Scum Daddy Dreams Of Stealing My Mommy!
Chapter 323 Mr. Hart’s Unorthodox Protection

Chapter 323: Chapter 323 Mr. Hart’s Unorthodox Protection

Amelia was driving to the cemetery when Christopher called her.

She put on her Bluetooth headset, slightly surprised, "You’re still awake?"

"I asked you to let me know once everything was sorted out, but you’ve been silent. I was worried something might have happened to you," Christopher explained, then asked with concern, "Is everything at the office taken care of?"

"Mm..." Her mood was downcast, and she didn’t want to say much.

Christopher sensed it immediately. His tone carried more worry as he asked, "What’s wrong? You don’t sound happy."

"Nothing. I’m driving, busy with some things. By the way, I won’t visit the hospital tonight. Once I finish up here, I’ll head straight home. You behave and follow the doctor’s instructions, and rest well."

Just as she had gotten into the car, she caught a glimpse of herself in the rearview mirror. Her left cheek had a red mark from where Michael Garcia had struck her with a folder. It wouldn’t fade by the end of the day.

She didn’t want to go to the hospital and risk Christopher noticing.

Even if their relationship had returned to what it once was, perhaps even closer than their three years of marriage, she still didn’t want to expose herself as pitiful or unlucky in front of him.

Everyone has scars buried deep in their hearts, and uncovering them for anyone only brings raw pain.

She preferred to handle it on her own.

Besides, Christopher’s current condition meant that his health was the priority.

If he knew about this, his concern might lead to rash decisions, possibly creating more trouble.

"All right. I’m being discharged tomorrow. If you’re free, come pick me up," he said.

She was startled. "Discharged tomorrow? Is your injury fully healed? Did the doctor agree?"

"Healing takes time. Resting at home will be the same as being here," he replied.

"Fine, as long as you’re happy."

Hanging up, Amelia quietly continued driving. Her expression was calm, but tension lingered between her brows.

In some ways, she and Christopher really were "a perfect match."

For the longest time, she thought Emma Carter and George Hart were eccentric, but now she realized that, compared to Michael Garcia, they were nothing.

Moreover, they weren’t unloving parents.

They simply wanted control over their children, wanting them to follow their paths.

And Michael Garcia?

He was someone who didn’t love anyone but himself.

Every word and action of his was fueled by personal gain and selfish desires, ready to exploit and discard his wife, children, and family.

Reflecting on this, she couldn’t help but laugh coldly.

In truth, she should be grateful to Michael Garcia.

With him as a comparison, even those quirky in-laws didn’t seem so vile. At least, it was simply the common parental sentiment of loving their children deeply, albeit misguidedly.

At the hospital, Christopher furrowed his brows and inadvertently left his phone behind.

Amelia was clearly hiding something from him; it was evident.

Normally, he’d immediately dispatch someone to investigate or quietly tail her—but remembering how he had promised her just this afternoon to give her space and freedom, he reconsidered.

If she chose not to say, there must be reasons for it.

Intervening by force would only provoke her further displeasure.

After thinking it through, he abandoned that thought but still made a phone call.

Amelia had just arrived at the cemetery when her phone rang.

Seeing the call was from Snow, she answered, "Hey, Snow."

"What are you busy with? It’s been days without any word from you."

She sighed, "There’s really been a lot going on."

"Sighing again? Did Christopher upset you?"

"No, we’re doing just fine."

"Then... did the little ones make you angry?"

"Not at all..."

"What could it be then? Problems at the company?"

Hearing Snow’s probing questions, Amelia suddenly caught on and smiled lightly, "Did Christopher ask you to call me?"

"Uh—" Snow stammered, then chuckled, "You two really know each other so well. Seems like a true connection of minds."

In fact, Snow’s call had indeed been instigated by Christopher.

He felt Amelia wasn’t in a good mood, but she wouldn’t confide in him, so he thought her close friend might be able to help—thus asking Snow to call and comfort her if needed.

Thinking of how Christopher, with his personality, would go out of his way to ask for help moved her inexplicably. "I’m fine. I just haven’t visited the cemetery in a while, so I came to see my mom and grandparents," she explained.

"Oh, I see. Well, as long as you’re okay. But it’s freezing today. Don’t stay too long at the cemetery, or you might catch a cold," Snow advised.

"Mm, got it. I’ll hang up now."

Snow passed the word back to Christopher.

