Chapter 1 His New Wife
Amelia Martinez stood outside the hidden entrance of the underground casino, the evening breeze lifting her long hair and revealing a sharp jawline. She looked at the iron door disguised as a warehouse entrance and said calmly, "Is Henry inside?"
"Mrs. Phillips," Henry's assistant, Aiden, stepped forward with a smile, "Mr. Phillips is having a great time and has instructed not to be disturbed by anyone."
Amelia glanced at the flashing car lights at the street corner. "Three hundred feet away, at least seven media vehicles are heading this way."
Aiden's pupils contracted slightly.
Amelia continued, "Henry's scandal with Emily Johnson hasn't died down yet. If he's caught gambling late at night, the Phillips Group's stock will plummet tomorrow."
Aiden quickly stepped aside to let her pass.
Amelia walked into the dimly lit hallway, her high heels clicking against the floor. The further she went, the clearer the sounds of men shouting and women laughing became, mixed with the sound of dice rolling, weaving the air into a decadent web.
At the end of the hallway, the VIP room was the noisiest.
When Amelia pushed open the door, she saw Henry Phillips slam the dice cup onto the mahogany table. The bone dice spun wildly inside, making a tantalizing sound that drew cheers from the crowd.
Upon hearing the door open, Henry glanced up indifferently, gave Amelia a brief look, and then returned his focus to the gambling table.
"Henry," Amelia stood at the door, her cream-colored suit dress accentuating her cold demeanor, her tone businesslike, "There are reporters outside waiting for you. The recent scandal hasn't blown over yet."
The recent scandal involved Henry and the young starlet Emily Johnson, who was sitting next to him. She looked barely out of her teens, wearing a white dress like an innocent flower, and clapped her hands with a smile, "Mr. Phillips is on a roll tonight. I don't think we'll be leaving before dawn."
Amelia's gaze fell on the pile of chips stacked like a mountain, and she suddenly smiled.
Her smile was casual but carried an inexplicable pressure. "Winning makes you happy?"
She walked over and patted the shoulder of a man in a floral shirt. "Mind if I take your spot?"
The man looked at Amelia blankly, her eyes deep and cold, and the unexpected pressure made him stand up.
Amelia took a seat, picked up the dice, and tossed them into the cup, her wrist turning lightly, shaking it casually before slamming it onto the table.
Everyone around was stunned.
The force and the rhythm clearly showed she was a complete novice! The man in the floral shirt shook his head, thinking this woman was here to give Henry money.
But Amelia not only knew how to play, she knew how to play Henry.
She lifted the dice cup, revealing four fives and one four, a modest hand, but just enough to beat Henry's companion's "small."
First round, she won.
In the second round, Henry called "big," and Amelia's cup revealed three sixes and two fives, bigger than his "big."
In the third round, Henry slowed down; the sound of the dice shaking carried a sense of pressure, but Amelia seemed to see through him. As soon as he stopped, she said lightly, "I bet small."
When revealed, Henry had five threes, she had four twos, and a one.
The crowd gradually fell silent.
This wasn't luck; she was precisely matching Henry's rhythm to win!
Henry's face visibly darkened.
Half an hour later, Amelia's pile of chips was higher than Henry's had been. She pushed the chips forward, looked at the man opposite her, and said in a calm tone, "Henry, you've lost everything."
She stood up, straightened her dress, "Now, are you coming home with me?"
The air seemed to freeze into ice.
"Coming home with me"...that phrase carried a hint of ambiguity.
And it was said after making Henry look bad.
Eli, the man in the floral shirt, instinctively touched his nose, his eyes catching Henry's clenched fists.
Henry was probably about to explode, right?
Everyone knew Henry's methods in Emerald City. Years ago, someone made a few remarks about Henry at a party, saying he was too young for the business world. The next day, that person faced the consequences.
Henry's company directly acquired his and then dismantled it.
Such decisive action, who in Emerald City didn't know?
But this woman not only ruined his mood but dared to speak to him in a commanding tone; she was asking for trouble.
