Chapter 64: Amie knows.

The road was less busy than during the day, and Rauf sped across it. It was an easy way to take his mind off everything.

Honestly, he had thought there was going to be some improvement with the food and the casual shirt, but things seemed to have gotten worse.

The journey back to the hotel was half the normal distance.

He got to the hotel and dropped onto the bed.

He didn’t bother removing his clothes or shoes. His mind was running wild.

The night was long.

Rauf had discarded his clothes at some point.

He bathed twice, letting the water run over every part of his body. Yet, he couldn’t find it in himself to sleep.

When the sun rose, Rauf was already seated on the chair. He opened a laptop in front of him, trying to get some work done.

He wanted to do something else to get his mind off June’s words.

But the words, the baby is mine alone, kept ringing in his head.

And that was the trigger.

The previous night replayed in his head, right from the moment June had opened her eyes and asked why he was still in the room, to the point where Amie had told him not to miss her too much.

He shut his laptop.

There was no way he could work if he didn’t find a solution to this.

So, he picked up his phone and called Chris.

"Hmm..." Chris said, his voice sounding as if he was still asleep.

Rauf sneered at the phone.

"It’s good to see one of us had a lovely night."

Chris hummed.

"It’s the best I’ve had in weeks."

Rauf groaned, making Bingo stir in his bed.

The dog had been asleep before Rauf came the previous night, and Henson seemed to have taken care of him.

"How’s June?"

"Better. She seemed to lighten up after getting the pregnancy issue out of the way."

Rauf nodded.

"More like she seemed to lighten up because I wasn’t there."

Chris laughed.

"Yeah. I never knew there was someone June could hate this much. And I thought she hated me when we first met."

Chris wasn’t sounding as if he would be helpful in any way.

"Really? You need to rub it in my face."

"It brings me pleasure to know that my sister knows how to put men in their place." He said. "She wouldn’t even mention that you’re her ex-husband."

Rauf nodded.

She had practically called him a stranger to his face. It was no surprise to him that she wouldn’t mention him.

"If she’s fine, that’s good. But I called you for another purpose."

Silence.

Chris might not have spoken a word, but Rauf knew he was listening to him.

"I need your help."

"Help?" Chris sounded confused.

"Yeah. Right now, you seem like the closest person to June. You seem to know her best and how I can win her back."

First, there was silence on the other side.

Then sudden laughter filled Rauf’s ear.

It was the first time he was hearing Chris sound so happy.

"Is the scary mafia lord from Kansas asking a bachelor like myself about relationship issues?"

Chris putting it that way made it sound stupid to Rauf that he had asked.

But he was desperate.

Desperate times called for desperate measures.

Chris seemed to be a failed plan.

"You know what? Just forget I asked."

Chris had stopped laughing, but the amusement still sounded in his voice.

"Aren’t you giving up too soon? For someone who claims to love my sister so much, I expect more."

Rauf ran his hand through his hair.

"I’m not giving up on her. I’m just saying you should forget I ever asked you for help."

"Hmm... You don’t mean that, because I was willing to help you."

Chris seemed to be having fun toying with him, or maybe this was his actual way of punishing him for hurting his sister.

Anyway, Rauf didn’t know if he could trust him completely.

"You will?"

"Of course!"

Before Rauf could interrupt again, Chris continued.

"I think you’re trying too hard to win my sister over."

Rauf frowned.

"Wasn’t I supposed to? How would she know I was being honest if I didn’t try hard enough?"

Chris chuckled.

"I asked you the other day if you truly know June. If you do, you’ll know she isn’t impressed by your money, gifts, or expensive food."

The more he spoke, the more Rauf seemed to be confused.

"Then what am I supposed to do?"

This was the same question he had posed to June, but it didn’t look like she planned on telling him.

Chris was a different matter.

"If you really want her back, stop trying to convince her. Give her a reason to trust you again."

Bingo had woken up and came to curl up against his leg.

"How am I supposed to give her a reason to trust me again when she doesn’t even want to see me?"

Chris was silent for a while before responding.

"You know what? I’ll create opportunities for you. It’s up to you to use them well."

This was the last thing Rauf had expected Chris to say.

For the first time ever, Rauf thanked someone. ℯℯ𝑙.

Just when Chris was about to hang up, he asked, "Does she truly intend to raise the child herself?"

Chris sighed.

"That I can’t answer. You’ll need to ask her yourself. But watch her mood before asking."

And then he hung up.

Rauf rested on the couch, a small smile on his lips.

Another glimmer of hope.

This time, he wouldn’t miss it.

Meanwhile, at Vassari’s mansion, Amie paced around her room, her phone clutched to her ear.

"Pick up, Dad. Pick up."

The phone stopped again.

Amie threw the phone onto the floor in annoyance.

The reason Rauf had been giving her attitude back in Kansas was now clear to her.

It had nothing to do with her attitude.

It was that bitch.

She could tell from the way his eyes had been fixed on June during dinner last night.

Even when he tried not to keep his eyes on her, she could tell June was all he could see.

And to get more sympathy, she had to fake falling unconscious.

Amie growled, kicking her bed hard.

Why didn’t she think of that idea before June?

And now, her father, who was supposed to give her more ideas, wasn’t picking up.

After shouting and screaming at nothing, she lay on the bed, breathing hard.

It was a good thing the introduction party would happen soon. When the world finally acknowledged her as the heiress to the Vassari empire, there would be no point pretending to be a good girl.

She would be able to leave the mansion and probably fix this problem with June forever.

She had found it difficult to sleep and was eager to know what Gerald had found out.

So, before going out for breakfast, she called him.

Gerald bowed to her.

"So?" she asked, her heart beating fast.

"I was able to find out the reason she collapsed."

Amie nodded her head.

She didn’t care how he had found out. It was the reason her father had sent him to the mansion, to help him gather information and, if possible, get rid of June forever.

"And what did you find out?"

"She collapsed from fatigue. She had been doing too much and eating too little."

The response satisfied Amie, and she relaxed.

That suited her well.

She was a fool who had left home in annoyance. Instead of begging her father to help her, her pride wouldn’t let her.

Even if she was Chris’s sugar baby, there was a limit to what Chris could give her. When she finally became the legal heiress, she would make sure June had no right to stay in the mansion.

With each thought, her smile grew wider.

Until...

"But that’s not all, ma’am."

Amie smiled.

"There’s more."

Gerald nodded.

"Yes, ma’am. I was able to find out she was pregnant."

"What?"

Amie’s smile turned into a frown. She glared at Gerald as if he were responsible for June’s pregnancy.

"By who?"

Gerald’s face remained expressionless.

"I don’t know, but I could find out, ma’am."

But Amie didn’t care about his response.

Either way, it was bad.

If it was Rauf’s, then June could use the baby as a way to get Amie’s husband back.

And if it was Chris’s, that baby might as well be the future heir of the Vassari empire.

Either way, she was screwed because she didn’t want June to have anything to do with her.

Amie bit her nails.

"Have you told my father?"

"I’m just planning on telling the boss soon."

"Well, call him now and tell him."

Gerald brought out his phone and dialled his number.

After two beeps, the call was connected.

Amie frowned.

Did her father ignore her call, or why didn’t he pick hers?

Before Gerald could speak, she snatched the phone from him.

"Dad, you won’t believe June is pregnant."