Chapter Twenty Four: A Fantastic Night

Amelia's heart throbbed as she made her way to the door, Maxwell's persistent knocking reverberating in the narrow hallway. Taking a deep breath, she paused briefly before arranging her face into a smile that she hoped appeared genuine.

Maxwell's existence had turned into a dark cloud hanging over her, an obvious fact of the danger he posed to her. However, for the evening she had to play her role flawlessly.

Maxwell was impeccably dressed in a tailored suit, standing at the door with a broad, predatory smile as she opened it. To her, his smile was too wide and unnecessary. His hand reached towards her, a gesture that appeared to be both courteous and calming.

Amelia paused briefly before taking his hand, sensing the chill of his skin touching hers.

"Amelia, good evening," Maxwell greeted smoothly, his eyes scanning her outfit. "You look very attractive."

Amelia responded to Maxwell, expressing gratitude and making an effort to keep her voice steady. She let go of his hand, grabbed her purse, and locked the door before leaving.

While walking to Maxwell's car, Amelia tried to calm down her growing anxiety. She recalled the reason behind her actions: to make him remove the video of Jonah. The video was her weakness, a tool Maxwell used with cruel effectiveness.

Tonight, she anticipated that her proper conduct would persuade him to delete it.
The car ride to the restaurant was quiet, with tension clearly felt between them. Amelia gazed outside the window, observing as the city lights merged into colorful streaks.

Maxwell, on the other hand, appeared completely relaxed, humming to the mellow jazz music on the radio. Upon arriving at the restaurant, he was the first to exit and went around to open her door, maintaining his gentlemanly facade.

"Let me lead the way," he said, extending his arm.
Amelia accepted it, sensing the power he held in that small act. The interior of the restaurant was softly illuminated, accompanied by a gentle background music. Maxwell had set aside a specific table for them in a secluded corner to ensure privacy. Upon sitting, Maxwell wasted no time in requesting a bottle of wine, prompting the waiter to quickly attend to his order.

"I have eagerly anticipated this all week," Maxwell exclaimed, his gaze fixed on Amelia's face.

"I feel the same," Amelia fibbed, her smile not quite reaching her eyes. She played with the tablecloth's edge, thinking quickly about how to bring up the video topic. However, Maxwell was skilled at manipulation; she needed to handle this situation with caution.

Maxwell poured a glass for each of them once the wine arrived. "Here's to a fantastic night," he said, lifting his glass in a toast.

"Here's to a fantastic night," Amelia repeated, touching her glass to him. Taking a sip, the intense flavor did not help to soothe her anxiety.

While they ordered their food and started eating, Amelia kept up her pretense of having a good time. She chuckled at Maxwell's jokes, nodded along with his stories, and sometimes laid a hand on him. Every gesture, every smile, was carefully designed to give the impression of authenticity.

However, in her inner thoughts, she was preoccupied with Jonah and the dire circumstances they were facing.
Amelia was unaware that Jonah had been tracking her every move throughout the entire evening. From the moment Maxwell started intimidating, Jonah became more and more protective.

Tonight, he was resolved to support her, even if it required remaining unseen. He was aware of Maxwell's preferred restaurant and had discreetly followed him, parking his car a few blocks from the restaurant and walking the rest of the way.


Unknown to Maxwell and Amelia, Jonah observed their interaction from his viewpoint outside the restaurant. He tightly balled his fists as he watched Maxwell's hand on hers, his possessive look. Jonah understood that he needed to be patient and wait for the perfect opportunity.

But, as Maxwell's behavior continued, his patience began to diminish.
Inside the restaurant, Maxwell was growing more audacious. His hand stayed on Amelia's for an extended period, becoming increasingly intimate with each touch. Amelia pushed herself to bear it, keeping the end goal in mind.

Her determination was fading, with disgust and fear simmering underneath her composed facade.
After that, he caught her eye. His gaze was fixed on her as he stood at the restaurant's entrance.

Her heart leaped with a combination of relief and panic rushing over her. Having Jonah around brought both solace and challenges. She was expecting a peaceful evening, but now, everything was going to be different.

Maxwell's expression turned dark when he looked in the direction she was staring and saw Jonah. "Why is he here?" he whispered, his hold on Amelia's hand growing stronger.
Amelia stayed silent, hoping Jonah would go to prevent further escalation. However, Jonah was already walking confidently towards their table, his resolve clear with every step he took.

"Good evening," Jonah said calmly, keeping his gaze fixed on Maxwell. "Do you have any problem if I join you?"

"We do actually care," Maxwell responded, his voice cold. "This dinner is meant to be just us."

"I wasn't really asking." Jonah stated, taking a seat and settling in. He looked at Amelia, his face becoming more gentle. "Are you okay?"

Amelia said she was okay, Jonah, with a slight tremble in her voice. It was not necessary for you to come.
Jonah responded softly, "I couldn't resist staying." He looked back at Maxwell, his face becoming more severe. "We need to talk,” he said to Amelia.

Amelia was already burning with rage between her and she hated that she was in the middle of the two men. One which she deeply cared about and another who is just a pompous fool.

She had her eyes fixed on jonah and in a short while, her gaze darted from jonah to Maxwell. Maxwell was already obviously fuming with so much anger and the wrong reaction from her can ruin everything.