Safe Place

"Your house?" Amelia squeaked, her brain going short-circuit. "Why can't the police help? We could just drive to the nearest station―"

"Would you like to stay at the police station for the night, then?" Matteo asked without turning his gaze away from the road. "My guess is that the black car will not relent if it's so determined to follow us through traffic. It can easily camp a short distance away until we leave the station before following us again."

Amelia's lips were pursed as she thought about Matteo's words. He was right. And they had no proof that the car really was following them; if questioned, the driver could always play it off as a coincidence.

Although, Amelia had a feeling she knew the driver personally, and it was someone she didn't wish to meet.

"If it's Caleb, he knows where my father lives," Amelia softly said.

Matteo's eyes turned away from the road ahead for a split second to glance at Amelia before turning back. He sighed heavily, exhaling from his nose before he touched the panel in the car. A name lit up the screen, followed by a short, rude voice.

"Look who decided to call," the man on the other side said with a harrumph. "What do you want?"

"Send someone over to Amelia's apartment," Matteo instructed without reacting to the man's tone. "We're being followed."

"Followed?" the man asked. There was some shuffling heard in the background before the speaker turned serious. "Where are you?"

"On the way back from the charity auction," Matteo replied. "Just do as I say."

"Fine," the man said. "I'll let you know if there are any updates."

The call disconnected shortly after, all with no change to Matteo's expression.

"Your father will be fine," Matteo said, his voice a lot softer and warmer than what was used to communicate on the call, and Amelia's heart fluttered with gratitude.

"Thank you," she murmured.

Matteo drove quickly, and thankfully, there weren't too many cars at this hour of the night. They cruised down the road before eventually losing the black car at the gate to Matteo's apartment building in the heart of the city, where security was strict. The black car wasn't a registered resident vehicle, and as such, wasn't allowed in.

Amelia could only breathe out a sigh of relief then. Her eyes trailed to Matteo's hands on the steering wheel, his strong fingers gripping it tightly until the point where his knuckles turned white.

The car drove into an elevator, and Amelia chewed on her bottom lip in awe. Was this the life of the rich? She had never seen an elevator meant for vehicles before. The doors opened to lead to a private garage, and only after parking the car among various other fancy sports cars did Matteo finally step out.

Amelia followed, her heels clicking against the floor as she scuttled behind Matteo.

"You can stay in―" Matteo cut himself short, sighing before furrowing his eyebrows. "Never mind, follow me," he said instead.

Amelia obediently followed Matteo into yet another private elevator and then through a series of doors, her eyes widening as she stepped into the penthouse. There were ceiling-to-floor windows, and the living room space consisted of two floors to create an elevated ceiling. A huge chandelier hung near the stairwell, and when peering out of the window, Amelia could see the entirety of Sol City's skyline.

"This way," Matteo urged, and he climbed up the stairs before pushing the door at the end of the corridor open.

When Amelia stepped in, she was immediately engulfed by the refreshing scent of mint and the calming notes of lavender. The bedroom that Matteo had led her to also had ceiling-to-floor windows, drawn to allow the silvery moonlight to shine into the room before he switched on the ambiance lights.

"Bathroom is there," Matteo said. "I will bring you a set of clothes after. Feel free to wash up first."

With that said, Matteo left the room, closing the door behind him softly.

Up until now, Amelia had been operating on autopilot after realizing they were being tailed. Now that she was standing in her boss's apartment, Amelia didn't know how to act. Her nerves were fried, but as she stepped into the shower, a moan of pleasure slipped from her lips.

The warm water, paired with the force of the jet shower, massaged Amelia's tense muscles. By the time she stepped out, her whole body felt much more relaxed.

The only problem was, Matteo had never returned with her promised clothing despite saying he would.

"Mr. Montgomery?" Amelia called out. She had no choice but to step out of the room wrapped in nothing but a clean towel she found in one of the cupboards. 

Her feet padded across the carpeted floors of the room before they stepped onto the cold wood of the corridor. The whole apartment seemed empty, and Amelia wondered if Matteo had left to buy her clothes.

Suddenly, a chill ran down her spine. What if Matteo had left the penthouse and the black car followed him once more?

He wouldn't be in any danger, would he?

"Mr. Montgomery?" Amelia repeated with a little more urgency this time. 

She began to search through the house, knocking before opening every door she could. It was rude, but desperation eventually overwhelmed her rationality.

It wasn't until she heard the sound of soft murmurs that she stopped short in front of a door. She placed her hand on the handle, and with just three quick knocks, she pushed the door open. At the same time, the person from the other end pulled the door open as well, resulting in Amelia stumbling as she lost her balance.

A hand found her waist, holding her steady while she used her hands to prop herself against the person's chest.

Bare chest.

Amelia's face flushed when she realized she was eye-to-eye with a broad, muscular chest, droplets of bathwater still clinging onto his skin. When she looked up, she was met with Matteo's surprised expression, causing Amelia's face to burn even redder.

"Matteo?" a woman's voice called out, causing Amelia to jump in her skin. "Who's that?"