and thought, Thank god I finally see through him. Otherwise, I might have been fooled by this act.

Love can’t be controlled. But even the deepest affection is worn away by disappointment and neglect.

She’d run out of hope. She wouldn’t make the same mistake again. Seven days from now, it would all be over.

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