Amelia never expected her hidden secret to come out open in the middle of her father’s cherished porcelain collection. When she confessed her forbidden feelings, it was not just her father’s prized possession that shattered... it was their entire world. Bryan, a stern and overprotective father, had always seen his best friend, Ryan, as a trusted person, a man with a billion-dollar empire and a charming smile that can win over anyone. Anyone except his daughter... or so he thought. But Amelia wasn't the little girl he remembered. She was a grown woman now, strong-willed and hopelessly in love with the one man she’s not supposed to want. Ryan, for his part, knew he was walking on eggshells. Falling for his best friend’s daughter is the ultimate betrayal, but keeping his feelings bottled up was worse. When Amelia’s bold declaration crashed intotheir lives, secrets, guilt, and unspoken desires came to light, threatening to destroy everything. “ I’m a woman, Dad. I know what I want, ” Amelia said, but did she truly understand what was at stake? The silence that followed was deafening. And it was only the beginning.
Lihat lebih banyak" You bitch! Come here! ” Stella screamed at Amelia who ran away as fast as her short legs could carry her. She knew she would be in trouble if she stayed back after class. Stella had invited her to a party the previous night. She had threatened to kill Amelia if the latter didn’t show up and Amelia had refused to attend because going to parties wasn’t her thing. Now, Stella was there to carry out her threat. Earlier in class, Amelia didn’t miss the glares Stella kept sending her way and she had shivered in pretense fear. Her best friend could be scary at times, Amelia thought, looking back. Sure enough, Stella was glaring at her. " I’ll see you tomorrow! I love you! ” Amelia screamed, drawing the attention of some students nearby. The guys gawked at her. She was a short beauty- if there was any word like that. With long blonde hair that cascaded down her back, ocean blue eyes, white skin and curves in the right places, she drew the attention of both genders. She was a sight to behold. " You need a boyfriend, sweetheart. Those boobs of yours are helplessly crying for a guy’s touch, ” Stella would always say shamelessly. While Amelia was an introvert and the shy type, Stella was an extrovert who would never hesitate to put someone in their place.
Stella hissed, " I hate you! ” She screamed back and marched away. Amelia laughed and slowed down her pace. She had successfully escaped Stella’s wrath, for now at least. **************** On getting home, she met her father which was very unusual. He was never home at this time of the day, she thought. Slowly, she approached him. " Hi Dad, you’re home early. Did something happen at the hospital? ” She asked curiously. Bryan looked up and gave her a tired smile. " Hey honey, how was class today? ” He asked, ignoring her question. Amelia's eyes bored into her father's, searching his face for some clue. " At this rate, I'm afraid you'll drill a hole in me. Quit staring at me suspiciously, " Bryan laughed and Amelia visibly relaxed, now convinced that her father was fine. She dropped her bag and slumped on the sofa tiredly. Bryan stared at the bag for a while as though it bothered him, " You should go drop your bag in your room, then we'll talk. " Even though her father spoke softly, Amelia knew better than to argue with him. She could use the shower too, she told herself. She got up obediently and proceeded to her room. An hour later, looking fresh and all, she was about to tell her father how her day went when he informed her about his transfer at work. Amelia's blood ran cold in fear and shock. Many thoughts ran through her mind as she processed the information. " Sweetheart? " Bryan called when he received no response. Amelia jolted back into present. " Uh? " She asked, staring at him blankly. Bryan sighed, " I was waiting for your response but I noticed that you were lost in thought. " Amelia laughed harshly, " waiting for my response? Would stay if I ask you to? " She asked with a glare and added, " Don't ask for my opinion when you've made a decision. " She continued, " So am I gonna stay here alone? Or do you want me to stay in the girls' dorm? " She asked bluntly, masking her fear of being left alone. Bryan shook his head, " No honey, I've made preparations for you to stay with my friend. " Amelia frowned her pretty eyebrows, wondering who that friend was. She was about to ask him who the friend was when another important question popped up in her mind and she asked, " How long will you be away for? " He smiled bitterly, " A year at most. " Amelia's eyes widened, " A year?! " " At most, " he correctly and added, " It could be less. " " Who's this friend anyway? "She asked, crossing her hands around her breasts. " Ryan, " Bryan simply said. Amelia racked her head for a minute until she remembered who he was, " Mr Woods??! " She shrieked. Bryan raised an eyebrow in question, " Yeah, is there something wrong? " Amelia thought about the handsome billionaire who had been friends with her father for as long as she could remember but she hadn't had much encounter with him because he was a man of little words who always wore an unapproachable expression. It made her wonder how they were able to maintain their friendship over the years. She shook her head, " Oh! Nothing. " Bryan sighed, " I guess you know the kind of guy Ryan is, right? " Amelia nodded and he continued, " Good. I want you to be a good girl. He's a very private person so do not poke your nose in his business, okay? " Amelia pouted, " Dad! " Bryan laughed, " I'm sorry, sweetheart. But you know how curious you can get at times. " " Just be good to him, huh? " He added. Amelia smiled, and her dimples showed. " Sure, Dad. " Bryan got up, " Go pack your bags while I take a shower. Then we'll head over to Ryan's place. " Amelia's smile dropped and her eyes widened in horror, " Why are we going to his place now? When are you traveling? " Bryan sighed, " Tomorrow morning. " " Tomorrow morning?! " Amelia shrieked. Bryan nodded sadly and Amelia started to pity him, thinking to herself that the situation must be hard on him too, until she saw the corners of his mouth lift in... a smile?! She placed her hands on her hips and