Falling For The True Heiress

"..."

"Hello?"

"Hello?"

"Amelia...?" Sylvia’s voice broke a little, the phone trembling in her hand.

She slowly lowered it and stared at the screen. The call had ended.

Tears rolled down her cheeks. Without wasting another second, she turned and hurried out of the school building, her footsteps echoing against the empty corridor.

She crossed the parking lot and immediately noticed Amelia’s car was gone.

Her heart sank.

She unlocked her phone with shaking fingers and sent a quick text to her driver.

~~~~~ Amelia’s POV ~~~~~

My phone buzzed inside my bag.

Ring! Ring! Ring!

I frowned and reached for it; the bench was cool beneath me, late afternoon light slanting low through the garden.

"Who’s calling now?" I muttered.

The screen lit up with an unknown number.

I stared at it for a moment.

"Do you want me to help you with that?" Dominic asked, jolting me out of my thoughts.

I smiled and shook my head. "It’s fine."

Before I could answer, Dominic suddenly snatched the phone from my hand.

"Hey—"

He accepted the call and put it on speaker.

"Hey, Minnie!"

A female voice came through immediately. Familiar. My eyes widened.

Sylvia.

How did she get my number?

"Hi," Dominic said.

"Who are you?" She demanded the moment she heard his voice. "And why do you have Amelia’s phone?"

Dominic glanced at me, silently asking what he should do.

"Hang up," I whispered.

He nodded and ended the call immediately.

"Do you know who that was?" Dominic asked, handing the phone back to me.

I took it and nodded. "That’s my sister," I said, looking down at the screen.

Dominic stayed quiet for a moment, staring at me. "Was she the reason for your bad mood?" He asked.

I glanced up at him, then looked away. I stood ready to leave.

"Won’t you say goodbye to your new friend?" Dominic asked, smiling.

I turned slightly. "New friend?" I repeated.

"Mm-hmm." He nodded.

"Okay. Bye, Dominic," I said, waving before turning to leave. I stopped and turned back fully. "Have we met before?"

"Maybe." He shrugged, leaning back against the wooden bench, the late sun catching the edge of his smile.

I smiled and walked off, aware of the way that he was still watching me go.

I got into my car and pulled out.

I drove straight to Camila’s apartment, since we had agreed to meet the tutor there, and I didn’t want to disappoint her again. Not today.

Camila was nice, genuinely nice, but she had a short temper and could turn angry the moment she felt disrespected. I didn’t want to be the reason for that, even though she had never once turned that anger toward me.

~~~~~ Flashback ~~~~~

On a trip to New York, I had gone to visit Camila’s grandparents. The moment we arrived, I wandered the halls of their enormous mansion, marveling at everything.

The high ceilings, the gold-framed paintings, and the quiet hum of old money settled into every corner.

I accidentally knocked over a porcelain figure, one her grandparents had gifted her on her first birthday. Camila had treasured it with everything she had. The servants escorting me went pale, visibly shaking.

But Camila rushed toward me, completely ignoring the shattered porcelain scattered across the floor, her attention locked entirely on me.

"Lia, you’re hurt." She said, lifting me up and carrying me into the main living room.

"Bring the first aid kit." She called to one of the servants trailing behind us.

"I’m fine, Cam," I said, embarrassed by how easily she had carried me up.

"Stay put." Her voice came out hoarse, edged with anger.

She set me down on the soft sofa and crouched in front of me. The servant arrived with the first aid kit, and Camila got to cleaning the small cut on my hand.

"You know first aid, Cam?" I asked, surprised.

"Mmm. Grandma taught me when I was five." She said, wrapping my finger carefully in a Minnie Mouse bandage.

I was surprised she even had that particular bandage, since she had never liked Minnie Mouse herself. I didn’t ask, though.

She blew gently on the wound, then looked up at me with a small frown. "Does it hurt?"

I shook my head, smiling. "Thanks, Cam." I said, patting her head gently.

She smiled and turned toward the servants. "Throw those pieces out."

"Miss, that’s your—"

"I said throw it away," Camila said, cutting the servant off.

