Chapter 46

Amy and Mr. Gray arrived ten minutes early. I was waiting in the foyer with Benson, and we showed them to the drawing room, where Alex and Victor waited.

Amy quietly looked around as I led her to the couch to sit with me. I could tell she was uncomfortable, so I squeezed her hand. It didn't help.

Benson offered drinks to us and our guests, and then he served them on a silver tray. Amy was quiet the entire time while Mr. Gray spoke with Alex.

It was apparent Amy and her father were uncomfortable, but Alex’s kindness began to put Mr. Gray at ease.

“I’ve eaten at your restaurant on three occasions,” Alex said. “The food was wonderful. Your prime rib is the best I’ve ever tasted.”

The praise made the chef more relaxed and happy. “Thank you, Mr. Wilson. I’m glad to hear you enjoyed my cooking.”

“With your talent, you should consider getting into catering, too. There’s a lot of money to be made with less overhead than running a restaurant,” Victor added.

“I considered catering at one time,” Amy’s dad said. “You’re right about the overhead being low, and the profit margin is higher.”

I was pleased to see Victor being as pleasant as he had been the previous evening. He could be charming at times.

But something was wrong with Amy. She sat stiffly next to me on the couch. I could feel how tense she was. And there was a frown on her face as she sat silently by my side.

I wasn’t sure how to put her more at ease. Alex noticed how quiet she was and tried to draw her into the conversation.

“Amy, I am pleased to hear you’re coming to the ball. You and Daisy are growing up so quickly. Are you excited to be graduating from school soon?” Alex asked.

Amy nodded and gave him a weak smile. “Yes, sir, I am.”

“Are you planning to attend college after graduation?” he asked.

“No, at least not for a while,” Amy replied.

“She’s going to work with me at the restaurant full-time for a while,” Mr. Gray explained.

“Oh, are you going to study to be a chef like your father?” Victor asked. “You could probably learn a lot from him.”

Amy stared out the window and didn’t answer. I could feel her body shaking slightly.

“Dinner won’t be ready for a while yet, and you girls look bored,” Alex said. “Daisy, why don’t you show Amy around the house.”

Amy stood up and headed for the door. She seemed to be more nervous about being in the mansion than I was the first time I was here and met Alex.

I hoped she would loosen up and have fun as I gave her a tour of the house, but she remained quiet most of the time.

I took her upstairs and started in the library. “Look at all these great old books. I love this room,” I told her.

She made a slow circle of the room, stopping to look at a few books. Then she stopped and crossed her arms over her chest.

Next, we went down the hall to the next door, and I showed her my bedroom.

She took a quick look around and wandered out on the balcony, and stared off into the distance.

“Amy, what’s the matter?” I joined her on the balcony. She seemed extremely distant, and it wasn’t like her at all.

I knew she was nervous, but there seemed to be an edge of anger beneath her anxiety.

“Nothing,” Amy said. “Aren’t you gonna show me the famous ballroom?”

“Sure,” I said and took her hand. “Come on,” I led her into the hallway and back downstairs.

“The ballroom is on the other side of the house,” I explained. “I can show you a couple more neat places on the way there.”

She pulled her hand away, but she followed me down the long hallways, mumbling something about getting lost.

Our first stop was the music room. “This is where I broke my first dance instructor's arm.” I giggled, but Amy just gave me a half smile and ran her fingers across the keys to the grand piano.

She always wanted to learn, but her family never had the time or money to do so.

We moved down the hall, and I showed her the sunroom. It was a bright, sunny room with a glass wall facing east. “We enjoy breakfast here sometimes,” I explained.

After that, there was the game room. “There’s a bunch of board games in that cupboard over there. Or you can try some video games on the big screen TV if you want,” I said.

Amy just shook her head. I had never seen her like this before. She was starting to look at me in a way that made me cringe.

I didn’t know what to do or say to make things better between us. I decided to keep going, and maybe she would tell me what was wrong.

“Okay. Then let’s move on to the ballroom.”

She followed me down the longest hallway to the ornately carved double doors, and I motioned her inside.

I could tell she was as awed as I was the first time I saw this room. She strolled around the edge of the dance floor, looking up at each chandelier and stopping to stare at the portrait of my parents.

“Your mother was beautiful,” she said in a high-pitched voice that I knew meant she was upset. “Beautiful and rich, exactly like you are now.”

I didn’t know what to say. She made the word beautiful sound like an insult, and I couldn’t deny that my family was wealthy.

“Let’s go back and see if dinner is ready yet,” I suggested.

This was the first time I was uncomfortable in Amy’s presence. The way she shook slightly made her look like she was close to exploding.

It was as if she would either burst into tears or start screaming as we walked back the long hallway to the drawing room.

But when we returned to the drawing room, she sat quietly next to her father on the loveseat and listened to the men talk.

Benson arrived a few moments later and announced dinner, so we went to the dining room to eat.

Mr. Gray was very complimentary of every course of the meal.

Amy sat next to me and ate very little. She seemed to be concentrating on the crystal chandelier that hung over the antique oak table.

When Benson and a maid cleared the dishes from the third course, Amy began to show anger directed at me.

“I can’t believe you’re enjoying other people’s hard work,” she murmured to me. “How can you use them like this?”

“I’m not using anybody,” I whispered to her. “Amy, what’s the matter?”

“You,” she said. “Where did my friend go? I bet you don’t lift a finger to do anything for yourself anymore.”

Where was all this coming from? She knew my father was wealthy. I had described the house and my life to her in detail, and she never said anything like this to me before.

“You’re just another spoiled, wealthy Alpha now,” Amy hissed. “They brainwashed you.”

“Amy, my life has changed, but I’m still me.” I felt tears sting my eyes. There was a lump in my throat, and I started to feel sick.

I looked at my friend and saw her staring back at me with big eyes. Her words shocked us both.

“I shouldn’t have said that,” Amy said. “Can we go somewhere and talk alone, Daisy, please?”

I nodded and whispered, “Let’s go to my room.”