Chapter 644 Stephanie Is Finally Getting Married
After walking June out, Shane returned to his office. When it was time to get off work, he went to the design department, where the employees who were busy packing greeted him one by one.
“You guys should go on ahead and be careful on your way home,” Shane reminded them, just like a caring boss.
“Sure, Mr. Franklin.”
Instead of leaving like the rest of her colleagues, Rory snuck to Amelia’s side. She had hoped to advance her career by making a good impression on Shane.
Despite having worked in the company for almost a year, Rory had failed to learn that she needed to demonstrate her capability at work to get herself promoted, while leveraging her looks to achieve the same was nothing but a pipe dream.
Furthermore, she wasn’t aware of how annoying she was when she tried too hard to make an impression.
Oblivious to Rory’s presence, Shane asked Amelia, “Amelia, are you going off?”
Amelia nodded.
When some of the staff walked out of the design department, Shane instructed Rory candidly, “Rory, you should head home first. I have something to discuss with Amelia.”
Rory nodded.
“Mr. Franklin, Amelia, I’m going off now.” With her bag slung over her shoulder, she strutted off in her heels with an upright posture. Despite her confident-looking silhouette, a gloomy expression descended upon her face.
Shane then turned his attention toward Jolin, who was standing guard behind Amelia. “Jolin, can I trouble you to walk in front, as I need to talk to Amelia?”
Jolin gave him the side-eye before looking at Amelia for her approval.
Feeling nonplussed, Amelia responded, “Jolin, please do as he requests.”
After giving Shane a look, Jolin complied in silence.
Shane scratched his nose awkwardly.
“Please don’t mind Jolin, she’s just watching out for me.”
“I’m not having any wild ideas. After all, there’s no way I would dare do anything to someone sent by Mr. Clinton.”
Amelia couldn’t hold back her laughter.
Subsequently, she brought them back to the topic at hand. “Shane, what is it that you wanted to speak to me about?”
With his hands behind his back, Shane pondered a moment before relating, “What do you think about June’s proposal that you be his translator?”
As the smile on her face faded, Amelia looked up at him and replied in a professional tone, “Mr. Franklin, are you asking me to accept the task?”
Glancing at her, Shane chuckled.
“It was just a casual remark. I didn’t expect to have angered you.”
Amelia sighed in resignation. “Shane, as you can see for yourself, that man harbors ulterior motives against me. Even then, do you still insist that I be his translator? Professionally, there’s no reason for me to turn you down. But personally, I don’t want to have any interaction with him.”
Suddenly, Shane couldn’t help himself but stroke her head. When Amelia was taken aback, he regained his senses and retracted his hand awkwardly.
“You looked so adorable just a moment ago, that I couldn’t help but think back to the time when we were in university. Back then, it was a habit of yours to make that expression. When I saw it just now, I felt as if I had been brought back in time to the carefree days of our youth,” Shane explained nostalgically.
Amelia squirmed her lips in response. I was obviously sighing. By claiming that I looked cute just like in my university days, that’s nothing but bullsh*t.
“Shane, you have become more mischievous.” Amelia rolled her eyes before adding, “I’m taking my leave now. You should resolve with June whatever it is between the both of you. If you really need me to be his translator, I’ll accept it too. Bye.”
Looking at Amelia, who was under Jolin’s watchful eye, Shane didn’t know how to react. He explained, “Amelia, I’m not joking. I have signed the contract with June, and he has also agreed that you don’t have to be his translator.”
“What translator?” Jolin asked.
Shane scratched his nose awkwardly again and smiled. “Jolin, even though I’m your boss, why do I get the feeling that I’m your subordinate?”
Jolin raised her brow. “Mr. Franklin, you can raise the matter with my real boss.”
“I wouldn’t dare.”
Jolin lifted her brow again and pressed on, “Come on, spit it out. Is that foreigner plotting to get close to Mrs. Clinton again? The next time he comes, I don’t mind beating the crap out of him.”
Shane’s lips twitched in response.
“Jolin, remember, you’re still a girl. Hence, you should be more reserved and lady-like when you speak, do you understand?”
“Mr. Franklin, I don’t mind demonstrating to you how hard-hitting my fists can be.”
Shane was stumped.
Amelia reprimanded her, “Jolin, mind your manners.”
Only then did she squirm her lips.
