Chapter 18. A Change of Heart

2024

Amelia’s POV

“Are you here to ask me to change my mind about resigning?”

“What if I am?” Adrian replied, his tone serious. His gaze was steady, unyielding as if he were laying everything on the line with that single question.

I blinked, the weight of his words settling in. The tension in the room felt suffocating, and I needed something, anything, to break it. “Water?” I blurted out before I could stop myself. It was a simple enough offer, but it was enough to give me a moment to collect my thoughts.

He hesitated, his gaze drifting to a distant point across the room and for a moment, I thought he might decline, but then his eyes moved back to me, and he nodded, “Sure.”

Relieved, I quickly rushed to the kitchen and grabbed a glass and a bottle of water from the fridge, making my way back toward him. But as I approached the couch, I misjudged my step. My foot caught the edge of the rug, and before I could steady myself, I pitched