"It’s definitely not a random visit; it must’ve been something that triggered her memory," Christopher astutely observed, then asked Snow, "Aren’t you a shareholder in Venus? Shouldn’t you be showing up there more often?"

"I... don’t often go—haha, I trust Amelia entirely. Whether I’m there or not doesn’t make a difference," Snow replied.

"From now on, make frequent visits. If there’s ever anything challenging at the company, let me know directly," Christopher instructed.

He figured this wasn’t considered spying or restricting her freedom, right?

Snow was surprised. "You... you mean, you want me to act as your informant? If Amelia finds out, she’ll be upset with me!"

"Then you can tell her I forced you into it," Christopher said.

"Alright..." Snow reluctantly agreed, ultimately pleased, "You seem so devoted to Amelia now—it really puts me at ease. Anyway, when are you two getting remarried? Sure, that piece of paper doesn’t mean much, but it would officially cement your status as President Hart."

The reason Snow brought this up was clear—her best friend undoubtedly cared little for any official paperwork.

But Mr. Hart was undoubtedly different.

With his jealousy and strong possessiveness, he was probably dreaming of solidifying their bond officially.

Truthfully, Christopher had already thought about this long ago, but his health had held him back.

"Thanks for your concern. I’ll handle it as soon as I can," he replied.

"Great! Waiting for your good news then."

————

Amelia lingered at the cemetery for a while before driving to the Ancient Town.

She had thought the courtyard would have been neglected into ruins long ago, but upon arriving, she discovered that the property was well-preserved and still inhabited.

A family of three.

After chatting with the neighbors, she learned there seemed to be no male head of household.

It was just a mother and daughter living there, along with a little boy who called them "Mom" and "Grandma."

That was strange—living with three generations yet no men?

Amelia considered going inside to ask but then decided to drop the idea.

She’d start with some investigation instead.

She couldn’t shake the feeling that the residents might have something to do with Michael Garcia.

Her phone rang again, this time from Imperial Garden. Without even answering, she knew it was the kids calling.

"Yes, Mommy’s getting off work now. But there’s traffic, so you don’t need to wait for me—go ahead and eat, okay?" Returning from the Ancient Town to the River City District would take an hour and a half if there wasn’t any congestion, and two hours if there was. She wouldn’t be able to join the kids for dinner.

Back in the car, she retrieved her makeup kit and covered up the red mark on her face, letting her hair down to conceal it. The little ones probably wouldn’t notice.

Nearly at Imperial Garden, Benny Palmer called her.

"Benny, what’s up?" she answered.

"Amelia... you would never guess who just asked me about you."

Benny dragged it out as if deliberately trying to rile up Amelia. She felt a jolt in her chest and thought, is today’s trouble still not over?

"Who?"

"Your old rival in love."

She frowned in confusion, "Can you speak plainly?"

"Oh, fine! The foreign girl! The one who was smitten with Kane—Betty! She just called to ask if you’d been in that plane crash a while ago and whether you were alright or back in the country."

Betty?

Amelia breathed a sigh of relief but couldn’t help her curiosity. "And since when are you so buddy-buddy with her?"

"No, I’m not! She couldn’t reach you and wanted to know how you were, so she called me to ask, that’s all," Benny explained.

"You two aren’t close, yet she has your number?"

"Well..." Benny chuckled sheepishly, "Isn’t this all thanks to you two? Christopher’s been working so hard to win you back that he’s taken on some pretty costly projects in Europe. Sure, they’re profitable, but he basically has to fly out there every month. Can’t this guy’s current condition spare someone? Guess who has to pick up his workload? Me! Before I wouldn’t mind, it’d be just extra trips—but after your plane crash, I’ve developed a fear of flying! Now you two are all lovey-dovey, but I’m suffering!"

While she had only asked casually earlier, Benny rambled on, drawing a laugh from Amelia. "Serves you right for associating with questionable friends!"

"Hey, you two really have matching tempers, don’t you?" Benny complained.

What he meant, of course, was that they both had sharp tongues.

Yet when Amelia heard this, she thought instead of Christopher’s insatiable passion during their kisses and stayed silent.

"Never mind, I just wanted to tell you that the foreign girl asked me for your number, and I gave it to her. She’ll probably contact you soon."

Before he could even finish his sentence, the car screen lit up with another incoming call—from an overseas number.

"She’s already calling me." Amelia frowned and scolded, "Why did you give her my number? I barely know her!"

