CHAPTER 2 - THE PRICE OF POWER

Lena’s POV

Amara didn’t deserve the life she had. The world handed her everything—beauty, love, admiration—while I was left with nothing but the title of being the illegitimate daughter of the vice president of Luton, a well-known real estate company. I was engaged to the second son of the CEO and President of the company, who had been adopted, while my sister married the heir. How cliché, right?

No matter how hard I worked, I could never rise above her. She was everything I could never be, and the worst part? She didn’t even appreciate it.

From the moment Amara introduced me to Darius, I knew he was mine. He belonged to me, and it had always been clear that I would do anything to keep him by my side. He was exactly what I needed—handsome, successful, and, more than anything, vulnerable.

Darius had a fragile ego, one I knew how to manipulate. He needed constant reassurance, someone to make him feel important. His father barely acknowledged him, and Amara—though she loved him—was too wrapped up in her own perfect little world. But me? I made him feel like he was everything.

I remember the time we had sex was in Amara's office. I never knew he could be that wild or maybe I did ,all I did that day was provoke him a little and the next minute I was on her desk.

He bent me over,pinned me to the desk,my legs spread wild open, he tore away the leggings I had on and ate me out like I had never expected. I moaned loudly but the office was sound proof so no one could hear us.I returned the favour by taking in his dick in my mouth, licking it with my tongue like it was the best thing I ever tasted.

he shivered in pleasure and I knew Amara had never done this and it's quite funny I'm the one who told her men hated it and she believed me.

The next minute he had already thrust his dick inside my wet pussy ,he was a bit impatient but who could blame him? The sounds of our bodies colliding filled the office for nearly an hour in different positions while Amara was still in the board meeting.

We cleaned up quickly to avoid suspicion but I knew he would never forget this moment.

I saw him in ways she couldn’t, ways no one else could. And I made sure he knew that. I gave him the validation he craved, the adoration he wanted. I made him believe he couldn’t live without me.

But it wasn’t just about the ego. Darius was mine, and once I set my sights on something, I didn’t stop until I had it.

The hospital room was sterile and cold, but the air between Darius and me was anything but. He stood by the window, looking out over the city, a frown pulling at his lips. He was trying to maintain distance, but I knew better. I knew him too well.

“How long do we have to keep pretending?” I asked, my voice low but steady, watching him as he turned to face me.

He avoided my gaze, his hands shoved deep into his pockets—a clear sign of discomfort. “What do you mean, Lena?” he replied, though I could tell from the tension in his jaw that he knew exactly what I meant.

“You’re worried, aren’t you?” I continued, moving closer, my voice soothing, vulnerable. “About Amara. About what she’ll do when she wakes up.” I leaned against the edge of her bed, glancing down at Amara’s still form. Her shallow breaths were the only sign she was still alive.

Darius sighed, the weight of his thoughts pressing on him. “She’s too strong, and her influence... I still need it. What if she remembers everything? What if she knows we… we’re the ones who—”

“We?” I interrupted, stepping closer, my voice quiet but sharp, cutting through the tension. “It’s you, Darius. You were the one who betrayed her first. I didn’t push her down the stairs alone. You stood there.

And now she’s lying there, vulnerable. All we have to do is keep her in the dark.”

He stiffened, guilt flashing in his eyes. “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”

“You didn’t mean for it to happen?” I scoffed, brushing a lock of hair from my face, pretending to be calm. But inside, I was far from it. “You were ready to walk away from her the second it became clear that I was the one who could give you everything you needed. I just… helped you realize that.”

Darius stepped forward, his gaze darkening, his voice tightening. “What if she wakes up? What if she remembers the truth? She could destroy everything.”

“She won’t remember,” I said firmly, reaching out to place a hand on his chest, my fingers tracing the fabric of his shirt.

“The doctor already confirmed it. Not if you keep pretending to be the loving husband you should’ve been all along.”

His eyes searched mine, hesitant. “And what if she does remember? What then?”

I smiled, slow and confident. “Then we make sure she doesn’t wake up. And even if she does, she won’t last long.”

The words slipped out before I could stop them, but there was no turning back now. At that moment, Darius froze. He knew exactly what I was suggesting. But he didn’t push back. He didn’t have the strength to fight me. And why would he? I had given him everything—his validation, his confidence, the love he could never get from his own family.

But even as I spoke those words, a small part of me wondered if this was the right path. Amara—despite all her faults—didn’t deserve this. She didn’t deserve to have her life destroyed just because I was tired of being the shadow.

But that part of me was buried deep, hidden by the need to secure what was mine. I would do whatever it took to keep Darius. To make sure everything I wanted—everything I deserved—was finally within my grasp.

I looked back at Amara, lying motionless on the bed. “Don’t worry, Darius. If she wakes up, she won’t remember a thing. And if she does, we’ll make sure she doesn’t tell anyone.”