Time seemed to stand still; everyone held their breath, waiting to see what fate would befall this woman.
"Alright." After a moment, Henry suddenly chuckled.
What the hell?!
The word dragged out lazily.
Everyone was puzzled.
Henry loosened his tie, stood up, and naturally put his arm around Amelia's shoulder, his fingers brushing against the hair at the nape of her neck, "Let's go home."
Amelia's shoulder stiffened slightly.
Eli's cigarette fell to the ground, landing near Emily's feet.
Emily's face turned pale, her voice trembling, "Mr. Phillips, what is your relationship with her?"
Henry turned to look at her, his gaze as indifferent as if he were looking at a stranger, "She's my wife." He paused, then added, "We've been married for a month."
The room fell silent.
Though no one spoke, their thoughts were loud.
Henry got married?
The man who claimed "marriage is a shackle" had quietly shackled himself?
Amelia ignored the astonished looks, letting Henry half-embrace her as they walked out.
At the entrance, Aiden was sweating profusely, juggling his phone.
As soon as they stepped out of the revolving door, flashbulbs rained down.
Reporters surrounded them, cameras raised, questions pouring like rain, "Mr. Phillips, is this lady your partner?"
"Is the rumor about you and Emily true?"
Henry pulled Amelia closer, raised his other hand to block the cameras, his voice cold as ice, "No comment."
His fingers tightened around Amelia's wrist, his palm burning hot, leading her through the wall of reporters and into the black Bentley parked by the curb.
The car door closed, shutting out all the noise.
Amelia tried to pull her hand away, but Henry held it tighter.
Henry leaned in, the car's scent mixed with his whiskey breath, "A month without seeing you, and you suddenly coming to find me, did you miss me?"
Amelia yanked her wrist free, her skin red from the tight grip. "Grandpa asked me to keep an eye on you," she said, locking eyes with Henry. "The recent scandal has already hurt the Phillips Group's reputation. If more bad news comes out, the board will use it against you."
Henry chuckled softly and let it go. As he started the car, his fingers drummed a light rhythm on the steering wheel.
It was Henry's grandfather, Erik Phillips, who had roped Amelia into this.
To clear Henry's name from the negative press, Erik had no choice but to pair Henry with Amelia, presenting them as a couple to the reporters, effectively quashing the rumors.
After completing her task, Amelia brought Henry back to the Phillips Villa to report their success.
As soon as they stepped into the living room, a teacup shattered at Henry's feet.
Henry instinctively moved to shield Amelia behind him. She tried to step out from behind him, but he held her wrist firmly.
"Grandpa, calm down," Henry said, standing in front of her. "Let's talk this out."
Erik angrily jabbed his cane into the floor. "You idiot, do you even know what you've done?!"
"Recently, you were tangled up with Emily, and the board has been banging on my desk with stock reports every day! The Phillips Group's stock dropped three points. Do you understand?!"
"The Phillips family business isn't something for you to mess around with! Can't you make things easier for me?"
"How am I not making things easier?" Henry raised an eyebrow, releasing Amelia's hand and leisurely adjusting his pants, dampened by the tea. "Didn't the energy deal with Novaria last week just earn the company fifty billion dollars?"
Erik's expression softened slightly at the mention of the deal.
That transaction had indeed alleviated the Phillips Group's urgent needs, leaving even the most critical board members without complaints.
Erik's tone softened. "Even if you signed a big deal, you can't let your guard down. You're part of the Phillips family; you need to act with discretion and not give people any leverage."
"So, Grandpa, who was whispering in your ears behind my back?" Henry asked casually, his gaze sweeping over the servants standing in the corner of the living room.
"People wouldn't talk if you didn't give them a reason!" Erik glared at him. "If you were upright and proper, would you be afraid of gossip?"
Henry responded with a faint "Sure," prompting Erik to turn his attention to Amelia.
His expression instantly softened. "Amelia, you did well last night."
Amelia stood beside Henry and nodded slightly. "It was my duty."
