Chapter 41: Upstage
By the time Cherry sent Amelia home, the sun had already set and the skies were dark. The apartment was completely empty, and Amelia had to reach through the dark to look for the switches as she wasn’t quite familiar with the layout of the house yet.
Light chatter came from the second floor of the penthouse, and following it, Amelia climbed upstairs only to find herself in front of the door that led to Matteo’s study. It was left ajar, and when she peered in, she could see Ronan pacing back and forth while Matteo sat in his seat, calmly reviewing his documents.
As though he could sense her there, he looked up and their gazes instantly met. Amelia stilled, watching as Ronan stopped his speech as well to look at what had caught Matteo’s attention.
"Miss Kentwood," Ronan said, his eyes widening. He made his way over and opened the door, allowing Amelia access.
"You’re back," Matteo said plainly, and instantly, Amelia felt guilt wash over her. She hadn’t informed him that they would be out shopping, and while Cherry had already kept Matteo up to date, Amelia felt mildly sheepish for neglecting her duty.
"There are some things we need to discuss," Matteo casually said, placing the documents on the desk before he stood up. He made his way over to the cabinets and reached for the glasses, pouring himself a shot of whiskey.
"That is putting it mildly," Ronan scoffed under his breath. "Do you even realize the mess that you’ve created?"
"None of my own free will," Matteo calmly replied before placing the glass against his lips and taking a sip of the alcoholic beverage. His eyes remained fixated on Amelia, and she felt a blush creep onto her cheeks with how intensely Matteo stared at her.
"What happened?" Amelia asked. She turned to Ronan, breaking her gaze from Matteo. "Is something wrong?" Then, she paled. "It’s not my father, is it?"