Chapter 618 Watch Out For Jennifer
Carter found himself unable to sleep all night, and his thoughts kept wandering as he lay in bed. Maybe it was because of what had happened to Laura.
He had wanted to look for Amelia the next day, but alas, life was always unpredictable. With a phone call coming in and asking him to head to Saspiuburg, he could only postpone his plans to meet Amelia.
Thus, the man took a plane to Saspiuburg along with his secretary and assistant. They spent a few peaceful days there going about their own business.
“Mr. Scott, will we be heading straight back to the office, or do we get the others to rest at home and return to work tomorrow?” asked the secretary as soon as they returned from Saspiuburg and got off the plane.
“Everyone’s worked hard for the past few days. Take the next two days off and get some rest.”
“All right, Sir. We’ll be taking our leave then.”
After parting ways with his secretary and assistant, Carter adjusted his tie and hailed a cab.
Having done nothing but attend meetings of all kinds in Saspiuburg, he felt a little overwhelmed.
Leaning into the backseat of the cab, the man drifted off without realizing it.
“Sir? Sir! We’re here.”
Carter awoke from the cab driver calling out to him, and he snapped out of his daze right after opening his eyes.
“Keep the change,” he said coolly while handing the driver a large note before hopping out of the car.
Staring at the tall building before him, the man dialed Amelia’s number.
“Hey, Amelia. I just got back from Saspiuburg. Can we meet? There’s something I want to talk to you about.”
Before the woman gave a response, he quickly added, “Please don’t say no, Amelia. We can’t be together, but we can at least still be friends, right? You’re not going to turn down a friend’s invitation, are you?”
With him saying this, Amelia would either have a guilty conscience or be plain heartless if she were to turn him down.
“Okay,” she answered. “I’ll have a two-hour break at noon. How about we have lunch nearby?”
“Sure.” Carter breathed a sigh of relief. He was so worried that she would reject him without any mercy.
Now that they had come this far, they could no longer go back to the days where they would talk to each other about everything.
After setting a time and venue to meet, Carter glanced at his watch. It was now eleven-fifty in the morning, which meant he would be able to see her in another ten minutes.
He then called the restaurant to reserve a private room. Amelia arrived shortly after, the clacking of her high heels causing Carter to look up. The woman looked stunning in her well-tailored business suit, which accentuated all her curves.
“Sorry I’m late,” she said while walking over with her purse.
Carter got up and pulled her chair out like a gentleman.
“Thank you.”
The man merely smiled and returned to his seat.
“Have a look and order whatever you want,” he said, handing her the menu.
Amelia chose two dishes, while Carter himself opted for two dishes and a bowl of soup. He then placed the order.
The service here was top-notch, and it took less than two minutes for the food to arrive.
“Enjoy,” the waiter said politely.
After the staff had left, Carter poured Amelia a small glass of wine. “Having a bit of wine before a meal is good for the body. It’ll wake you up.”
Amelia cast him an odd glance. She could easily tell that the man was going out of his way for her this time.
“Stop being so courteous, Carter. I can’t get used to this.”
Carter poured himself some wine too. Then, he raised his glass and smiled. “Cheers.”
Amelia could only return the gesture.
“You went to Saspiuburg?” she asked after taking a sip.
“I was there for a few days. I wanted to treat you to a meal before leaving but couldn’t make it in time. That’s why I called you once I got off the plane today.”
“You have something to tell me?”
“Come on. We’re old friends. Do I only get to see you when I have something to talk about?” Carter asked in amusement.
A strange feeling crossed Amelia’s heart briefly, but she replied with a grin, “Of course not. I really enjoy eating with you.”
“Likewise.” A look of reminiscence showed on Carter’s face. “I remember how you, Tiffany, and I used to eat together all the time – although Tiffany would always order a bunch, then you and I would ended up having to finish everything. But now that I think about it, she’s always been the more carefree one among us.”
Amelia continued to sip on her wine. “This isn’t like you, Carter. You’re not here just to reminisce the past, are you?”
“I can’t do that?”
“You can, but it just feels a little weird right now.”
A smile played on Carter’s lips.
“Watch out for Jennifer, Amelia. She might be plotting something against you,” he suddenly said solemnly. At the end of the day, he still tended to side Amelia, which was why he had taken a cab to her workplace right after getting off the plane. Compared to this woman, his meager feelings of infatuation and pity toward Jennifer meant nothing.
Amelia gave him a weird look. “Why do you say that?”
“I dropped by to see her parents yesterday. Mrs. Larson has intermittent memory loss now. I don’t know what she went through in prison, but I’ll bet she’s the way she is now because of that. I’m worried about you.”
Amelia stopped eating, and the food in her mouth suddenly didn’t taste as good anymore.
“Are you serious?”
“I wouldn’t lie about such things.”
The woman looked down and pondered for a moment.
Carter put more food on her plate. “Here. Have some more. Don’t think too much about this. I’m just letting you know about Jennifer so you can be more careful.”
“I have nothing to fear if she’s coming for me openly,” Amelia remarked, snapping out of her thoughts. “I just didn’t expect Mrs. Larson to turn out this way. Maybe it wouldn’t have happened if I’d just shown her a little more mercy.”
“Don’t think about that. No one would’ve wanted things to end up like this,” Carter replied. “I didn’t plan on warning you, but I’m worried that you wouldn’t be prepared for what Jennifer might do. That’s why I decided to let you know.”
Amelia looked up at him.
“You should stay out of this, Carter. Jennifer likes you. I don’t want her to end up hating you.”
Carter smiled bitterly at the thought of how coldly Jennifer had treated him that day.
“She already hates me even if I don’t interfere. She came looking for me when Mrs. Larson was thrown behind bars, but I didn’t help her. So, I’m responsible for the way things are between us now.”
Amelia merely glanced at him, not knowing what to say.
The two resumed eating in silence.
Then, they both left the restaurant together when they were done. “Did you enjoy the food, Amelia?” Carter asked, seemingly trying to make conversation.
“I did. It’s pretty good.” Amelia beamed. “Anyway, you should go home and get some rest. You’ve lost quite some weight, and you look kind of tired. You didn’t have to rush all the way here just for me.”
Carter turned to face her. He wanted to embrace her but ultimately resisted the urge to do so. They weren’t a couple anymore; in fact, they would only continue drifting apart because of Oscar’s existence.
“I’ve caused you a lot of trouble in the past, Amelia.”
“What is it with you, Carter? This is so unlike you. Honestly, this whole down-in-the-dumps character doesn’t suit you at all, so stop it. I like the extraordinarily confident Carter much better. We can’t be lovers, but we can still be friends, no?” Amelia commented mischievously and shrugged.
Carter patted her on the head. “It’s nice being friends with you, but I’m pretty greedy. I’d pull you into my arms if I could, but I know I can’t do that yet. Still, what I’ve said before remains: if things don’t work out between you and Oscar, I hope you’ll give me a chance.”
For the first time in forever, Amelia didn’t feel so tense around Carter.
“I have to go now. Let’s meet again someday.”
“Okay. Take care.”
Carter left in a cab, and Amelia walked back to her office.
Little did they know that Jennifer had been watching them from inside her car the whole time.
Your love really knows no bounds, huh, Carter? Look at you meeting the woman of your dreams right after coming back from Saspiuburg, Jennifer scoffed internally.
Despite not showing any interest in Carter externally, the woman would still keep track of his every move. Hence, she knew that he had traveled to Saspiuburg for the past few days, although he didn’t know what she was up to.
You and I aren’t meant to be, Carter.
She drove away and quickly disappeared among the rest of the cars on the road.
