Love Me Back (Amelia and Daniel) novel Chapter 6

Amelia normally had nothing to do with official receptions, but thanks to her polished appearance, the principal had once pulled her in last minute to greet the mayor. She’d handled it so well that, from then on, every time an important guest needed welcoming, the task landed squarely in her lap.

As she was about to leave, one of the older students leaned in, eager to share the latest bit of gossip. “Word is, the guy donating the new library isn’t just loaded—he’s incredibly handsome, too. He handed over two million dollars without batting an eye, didn’t ask for any plaques or recognition, just requested that his girlfriend be admitted to the school and get a degree.”

Buying your way into a diploma wasn’t exactly shocking, but add a love story to the mix and suddenly everyone envied the lucky girl.

“Imagine that,” the senior student sighed. “Rich, good-looking, and head over heels for her. Seriously, where do we even find boyfriends like that?”

Amelia laughed, slinging her bag over her shoulder. “If you ever figure it out, let me know. I’d like one, too.”

The research facility wasn’t far from campus—just a fifteen-minute drive. As soon as Amelia set foot on school grounds, she ran straight into a group approaching from the main entrance.

She froze mid-step.

The principal waved her over. “Amelia! Come here, quickly!”

The sun was shining for once, warming up the crisp winter air, but Amelia felt a chill creep into her bones. Her hands and feet went numb, as if they belonged to someone else.

Daniel stood at the center, dressed in a charcoal-gray tailored suit and a long black overcoat. He looked every bit the picture of grace and composure beneath the winter sun—so striking that everyone else seemed to fade into the background.

He wore sleek black leather gloves and was pushing a wheelchair. And the person in that wheelchair—of course, it was Violet.

Violet was bundled in layers, wrapped in a long white down jacket, pink earmuffs, and a matching face mask. She looked like a delicate porcelain doll, carefully protected from the cold.

Only then did Amelia realize how thinly dressed she was by comparison. Next to Violet, she looked almost pitiful.

The sunlight suddenly felt harsh, stinging her eyes.

She was the wife, standing right here, and Violet—well, Violet was the other woman. If Daniel agreed to this, if he actually told her to push his mistress—

“Alright,” came his low, even reply.

The principal seemed pleased with the arrangement, and, seeing Amelia hadn’t moved, prompted her to take the wheelchair.

The sun was bright overhead, but the winter wind still bit at exposed skin. Daniel glanced at Amelia’s hands, red from the cold, and as he handed her the wheelchair, he slipped off his gloves and passed them to her as well.

Amelia hesitated, surprise flickering in her tired eyes, a spark of warmth igniting—just for a moment.

Until she heard Daniel’s voice, cool and indifferent: “Don’t let your hands slip. I don’t want her getting hurt.”