Chapter 231

The bedroom was dimly lit, the heavy curtains drawn shut. Amelia sat on the edge of the bed, her shoulders slumped, her fingers twisting the hem of her dress. She looked utterly broken, her usual poise shattered into fragments.

When Daniel stepped inside, he dismissed everyone with a sharp wave of his hand. The door clicked shut behind them, sealing the suffocating silence between the two. His jaw was clenched so tightly it ached, his knuckles white from the force of his grip. The rage simmering beneath his skin was volcanic—no man could stomach the knowledge that the woman he loved had endured such torment.

"Amelia," he began, his voice rough with suppressed fury. "We're getting married in two weeks. Is there something you want to tell me?"

Amelia flinched but didn’t speak. Instead, she lowered her head, letting her hair curtain her face like a shield. The silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken guilt.

Daniel exhaled sharply, torn between pity and frustration.

For God’s sake, Amelia! Evelyn Sinclair, standing just outside the door with Nathan Blackwood, nearly groaned aloud. He’s giving you a chance to explain, and you’re still playing the victim? Open your mouth!

Nathan, sensing Evelyn’s irritation, rested a calming hand on her shoulder. "Easy," he murmured.

Downstairs, the Blackwoods exchanged uneasy glances. Was Amelia truly this oblivious, or was this all an act?

Inside the room, the silence persisted. Amelia’s fingers trembled in her lap, her lips pressed into a thin line.

Daniel couldn’t take it anymore. He shut his eyes briefly, as if bracing himself. "Amelia, I’ve protected you since we were in high school. Years. And yet, you couldn’t trust me enough to tell me that bastard was blackmailing you? That he forced himself on you—repeatedly?" His voice cracked. "If you had just told me, I would have ended him."

Amelia’s breath hitched. Tears spilled over, streaking down her cheeks. She covered her mouth with a shaking hand, her wide, wounded eyes locking onto his. "I—I didn’t mean to… I never wanted this…"

Daniel’s chest ached. Under normal circumstances, he would have pulled her into his arms, wiped her tears away. But not this time.

His voice hardened. "We’re getting married, Amelia. And you still kept this from me. If he threatened you again, were you just going to sleep with him behind my back?"

Amelia recoiled as if struck, her face draining of color.

Daniel couldn’t bear the look in her eyes, but he forced himself to stand firm. Because if the truth hadn’t come out today, that’s exactly what would have happened. Amelia was a victim, yes—but she was also weak. Pathetic. And infuriatingly naive.

And yet, he still—

Eavesdropping on Scandalous Thoughts

The morning sun streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Evelyn Sinclair’s penthouse, casting golden streaks across the marble floors. She curled up on her plush velvet sofa, a steaming cup of Earl Grey in hand, scrolling through her phone with a smirk.

Oh, this is too good.

Her mind-reading ability—a secret she guarded fiercely—had just tuned into the most delicious piece of gossip. Across the city, in a high-end restaurant, Nathan Blackwood’s sharp-tongued secretary, Victoria Hayes, was having a meltdown.

"He didn’t even look at me during the meeting!" Victoria’s inner voice screeched. "After everything I’ve done for him! That new intern better watch her back."

Evelyn stifled a laugh, nearly spilling her tea. Oh, the drama.

Her phone buzzed—a message from her agent, Serena Whitmore. "Emergency meeting at 3 PM. Wear something killer. Big news."

Evelyn arched a brow. Big news? She could already sense the tension radiating from Serena’s thoughts, a chaotic swirl of excitement and apprehension.

Before she could dig deeper, another mental voice cut in—smooth, deep, and unmistakably Nathan’s. "Why the hell is Victoria glaring at the intern?"

Evelyn’s lips curved. Because she’s plotting your assistant’s downfall, darling.

She set down her cup, stretching lazily. Today was going to be fun.

At Blackwood Enterprises, Nathan massaged his temples as Victoria’s shrill complaints echoed in his head—both audibly and through Evelyn’s unwelcome psychic broadcast.

"If he promotes her over me, I swear—"

God, make it stop. He shot a glare at Victoria, who immediately pasted on a professional smile.

His phone lit up with a notification: Evelyn Sinclair is typing…

A second later:

"Tell Victoria to ease up on the intern. Jealousy is so last season."

Nathan’s jaw tightened. How does she even—?

Another message:

"3 PM. Serena’s office. You’re coming with me."

He scowled. Like hell I am.

But even as he thought it, he knew resistance was futile. Evelyn always got her way—especially when she could hear his objections before he voiced them.

Meanwhile, across town, Cassandra—Nathan’s first love—sat in a dimly lit café, stirring her latte absently. Her phone buzzed with a headline:

"Blackwood & Sinclair Spotted Together—Again!"

Her grip tightened on the spoon. After all these years…

A shadow fell over her table. She looked up—and froze.

"Long time no see," murmured a familiar, honeyed voice.

Cassandra’s breath hitched. No. It can’t be.

But there he stood: Daniel Prescott, Evian’s husband—and the man who’d shattered her heart a decade ago.

His smile was razor-sharp. "Miss me?"

The bedroom was heavy with tension as Amelia sat on the edge of the bed, her face a portrait of devastation.

When Daniel entered, he dismissed everyone else with a sharp gesture before turning to her, his expression unreadable. His fists remained clenched at his sides, knuckles white with suppressed fury. No man could stomach the knowledge that the woman he loved had endured such humiliation.

