Falling For The True Heiress

"Miss."

Mr. Clifford’s voice came through the speaker, tight and unsteady.

"You need to come to the hospital right now." And the line went dead.

For a moment, I simply stared at my phone.

The screen faded to black, reflecting my own pale face back at me.

A chill crept slowly down my spine. My fingers tightened around the phone so hard that my knuckles turned white.

Something was wrong.

Something was terribly wrong.

I could feel it.

I lifted my head. Sylvia was watching me. She didn’t ask what Mr. Clifford had said.

She wasn’t supposed to because whatever expression was on my face had already answered her.

She simply looked at me, as though she could see every thought running through my head and gently slipped her hand into mine.

"It’s okay, Amelia," she said softly. "Go and get ready."

"We’ll go together."

I nodded without realizing it. Then I turned and hurried toward the staircase.

My footsteps echoed through the silent house as I climbed the stairs two at a time.

I had almost reached my bedroom when something struck me.

I stopped so suddenly my hand caught the banister to steady myself.

Sylvia’s medicine.

I turned around. "Sylvia," I called.

She looked up at me.

"Come here."

Without asking why, she walked upstairs. When she reached me, I took her hand and led her into my room.

The door closed behind us with a soft click. I let go of her hand and went straight to the bedside drawer.

My fingers shook as I pulled it open. The packet of medicine was exactly where I’d left it.

I grabbed it, opened the bedside cabinet, took out a clean glass, and filled it halfway with warm water from the dispenser.

The quiet trickle of water seemed loud in the quite room.

I walked back to Sylvia.

"Open your mouth," I said gently as I pushed the tablets from the blister pack.

She obeyed without hesitation. I placed the pills on her tongue and handed her the glass.

She drank slowly until every tablet was gone. I waited until she swallowed the last mouthful.

Only then did I release the breath I’d been holding.

Now...

We could go.

"Go get dressed," I said before turning and disappearing into the bathroom.

I splashed cold water over my face. The icy water stung my swollen eyes, washing away the dried tear tracks but doing little to ease the heaviness in my chest.

I stared at my reflection for a moment. My eyes were still red.

I took a slow breath, grabbed a towel, and quickly dried my face before stepping back out.

Sylvia was already dressed.

She had changed into a pair of fitted black jeans and a red crop top. Her long hair had been curled and gathered into a high ponytail that rested neatly behind her head.

She looked up froherr phone the moment I walked out of the bathroom.

A large white towel was wrapped around my body, while another smaller black towel rested in my hands as I rubbed it through my damp hair.

For a second, our eyes met, but neither of us said a word. There wasn’t any time for that.

I hurried into my dressing room, slid open the wardrobe, and grabbed the first outfit I could find.

A pair of wide-leg jean palazzo trousers and a simple sleeveless top.

Within minutes, I had changed, quickly running my fingers through my still-damp hair before stepping back into the bedroom.

"Come here. Let me help you dry your hair," Sylvia said the moment I walked toward my dressing table.

She stood up, picked up the hair dryer, and walked over to me.

I quietly sat down.

The soft hum of the dryer filled the room as warm air flowed through my damp hair. Sylvia’s fingers moved gently through the strands, separating them with surprising care as she dried them.

Her hands were soft. So soft.

After everything that had happened to Dad, somehow, her touch made my heart feel a little lighter.

I slowly closed my eyes just for a moment.

When I opened them again, I looked into the mirror.

Sylvia was already looking at me.

The moment our eyes met, she smiled. A small smile appeared on my lips too.

I lowered my head.

Before I could look away completely, Sylvia gently cupped my face and lifted my chin.

I looked back at her. Our eyes met again.

My heart skipped a beat. I tried to lower my head, but she didn’t let me. She simply kept her hand against my cheek, silently asking me to staystay.he held my face gently, making me look at her.

"I don’t like seeing you cry," she said quietly as she leaned a little closer.

Her voice was barely above a whisper. I could feel her warm breath against my skin.

The room fell completely quiet. She stared at my face for a long moment, as though waiting for me to pull away

I didn’t. She leaned closer gently that our foreheads almost touched.

"Amelia..." she called.

A faint shiver ran through my body. I closed my eyes, trying not to react.

A small laugh escaped Sylvia. "Why are you closing your eyes?" she asked, a teasing smile playing on her lips.

Slowly, I opened them again. She was still looking at me.

For a few seconds, neither of us spoke. The room was silent except for the quiet hum of the hair dryer. Then Sylvia reached over, switched it off, and set it aside.

Before I realized what she was doing, her lips brushed gently against mine.

My eyes flew open. Every thought vanished.

I sat perfectly still, too stunned to move.

I finally blinked. Then reality came crashing back.

I pulled away so quickly that the chair scraped against the floor. I shot to my feet, nearly stumbling over my own feet in the process.

Sylvia couldn’t help laughing, a quiet, satisfied laugh.

She straightened her clothes as though nothing unusual had happened.

"Let’s go," she said simply.

She turned and walked toward the door.

I stood there, completely frozen. A few seconds later, I looked up at my reflection.

"..."

My face was bright red.

Not just red.

I looked like a tomato. I stared at myself in disbelief.

"...There’s no way."

Behind me, Sylvia crouched beside the shoe rack and slipped on her black sneakers before standing again.

She rested one hand on the doorknob and glanced back over her shoulder.

"Let’s go, Minnie."

The smile she gave me was infuriatingly calm. Then she opened the door and stepped outside.

The door clicked shut.

The moment she was gone, I let out the breath I’d been holding.

I clutched my chest. "What was that?!"

I punched the air once. Then again.

"Sylvia!"

A burst of laughter came from the other side of the door.

She hadn’t gone anywhere. She’d been standing there the entire time.

"..."

Heat rushed back into my face. I took one step backward in pure embarrassment.

"I’m straight," nodded firmly to myself.

"I like men."

Then...

"...Then why is my stupid heart acting like this?"

I pressed a hand against my chest. It answered with another loud thump.

"...Traitor."

I shot my heart an annoyed look as though it had personally betrayed me.

"Stupid heartbeat."

Grumbling under my breath, I walked over to the shoe rack, pulled on a pair of white vintage sneakers, tied the laces in record time, and hurried out of the room before Sylvia could tease me again.

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