Amelia's dress above.

"What?" I cannot believe my ears.

I watch Jamie as he nervously scratches the back of his his head."Well, um, Daniel came to me at the beginning of our freshman year. That's about three years ago. I didn't even know who he was then he started asking questions about the council, you guys and my parents."

"But your parents weren't part of the council three years ago." I frown.

"Yes, that was why he approached me. He started plotting things in my head. He told me that the council dismissed my parents because they weren't rich enough. He said that in order to get revenge, I had to bring all of you guys down."

"Wow."

Daniel Black is a manipulative son of a bitch. I can't believe that he's related to Liam or even Adam in any way.

"I didn't listen to him at first. I was so fucking disgusted with him so I spat on his face and told him to go fuck himself." Jamie goes on.

"So why did you do it?" I challenge him.

"Daniel kept coming and plotting things in my head. I'm not kidding, he literally turned me against all of you guys so at the end of our freshman year, I agreed to help him." He answers and I stare at him in disbelief.

So right from the end of our freshman year, all those moments that we had with him, he was planning to 'destroy' us. I'm in great shock.

He's an amazing actor.

"I stopped hearing from Daniel after a while but then last year, he asked me when we were going to graduate so I told him we only had two years left and he started panicking, he said that we had to get on with the plan very quickly." He continues.

"What does our graduation have to do with anything?" I ask even though at that time, Emily and I had three years left since we both study a five year course.

"Well, you were supposed to marry Adam after your graduation." Jamie says simply.

I look down at my wedding ring and start playing with it. "So Daniel didn't want Adam and I to get married?"

Jamie frowns. "Of course not! Didn't your parents tell you? About HOPE?"

Of course that was what it was about. Daniel's greed for HOPE. I still don't understand the whole HOPE thing. I swear the last thing I know is that it's the councils' charity foundation.

"They did."

"So Daniel told me that once you and Adam get married, all the council members' kids will automatically become over three hundred million dollars richer."

I gasp. "What?"

That's a lot of money.

"Yeah." He nods then adds, "well, all of you except me so I started thinking if the council has something against my family."

I look at him in confusion. "But your parents aren't the only Archers in the council, Jamie. Your aunts and uncles are still solid members."

He runs his hand through his hair."I know and it turned out that Daniel did the same thing that he did to me to my parents but they didn't trust him. They knew the kind of guy he is. So Daniel worked with some of the managers at HOPE and stole money and they all made it seem like my parents were behind it." He says in a sad voice.

"Oh my God. The council has to know about this, Jamie."

When his parents left town, nobody really knew why. The council never announced that they were betrayed by the Archers.

It was after Jamie and his X crew were caught that the sheriff told us what happened. I'm not surprised that they were set up.

Bianca and Samuel Archer are very lovely people. They are kind and very compassionate.

Daniel disgusts me. He's so fucked up and very greedy.

"They do, they always had. When your dad, the mayor and Peter came for my interrogation, they came with them and before they came into the room, I saw them talking and laughing. I was so fucking confused."

Jamie said he did everything to get revenge for his parents but his parents never needed vengeance.

"So everything that you did. You did it for nothing?" I ask but the question was more like a statement.

Jamie sadly looks down. "Pretty much, yeah."

Well, it's pretty fucking sad.

"But why did Daniel want Liam and I together? Or was it your idea?"

He shakes his head. "Daniel's. To get the thirteen of you guys to be friends and so that you wouldn't agree to marry Adam."

"But you tried to kill Liam."

I'm so confused. If he wanted me with Liam, why did he try to shoot him?

He looks at me nervously then swallows. "I knew Adam Black was going to take the bullet."

Fuck!

"So......" God! I can't even say it.

"Yes, the plan was to kill Adam Black." Jamie says in embarrassment.

I feel a sharp tug in my chest. "Oh my God."

The thought of something happening to Adam is very disturbing. I kind of care about him.

"But fuck! I couldn't do it. I couldn't picture myself as a killer so I shot his shoulder instead." He shuts his eyes.

"Wow."

"So during the interrogation, I listened to my parents as they told me the truth about Daniel so I also told them everything. I told them that I did it for them but my dad was so fucking angry at me. My mum couldn't look me in the eye so they both left the room." I see a tear slip out of his eye but he quickly wipes it away.

"I ended up talking to your dad, Liam's and Jasmine's dad. They felt bad for me and kind of understood so they decided to bring me here, instead of real prison." He finishes.

I look around the living room. "So what do you do? Do you have internet?"

"Yeah for Netflix but I don't have any social media. I'm sure no one wants anything to do with me anyway. I only eat, watch tv, sleep and workout."

"You must feel lonely." I whisper, my heart breaking for him a little.

He smiles sadly. "I am but I'm friends with some of the guards now."

"Oh, that's nice."

"I'm really happy that you're here, Amelia. I-" His voice breaks and he looks down. "I'm so sorry. It's the worst thing I've ever done in my life and I hate myself so much for hurting and betraying you guys. I hope you can pass my apology to the others."

I simply nod. "But you said Liam forgave you."

"Yeah before he left, he came here and told me what happened. I told him that I knew about it and we pretty much discussed everything."

Hmmm. "Okay."

Jamie sighs and looks into my eyes. "I'm not going to ask for your forgiveness because I know that I don't deserve it. I just want you to know how sorry I am." He says sincerely.

"I forgive you, Jamie."

"Amelia." He whispers then breaks into tears and falls on his knees. "Thank you so much." He cries.

I don't know when I also started crying so I join him on the floor and hug him. We cry in each other's arms and then break away.

I look at him and burst into laughter and he also laughs. "What?"

"What the fuck where you doing with my maid?" I ask and sit back on the couch.

