Template placeholder with Chapter 204
Chapter 204:
The moment the plane touched down in Hans, Amelia and her two companions went straight to a bustling restaurant tucked away downtown.
With the clock showing 7:20 p.m., only a sliver of time remained before Kelsey’s planned meeting with Jerry. Amelia gave herself a mental pep talk for whatever might unfold later.
When the time reached half past seven, Jerry was still nowhere in sight. Since she was the one pushing for this partnership, Amelia didn’t mind his lateness. But as minutes crept toward eight and Jerry still hadn’t appeared, she couldn’t help but glance at Kelsey.
Kelsey, seated close by, looked a bit angry. Arranging this get-together with Jerry had been her idea, and his absence left her feeling embarrassed. Amelia noticed the discomfort clouding Kelsey’s face. She got to her feet. “I’ll go use the restroom,” she said.
Before stepping away, she met Matias’s eyes with a silent exchange. Matias understood immediately and also left the room.
After they had gone, Kelsey wasted no time pulling out her phone and calling Jerry. The moment the call connected, she didn’t hide her disappointment and demanded, “Where are you, and why haven’t you arrived at the restaurant p>
“I’ve just arrived. I’m making my way inside,” said Jerry.
Kelsey’s shoulders eased in relief, but she still vented her annoyance before hanging up. During her time abroad, she and Jerry had connected over shared experiences, and that had built a decent friendship. She had already made up her mind earlier: if Jerry dared to ghost her tonight, she’d barge right into his office and confront him. There was no way she would let herself be embarrassed in front of Amelia.
Amelia hurried out of the restroom after washing her hands, worried that Jerry might show up while she was gone. As she stepped through the doorway, she collided with someone deep in conversation on their phone.
Without hesitation, she murmured an apology.
𝗪e𝖾𝗸l𝘆 𝘳𝗲𝗅𝘦𝗮𝘴𝗲𝗌 𝗼ո
Just then, a familiar voice caught her off guard. “Amelia p>
As Amelia recognized the voice, she lifted her gaze to the man holding the phone. “Denny, is that really you?” she asked, surprise flickering in her eyes.
Years ago, Amelia had met Denny Williamson during her last year at Kretol University. He was also one of Axton’s students. Her interaction with him had been brief and unremarkable. From what she remembered, Axton had once mentioned Denny leaving for overseas after graduation, and since then, he’d vanished from her radar.
She hadn’t expected to run into him here. Even though she and Denny had only shared a semester together, she offered him a polite greeting. Meanwhile, warmth lit up Denny’s face, a sharp contrast to Amelia’s distant demeanor.
Denny alone carried the secret behind his choice to leave the country. During his days at Kretol University, a single glance at Amelia had stolen his heart, which made him pick Axton as his advisor—he knew she was Axton’s student. He figured that sharing the same mentor would ensure their paths crossed.
All along, he’d meant to tell Amelia about his feelings for her after graduation. That plan crumbled when the news surfaced about her engagement to Jaxton. Despair gripped him the moment he heard the news.
Denny remembered meeting Jaxton before. Although the Morrison family possessed some status, they were no match for the Williamsons. Denny believed he wouldn’t lose to Jaxton. Frustrated and unwilling to give up, he asked Amelia why she had chosen to get engaged to Jaxton.
Her reply still echoed in his mind. She’d told him that she and Jaxton had grown up together and that the engagement was decided by their families long ago. Hearing that knocked the wind out of him. He couldn’t see a way forward. If Amelia had ever hinted at doubts about Jaxton or hesitation about the engagement, Denny might have tried his best to win her over. But no such sign had appeared.
Raised in a family where honor came first, Denny couldn’t bring himself to sabotage another’s marriage. So when his family suggested he go overseas after graduation, he complied without protest.
He threw himself into his work for years, believing hard labor would help him forget Amelia. With time, he thought he’d put those feelings behind him—until Amelia’s unexpected presence made it clear that his affection for her hadn’t faded at all. In fact, it had only grown stronger.
Despite having her mind set on her meeting with Jerry, Amelia took a moment to exchange polite words with Denny and was about to walk away when he stopped her. “Maybe we should exchange contact information p>
There wasn’t any good reason for Amelia to refuse, so she pulled out her phone, quickly adding Denny on WhatsApp.
“Denny, unless you want to get on Kelsey’s bad side, you’d better get moving—” Jasiah Dixon, who had shared a dorm and years of friendship with Denny, was well aware of every detail of Denny’s unrequited love.
Catching Denny staring after Amelia’s retreating figure, Jasiah nudged him on the shoulder. “Snap out of it, will you? There’s a reason you’re here tonight. Kelsey’s still waiting for you p>
“Jasiah, did you see Amelia just now p>
The question had nothing to do with what they were supposed to be doing, so Jasiah just shot him a look of exasperation. Of course he had seen Amelia earlier. But what did that matter?V