Chapter 51 Emily's Defense of Me

Elena Garcia POV:

Emily asked, "Is Elena a rude kid? When we first met, she was super polite and kind. I think a lot of people would like her."

I looked up, surprised, and saw Emily wink at me.

"No one should dislike her; she's really genuine," Emily added.

"Elena, you should thank Mrs. Fisher for her compliment," Isabella said with a forced smile.

Isabella's eyes shimmered with disappointment for her failed attempt to subtly hint to Emily that I had some bad qualities, but Emily's words were unexpectedly supportive of me.

Emily's high praise for me left her stunned.

James looked at me with a scrutinizing gaze, like he was reevaluating something he thought was worthless but now saw as valuable.

He knew I had helped him, but in his mind, I was probably humble and pitiful.

Sofia smiled on the side, but I could tell she was almost mad with jealousy, clenching her fists behind her back.

When she greeted Emily, Emily just nodded indifferently and then ignored her.

Today's party was supposed to be hers, but Emily paid more attention to me than to her.

Someone should remind her that Emily's main reason for coming to the Garcia Mansion was to discuss a contract with James, and attending the party was just a side thing.

Emily didn't come for Sofia, so Sofia didn't need to feel neglected.

When Emily and James entered the house, she had her assistant hand over the gifts they brought for us.

"Your gift was chosen by Amos to thank you for helping him last time," Emily told me with a smile.

After they left, Sofia almost immediately approached me. "What did Mrs. Fisher mean by help?"

"I don't think I need to tell you," I said.

I refused to answer Sofia. She squatted down to look at Amos with a gentle smile. "Sweetie, what's your name?"

Amos glanced at me and then shyly hid behind me. He couldn't speak, and Sofia's question left him unsure how to respond.

"Amos, this is Sofia. She's my sister," I introduced Sofia to Amos.

"You should let him speak for himself, Elena. Do you think he doesn't have a tongue?" Sofia sneered.

Amos tightened his grip on my hand, looking anxious.

I immediately understood that Sofia's words had hurt him.

"Sofia!" I huffed.

I looked at Sofia, displeased. I wasn't sure if Amos wanted me to tell Sofia about his situation.

From my previous interactions with the disabled, some didn't mind sharing their conditions with others while others feared more discrimination and were reluctant.

Sofia had always seemed considerate and gentle, but she didn't see Amos's difficulty at this moment.

As I pondered, Amos tugged at my hand.

I looked down, and he signed, 'I want to leave.'

Sofia noticed too and realized she had said something wrong.

She looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry! I didn't know you... Amos."

Amos signed, 'It's okay.'

But he didn't seem as close to Sofia. He declined Sofia's invitation to go to the banquet hall together, signaling me he wanted to stay with me.

Then Sofia tried few more times to get close to him but didn't get the response she wanted, which made her furious.

"I was just trying to help you out, Elena. Maybe you don't have much experience with kids, but it looks like he needs you more, even if you're still figuring things out. But that's okay; he's just a kid," Sofia said, straightening up resignedly.

She wanted to take Amos from me to impress Emily, just like I had.

I held Amos's hand and walked into the house.

I asked him if he wanted to play some games. The house had a dedicated game room with video games and building blocks.

Amos's eyes lit up, and he nodded enthusiastically.

Once we got to the game room, we started playing with the blocks. Amos was very sensible, signaling to me while playing that he had no interest in attending the party but knew Emily was worried about him and didn't want to trouble her.

I playfully tapped his nose and praised him.

There should have been two maids in the room with us, but as time passed, they seemed to have received some messages.

"Miss Garcia, the banquet hall seems to need more hands," one of the maids told me.

I checked the time; it was just when the party was starting. "Did Sofia say that?"

"Yes," she replied.

Sofia was causing trouble for the maids again. After the party started, most of the preparation work was done, and the maids shouldn't still be busy.

Their pleading looks made it hard for me to refuse.

Amos signed, suggesting we should go to the banquet hall together. He was a bit hungry.

After considering the situation a bit, I agreed.

As we stepped out, we ran into Albert.

He was dressed casually, not like someone attending a party.

He was walking in the opposite direction from us. "I thought you weren't invited."

"That was the case, but there are always surprises," I replied.

I briefly explained why I was attending the party.

Albert looked at Amos. "So, he's the kid you're babysitting?"

Amos tugged at my sleeve, asking in sign language who Albert was.

Before I could explain, Albert squatted down. He raised his fist, making a fist-bump gesture. "I'm Albert, Elena's brother. What's your name?"

Amos looked at him and raised his fist, lightly bumping it against Albert's.

This boyish greeting made Amos very happy. He warmed up to Albert, confidently introducing himself in sign language.

"Amos. Your mom wants you to be a brave guy, right? I like your name; it's great!" Albert praised, gesticulating proficiently.

When Albert started chatting, I thought no one could refuse him. He made Amos very happy.

I was surprised, not by Albert's conversational skills, but by his familiarity with sign language.

"You know sign language too?" I asked, surprised.

"A little," Albert shrugged.

It didn't seem like he only knew a little; he understood everything Amos signed.

It looked like he had studied sign language deeply.

I was curious, but Albert didn't seem to want to talk much about it.

After that, Amos invited him to the banquet hall.

"Actually, I'm not very interested in the party," Albert muttered.

Amos signed that he wasn't either, but that didn't stop us from going.

He was too young to understand Albert's subtle refusal, so when Albert showed a hint of reluctance, Amos cautiously signed if he hadn't been invited to the party.

Albert laughed. "No, I just think it would be boring to go alone. But if someone goes with me, I might find it interesting!"

Amos realized he had guessed wrong and blushed.