Erik sighed, his gaze shifting between the two of them before suddenly changing the subject. "By the way, you're twenty-six this year, right?"
Amelia was taken aback but nodded.
"You're not getting any younger." Erik took a couple of steps closer with his cane. "You should consider having a child. It might help Henry settle down."
Amelia's smile froze for a moment before she quickly recovered, though the smile didn't reach her eyes. "I understand."
Erik nodded in satisfaction, and Amelia took the opportunity to step back and head to the kitchen to help with dinner.
The living room was left with just the Erick and his grandson.
Erik looked at Henry, his gaze deepening. "You don't seem to be interested in Amelia, do you?"
Henry remained silent.
Erik sighed. "But Amelia is a good girl. If you really don't like her, be straightforward and compensate her to leave. Don't keep messing around outside..."
Henry suddenly smiled, his fingers toying with a lighter in his pocket. He asked slowly, "Grandpa, what do you think of the name 'Bianca'?"
Erik looked puzzled. "What?"
"If we have a girl, we'll name her Bianca." Henry's fingers paused, his gaze drifting casually towards the kitchen.
Erik was even more confused.
"If it's a boy, we'll name him Chase," Henry continued, almost as if he were talking to himself. "Grandpa, what do you think?"
Erik was stunned, taking a moment to react, a hint of a smile appearing in his cloudy eyes. "What are you getting at?"
Henry looked up, meeting Erik's gaze, a meaningful smile curving his lips. "You want a great-grandchild, right?"
"Then we'll have one."
Amelia emerged from the kitchen with a plate of freshly cut fruit, just in time to see Henry whispering something into Erik's ear. Erik was smiling, the wrinkles around his eyes forming a chrysanthemum-like pattern.
She paused in her steps.
Henry certainly had a knack for it. Half an hour ago, he was being scolded, and now he had the most rule-abiding Erik smiling from ear to ear. That talent for manipulating people seemed to be ingrained in his bones.
"Amelia, come sit," Erik gestured to the empty seat beside him. "I just told the kitchen to make your favorite pear soup, but Henry said you have a weak stomach, so they changed it to chicken soup."
Amelia placed the fruit on the coffee table and was about to thank him when the sound of keys turning at the entrance caught her attention.
"Dad, we're back."
Several people entered the Phillips Villa.
The speaker was Henry's father, Finn Phillips, dressed in a neatly pressed gray suit, his hair meticulously combed.
Behind him was his wife, Ava Davis, in a Chanel ensemble, her well-maintained face adorned with a polite smile, though the scrutiny in her eyes was unmistakable.
As soon as she spoke, two more people walked in.
Henry's sister, Rhea Phillips, was dressed in business attire, carrying a file bag, looking like she had just come from the office.
Henry's brother, Hayden Phillips, was in sportswear, seemingly fresh from a game, with a light sweat on his forehead.
As dinner time approached, the Phillips family members gradually returned home to eat.
Finn's branch of the family was small but held an open secret within Emerald City's elite circles.
Rhea and Hayden were Ava's children, while Henry was born from Finn's affair with another woman.
That woman was said to have passed away early, and Henry was brought to the Phillips Villa at the age of ten.
Initially, Erik didn't think much of him, but Henry's success in securing major deals for the Phillips Group eventually changed Erik's opinion.
Ava approached Henry with a bowl of soup, her smile gentle. "Henry, you look thinner lately. No matter how busy you are, you need to take care of yourself."
Henry looked up, his tone indifferent, not reaching for the soup. "Thanks."
"We're family; no need to be so formal." Ava placed the bowl down and added some food to Rhea's plate. "Rhea, you've been working hard at the company. I heard you're handling that real estate project?"
"It's not too bad, not too tiring," Rhea replied with a smile, her gaze shifting to Henry. "But Henry's impressive. The Novaria energy deal was truly impressive; the board has been praising him."
Though it sounded like praise, Amelia detected the hostility in her tone.
Hayden chimed in, "Yeah, Henry's been making bigger moves in the company these past few years. Looks like Rhea and I will have to rely on you in the future."