Love Me Back (Amelia and Daniel) novel Chapter 86

Amelia almost laughed, but suddenly Daniel felt like a stranger to her.

Or maybe, she’d never truly known him at all.

He could look her in the eyes and tell her she was the most precious person in the world—but what was stopping him from turning around and saying the same thing to Violet? His idea of "precious" seemed so cheap, spread so thin. She didn’t want it anymore.

She stepped back, putting a little more distance between them. “Daniel, just sign the papers. Every day I stay Mrs. Campbell, the people around me are in more danger—I can’t keep doing this.”

Daniel’s frown deepened, his brows knitting together. “I’ll warn her. It won’t happen again, I promise—”

“What good is your warning?” she snapped.

All at once, Amelia exploded. She raised her hand and slapped Daniel hard across the face.

She put everything she had into it. Her palm stung, her fingertips shook.

“Daniel, do you have any idea how close we came yesterday? Sophia nearly died—my best friend, a living, breathing person! Violet’s only so brazen because you let her—she keeps hurting the people I care about because you give her the confidence to do it!”

“First it was Ella, and yesterday it was Sophia. Who’s next? Baron? Another friend? Me?”

Her voice broke. “Please, Daniel, just let me go. I’m tired—I really am. I can’t keep being caught between you two, taking the fallout for things I never asked for.”

Amelia finally understood—when pain and anger reach their limit, it isn’t shouting you’re left with, but trembling hands and tears you have to choke back.

Daniel stood frozen, his cheek still turned from her slap.

He didn’t move for a long time.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that slim figure turn and walk away.

“Amelia!” he called after her.

She ignored him, her pace quickening down the hall.

Daniel started forward as if to follow, but just then his phone rang.

He hung up, but it rang again. He declined, and it rang a third time.

She went to Grandpa Ethan’s company.

When Ethan heard Amelia was coming, his headache began before she even arrived. The tea he’d just brewed suddenly lost all flavor.

A knock sounded at the office door. When Amelia entered, Ethan quickly put on his usual stern expression and gestured for her to sit.

Amelia got straight to the point. “Grandpa, I’m sorry, but I can’t drag this out any longer. Please, just tell Daniel to sign the papers. Let’s get this over with.”

Ethan had expected as much. At least he was prepared.

He rubbed his temples, putting on his best show of grandfatherly distress. “Amelia, you know how fragile your grandmother’s health is…”

Amelia cut him off. “Then we just don’t tell her.”

Ethan was left speechless.

Amelia pressed on, utterly serious. “I’ve thought about it. It’s just a piece of paper. Even if we get divorced, as long as neither of us says anything, she’ll never know. When the time comes—when she’s ready—we can tell her then.”