Chapter 9 It's All in the Past

• Blakey's full name was Blake Gareth. He was a rising star within the figure skating world within these two years.
• When Amelie and Bria arrived, he was leaning against the railing with his skates on and was still in his training uniform. His figure was slim, his legs were long, and as the sleeves of his uniform fluttered, Blake looked just like an exiled celestial being.
• He completely portrayed the image of a handsome nobleman, especially when he had a few bangs delicately framing his stunning face. Awestruck by Blake's unparalleled charm, Amelie sighed, "What a fine man! His gentle bearing truly overshadows all men."
• A sheepish smile painted across Blake's face when he saw her. "Hey, Amelie."
• With that, she pulled Bria closer, motioning her to greet Blake. "Quick. Call him Mr. Blake."
• "Mr. Blake, you are so handsome and ethereal, like a celestial being. I shall call you Mr. Celeste." Bria, who had left the Alston Residence, completely let herself run wild and tossed all her etiquette lessons to the wind. Hence, she no longer spoke cautiously.
• Blake smiled shyly at her earnest praise. He even gave Bria a small white bracelet as a gift.
• Bria liked it so much that she started examining and playing with it alone.
• "Amelie, I've heard… about your news. Are you alright?" Blake only cast a concerned look at her after he saw Bria leaving their vicinity.
• Amelie shrugged indifferently as she said, "It's all in the past. I'm doing pretty well."
• The gaze in Blake's eyes flickered as he scrutinized her. Since he was an extremely detail-oriented person, he naturally knew that Amelie hadn't completely recovered from her previous marriage. Even so, he still sensibly stopped asking any more questions.
• Thus, he suggested thoughtfully, "Amelie, let's perform a figure skating routine, shall we?"
• As they said, one should learn healthy coping mechanisms. Hence, her heart pumped with excitement the moment she heard his suggestion.
• Although her figure skating skill wasn't as good as his, she, too, had undergone some serious training before. Initially, she practiced figure skating just so she could convince Blake. She didn't expect that she would fall in love with the sport herself.
• "Sure." Since she had nothing better to do anyway, she thought it was an excellent time to have some fun. "But I want Bria to skate with me."
• He naturally had no objection to her request.
• When Bria heard that Blake and Amelie were going to take her skating with them, she was so happy that she clapped her hands and jumped for joy.
• Shortly after, he brought skates and training uniforms for the two before leading them into the skating rink.
• While Amelie started doing her warm-ups, Blake first took Bria to familiarize herself with the rink and taught her some simple exercises.
• For a 3-year-old, Bria was a surprisingly fast learner, for she was able to perform some spins around the rink under Blake's lead in no time.
• Soon, Amelie chased after them with graceful glides and took Bria's other hand. Just like that, the three skated together in the rink.
• A trio containing two adults and a little girl made their appearance on the skating rink. The adults looked like a match made in heaven, and the little girl was adorable, so they immediately garnered a lot of attention and praise from the audience.
• At some point, melodious music sounded over the rink.
• Amelie spun as she instinctively pushed Bria, whereas Blake firmly caught her.
• She found the routine fun and giggled happily as she demanded more.
• Then, Amelie lifted her up. Blake, on the other hand, skated behind her. He firmly grabbed her waist, balancing her as he led her to do another spin.
• Since Blake's figure skating skills were superb, Amelie was not at all worried that she and Bria would fall.
• They danced and skated to their heart's content, completely immersing themselves in the passionate beat of the music.
• As she possessed a pair of long legs, a thin waist, and exceptional dancing skills, every movement she made perfectly matched the rhythm of the music. In addition, her graceful and beautiful movements made her look just like a mysterious elf dancing across the ice as she spun between Blake's arms. Each glide she made was elegant yet exuded a mesmerizing aura.
• Blake's gaze softened at some point. He slightly clasped his arms which allowed room for Amelie to embrace Bria as she spun between his arms. The corners of his lips curled into a tender smile.
• Meanwhile, on the other end, Elyse and Leo walked in. When Elyse saw this scene, she exclaimed, "Wow! What a harmonious family!"
• Leo looked over at the comment and saw three figures skating gracefully. Because Bria and Amelie were wearing helmets, Leo didn't recognize them at all. Like Elyse, he, too, thought the scene was beautiful.
• Just then, the music ended. Amelie took off her helmet and flicked her long hair coolly. "That was awesome!
• Leo's face showed obvious signs of surprise the moment he recognized Amelie. I never knew that Amelie could skate—not to mention being able to skate so gracefully. But, in my impression, apart from having a dishonest nature, she's a dull and boring person.
• In the meantime, Bria took off her helmet too. "Mommy! It's so fun!"
• As she was totally captivated by Blake's charm and oblivious to Leo's arrival. She took Blake's hand and refused to let go. "Mr. Celeste, can I not address you as Mr. Blake? How about you be my father instead?"
• Bria heard from Julia that after Amelie and Leo divorced, Amelie would find a better man to be her father. Since she really liked Blake so much, she thought it would certainly be great if Blake could be her father.
• Alas, her innocent remark made Leo's face abruptly become sullen.
• Although he didn't say a word, Elyse still felt the sudden chill surrounding her. Her heart involuntarily skipped a beat due to fear.
• "Blakey, help me look after Bria for a while. I'm going to the bathroom." Amelie didn't catch what Bria had said to Blake. Instead, she entrusted Blake to look after Bria before she entered the bathroom.
• As soon as she walked in, the door behind her closer with a bang.
• She was taken aback by the noise, and when she turned around, she saw a gloomy and sullen face.
• Leo stood behind her—malice and ruthlessness filled his gaze as he stared her down.