Sebastian's phone buzzed again. He glanced at it, this time, not even bothering to hide his irritation.
"Amara," he said suddenly, his voice brisk, "something came up at work. I have to head back. Go ahead and eat without me."
He was already loosening his apron, moving fast, too fast.
Amara bit her lip, her eyes narrowing. She reached out, catching his wrist before he could walk away. "Are you really going to work?"
He met her gaze, smiling that practiced, devastating smile, the one that used to make her believe anything.
"Of course. I'll be back soon."
He leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead, sweet, gentle, hollow. Then he grabbed his car keys and practically ran out the door.
Amara stood there, frozen for a moment, the echo of that kiss still lingering like an insult. Then, quietly, she whispered to herself, "I'll give you one last chance. Lie to me again, Sebastian… and I'll never forgive you."
She grabbed her coat and followed him.
Outside, the city night was alive, headlights flashing, streets humming, but Amara barely noticed. She trailed Sebastian's car from a distance, her heart pounding so hard she could feel it in her throat.
After twenty minutes, he pulled into the Aureo's hospital parking lot.
A hospital?
Amara parked a few spaces away, slipping out of her car and keeping to the shadows. Through the glass doors of the private ward, she spotted him, tall, confident, relaxed, walking into a room she didn't recognize.
She edged closer, peering through the narrow window of the door.
And then she saw her.
Elara Langford.
The same woman who had once held baby Seren in her arms like she was born to do it, his legal wife.
"Sebastian," Elara said softly from the bed, her hand resting on her round belly. "I'm sorry. I got sick during my pregnancy and made you miss your meal with Mrs. Creed."
Sebastian smiled, sitting by her side and brushing her hair back with tender familiarity. "You shouldn't apologize. I should've taken better care of you."
Pregnancy.
The word rang in Amara's ears like thunder, like she was hearing it for the first time, knowing the truth doesn't make it any less dreadful.
Elara smiled shyly. "I miss Seren. I want to see her."
"Of course," Sebastian said warmly, reaching into his pocket. "Let's go see her together. But first—"
He pulled out a small velvet box, revealing a delicate gold bracelet. "For you."
Elara's eyes widened, her lips parting in surprise. "It's beautiful."
"You like it?" he asked, fastening it around her wrist with a tenderness Amara thought was meant for her and her alone.
"Yes," Elara whispered. "You're the best. I love you, Sebastian… but do you?"
Amara's stomach twisted. Her hand trembled against the glass.
Sebastian smiled, the same smile he used to win boardrooms and hearts alike. "We're married, Elara. We have a daughter. How could I not love you?"
Then, softer, his voice dropping into something secret, "But you can't wear that when Amara's around."
Elara giggled. "I know, Seb. She's your first love. You love her. Don't worry, she'll never find out about us."
From the hallway, Amara's world caved in.
Her heart clenched so tight she thought she might collapse. The sound of their laughter echoed through the sterile corridor, cruel and mocking.
She slid her wedding ring off her finger, slowly, deliberately, and let it fall into the metal bin by the door with a faint clink.
The sound felt final.
Her phone vibrated in her hand, breaking the silence.
A message. From an unknown number.
She opened it.
"Now you know. He's always been mine." Amara stared at the screen, her breath catching.
Her eyes burned, and the world blurred. 'What's this…' she whispered, voice shaking. Then, bitterly, through clenched teeth,
"You're disgusting, Seb."
As Amara turned to leave, her reflection caught in the hospital's glass doors, a woman stripped of everything she once believed in. Her eyes looked hollow, but somewhere, deep within that emptiness, a faint spark glimmered, the beginning of the woman who would rise again.
Her phone buzzed. A message from Sebastian. Amara froze, her fingers trembling as she opened it.
"Sweetie, I'll be away on a short business trip. When I'm back, I have a surprise for you."
Through the glass, she could still see him, inside that room, laughing softly, pretending as though he hadn't just shattered her world.
He was lying to her. In real time. Without shame.
A sad, almost bitter smile curved on Amara's lips as she typed back, each word deliberate.
"I have a surprise for you when you get back, too."
She watched them, one last time. The man she loved and the woman who stole everything she thought she had.
Then she turned away, the sound of her heels echoing down the cold corridor, steady and strong, even as her heart broke with every step.
In a single day, Amara's entire world had fallen apart.
She hadn't touched a drop of alcohol in years, but that night, she found herself walking into The Blue Lounge, the city's quiet, upscale bar that overlooked the glittering coastline of Verenza.
She slid onto a stool and ordered her first drink. Then another.
"Amara?" a deep, familiar voice called softly.
She turned, blinking through the haze of lights and liquor. Standing there was Julian Vale the handsome billionaire, an old classmate, and the man who had once loved her from afar for over a decade.
He smiled, a little surprised. "It's been a long time. You are drunk. Where is Mr. Creed?"
Amara chuckled, swirling her glass. "Cut me some slack, handsome. Sit. Have a drink with me. I'm happy and free tonight."
But Julian saw through her. The tremor in her laugh, the sadness in her eyes, she wasn't free. She was breaking.
Still, he didn't argue. He sat beside her, quietly ordering another round.
They played cards. She laughed too loudly, joked too much, and somehow won every game, maybe out of luck, or maybe because the other men pitied the beautiful woman drowning her pain in whiskey.
Julian watched her in silence. Her beauty hadn't faded, if anything; the years had made her glow differently, like fragile glass catching the light.
She didn't even recognize him as the boy who once carried her books on campus. But that was fine. Julian had long accepted his one-sided love.
When the night grew late and her laughter faded into soft, slurred murmurs, Julian paid the bill and gently helped her outside.
The moment she stepped out, Amara nearly stumbled, before he could catch her, her bodyguards appeared, bowing slightly as they reached for her.
Julian smiled faintly. Of course. Everyone in Verenza adored Amara Creed, the woman Sebastian Creed loved, protected, and spoiled beyond measure.
Or so the world is believed.
As her car pulled away, Julian's gaze lingered on the taillights disappearing into the dark. Something in his chest tightened.
"Investigate the Creed family," Julian said, "Everything okay, sir? Any particular place to look?" His assistant asked. "No, just find out everything you can. I think the family might be in trouble," Julian ordered.
He didn't know what had happened, but he knew that the Amara who once shone like sunlight was slowly dimming