glared at him, " Uh-huh, Looks like someone is happy to leave his daughter behind. " Bryan's head shot up and traces of the smile were gone too, " No darling, you can't possibly understand how bad I feel about leaving you behind. " Amelia rolled her eyes, " Whatever. " She started walking to her room. ********************Her knees trembled slightly, “ W... what are you doing? ” she whispered, eyes darting everywhere but at him.He didn’t answer. Instead, he dipped his head lower until their noses nearly brushed. His mouth hovered so close to hers she could feel the heat of his breath, the tension between them cracking.She could smell the faint trace of scotch on his breath, and something deeper... desire. Hunger. But controlled. Barely.She closed her eyes, bracing for something—anything. A kiss. A word. Kiss me, hot c*ck, she thought. Now where did that come from? She asked herself. She didn't have time to think about it because what came next wasn’t what she expected.“ I’ll throw you out of my house very soon, ” he said in a voice so low, so deliberate, it felt like a knife against her skin. “ Mark my words. ”Her eyes flew open.The moment shattered like glass. She blinked at him, stunned. Hurt punched through her chest so sharply it left her breathless.“ W... what? ”She pushed at his chest with
Stella looked like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar. She went stiff, her hand still half-raised from her earlier gasp.Amelia braced herself. Here we go again. She waited for the explosion. For him to shout.To demand answers.But instead… he said nothing immediately. He walked past them slowly, eyes flicking to the shoes by the door... Stella’s bright white sneakers standing out among Amelia’s more subtle footwear.He stopped a few feet away. Amelia didn’t dare breathe.“ Thought I said not to bring anyone here, ” he finally said, voice low, calm. Too calm.“ Yeah, well, ” Stella said before Amelia could respond. “ She didn’t bring me. I insisted. I’m her best friend. If she’s living somewhere, I need to know what kind of conditions she’s in. ”Ryan’s expression didn’t change, but his jaw ticked slightly.“ This place is… wow, by the way, ” Stella added quickly, trying to defuse the tension.Ryan didn’t take the compliment, “ Do you always ignore house rules? ” he asked A
Stella smirked, “ Then let me die rich.”Amelia rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide the smile tugging at her lips.Stella reached out and squeezed her arm gently. “ I’m glad you told me, though. ”“ I didn’t really have a choice. ” Amelia answered with a shrug. “ Still counts. ”They stood there in silence for a few beats, the tension dissolving. “ Well, ” Stella said with a wink, “ I’ll see you after class. Don’t try to ditch me. I’m part bloodhound. ”Before Amelia could reply, Stella spun on her heel and walked away like a woman on a mission.“ Bye! ” she called over her shoulder. “ And no funny business before I get there! ”Amelia groaned, rubbing her forehead.She looked up at the ceiling as if seeking help from above.“ God, help me, ” she muttered under her breath.Then, slinging her bag higher on her shoulder, she made her way to her next class, silently praying that Ryan wouldn’t be home when she got there later.Because if he was...God only knew what would happen.********
The clock ticked louder than usual as Amelia sat in the back row of her first class, pretending to take notes while her mind drifted in a million directions.The professor’s voice was just a low drone in her ears. She barely caught a word.Instead, she focused on keeping her breathing steady, on not letting her eyes scan the room for Evan or worse, Stella. She had spent the entire hour dreading what could happen the moment class ended. Her heart thumped like a drum in her chest every time the door creaked or someone stood up.What if he’s here? What if she corners me the moment I step out?But the class eventually ended without incident. There were no angry glances. No cold shoulders. No best friend charging toward her with fire in her eyes. No Evan either.Just the usual shuffle of feet and backpacks zipping up.Amelia let out a quiet breath of relief as she gathered her things and slipped out of the classroom as fast as she could.The corridor was busy, but not chaotic. Students mil
A tiny part of her whispered that maybe it wasn’t too late to begin the day if she moved fast. But a much louder voice told her to pull the covers over her head and disappear from the world, even if it was just for a little while.She sighed, dragging a hand through her hair, " Maybe I should just skip class today. "She wasn’t ready. Not emotionally. Not mentally.The humiliation from the night before still clung to her like smoke. Her little plan, if it could even be called that, had gone up in flames the moment Ryan walked in. Instead of making him jealous or drawing out some buried desire, she had only succeeded in pushing him further away. He had looked at her with such disdain, such coldness. She could still feel the burn of his words.“ I don’t care if you’ve been f*cking him. Refrain from bringing guys to my house, or I’ll throw you out. ”Her stomach twisted.Why did those words sting so badly? Why did it matter that he didn’t care?Because he did. She knew he did. That kiss…
" What's going on? " Evan whispered, starting to look uneasy. He thought they would be alone. So who the f*ck was outside? He asked himself. " What's happening, Mel? Thought you said your parents were out of town? " He asked again, searching her face for answers. Amelia didn't answer. Instead, she kept her ear to the door, waiting for Ryan to come in. Some minutes later, the front door opened and Ryan came in. With a sly smile, Amelia opened her room door at the same time and dragged out Evan again who looked too confused to speak. He just allowed her to pull him around like a rag doll. They came face to face with Ryan who looked mad when he saw them. That was even an understatement. His eyes emitted fire and rage as he stared at them. " What the hell is going on here? " Ryan asked with gritted teeth. Evan straightened up and tried to match Ryan's glare with his, but the kid was obviously no match for the powerful billionaire. Ryan broke the eye contact first. Not because he was
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