Chapter 56
Back in the Pedro mansion, Amira was pacing the floor. The fun was starting to sour. She had checked the news and saw that some investors were withdrawing all their investments from the Pedro shipping lines.
She had tried to play the CEO, but the board of directors was calling for an emergency meeting. They wanted to know why Amara had been seen at a club when a major deal was falling through.
“Where are you, Seb?” Amira hissed, biting her nails. “You were supposed to keep her away, not ruin the fortune I’m trying to take p>
She looked at her reflection in the mirror, wearing Amara’s expensive clothes, but she felt like a fraud. The walls were closing in, and she knew that if Julian found the real Amara, her plan was over. And their mother will not forgive her or even cut her out, or worse, make her identity public, not that she cared but the damage will make the real Amara look like the hero. She started to like being Amara, her sister.
When Amara finally opened her eyes, the air was different. It didn’t smell like the dry earth of the cliffs; it was thick, humid, and salt-crusted. She was lying in a canopy bed draped in fine white linen, the sound of crashing waves echoing from every direction.
She walked to the large glass doors and gasped. They were in the middle of a turquoise ocean. A private island, lush with tropical greenery and white sand, with no other land in sight.
“It’s yours,” a voice said from the balcony.
Seb was standing there, dressed in casual linen, looking more relaxed than she had seen him in years. He held a legal document in his hand.
“I bought this island seven years ago, Amara. The day after our first anniversary,” he said, his voice steady. “I put it in your name back then. I wanted it to be our escape. I called it Amara’s Reach p>
Amara looked at the document he held out. It was true, the deed was dated years ago. Even when he was sleeping with Elara, even when he made her raise their daughter, when he lied and showered her with love in front of the world. It wasn’t romantic to her; it was terrifying. It meant his love was nothing but an obsession that had been growing in the dark for a long time.
“You’re insane,” Amara whispered, her voice cracking. “You think a piece of land makes up for the years you stole from me? You think I’ll just stay here with you after everything you and Elara did to our baby and me p>
“I know you are the French heiress, and all of this means nothing to you, but we were happy even before you knew the truth,” Seb said dismissively, stepping closer.
“The world can have the company. We don’t need them. I will take care of you like I always have. Here, there are no paparazzi, no Julian, no lies. Just us. I’ve brought the best chefs, the best doctors… everything you could ever need is on this rock p>
Amara backed away, her feet sinking into the thick rug. “Julian and my mother will find me. I know they will”
Seb’s face darkened for the first time. The mask of the gentle lover slipped. “They won’t. This island isn’t on any public map. It’s registered as a nature reserve under a dead corporation. To the world, we’ve vanished p>
He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Amara flinched, but he didn’t pull away.
“Get used to the sound of the waves, Amara,” he whispered. “Because it’s the only thing we’re going to hear for a very, very long time p>
Thousands of miles away, Julian was standing in a high-tech command center, staring at a blank radar screen.
“Sir, the jet disappeared over the Atlantic,” his lead investigator reported. “But we found a satellite ping from a private transponder. It lasted for only three seconds before it was cut p>
Julian leaned over the map, his eyes tracing the coordinates. “That’s nowhere. That’s open water p>
“Exactly, sir. But there’s a reef system there. Old charts mention a small landmass, but it was bought out by a private trust a decade ago p>
Julian straightened up, his eyes burning with a cold, predatory light. “Prepare the long-range sweepers. I don’t care about international waters or private property. If he’s on that rock, I’m going to turn it into his graveyard p>
The rain lashed against the windows, a rhythmic, violent drumming that mirrored the frantic beating of Seb’s heart.
“Seb? Seb, talk to me,” Demian’s voice was ragged, the sound of a man who hadn’t slept in days. “This is crazy. It’s not going to work, man. You need to stop this madness and come home p>
“I can’t do that, Demian,” Seb whispered, his eyes fixed on the locked door of the bedroom where Amara was held.
“First of all, tell me where the hell you are! Your mother is worried sick. She’s falling apart, Seb p>
“Forget all that,” Seb snapped, his voice turning cold and dismissive. “I didn’t call to talk about my mother’s nerves. I called to tell you to take care of her. Check your account; I just wired you enough to ensure she never wants for anything. Just… keep her away from this p>
There was a stunned silence on the other end, then a burst of desperate laughter. “You’re sending ’legacy’ money? Seb, listen to yourself! You’ve kidnapped her. Amara is never going to be happy with you. She’s never going to love you again if you keep her caged up like this p>
“She will,” Seb said, a terrifying confidence bleeding into his tone. “I know her. She’ll forgive me. She’ll remember the bond we have. It’s too strong to just vanish into thin air because of a mistake p>
“A mistake?” Demian roared. “You lied to her for almost a decade! You married your mistress, Seb! You have an entire secret life; have her raise your secret daughter p>
“But it was a lie, Seren is not my daughter, Elara is not my savior, so we could go back to how things used to be. Our love lasted ten years, Demian. Ten years of history doesn’t just evaporate overnight p>
“It does when it’s built on a foundation of lies!” Demian pleaded, his voice cracking. “She found out the truth. She knows Elara isn’t your secretary, she’s your wife and the mother of your children; this was the truth you lived for seven years. The pain you caused her… It’s a physical thing, Seb. You’ve destroyed her soul. That truth doesn’t just go away p>
Seb leaned his head against the cold plaster of the wall, his eyes narrowing. “You’re right,” he murmured, his voice dropping to a hauntingly calm register. “The pain is too grave. It’s the truth that’s the problem p>
“Exactly,” Demian said, sounding relieved, thinking he’d finally broken through. “So let her go. Bring her back so she can start to heal p>
“Heal with Julian, no,” Seb whispered, a chilling realization sparking in his eyes. A new, dark idea took root. “You’re right… If only she hadn’t found out. If only she could forget the truth p>
“Seb? What are you talking about? Seb p>
“Good,” Seb said, a small, twisted smile touching his lips. “That’s the answer p>
He cut the call, the silence of the room rushing back in, heavier than before. He looked at the phone, then at the door, his mind already spinning a new web of lies.