Chapter 960
He had already given her a chance toe clean. Since she had no intention to tell him, he could
wait until his brother came back and demanded for an answer from him.
Amelia felt as if Patrick could read her mind when he nced at her. However, in the next second,
she heard Patrick saying, "I just want to trick you. If you ever hide any secrets from me, you
wouldn''t have usibly spoken to me as if you are justified. In the worst scenario, even if in reality
you''re engaged in something unspeakable behind me, I would have already known it by now.
There''s nothing I wouldn''t know about you."
Patrick''s narcissism was right in the y.
In fact, this time Amelia did not find his arrogance annoying. A stuck-up person would have been
ignorant in details. This was exactly what she wanted to see from him.
Heaving a sigh of relief, she said, "I need to run through the kids'' homework now. I''ll go first."
With that said, Amelia bypassed him in an attempt to head to the spiral staircase.
However, in the next second, Patrick shifted his body sideways. As a result of this, he had
sessfully blocked her way.
The distance between her and Patrick was so close that she was forced to halt in order to prevent
bumping into him. ncing up, she grumbled, "What''s the matter again this time?"
Patrick murmured, "You seem to forget that I''m here under Nora''s order to show you the way."
Amelia said, "I don''t need you to show me the way. I know which room that Andrew and Ashley are
staying and I know how to go there. I would rather you stop following me from now onwards."
He had been following closely behind her all day. Along with his intimate behavior from time to time,
Amelia could feel that she fell for his charm again ever since she had dered to herself that she
was not going to be anymore.
She was aware that this would pose a threat to her determination to be estranged from
Patrick!
Patrick''s appearance alone was hard for anyone to resist, not to mention that he had been showing
his affection on purpose. Everything of him that came in a bundle had made her extremely
vulnerable!
Her sound mind was warning her to stay as far as possible away from the charm of this dangerously
good-looking man.
Patrick''s intensified gaze fell onto Amelia''s gloomy face. He said, "Are you now depriving me of my
privilege to express my concern towards their study as their uncle?"
Amelia was utterly dumbfounded.
She was not sure if there was any more appropriate word to describe her feeling at this moment.
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She could only find her voice after a few moments. Hastily she asked, "Do you have to follow me all
the time? Don''t you find this annoying?"
Unlike Amelia, who was trembling in anger, Patrick replied calmly without a doubt, "No, I don''t."
The atmosphere between them immediately fell into pin-drop silence.
After a while.
Feeling ridiculous, Amelia could not help saying, "Patrick, even though I don''t know what''s your
motive, I want to make myself clear that I find this very annoying. I don''t like to be with you all the
time and your presence makes me feel suffocating!"
"Nonsense." Patrick said affirmatively.
A single word from him had immediately sent Amelia into deep frustration.
Knock...knock...knock...
Amelia could hear a chair shuffling from inside after she knocked on the door.
A whileter, she heard someone mumbling behind the door.
"Who''s this?" It was Andrew who was speaking.
"Idiot! Who else can it be? It must be mommy! She''s here to check our homework. You don''t open
the door first. Let me finish copying the answer for this question!" Amelia could tell that this time it
was Ashley who spoke.
Amelia found it amusing especially when she heard Ashley calling her smart brother an idiot.
Ashley was mischievous as always. Meanwhile, Andrew was a shy and honest boy who would
never fight his sister back even after she bullied him.
Amelia cleared her throat before she raised her voice as she spoke, "Don''t worry. It''s me!"
As soon as she finished her words, the door right in front of Amelia was cracked open.
Lowering her gaze, all Amelia could see was that Andrew had to tiptoe in order to reach the
doorknob above his height. He was looking at Amelia with his face full of surprise that he lost his
ability to talk all of a sudden.
Andrew''s school uniform was short. His belly was immediately exposed when he tiptoed to open the
door for her.
Upon closer inspection, it was easy to tell that his stomach was covered with ayer of fat which
made him looked chubby.
She wondered if this was what wasmonly known as baby fat.
Just as Amelia was struggling to contain her impulse to touch his belly, Ashley had already jumped
down from her seat and dashed towards her. As she came, she shoved Andrew away and showed
herself up in front of Amelia. She eximed merrily, "Auntie Amelia! It''s you!"
Andrew showed Amelia a pitiful look as he rubbed the part of his shoulder which had just been
knocked by Ashley.
At the sight of Andrew''s silence after being bullied, Amelia could not help feeling sorry for him.
She bent over and spoke to Ashley sternly, "Ashley, you can''t always bully your brother. What if your
brother fall down by ident after you knock into him?"
Other than their own parents, perhaps only Amelia and Patrick had the right to criticize the kids.
After all, Ashley and Andrew had been taken care of under their wings for a significant period of
time which made Amelia and Patrick different from other rtives.
It was rare for Amelia to put up a stern face when she spoke to the kids. Realizing the seriousness
of this matter, Ashley lowered her head and stammered, ''Aunt Amelia, I''m too excited when I first
see you. I don''t mean to knock into Andrew."
"Since it is an ident, what are you supposed to say to your brother?" With a great amount of
patience, Amelia was trying to correct Ashley regarding her manners. Besides, she had emphasized
the word "brother" as she spoke.
Ashley was a smart kid after all. She immediately came to understand what Amelia was hinting at
her.
Leaning over, she spoke to Andrew who was one head taller than her in height, "It''s my fault,
Andrew. Can you forgive me?"
Andrew was no doubt delighted over the apology from his sister. He replied without hesitation,
"Sure!"
"Andrew is such a forgiving person! That''s a quality that a man should have!
Although Ashley can be naughty sometimes, it''s good to see that she will apologize for her mistake
sincerely. After all, she is the only princess of The Hopper Family. It''s unavoidable that she has
grown up being pampered by everyone."
Having this in mind, Amelia could not help feeling gratified.
Upon apologizing to her brother, Ashley could not wait to turn around and speak to Amelia again,
''Amelia, are you home for daddy''s bted birthday celebration?"
The phrases that Ashley used had caused Amelia to tear up.
She was afraid that she might misinterpret her meaning in that sentence. Hence she asked
tentatively, "Ashley, isn''t here your home? Why would you say that I''m at your home?"
Scratching her head, Ashley seemed confused of Amelia''s question. She asked in frustration, "Uh?
Is there any difference? My parents always tell me that your home is my home. Simrly, my home
is your home too."
Knowing that she was right when she first heard Ashley, Amelia could feel tears welling in her eyes.
It was as if her long-standing forbearance and contribution had became worthwhile. Even if Patrick
did not seem to appreciate her effort, she was d that there were still people out there who
respected and cherished her.
The Hopper Family had never hesitated to express their hatred towards people they despised of.
Amelia had learned this from people like Eve and Patrick.
Meanwhile, the Hopper Family had a straightforward way to show their adoration towards her too,
anyone except for Patrick and Eve.