I lowered my head. "I’m sorry, Cam."

She just smiled and told me it was fine, like it had never mattered at all.

~~~~~ End of Flashback ~~~~~

I pulled up in front of the apartment, the building tucked quietly between two taller ones, ivy climbing along part of the brick.

Camila had bought this place from a middle-aged couple relocating abroad.

I parked my car, got out, and walked toward the door. I pressed in the door code, and it clicked open beneath my fingers as I stepped inside.

The soft scent of jasmine filled the apartment.

Sunlight streamed through the large windows, making the living room bright and warm. The soft hum of the air conditioner was the only sound in the apartment.

I slipped off my shoes and walked inside.

Everything was neat, just the way Camila liked it. The books on the shelf were arranged properly. A small flower pot sat on the table.

Somehow, being here always made me feel calmer.

My phone started buzzing on the sofa.

Ring! Ring! Ring!

I picked it up and answered without checking the caller’s ID.

"Lia."

The moment I heard Camila’s voice, a small smile tugged at the corner of my lips.

"Cam, I’m—"

"Open the door for me," Camila said immediately.

I froze, staring at the door. "Huh?"

"What do you mean, open the door?"

"I mean exactly what I said," Camila replied. "I’m standing outside."

My eyes widened. "...Outside?"

I stared at the door for a second before quickly ending the call and walking toward it.

I opened the door immediately and saw Camila was standing there alone.

I looked past her, expecting to see her car parked outside, but it wasn’t there.

"How did you know I was here?" I asked, looking at her in surprise.

She shook her head, her expression still worried.

"I know you better than you know yourself, Lia."

A small smile appeared on my face.

I stepped aside to let her in. She walked in, and the door closed behind her with a soft click.

"You didn’t bring your car?" I asked as I walked toward the kitchen.

"No. I left it for Daniela," Camila said, dropping onto the sofa.

I opened the cabinet and took out two glasses and filled them with water.

I leaned back slightly against the counter and looked around the apartment, smiling.

"Looks like you come here often."

Camila laughed softly. "Not really. I usually hire a cleaning company to take care of the place."

She glanced at me and smiled. "I knew you’d eventually come here."

I shook my head. "You really do know me well, huh?"

She smiled, leaning back into the sofa.

I walked back into the living room and handed her one of the glasses.

"Thanks," she said, and took a sip.

A small drop of water remained at the corner of her mouth. I reached over and wiped it slowly with my thumb.

Camila froze. For a moment, she just stared at me.

I smiled and patted her head gently before sitting down beside her on the sofa.

"How about the tutor?" I asked, turning toward Camila.

"I already texted him the address. Danny and the others are on their way too." Dhe replied.

I nodded and took a sip from my glass.

Camila looked at me for a second, then looked away.

~~~~~ Third-person POV ~~~~~

Sylvia’s driver arrived a few minutes later, and she quickly got in.

"Mr. Clifford, do you know anywhere Amelia might be?" she asked, her voice shaking with worry.

"Yes, second miss," he replied, glancing at her through the front mirror.

Sylvia leaned back in her seat, still tense.

"Please take me there," she said softly, turning her face toward the window.

Mr. Clifford nodded and started the car. The tires rolled softly over the driveway with a low hum as the car drove out of the school.

Outside, the school gates slowly faded as the car pulled away.

"Is something wrong with the first Miss?" Mr. Clifford asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Yes," Sylvia answered, lowering her head. "I think I really made her mad at me this time."

Mr. Clifford looked back at the road, pressed the gas pedal, and the car sped off.

When they arrived at the garden, Sylvia got down immediately and ran inside.

She didn’t even stop to look at the flowers or the beauty around her. Her eyes kept searching everywhere, looking for Amelia.

"Amelia!" she called out, turning around as she ran deeper into the garden.

She called again. But there was no answer.

The garden was too quiet. Even her footsteps felt too loud against the grass. Tears began to fall down her face again.

"Please, Minnie... answer me. I’m sorry," she whispered, her voice breaking as she stood in the middle of the quiet garden.

"Minnie... please. I didn’t mean it. Please just answer me."

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