"Oh." He chuckles. "We were just hooking up, it wasn't anything serious."

I shake my head.

"Milly, about that guy that tried to-"

"Don't." I stop him, shaking my head. "It's in the past."

"Sure." He mumbles.

We stay silent for a while then his face lights up. "Do you want to have the ice cream that I told you about? I asked for it yesterday and the chef made it this morning."

"I would love to." I smile at him.

We walk to the kitchen and he opens the fridge. I take a sit on a stool and tuck a hair behind my ear. "Nice house." I comment and he turns around and grins. "Thanks."

"Oh my God, your fridge looks exactly like Adam's." I tell him as I notice all the chocolates and ice cream containers and all sorts of sweets.

"Hmmm, so you and Adam huh?" He shuts the fridge and opens one of the cupboards to bring out to bowls and then a drawer and take out spoons.

"Nothing happened and it's never going to."

"Why?" He asks as he scoops the ice cream from the silver container he brought out from the fridge into the bowl.

"I'm still in love with Liam." I tell him then I feel something weird. It's like a part of me doesn't believe that anymore.

Am I over him?

"So tell me what really happened."

I told Jamie everything and caught him up with what's been going on in everyone's life. I don't know if I'm crazy for trusting him again so easily or I made the right decision.

"You haven't spoken about Camilla." He says.

"She's been so secretive lately. I think something is going on with her."

Lately, everyone has just been doing their own thing. We haven't been hanging out like we used to. I hope we're not falling apart.

"Were you really in love with her?"

He grimaces. "Not really."

I give him a disapproving look.

"She was a bitch, Amelia!"

"She's a very good person.

Jamie shrugs so I just shake my head and we keep on talking.

****

"Amelia, where the fuck are you?!"

"Fuck! You went to see him? Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Answer your phone and get your little ass home right now!"

Those are the voicemails that Adam had left for me since I forgot my phone in the car.

I promised Jamie that I would visit him again but I told him that I need time to think about everything.

I give my car keys to the guard and walk to the front door. Adam sounded really angry so I'm a little bit scared to go in.

After taking a deep breath, I open the door and go inside then walk to the living room to get my laptop. I instantly jump, almost dropping the laptop as I hear a voice behind me.

"Hmmm, the princess has finally decided to grace us with her presence." Adam says.

I turn around and see him and June.

"I know you're mad but-"

"Mad? I'm fucking furious!" He yells then continues, giving me a very murderous look.

The look sends chills down my body.

"But this is what you want right? To see me like this. You, you, fuck!" He sighs and closes his eyes. "You fucking lied to me." He whispers.

"I'm sorry." I mumble, looking down.

"No, you're not."

I look up, giving him an honest look. "I am."

"You are not, Amelia. You knew I'm going to be fucking pissed when I find out you went to see that, that son of a bitch but you went anyway."

"Adam." I say his name softly.

"What? You talk to him five minutes and now he's your best friend again, right?"

I almost laugh, he knows me too well.

I understand Adam's hatred for Jamie. We're talking about the guy that almost killed him.

"I know he shot you." I say in a low voice, trying to think of a way to explain to him that Jamie was under Daniel's influence.

"Fuck! You think that's what this is about? Jamie's bullet passing through me was a fucking blessing. I saved my brother's life." He says unemotionally.

"I know but the truth is-"

He rolls his eyes. "So now you know how to tell the fucking truth?"

Okay, now he's starting to piss me off.

"Adam, you're not my dad. You can't expect me to do what you want me to do." I say irritatedly.

"You should have told me you were going anyway. I'm not going to tie you to your fucking bed and stop you from leaving."

"Yes but you're going to act like this." I wave my hands towards him.

"I'm acting like this because you fucking lied to me and then asked Cooper to go home. What if he had stabbed you with a knife?" His eyes darken and he clenches his fist.

I roll my eyes. "You have a very wild imagination. Nothing happened. Jamie wouldn't hurt me."

He crosses his arms over his chest. "Then why didn't you talk to me about that before you left? Do you think I wouldn't understand if you told me you trusted him? That you just wanted to have a talk with him? You left me here with 'what ifs' running through my mind."

I clear my throat. "You're not exactly the easiest person to talk to. I didn't think that you would listen."

His jaw clenches hard. "Why? Because I'm cold and heartless bastard?" He asks and I could almost see hurt in his eyes. "How many times have I told you that you could talk to me? That you can tell me anything you want. I told you that I want peace between us in this marriage."

"Well, you haven't given a shit about this marriage so." I mumble.

"I haven't given a shit?!" He yells in disbelief.

"I practically gave you your dream house, your dream bedroom, brought a very fucking talented chef to work here for you, I even gave you access to all my fucking cars!"

Okay, he has a point. "I know but-"

"I got you Bridget fucking Sloan, one of the best therapists in the country, I agreed to stay in this fucking town with you, eat breakfast with you, have dinner with you, heck! I flew in a fucking Japanese chef for you!"

I thought that Yoshikazu Ono was in town but it still didn't matter. Adam made an effort by bringing him here.

I said the wrong thing. He does give a shit.

"If it were up to me, I wouldn't be staying in this fucking town. I wouldn't even be staying in the country! But this is where your life is. Your friends, your family. I wanted you you to be happy but right now you're standing in front of me, acting like an ungrateful little b-"

"Adam." June warns.

He looks at her with his angry dreamy eyes. "I'm done here." He growls.

Done with what?

"I'm fucking done, June!" He adds and turns around and walks to his office.

A minute later, I hear a loud crash from the office. "What was that?" I frown at June.

Then another crash comes again.

She shakes her head with a sad smile. "That's Adam Black for you."

****

😉