Nobela ni Damilola_xx

Amara’s pulse thundered in her ears as Lucian’s grip tightened around her wrist. His eyes bore into hers, dark and demanding, every breath between them charged with heat.“Tell me,” he said again, his voice rough, almost breaking. “Do you want him… or me?”Her lips parted, but no words came. She didn’t know the answer herself. Ethan’s kindness had been like sunlight after endless nights, but Lucian—Lucian was fire. He burned her, consumed her, frightened her, yet she couldn’t look away.Her silence only fueled him. His jaw clenched, his chest rising and falling rapidly as though he was fighting himself. His face lowered, inch by inch, until she could feel his breath against her skin.Amara’s body trembled. Her mind screamed to push him away, to remind herself this was nothing but a cruel arrangement. But her heart betrayed her, fluttering wildly as though it recognized something in him—something he refused to admit.“Lucian…” Her whisper cracked, a plea, a warning.His grip loosened s

The next evening, Lucian brought Amara to another social event. A networking gala, he called it. To her, it was just another room filled with strangers who whispered behind their champagne glasses and stared at her as though she didn’t belong.Amara walked beside Lucian, her heels clicking against the polished floor. His hand rested lightly on her back, not out of affection but control. He guided her like one might guide a business accessory, his face the same cold mask he always wore.“Smile,” he muttered under his breath as they entered the hall.She forced her lips into a curve, though her chest ached.The crowd welcomed Lucian instantly. Men shook his hand with respect, women leaned in too close, their eyes full of admiration and desire. Amara stood at his side quietly, invisible in his shadow.Until someone noticed her.“Mrs. Hale?”The voice was warm, unexpected. Amara turned and found a man smiling at her. He looked to be in his early thirties, tall with kind brown eyes and a p

Amara’s throat went dry as Lucian’s sharp gaze pinned her in the hallway. His father’s words still echoed in her ears like poison: She makes you look weak… End it now.Her lips trembled, but she forced them shut. If he knew she had overheard, if he knew she had seen his mask slip, what then?Lucian stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. “What are you doing here?” he asked again, voice low, clipped.Her mind raced for an excuse. “I—I got lost,” she whispered. “This house… it’s so big.”His eyes narrowed, as if he didn’t believe her. But after a tense pause, he simply brushed past her, his cologne lingering in the air. “Stay out of places you don’t belong.”The sting in his words was sharp, but before she could reply, his phone rang. He answered quickly, his tone shifting into smooth confidence. “Yes, I’ll be there shortly.”Within minutes, a sleek black car pulled up to the mansion. Harris, the butler, told her they were going to a charity gala that evening. Amara’s stomach knotted

The morning after the kiss, Amara could barely look at herself in the mirror.Her lips still tingled. Her heart still raced when she remembered the way Lucian had pressed against her, his breath hot, his kiss rough and desperate.But his words echoed louder than anything else.That kiss meant nothing.She gripped the edge of the sink, forcing the tears back. She would not let him see her cry again.By the time she stepped out of her room, she wore a calm face, though her chest was tight.The mansion was quiet. The staff avoided her eyes as they moved through the halls. Amara wandered aimlessly, her footsteps leading her to a hallway she hadn’t explored before.That’s when she heard voices.Lucian’s voice—deep, steady, sharp as always.And another. Older, colder.She crept closer, her body pressed against the wall.“Father,” Lucian was saying, his tone respectful but clipped.Mr. Hale Sr. sighed, the sound heavy with disdain. “Lucian, I tolerated this little… arrangement of yours becau

Amara’s back pressed against the cold wall as Lucian’s presence loomed over her. His hand rested beside her head, caging her in. His dark eyes burned into hers, sharp and unyielding.“Who gave you the courage to speak like that?” His voice was low, almost a growl.Her breath came in short, shaky bursts. She could still hear the gasps from the dinner, still feel the heat in her cheeks from daring to speak back.No one had ever challenged Lucian Hale in public. And yet she had.Amara swallowed hard, her voice trembling but steady enough. “Maybe I’m tired of being treated like I don’t exist.”Lucian’s jaw tightened. “Careful.”Something inside her snapped. Weeks of humiliation, of coldness, of being treated like nothing—it all boiled over.“Why should I be careful?” she whispered fiercely, surprising even herself. “You’ve made it clear this marriage means nothing to you. That I mean nothing to you. So why does it matter what I say?”Lucian’s eyes darkened dangerously. For a moment, she t

Amara had never felt so nervous in her life.Lucian had informed her that morning that she would accompany him to a business dinner. No request. No option. Just a command.“Remember your role,” he said while adjusting his tie, not sparing her a glance. “Smile when I say smile. Stay silent unless spoken to. Don’t embarrass me.”Her chest tightened at his coldness, but she nodded anyway. She had no choice.That evening, she followed him into the glittering banquet hall of an upscale hotel. The chandeliers sparkled above, and the air buzzed with laughter and clinking glasses. Powerful businessmen and their wives filled the tables, all eyes drawn to Lucian Hale the moment he entered.He was magnetic, untouchable, every inch the ruthless billionaire they admired. And beside him was Amara—his plain, timid bride.Whispers rose immediately.“Is that his wife?”“She looks so ordinary…”“She won’t last long.”The words stung, but Amara kept her head down, gripping her clutch tightly as Lucian l