All Chapters of Loving You Is My Greatest Mistake : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Amelia's POV"What kind of connection?"The question left my mouth before I could stop it, though something heavy settled in my stomach because I already knew—whatever Israelite was about to say wouldn't be good.He glanced toward Lily, who was watching us with curious eyes, then back at me."Maybe we should talk outside."I turned to my daughter and somehow managed to smile."Sweetheart, Mommy needs to talk to Uncle Israelite for just a minute. I'll be right outside where you can see me through the window, okay?""Okay, Mommy."She clutched her stuffed rabbit tighter, and my heart squeezed painfully. The moment we stepped into the hallway, Israelite handed me his phone without a word.My eyes scanned the screen.*Nathan Cross. Age 34. International medical consultant. Family relation: Cousin to the late James Sterling.*I read it twice.Then a third time."Sophia's late husband's cousin," I said slowly, my voice sounding hollow even to my own ears.Israelite nodded.Of course. Of co

Amelia's POVI stood in front of my closet that morning and chose my armor carefully. The dress was one of my own designs, deep midnight blue with sapphire accents that caught the light when I moved. Simple. Elegant. Strong.I needed to feel strong today.The Anderson estate looked exactly as I remembered it. Grand iron gates, manicured lawns, the kind of wealth that whispered instead of shouted. I had lived here for five years and never once felt like I belonged.Margaret Anderson met me at the door.Her expression was stiff, controlled, but something in her eyes had shifted since the last time I saw her. It almost looked like respect."Amelia." She nodded once. "Sophia is waiting in the drawing room."No insults. No thinly veiled disdain. Just my name and a gesture toward the hallway.I followed her through rooms filled with memories I would rather forget. Family portraits that never included me. Furniture I had been scolded for sitting on incorrectly. Conversations where I was spok

Amelia's POVThe hospital's private meeting room felt too small and too bright at the same time. Fluorescent lights hummed overhead, casting everything in harsh white light that made the beige walls look sickly. I stood near the window, staring down at the parking lot below, watching cars come and go while trying to steady the shaking in my hands.My reflection in the glass looked pale and drawn. I had barely slept since yesterday's conversation with Israelite, my mind spinning through everything he had told me about Sophia and Nathan. About betrayal and manipulation and the kind of calculated cruelty that destroyed lives without leaving visible scars.Now I was about to meet the man who could save my daughter's life, and all I could think about was how Sophia had already destroyed his.The door opened behind me.I turned slowly, bracing myself.Nathan Cross entered first. He was younger than I had expected, maybe mid-thirties, with dark hair that was slightly too long and kind eyes

Maxwell's POVI stared at Amelia and for the first time in years, I actually saw her. Not the broken woman who had walked out of my life weeks ago. Not the wife I had taken for granted. But the person she had become without me. Stronger. Colder. Absolutely serious.Behind her, Israelite stood like a sentinel, his hand resting protectively on her shoulder. The gesture was casual but possessive and something twisted violently in my chest. I had done this. I had pushed her so far away that another man now stood where I should have been.I realized with crushing clarity that I had already lost her."Amelia, you cannot ask me to—""I can and I am." She interrupted me, her voice steady and clear. "You have chosen Sophia over me, over Lily, over our marriage for four years. This is your last chance to choose us."The words hit like physical blows.Four years. Had it really been that long? I tried to remember when Sophia first entered my life, when she first started poisoning everything with

Amelia's POVI stared at Marcus Chen and his words filtered through the fog in my mind like they were coming from underwater. Creative Director. Two million annually. Full creative control. Everything I had dreamed of before Maxwell, before I had become nothing more than Mrs. Anderson, the perfect wife who smiled at charity galas and kept her mouth shut.Marcus extended his hand and his smile was warm and genuine."Ms. Hartley, may I call you by your maiden name? Your designs are extraordinary. The Ashford Collection has generated twenty million in pre-orders already and we have not even launched yet. We want you."Hartley. My maiden name. The person I used to be before I erased myself to fit into Maxwell's world.Eleanor was beaming like she had just won the lottery. Israelite stood quietly beside me but I could feel his eyes studying my face with concern. He saw what the others did not. That I was barely holding myself together. That Maxwell's betrayal had cracked something fundamen