"Amelia," Daniel's voice was rough, strained. "We're getting married in two weeks. Is there something you need to tell me?"

Amelia flinched but didn’t answer. Instead, she lowered her gaze, her silence stretching between them like a chasm.

Daniel exhaled sharply, torn between pity and frustration.

Seriously? Evelyn Sinclair, standing beside Nathan Blackwood, barely suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. He’s practically spelling it out for her, and she’s still playing the wounded dove? Unbelievable. Her irritation must have been palpable, because Nathan reached over and gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

Downstairs, the Blackwoods exchanged uneasy glances. Was Amelia truly this oblivious, or was this some twisted act?

Inside the room, the silence thickened. Amelia remained motionless, as if her refusal to speak could erase the truth.

Daniel, though kind-hearted, wasn’t a fool. He couldn’t let this slide.

"Amelia," he said, his voice thick with pain. *"I’ve protected you since we were teenagers. I’ve stood by you through everything. So why didn’t you trust me? That bastard forced himself on you—*repeatedly. Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you let me help you?"

Amelia’s breath hitched. The fragile hope in her eyes shattered. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she pressed a trembling hand to her lips.

"I—I didn’t mean to… I never wanted this…"

Daniel’s chest ached. Normally, he would have pulled her into his arms, soothed her pain. But not this time.

"We’re getting married," he said through gritted teeth. "And you still kept this from me. What if he threatens you again? Were you just going to let it happen? Were you going to betray me?"

Amelia recoiled as if struck. Her face drained of color, her lips parting in silent horror.

Daniel couldn’t bear to look at her. But he had to say it. Because if this truth hadn’t come out today, it would have festered. Destroyed them.

He knew Amelia was a victim. Knew she was weak, pitiable, infuriatingly naive.

But damn it, why hadn’t she trusted him? Why hadn’t she spoken up the first time?

Daniel could only console himself with these bitter thoughts.

"I wouldn't! How could I—" Amelia sobbed, shaking her head violently. She had agreed to marry Daniel—how could she betray him again?

Yet Daniel's next words shattered her fragile defense. "But you were planning to make me raise that bastard's child, weren't you?"

Amelia's face drained of color. Her lips trembled, but no words came out—only silent tears, as if she were the one who had suffered the greatest injustice.

Her lack of denial crushed Daniel’s spirit. He had always prided himself on being strong, but now, he felt utterly defeated.

He could try to understand her predicament—but he wasn’t a fool.

"This has to be reported to the police. That bastard has to pay for what he did," Daniel said, his voice steel.

Amelia’s head snapped up. "No!"

Daniel froze. A sickening realization crept into his chest. "Don’t worry. Whatever leverage he has, I’ll handle it. I won’t let him—"

"Please—just forget it ever happened. If you don’t… I can’t go on living." She slid off the bed, nearly collapsing at his feet in desperation.

Are you seriously acting right now?

How effortlessly she played the victim. If she had just admitted, "I did it willingly," Daniel’s police report would have no ground. But her theatrics—her "I’ll die if you expose him"—were meant to manipulate him into thinking she feared retaliation.

She was protecting Ethan.

Pretending to love Daniel while shielding the man who had ruined her.

You really do love him, don’t you?

Nathan’s breathing hitched slightly as he listened. Daniel’s years of devotion had been wasted on this woman.

Though the Blackwoods could only hear Evelyn’s scathing commentary, they could piece together the scene. How could someone so cruel wear such an innocent mask?

To Daniel, Amelia’s reaction seemed like trauma—a desperate reflex to bury the truth. No matter how many times he promised to protect her, she never trusted him.

He exhaled sharply. "Fine. I won’t call the police."

As an officer, his first instinct was justice. But if that wasn’t an option, he’d make Ethan pay another way—even if the man was his half-brother. Daniel wouldn’t let him walk free.

This was revenge—for himself and for Amelia. His hatred burned raw.

For Amelia, as long as the police weren’t involved, everything was negotiable.

But then—Daniel asked about the child.

Amelia froze.

Her hands instinctively cradled her stomach.

She had grown attached.

And that was the final betrayal.

A dark expression flickered across Daniel Wright's face as he took in the scene before him.

Tears welled up in Amelia Bennett's eyes, her voice trembling with desperation. "You despise me now, don't you? You can't stand the sight of me anymore. That's why you're refusing to marry me—why you're rejecting our child, isn't it?"

Had Nathan Blackwood not held Evelyn Sinclair back, she would have stormed in without hesitation.

For heaven's sake, have some dignity! The child may be innocent, but why should Daniel be forced to accept it? Have you lost your mind?

Daniel's chest tightened as he stared at Amelia's tear-streaked face. He inhaled deeply, struggling to keep his voice steady. "Amelia, I don't hate you. You were a victim in this. I won't abandon you or blame you for what happened. But this child… I can't accept it."

The moment the words left his lips, guilt gnawed at him. Maybe he didn't love Amelia as deeply as he had believed.

In movies, men would embrace their wives' children—even those fathered by others—without hesitation, loving them unconditionally for the sake of their beloved.

But Daniel knew he couldn't do that. The mere thought of raising another man's child—especially under these circumstances—filled him with a simmering rage. He knew he could never love this child, and bringing it into a home where it would only suffer was unthinkable.

The silence stretched between them, heavy and suffocating. Amelia's sobs were the only sound in the room, each one a sharp reminder of the shattered future they had once envisioned together.

Daniel clenched his fists, his jaw set.

He had made his decision.

Now, he just had to live with it.