All Chapters of Married To The Ruthless Billionaire : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

But then the sound of footsteps echoed behind her.Lucian stood at the edge of the garden, his eyes fixed on them.His expression was unreadable, but the storm brewing in his gaze was unmistakable.The air in the garden shifted the moment Lucian stepped forward. His tall frame filled the space, his presence crackling with tension. Amara’s breath caught as her eyes met his—dark, unreadable, but heavy with something that made her chest ache.“Lucian,” Ethan greeted smoothly, though he straightened his shoulders as if bracing for a blow. “I was just keeping your wife company while you worked. The gardens here are too beautiful to go unnoticed.”Lucian’s gaze didn’t move from Amara. “My wife doesn’t need company.”The words were sharp, final.Amara flinched. A dozen retorts rose to her lips, but she bit them back. Not here. Not in front of Ethan.Ethan, however, wasn’t so easily silenced. “With respect, she’s not a statue, Lucian. She’s a woman. And women deserve more than to be treated

Her mother lay pale against the pillows, tubes and wires surrounding her fragile frame. The sight stole Amara’s breath.She rushed forward, clutching her mother’s hand. “Mama… it’s me. I’m here.”Her mother’s eyes fluttered open, weak but filled with love. “Amara…” Her voice was faint, but the smile she tried to give was warm.Tears blurred Amara’s vision. She bent low, pressing her forehead to her mother’s hand. “Don’t leave me, Mama. Please. I’m not ready.”Her mother’s frail fingers brushed her cheek. “Shh… my strong girl. You’ll be fine. You’ve always been fine.”Amara shook her head desperately. “Not without you.”Her mother’s lips curved in the smallest smile. “You’ve found… a husband. Someone who can protect you. I can go in peace knowing you’re not alone.”Amara’s heart twisted painfully. Protect her? If only her mother knew the truth. If only she knew her daughter’s marriage was nothing but a contract, a cage.She wanted to tell her, to scream the truth, but the sight of her

By morning, she wore a mask of her own. She dressed quietly, her hair pulled back, her face composed. When she entered the dining room, Lucian was already there, scrolling through his tablet, his jaw sharp in the morning light.For once, she didn’t wait for him to speak. “I’ll be visiting the hospital today.”His eyes flicked up. “You’ll take a driver.”“I’ll take Harris.”A pause. His gaze lingered on her, studying her expression, but she gave him nothing. At last, he nodded once and returned to his screen.The ride to the hospital was quiet. Amara tried to focus on her mother, but Lucian’s kiss lingered in her mind like an unwelcome shadow.At the hospital, she stayed by her mother’s side, reading to her, feeding her soup spoon by spoon. For a few hours, the world outside didn’t exist.But when she returned to the mansion that evening, she found a car already parked in the drive. Sleek. Expensive. Familiar.Her heart sank.The woman in crimson stood in the foyer, her lips curved i

The garden seemed to shrink around them.Ethan stood tall, his posture sharp with defiance, while Lucian’s presence was a storm in motion, his jaw clenched, his steps slow and deliberate.Both men’s eyes were locked, the air thick with tension, a clash waiting to ignite.But before either of them could strike, Amara stepped forward.“That’s enough,” she said firmly, her voice steady though her heart thundered in her chest.Both men turned toward her, surprise flickering across their faces. For once, Amara didn’t waver.Her shoulders were straight, her chin lifted.“I won’t be dragged into a battle between the two of you,” she continued, her gaze moving from one to the other.“I’m not a prize to be won or a possession to be fought over. If either of you came here tonight thinking otherwise, you’re wrong.”Lucian’s eyes narrowed, the darkness in them deepening. “Amara—”She cut him off with a shake of her head. “No. You don’t get to silence me this time.Not with your cold stares, not w

The hospital lobby was no place for men like them. Yet there they stood—two storms caged in silence.Lucian stood near the reception desk, a figure of cold precision, his tailored suit immaculate, his dark gaze fixed on the elevator.Amara had just taken minutes ago. His expression betrayed nothing, but inside, a war raged. He hated hospitals—the smell of helplessness, the reminder that power and money couldn’t command life itself. And yet, here he was. Because she was here.He told himself it was duty, appearances, obligation. But when he pictured her hunched over her mother’s fragile body, her tears soaking the sheets, the words rang hollow.Ethan’s presence only sharpened the ache.Across the lobby, Ethan leaned against a column, arms crossed, his posture deceptively casual. But his eyes were sharp, cutting toward Lucian every few seconds, as though daring him to speak first. He hadn’t come here out of pity. He wasn’t built for pity. No, he came because Amara mattered to him i