“Mrs. Clinton, let’s go. It seems someone is getting way over his head just because he’s a small-time general manager. I don’t mind letting the boss know so that this someone understands his place.” Jolin’s snipe was filled with sarcasm.
Amelia gave Shane an apologetic look. “Shane, Jolin just likes to speak her mind. Please don’t mind her. Anyway, I gotta go.”
Shane acknowledged with a grin, “Let’s head down together.”
After Amelia nodded, the three of them went downstairs in silence.
Upon exiting the building Shane took his leave. “Amelia, I’m going off now.”
She replied, “Watch yourself.”
Shane nodded before driving off in his car.
Subsequently, Amelia’s expression darkened.
“Jolin, you were being rude a moment ago. Don’t do it next time,” Amelia admonished her.
“Mrs. Clinton, I’ll never show any respect to whomever that threatens your life or your interests. In fact, I had already gone out of my way to be polite to him.”
Amelia looked on helplessly.
“Mrs. Clinton, I’m sorry that my attitude has put you in a spot. However, I’m your bodyguard, and it’s my responsibility to ensure that you’re always protected. If Shane betrays you for the sake of work, I’ll definitely report it to Boss. As to what Boss does to him, I have no right to interfere,” Jolin asserted with a serious face.
Just when Amelia didn’t press the matter, Oscar happened to arrive.
Amelia reminded Jolin softly, “Don’t tell Oscar about the company’s collaboration with June. After all, work in work. I don’t want my private affairs to get in the way of the company’s operations.”
“Yes, Mrs. Clinton. My duty is to protect you. As long as your life isn’t threatened, please rest assured that I won’t report anything to Boss.”
Amelia nodded in acknowledgment.
Upon getting into Oscar’s car, she gave him a peck on his cheek. “Let’s go. I’m so famished that I could eat a cow.”
Oscar tousled her hair affectionately. “Did you not have lunch?”
“The food at work isn’t appetizing at all. All I’m looking forward to is the three of us sharing a meal together.”
“You’re getting better at sweet talking, but I like this side of you.”
After Oscar drove her home, the three of them enjoyed a scrumptious meal prepared by Molly. Amelia then took Tony upstairs to shower before telling him a bedtime story and tucking him into bed.
Just like that, her day passed uneventfully other than the encounter with June.
In the blink of an eye, Stephanie and Noah’s wedding day arrived.
Two days before the wedding, Amelia was looking at the gown that had been delivered by the tailor. She asked, “Oscar, are we really not going to tell Stephanie about Noah’s affair? After all, she’s your only sibling. If her marriage doesn’t work out, your parents will be devastated.”
Oscar hugged her from behind and licked her ear lobes. “When did you start caring about her?”
Amelia leaned against his chest and explained, “It’s not about that. I’m just worried that you will end up regretting it. At the end of the day, she’s still your sister. If anything untoward happens to her, I don’t want you blaming me for not pointing it out to you.”
When Oscar let out a hearty laugh, it sounded especially mellifluous.
“Silly gal, all this is part of a trap that I’ve laid and she is walking straight into it. When she does, she’ll be the one to decide whether her marriage will be a happy one. If she is sensible and plays the role of a wife, daughter-in-law, and mother well, I’m sure Noah would treat her fine out of respect for the Clinton family. Otherwise, she would just end up wallowing in misery. At the same time, I want her to learn that not everyone has the same amount of patience with her as the Clintons,” Oscar explained with a glint in his eye.
“Isn’t it cruel to gamble on the outcome of her marriage?”
“Your heart has really softened, hasn’t it?”
“No, it’s not that. This is your sister we’re talking about,” Amelia remarked matter-of-factly. “I don’t want to see you have a hand in harming your own sibling.”
Warmed by her concern, Oscar felt a greater urge to protect his kind hearted wife.
“You silly woman, don’t worry. I know what I’m doing.” Oscar murmured, “Besides, both of them seem to be cut from the same cloth. In fact, if you reveal it to her now, she might even think that you’re trying to sow discord. Therefore, she will need to suffer and hopefully learn how to grow up. When that happens, I’ll lend her a hand on the account that she’s my sister. Or else, she will end up ruining her own life.”
Given what he said, Amelia had nothing to add.
In truth, she was only raising her concern out of courtesy, for she obviously didn’t harbor any sympathy for Stephanie after all the terrible things the latter did to her. Furthermore, the best she could do was maintain a fragile peace on the surface. Anything more than that was just a bridge too far.
