Love Me Back (Amelia and Daniel) novel Chapter 38

“If you didn’t want to know, why bother asking?”

Amelia pressed her lips together. People do stupid things sometimes, she thought. At least she hadn’t said anything—otherwise, she’d be humiliating herself on a whole new level.

“I was just making conversation.”

Daniel slipped her hand into his coat pocket, his fingers idly playing with hers. In a casual tone, he said, “Kids are kind of fun, you know. Maybe in a few years, we’ll have one of our own.”

A few years…

Amelia’s heart tightened. In a few years, would he need a child to shield his precious feelings from something else?

She could never escape being used by him, and now even a child would be dragged into his games.

A barren, icy numbness swept through her. She didn’t even want to argue anymore.

When they reached the car, Amelia pulled her hand free. “I’m leaving.”

Daniel caught her wrist. “You’re really going back to that dump you call a base?”

The dorms at the research center were nothing compared to his mansion, but it was her own place—her own version of “home.”

“I have to run an early analysis tomorrow.”

Daniel had always been annoyed whenever her studies took priority over him. Now he sounded even more resentful. “It’s just grad school. You act like you’ve sold your soul to the university. Your dean must’ve been a slave driver in his last life. Seriously, does the guy ever let up?”

“The dean’s last name isn’t Campbell. That’s your family, not his.”

Amelia opened the car door, got in, and locked it.

Daniel tried the handle, but it didn’t budge.

He tapped on the window, but she ignored him, hit the gas, and sped away without looking back.

“Little brat.”

Daniel cursed under his breath, but the smile faded from his lips.

Even Amelia’s gloomy mood couldn’t withstand Sophia’s infectious sunshine.

Zachary Harper greeted them in his office.

Amelia laid out the basics of her case, with Sophia chiming in as needed. In half an hour, everything was more or less sorted out.

“Ms. Turner, do you have any specific demands regarding the assets?” Zachary asked.

The property shares would be a headache to untangle. Amelia didn’t want to take advantage of the Campbell family, but she wasn’t about to walk away with nothing. After a brief pause, she said, “Ten million. Just the money. I don’t want anything else.”

She made it sound casual, as if ten million was no big deal. But for most people, that kind of settlement was enormous. Zachary glanced up. “And your husband is…?”

“Daniel.”

Zachary arched an eyebrow. Sophia added, “Yes, that Daniel.”

Zachary understood. For Daniel, ten million was pocket change. For Amelia to walk away from the title of Mrs. Campbell and only take the cash—her request was, in fact, quite modest.