Five Years Later.

Five Years Later POV: Amelia Lancaster Five years had passed since the day I left that hospital, and I was no longer the weak, quiet wife who waited around for Ethan Kingsley to come home for dinner. I was now the executive president of Lancaster Global, my family's multinational corporation, and my first major business move after returning to the city was buying out his biggest market rival overnight. Did I forget to mention I was the Lancaster heiress who initially left her family for 'love'. Look where it got me "Miss Lancaster, the board members from the acquired company are waiting for you in the main conference room, and the reporters outside are trying to get a statement about your sudden buyout," my secretary, Stacy, said as she walked alongside me down the hallway while looking at his tablet. "Tell the reporters that Lancaster Global is simply expanding into new territories, and let the board members know I will be in the room in five minutes," I replied, adjusting my blazer as we walked into my private office. "Ethan Kingsley tried to reach out to our legal team three times this morning because your acquisition directly cuts off his main supply line," Lucas added, standing near my table with a small grin on his face. "Let him try to call as many times as he wants, but tell our legal team not to answer any of his requests," I said, sitting down at the table to sign a few documents before the evening charity gala. Later that evening, the grand ballroom of the city's finest hotel was packed with business leaders and reporters, I brought my five-year-old daughter Lily along because the event was hosted by the Lancaster Foundation. "Mommy, can I please get another chocolate cup from the food table near the entrance?" Lily asked, tugging on my dress while pointing toward the dessert station across the room. "You can have one more, but you need to stay with Uncle Lucas while I speak to these investors over here," I said, bending down to fix her dress before handing her hand over to Lucas. "Don't worry, Amelia, I will keep an eye on her while you handle the board members near the stage," Lucas said, taking Lily's small hand as they walked off toward the dessert area. While Lucas was turned around answering a quick phone call from a client, Lily saw a silver tray of chocolates on a small table near the VIP lounge, so she let go of his hand and skipped over to grab one. She wasn't paying attention as she turned around with her napkin, and she bumped right into a tall man in a dark suit who was holding a glass of red wine. "Oh, I'm so sorry, sweetie, are you hurt anywhere?" Ethan asked as he quickly caught her by the shoulders to stop her from falling onto the floor. "I'm okay, mister, I was just trying to get a chocolate cup from that table over there," Lily said in her cheerful voice, looking straight up at his face with her large brown eyes. Ethan knelt down on one knee to help her straighten out her little skirt, but as soon as he looked directly into her eyes and saw the small dimple on her left cheek, his hands froze in place. "What is your name, little girl, and where are your parents?" Ethan asked softly, and his voice was slightly shaky as he kept staring at her face. "My name is Lily Lancaster, and my mommy is over there by the big lights," Lily said, pointing her small finger across the crowded ballroom toward the front stage. "Lily, there you are, you shouldn't run off like that without telling me," I said as I walked up behind her, lifting her up into my arms before I even looked at the man on the floor. Ethan stood up slowly, turning around to face me, and the moment his eyes landed on my face, his wine glass slipped from his fingers and shattered on the floor right beside his shoes. "Amelia?" Ethan gasped out, his face going completely pale as he took a small step toward me with his hand outstretched. "Is that really you, or am I going crazy after all these years?" "Excuse me, sir, but you need to watch where you are stepping because there is broken glass all over the floor around your shoes," I said in a cold, professional tone, holding Lily tightly against my shoulder while looking right past him. "Amelia, stop joking around with me like this, because everyone said you died in that crash five years ago, and I spent months looking for you," Ethan said, his voice rising as he reached out to touch my arm. "I think you have mistaken me for someone else, Mr. Kingsley, because my name is Amelia Lancaster, the executive president of Lancaster Global, and I have never met you before in my life," I said smoothly, stepping back to avoid his touch while Lucas walked up to stand right beside me. "That's impossible, you look exactly like my ex-wife, and that little girl's eyes look just like mine," Ethan shouted, trying to push past Lucas, but two security guards quickly stepped in between us to block his path. "Mr. Kingsley, if you continue to harass our chief executive and her daughter, I will have security escort you out of the gala immediately," Lucas said in a firm voice, signaling for the guards to keep Ethan away from us. "Amelia, please just talk to me for one minute," Ethan yelled from behind the guards as I turned around and calmly walked toward the exit with Lily in my arms.