Dinner kicked off in no time.

Amelia was sitting to Victor's left, with Lucius on her other side. Across from her were Leila and Chris. The rest of the Spencer clan filled in their usual spots, making the whole scene feel pretty cozy.

"Alright, everyone, let's raise our glasses," Victor said, grinning.

Everyone stood up, drinks in hand, and toasted to Victor.

Amelia got up too, holding a glass of red wine. The deep red liquid swirled around, giving off a rich, complex bouquet.

Chris couldn't take his eyes off her.

Amelia wasn't much of a drinker before.

She'd get tipsy after just one glass, so Chris's friends always found it amusing to get her drunk and watch her squirm.

But tonight, she downed half a glass of that strong red wine in one go.

A maid came over and topped off her glass.

"Here, have some food," Lucius said softly,placing a piece of beef on her plate.

The beef was tender and delicious. Amelia ate quietly, but she noticed Leila serving Chris some food out of the corner of her eye.

"Chris, try this fish. It's amazingly succulent," Leila said sweetly,practically hanging onto Chris.

"Uncle Lucius, when are you and Ms. White tying the knot? Grandpa's been itching for grandkids forever. You're keeping us on edge," a female voice suddenly piped up from the table.

It was Stella. She put down her fork and gave Amelia a look that seemed to say a lot.

Lucius stayed calm but held Amelia's hand. After a moment, he said, "It'll be within the next year or two. It also depends on Amelia."

Amelia played along perfectly, flashing a just-right smile. "Once we set a date, we'll let everyone know right away."

Everyone got the hint and responded enthusiastically,their faces lighting up with smiles and laughter.

"Chris, you and Ms. Ross have been engaged for half a year,but it was just a family dinner. You didn't even invite friends and relatives. Isn't that a bit rushed?" Stella turned to Chris again. "You won't let Ms. Ross feel slighted,will you?"

Leila's face went a bit pale.

Engagement? At that dinner, Chris had shown up and left in under two minutes. It hardly counted as an engagement party.

He'd just had someone announce the news publicly.

"Both your brother and I are swamped with work. Since everyone already knows, there's no need to make a big fuss," Leila said carefully,choosing her words.

Unexpectedly, Chris said, "It was a bit rushed. I'll make it up to you later."

His voice was as cold and indifferent as ever, showing no emotion.

Amelia heard this and felt a jolt in her heart.

What did he mean by that?

Was he feeling guilty about slighting Leila and planning to make it up to her with a proper engagement ceremony?

How thoughtful and considerate!

Amelia gripped her utensils tightly, feeling a dull ache in her chest.

She hadn't completely healed from those old wounds over the years.

Every time she faced him, the pain reminded her of how deeply she had loved him and how cruel he had been.

"Uncle Lucius, Ms. White, I hope you can attend," Chris suddenly said with a faint smile, his eyes locked on Amelia as if trying to read her.

Amelia's smile almost faltered, but she forced herself to keep it. "Of course,don't forget to send us an invite."

Her voice was clear and pure, without a hint of anything else.

But for some reason, the atmospherein the big dining room suddenly got chilly.

The meal ended up being pretty awkward.

Lucius got called away for business, saying he had to head out to Oceancrest City. He bid farewell to Victor, who then turned to Amelia and suggested she stay a few more days at the Spencer Mansion, since she was already there,to keep him company.Amelia didn't hesitate to agree.

She hadn't spent much time with Victor, and despite using a different name, she felt a strong desire to be there for him and make up for lost time.

"I don't know where you came from, you shameless hussy. You claim to be Bella, but who really knows if you are or not? Maybe you had plastic surgery to look like that bitch Amelia. Seducing Lucius wasn't enough, and now you want to seduce my Chris. You're disgusting!"

A woman's sarcastic voice came from behind her,mixed with the sound of high heels clicking on the ground.

Amelia turned around and quietly lookedat the beautiful Leila standing in front of her.

Behind Amelia was a stunning rose garden, personally planted and carefully tended by Victor. When Amelia used to live at the Spencer Mansion; she often helped Victor with these flowers and plants, gaining some experience.

"You surprise me. I never expected you to have a knack for gardening. No wonder Grandpa values you so much. But what exactly do you want?What are you trying to gain by getting close to Grandpa?" Leila approached step by step, her eyes cold and almost piercing through Amelia.

Amelia found it boring and continued watering the roses.

"Ms. Ross, if your relationship with Chris is shaky, you should focus on him instead of always targeting others," she said with a faint smile.indifferent to the provocation.

Leila gritted her teeth in anger. "Don't assume I'm unaware of your

intentions, you bitch, you..."

"Ms. Ross, watch your words," Amelia's voice turned cold. "We're in the Spencer Mansion. You did a lot toensure you could stay here to leave a good impression on Mr. Victor Spencer. Do you doubt my ability to turn him against you completely??"

"Who do you think you are!" Leila sneered, showing disbelief, but still instinctively took two steps back.

Because Bella's face in front of her was at least seventy to eighty percent similar to Amelia's from before, and a few years ago, Victor liked Amelia's gentle nature.

"Are you going to marry Lucius?" Leila was silent for a moment, then changed the subject.

Amelia stopped what she was doing and turned around unexpectedly,just in time to see the fleeting look of probing and unease in Leila's eyes.

"It seems you're quite afraid of me taking Chris away," she said with a faint smile, as if discovering a secret.

"But I'm not interested in him," she said, raising her voice slightly,probably loud enough for Chris behind the garden to hear clearly.

That night, Amelia hung out with Victor in the living room, watching TV for a while. The family doctor came to urge Victor to rest, and a maid led Amelia to a guest room upstairs.

The layout of this room was almost identical to the one she used to live in on the third floor. Even the furniture was exactly the same.

So when she walked in, Amelia felt a sense of unreality, like she had

stepped back in time to four years ago the moment she opened the door.