Chapter 155

Amelia stared at the squished grape in her hand, the red juice dripping like her emotions. "Oops, my bad. I didn't mean to crush them," she said, grabbing a handkerchief to clean up the mess.

"I'm kinda beat. Gonna grab some water. You guys keep drying the grapes," she added, turning to leave.

Benjamin called after her. "Where are you getting water? We've got drinks right here," he said, pointing to the drinks Aria had brought.

Amelia shot him a cold look. "I'm on a diet. No sugary drinks for me." And with that, she walked off quickly.

Aria leaned in close to Benjamin and whispered, "Looks like you were right. She's definitely jealous."

A smirk played on Benjamin's lips.

"Hey, Benjamin, I just remembered something from when we were kids. Come over here. Let's talk," Michael said, pulling Benjamin aside.

"What the hell, man? Didn't you catch my warning?" Michael asked, his voice icy.

Benjamin winced under the pressure of Michael's hand on his shoulder. "Chill, let go first. This is all part of my plan!" he explained once Michael released him.

"I think Amelia's been denying her feelings for me. I want to push her to realize we both care about each other. It's just an act, you know?" Benjamin said, rolling his eyes.

"So it's all an act, huh? I thought you were just a player," Isabella's voice came from behind, making Benjamin jump.

"Geez, why do you sneak up like that? Nearly gave me a heart attack!" Benjamin said, patting his chest and glaring at her.

Isabella shrugged. "Not my fault you were so into your whispering you didn't notice me."

Benjamin rolled his eyes. "Since you're in on the plan, what do you think we should do next?"

"I checked, they've got big and small barrels for stomping grapes. We can pick a big one so you and Amelia can stomp grapes together. Perfect chance to get close!" Isabella said, excited like a scriptwriter watching her plot unfold.

"Sounds like a solid plan. Let's do it," Michael agreed, nodding.

Benjamin started hashing out the details with Michael and Isabella.

Aria stood behind them, feeling a bit left out. She sighed, thinking, 'Too bad. He's just not for me.'

Next up was grape stomping, which would help the grapes ferment better.

But getting Amelia and Benjamin in the same barrel was tricky since Amelia was avoiding him.

"I have an idea, but we'll need Aria's help," Isabella said, looking at Aria with her innocent face.

Isabella turned to Aria and said, "Alright, here's the plan. Go up to Amelia, cross your arms, and in the most disdainful tone you can muster, say, 'I know you like Benjamin, but you missed your shot. He's mine now, and I'm his number one!' Then, when Benjamin shows up, you need to hold his hand all sweet and flirty. This will definitely get under Amelia's skin! After that, Michael and I will step in and find a reason to send you away, giving Amelia the perfect chance to step in. She'll for sure get back at you by agreeing to stomp grapes with Benjamin."

After laying out her plan, Isabella looked at the three of them, who were all standing there like deer in headlights.

"So, what do you think?" Isabella asked, practically bouncing with excitement.

Aria's mouth twitched. "Isabella, I'm not really the type to play the villain. I don't think I can pull this off."

Benjamin glanced at Michael, then back at Isabella, and chuckled, "Isabella, I gotta say, I might have underestimated you. You should be writing scripts! But honestly, your plan could work."

Michael gave Isabella a complicated look. "Where did you even come up with this stuff?"

Isabella shrugged. "I know it sounds pretty devious, but I've never actually used these tricks myself. I learned them from Bianca. She used to pull this kind of crap to mess with John and me, and that idiot always fell for it."

Michael let out a long breath, relieved that Isabella wasn't the scheming type. At the same time, his hatred for Bianca deepened.

'Bianca, you damn woman! You've corrupted my wife!' Michael thought, feeling a surge of anger towards her.

Meanwhile, far away in Lumaria, Bianca was lounging on a deck chair, sunbathing and chatting on the phone, when she suddenly sneezed.

"Why did I just sneeze? Is it the climate here? When can I go back home? I'm so bored," Bianca complained into the phone.

A deep voice on the other end replied, "Don't forget you had a kidney transplant. You need to stay there for at least another two weeks before you can go back. And even then, you can't act like everything's normal. You need to appear weak so John won't get suspicious. Remember what I told you?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I'll stay put. If John asks why I'm recovering so fast, I'll just say I got the best treatment here and found an excellent doctor who sped up my recovery with some special meds. But seriously, why didn't you send me to Emberlyn? Their medical tech is way better. I could've been back by now," Bianca grumbled.

The voice on the other end sounded irritated. "I have no connections in Emberlyn! If I had to take you there, the cost and effort would be ridiculous. I'd have to pull a lot of strings to make it happen!"

"Fine, I get it. Once I'm better, the first thing I'm gonna do is find Isabella. I want her to see me healthy and thriving! I want to drive her nuts!" Bianca said with a cold smile.