The front door clicked shut, leaving an unsettling quiet in the apartment.
I sank onto the couch, the weight of everything settling in.
My phone buzzed—a message from Amara.
Amara: We need to talk. Now.
stared at the screen. What now?
Before I could reply, a knock came from the door. My breath hitched.
Opening it, I found Amara standing there, eyes wild but determined.
"We don't have time. You need to come with me."
I hesitated.
"Please," she said, "before it's too late."
I grabbed my coat, heart thudding like a drum.
Outside, the city felt different—sharper, more dangerous.
"Who's watching me?" I asked as we moved quickly.
Amara's gaze darkened. "Someone who wants more than just to hurt you. They want to destroy everything you love."
The night swallowed us whole.
And I knew, this was only the beginning.
We ducked into a quiet alley near the back of an old building—a shortcut, Amara claimed, but it felt more like a hiding place.
She didn't speak at first. Just walked, fast, focused. Her fingers trembled slightly as they gripped her phone. Whatever this was, it wasn't just nerves. It was fear.
"Amara," I said, grabbing her arm, forcing her to stop. "You can't just show up, drag me out here, and speak in riddles. What the hell is going on?"
She looked at me, truly looked at me. Her eyes were sunken, makeup smudged, hair messy like she hadn't slept in days.
"They're watching Damian," she whispered. "But they're watching you now, too—because you're wearing the name they wanted me to have."
"Who's 'they'?"
She hesitated, scanning the shadows. "The investors. The board. Our father."
My stomach dropped. "Our father? What does he have to do with this?"
She stepped closer, lowering her voice. "The marriage wasn't just about image. It was a contract. And when I left, I didn't just run from Damian—I broke a deal worth millions. Maybe billions. You becoming the bride saved them from financial chaos."
I reeled. "So I'm a placeholder?"
She shook her head. "You're a target.
My heart slammed in my chest.
"I didn't think they'd involve you," she continued. "But you have no idea the kind of people backing this merger. It's not just business. It's power. Politics. Control."
I stepped back. "So what now? I leave him? Divorce?"
Her lips parted, but then—
Her phone rang. One glance at the screen and her face went white.
"It's him," she whispered.
Damian.
She silenced the call.
"I can't talk to him yet," she muttered. "Not until you understand everything."
A second later, my phone rang.
Same name.
Damian.
And just like that, I realized—this wasn't just a marriage contract anymore.
It was a war.
And I was the pawn no one expected to play.
I stared at Damian's name flashing on my screen.
My thumb hovered over the answer button, heart hammering.
I didn't pick up.
"Are you going to tell him where we are?" I asked Amara, voice low.
She shook her head. "Not yet. I need you to hear everything before he tries to spin it."
We slipped into a small diner across the street. The kind that smelled like burnt coffee and fried onions but felt safe, in an oddly comforting way. We picked a booth in the corner, facing the entrance. Amara ordered black coffee. I didn't order anything.
She leaned in. "Damian isn't who you think he is."
I raised a brow. "So the cold, controlling CEO thing is a cover?"
"No. That part's real." She gave a humorless smile. "But there's more underneath it. The deal he made with our father—it wasn't just for the company. It was to cover up something… bigger."
My throat went dry. "What kind of something?"
She lowered her voice. "Our father's company has laundered money for years. Through shell accounts. Offshore ties. Damian found out. He was going to report him, blow it all up. But instead, they made him a deal—marry the perfect daughter, join the family, and get full control of the merged empire."
I blinked. "You were the perfect daughter."
"I was," she said bitterly. "Until I found out and refused."
"So they replaced you with the obedient one," I muttered.
"You weren't meant to be involved," she whispered. "But the moment you signed that marriage certificate, they saw you as leverage. If Damian talks, they'll come after you to silence him."
I sat back, stunned. "He never told me any of this."
"Because he's protecting you," she said. "In his own way."
The thought hit me harder than I wanted it to.
"You don't trust him?" I asked.
"I don't know," she said. "I loved him once. Or maybe I loved the version of him I made up in my head. But you… he looks at you differently."
The waitress came by, placing the coffee in front of her. We both ignored it.
"What should I do?" I asked finally.
She met my eyes. "Get out before you're too deep. Or stay—and learn to play the game better than any of them."
I sat in silence, her words crashing over me like waves.
My phone buzzed again.
A message from Damian:
Where are you? I'm coming to get you.
No more silence. No more guessing.
It was time to choose a side.
And I wasn't sure if either one could be trusted.