"Good luck with that call! Serves you right for always having Christopher boss me around and taunting me. I had to find something to stir things up to balance my mind!"

Switching to the call, Amelia responded in English.

Betty greeted her warmly, "Did you know I’d call?"

"Benny just called me earlier, hadn’t even finished saying you’d contact me, and here you are," Amelia replied. Betty had once rubbed her the wrong way—she seemed like a spoiled Heaven’s Pride type, much like Lily Garcia.

But after meeting again in Zurich, perhaps due to their changed circumstances, Amelia found this slightly younger girl oddly charming.

Straightforward and candid, but naive and extravagantly wealthy.

"Don’t blame him. I forced him to give me your number. Kane mentioned the plane crash, and I wanted to check how you were doing since I couldn’t reach you," Betty explained.

Amelia chuckled faintly, focusing on driving. "Miss Betty, we’re not close, but thank you for your concern."

"We’re friends! Friends care about one another," Betty exclaimed.

Friends?

Amelia smirked lightly—what, exactly, was this privileged lady’s game?

Seeing her silence, Betty asked again, "Do you despise me? Not want to be my friend?"

Despise her? Far from it. But they were undeniably from different worlds.

"No, Miss Betty, you’re overthinking it."

"No need to deny it, I know. You’re beautiful, capable, and you probably look down on people like me, who live under the glow of their family’s reputation and have nothing more than money to speak for themselves."

Amelia: "..."

She simply couldn’t comprehend this top-tier wealthy debutante. Oh wait—not just a second-generation rich kid, she must be fourth or fifth-generation by now, right?

Essentially, this kind of heiress was suddenly crossing paths with her—for what reason?

Had rejection from Kane led to heartbreak so profound that her personality had transformed? Or perhaps her preferences shifted entirely?

Amelia was baffled.

What frustrated her even more was that she’d already clearly stated she was driving and thanked Betty for her concern, asking to end the call. Yet the heiress just kept on chatting like she’d found a confidant sister to vent all her thoughts to.

It wasn’t until Amelia reached Imperial Garden and parked her car that she finally had to make herself clear before the other end relented. "Alright then, we’ll catch up when you’re free."

As soon as the phone call ended, Amelia shook her head in exasperation.

She thought "catch up later" was just a courtesy—little did she expect two days later that Betty would parachute into River City holding a resume to interview at Venus!

————

The following morning, Amelia rode with Fuller, first dropping the kids off at kindergarten before heading to the hospital to pick up Christopher.

The red mark on her cheek hadn’t completely faded yet, but applying makeup, carefully using concealer, and leaving her hair down to naturally cover it took care of most of the issue.

To her dismay, however, Christopher spotted it in an instant.

"What happened to your face?" He tilted his head slightly, his dark eyes fixating on the left side of her face. His expression instantly grew serious.

"Nothing. Since you’re getting discharged, it’s a happy occasion, so I dressed up just to welcome you—how’s this look? Satisfied?" Amelia smiled gently and even made an adorable gesture with her hands raised.

He stared at her and uttered just two words: "Come here."

"What for?"

"You’re too far away. I don’t like it," he replied.

"..." She gave him a glaring side-eye but still stepped closer.

Without warning, Christopher grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward him.

"Christopher! What are you—ah! Let go! That hurts!" She had planned to protest when he suddenly reached out and touched her face, intentionally brushing over the concealed red mark.

"Who did this?" Now that his suspicion was confirmed, Christopher’s expression darkened beyond just sternness.

"..." Amelia broke free, brushing her hair aside to cover her face again.

"Are you going to tell me, or should I have someone investigate?" Displeasure radiated from Christopher as he saw her silence.

One thing was clear: yesterday must have brought her serious trouble.

But with Lily Garcia and her mother already behind bars, the company running smoothly, and no apparent enemies since the online smear campaign had long since ended—who could have caused her misery? Who would assault her?

Running through the possibilities, Christopher’s thoughts snapped to the visit from his family—including Wendy yesterday. His eyes grew sterner. "Was it my parents or Wendy?"

Seeing his misunderstanding, Amelia had no choice but to clarify, "Neither. It was Michael Garcia, my wretched excuse for a father."

Christopher was visibly stunned. "Why did he find you? Why did he hit you?"

"He wanted to sell my grandparents’ old house and needed me to sign an agreement. When I refused, he came to my office and caused a scene."

"That bastard! I’ll have someone teach him a lesson!" Christopher’s face blazed with fury as he reached for his phone to make calls.