The Vows We Fake
'"Tell me what you want, Amara,” Zane said, voice like silk over fire. His lips were a whisper from mine. I could feel the tension in his body. The restraint. The raw, maddening awareness. He dragged a finger down my cheek. “To be touched? Or to be remembered?”
I stared at him. “Neither. I just want you gone.”
“You don’t mean that,” he said, leaning in just a fraction closer.
“I do,” I lied.
His breath fanned my lips. His nose grazed mine. I felt every inch of my body coil, traitorous and trembling. I wanted him to kiss me. But it would be wrong. He was engaged to someone else.'
***
He is the bridegroom. She is the wedding planner. He doesn’t seem to remember her. Or so he says.
Five years ago, wedding planner Amara Ibe was madly in love with her fiancé, Zane Blackwood. Until she exposed a massive corruption scandal that was tied to Zane’s father’s company, to which Zane was the primary heir. Her whistleblower tip destroyed Zane’s career, or so she thought.
Now Zane is back, bigger and better than ever, and about to marry someone else in the wedding of the century. The catch? Amara has been hired to plan the wedding. And Zane doesn’t seem to remember her.
Behind the luxury wedding, perfect vows and Zane’s strangely elusive fiancée, nothing is what it seems. Everyone has secrets, and Amara gradually realizes that everything the couple sells out to the public is a lie.
And loving this man could destroy her… again.
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Chapter: Chapter 66: The Pause Between Heartbeats The sight was like a needle to my chest. Through the small sliver of the doorway, I saw them. Inside the room, Julian had Sera pressed against a table, her hands tangled in his hair, lips fused to his. Hands roaming. Bodies flush against each other in a way that left no room for misinterpretation. The kiss was frantic, hungry, not the kind that came from politeness or drunken impulse. His hand was at her waist, her fingers tangled in his hair. They were kissing like the world had ended and only they had survived. It was the kiss of betrayal. My body had turned to stone, frozen at the edge of the corridor as I watched Sera’s hands slide up Julian’s chest. His mouth captured hers with familiarity—too smooth to be a mistake, too practiced to be new. And Zane… he stood just a few feet away from them. Silent. He hadn’t looked at me once. Instead, his eyes were pinned on the entangled pair like a lion observing prey. Quiet, controlled fury simmered beneath his skin. I didn’t realize I
Last Updated: 2025-08-04
Chapter: Chapter 65: Inside Closed DoorsThe magic shattered the moment Sera slipped her arm through Zane’s. I stood there, stiff and silent beside Chase, as cameras flashed and guests buzzed with curiosity. The golden lights above refracted off Zane’s tailored tuxedo, throwing glints of gold against his dark silhouette. He looked like a man carved from secrets: sharp jaw, piercing gaze, the curve of his mouth unreadable. But it was her presence beside him that gutted me. Sera, in a silk gown that clung to her like memory, offered smiles too sweet and fingers that curled possessively into the crook of Zane’s arm. She glanced my way just once, lips twitching with the ghost of a smirk, as if to say, You’re still the outsider here. I blinked and turned to Chase, whose fingers flexed slightly around mine. He smiled at me, not the glossy, performative grin I’d grown used to seeing on wealthy clients, but something genuine. Still, my chest tightened. “I suppose the prince chose his queen after all,” he said lightly. I forced
Last Updated: 2025-08-03
Chapter: Chapter 64: The Devil Wears Red The red dress looked like sin. Not the polite kind of sin that could be forgiven with a whispered prayer, but the kind that scorched flesh and ruined reputations. I hadn’t even zipped it up fully before I knew it would stir something dangerous. Leah gasped the moment I stepped out of the closet. “Amara. Oh my God.” I turned slowly, watching her reflection meet mine in the mirror. Her hair was up in soft curls, pinned by gold clips, and her emerald satin gown hugged her curves like second skin. But her eyes weren’t on herself. They were on me. “It’s too much,” I whispered, smoothing a hand down my waist. “The slit is... indecent.” “It’s perfect,” she said, her smile wicked and warm. “If you want Zane Blackwood to swallow his tongue.” I rolled my eyes, but the thought curled inside me like a secret flame. The dress was tight-fitting, hugging every part of me with the kind of confidence I didn't feel. A long slit rode up my thigh, almost scandalous. The neckline dipped in a way tha
Last Updated: 2025-08-03
Chapter: Chapter 63: The Invitation The entire estate abuzz with whispers, like bees trapped behind velvet drapes. A ball. An actual, full-scale, high-profile, invitation-only ball organized by Zane Blackwood himself… on less than three days’ notice. It sounded like a joke, but the gold-trimmed invitation lying on my desk said otherwise. “An impromptu celebration of love,” the invite had read, sealed with the Blackwood family crest. But whose love were we celebrating exactly? I tapped the edge of the card as Leah adjusted swatches beside me in the planning office. My thoughts weren’t on fabric or florals. They were tangled around one man. Zane. No one had seen this coming, not even Sera. When she stormed into the main office earlier, cheeks flushed and eyes narrowed, it was clear she’d only just received her invitation too. She didn’t say anything outright, but her presence left a chill in the room. “Are you going?” Leah asked me now, carefully pinning ivory silk to a foam board. She eyed me over the edge of her c
Last Updated: 2025-08-02
Chapter: Chapter 62: Stolen Attraction I closed my eyes tightly for a short while. Why did Zane have to interrupt? “Zane,” Chase replied, unfazed. “Always good to see you. Though I think your timing is... inconvenient.” Zane didn’t even look at him. His eyes were on me. And God, they were burning. There was a heat there I hadn’t seen in days. He took me in, from the plunging neckline of my blouse to the high-waisted pencil skirt that hugged my hips, and his jaw flexed twice. “You’re needed upstairs,” he said curtly, addressing me. I lifted my chin. “You could’ve sent a text.” “I don’t trust phones anymore,” he said, his voice like gravel. “Too many people listening.” Chase gave a mock-wounded look. “Now I feel left out. Should I be jealous?” Zane finally turned to him. “You should be careful.” “I’m not scared of you, Blackwood.” Zane’s smile was deadly. “You should be.” I stepped between them, chest tight. “Okay. That’s enough. I have work to do, remember?” Chase nodded and stepped back, lifting his hands in sur
Last Updated: 2025-08-01
Chapter: Chapter 61: Postponement and Indecision Outside, the heat clung to my skin, but it was nothing compared to the heat radiating off Zane as he followed me out to the terrace. He didn’t say anything for a moment. Just stood there, fists in his pockets, breathing unevenly. “You’ve been avoiding me,” he finally said. I faced him, arms crossed beneath my chest. His eyes flicked there instantly, then away like he regretted looking but couldn’t help it. “You noticed?” I said coolly. “Shocking.” “You look—” He stopped, then swallowed. “You look like you’re trying to kill someone with that dress.” “Do you always make it a habit to comment on women’s clothes?” “No. Just yours.” I laughed, low and dangerous. “That sounds possessive, Zane.” His eyes darkened. “I am possessive.” My breath caught. I tried to pass. He stepped in front of me. “I see you’ve made a new friend,” he said, voice low. I blinked. “Excuse me?” “Mr. Carter,” he said. “Didn’t realize he had such… personal interest in our staff.” I tilted my head, fury sp
Last Updated: 2025-08-01
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