Liam's constant gaze made her deeply uneasy. She wanted to tell him everything face to face, whether he wanted to hear it or not.
Maybe he would believe her. Otherwise, living under the same roof, eating together every day while enduring his icy silence, was becoming unbearable.
"I understand."
He gave a brief reply and walked away.
It seemed he hadn't listened to a word she said.
Fine. She had done her part. What Benjamin chose to believe was beyond her control.
She just hoped Amelia would recover her memories someday and return to who she was now.
That evening, Amelia pestered Liam to watch TV with her. Not wanting to upset her, he patiently joined her on the living room sofa to watch a Korean drama.
Despite feeling unwell, Benjamin sat with them. Emma disliked TV dramas, especially melodramatic Korean ones. So she excused herself and went upstairs to rest.
As Emma climbed the stairs, Amelia watched her retreating back. She pursed her lips, thinking for a long moment before hesitantly speaking.
"Brother, does my sister-in-law not like me? Or did she want to watch something else and got upset?"
"No, your sister-in-law never watches TV dramas. She's not that petty."
Liam comforted Amelia.
"Then I'm relieved. I keep feeling like she's rejecting me, like she dislikes me."
Amelia murmured to herself, then suddenly remembered something. She looked up at Liam.
"Brother, I saw on TV today that a new mall is opening tomorrow. I'd love to go, but shopping alone is boring. Could you ask my sister-in-law to come with me?"
She looked at him with hopeful eyes.
"No problem."
Liam agreed without even consulting Emma.
When he returned to their room and told Emma about tomorrow's plans, she stared at him in disbelief.
"You want me to go shopping with her?"
"What's wrong? Aren't you happy to have some shopping time?"
Liam looked at her, puzzled.
"No. I mean, Amelia and I were on such bad terms before. Are you really comfortable trusting me to take her out?"
Emma voiced her doubts. After all, the fact remained that Amelia had fought with her. Anyone else would have kept their distance. How could he trust her to go shopping with Amelia?
"It's Amelia. She doesn't remember what happened between you now. I think this is a good chance for you two to connect. When she recovers her memory, she won't hold the same prejudice against you as before."
Liam explained his reasoning. He had always worried about the tension between Emma and his sister. Now that this opportunity had presented itself, how could he let it slip away?
It was true that the current Amelia was different from the old one. Although she still clearly had deep feelings for Liam, she wasn't as aggressive as before. Perhaps because her mind was still eighteen, innocent and kind-hearted, untouched by all the hardships she had endured.
So Emma set aside her worries and decided to get along with Amelia. Maybe they could truly become harmonious in the future.
She didn't like being at odds with others unless necessary. It was exhausting.
Liam went to the bathroom. Emma applied her skincare products at the vanity, then prepared for bed.
"Emma, get me a bathrobe."
Liam called from the bathroom. Emma thought there was already one in there. Had the servants taken it out to wash?
She found a clean one and walked to the bathroom door. Just as she opened it to hand it inside, Liam suddenly pulled her in.
"What are you doing, Liam?"
Emma looked at the man before her in surprise.
"What do you think I want to do in this situation?"
Liam couldn't help but pull Emma into the bath with him. By the time she realized what was happening, she was already soaked in the tub.
"Don't forget we're just a contractual couple. You can't force me."
Emma tried to stop him from removing her nightgown.
"Contractual couple?"
Liam let out a low, charming laugh.
"Emma, have you forgotten that we've broken that contract several times? And when have I ever forced you?"
His words left her stunned, her face flushed with embarrassment. A teasing smile curled at the corner of his mouth. Suddenly, he captured her soft lips, parting her teeth and inviting her tongue to dance with his.
After a while, she felt her body go weak. She silently scolded herself for being so weak-willed, yet she couldn't help but sink into the tide he created, rising and falling with his rhythm until he carried her to the peak of bliss.
Emma felt she was about to fall asleep, but every time she drifted off, he would wake her with another request. She didn't even have the strength to cry. She truly felt that doing this in the water was a huge test of her stamina. But she could never match Liam's energy. She really needed to exercise more.
Then again, even if she did, the gap between them would still be enormous.
Finally, Liam stopped and carried her out of the tub.
When he laid her on the bed, she felt like her body no longer belonged to her. Thinking about shopping with Amelia tomorrow, she let out a soft whimper. But she couldn't back out of her promise, so before falling asleep, she struggled to make Liam promise to wake her up.
After receiving his confirmation, she drifted off peacefully.
The next day, when she opened her eyes, she thought proudly, I'm so amazing. I woke up on my own without Liam having to call me.
But looking at the empty space beside her and the heavy curtains blocking the light, she realized it wasn't that early anymore.
After getting dressed and heading downstairs, she saw Amelia sitting on the sofa watching TV. Hearing footsteps on the stairs, Amelia looked up and smiled at Emma.
"You're awake, sister-in-law."
"Mm. Where's your brother?"
"He went to work a long time ago. Before he left, he told me you might sleep until noon today. So we'll go shopping in the afternoon. It seems my brother has the gift of prophecy. Just as he said, you woke up at noon."