Chapter 37
The restaurant was too quiet. That was the first thing Amara noticed. The soft hum of a cello played over the speakers, and the scent of expensive lilies hung heavy in the air.
Jullian sat at a corner table, the flickering flame of a single candle casting long, dancing shadows across his sharp jawline.
“Why the sudden candlelight dinner?” Amara asked, her voice dropping as he pulled out her chair. The velvet seat felt too soft, too welcoming.
Jullian didn’t look up immediately. He watched the flame. “I needed a reason to see you again p>
Amara’s heart did a strange, uncomfortable skip. She reached for her water glass, needing something to do with her hands.
“I’m still looking into Seren’s background,” Jullian continued, finally meeting her eyes. “It’s buried deep. It may take a while p>
“No problem,” Amara said quickly. Too quickly? She took a sip of water. “Take your time. I just want the truth p>
The truth, she thought, even if it burns everything down.
Jullian leaned forward, the candlelight reflecting in his dark pupils. “And then? Once you have it… are you planning to get back at Elara p>
The mention of the name made Amara’s fingers tighten around the glass. The coldness of the ice seeped into her skin. She looked at Jullian, trying to read the expression behind his calm mask.
“Do you want me to do that?” she asked back.
Jullian didn’t flinch. “I’ll support you in whatever you decide.” He paused, his gaze softening just a fraction. “Oh. I’ll take you to a place next weekend. Somewhere you can… breathe p>
Amara forced a smile. It felt tight, like a mask that didn’t quite fit. “Thanks, Jullian p>
The food arrived, but Amara could barely taste the rich sauces. Every time Jullian looked at her, she felt a wave of guilt she couldn’t explain. The stakes were getting higher, her past heavier.
“Wait,” Amara said, setting her napkin down. “I need to go to the washroom p>
“Of course,” Jullian nodded.
She walked away from the table, her heels clicking softly on the marble floor. She needed a moment. She needed to splash cold water on her face and remind herself why she started this.
She pushed open the heavy oak door of the ladies’ room. The air inside was cool and smelled of rosewater. She walked toward the mirrors, but stopped dead.
Her breath hitched in her throat.
Standing by the sinks, looking completely out of place against the floral wallpaper and gold fixtures, was Seb.
What is he doing here? This is the women’s room. Seb turned slowly. He didn’t look surprised. He looked like he had been waiting.
“Baby,” he said, his voice a low vibration that seemed to rattle the very walls of the small room. Amara took a step back, her back hitting the door. “Seb? You… you shouldn’t be in here p>
Amara stood frozen, her back pressed against the cold marble of the bathroom door. The silence of the room was broken only by the sound of Seb’s heavy, jagged breathing.
“What are you doing here?” Amara whispered, her voice trembling with a mix of shock and fury.
Seb took a frantic step toward her. His eyes were bloodshot, his tie loosened as if he were suffocating. “I’m sorry. I saw your text saying you were here. I know you said we could only meet in secret, but… I can’t do it, Amara. I can’t stand seeing you with Jullian. I get it now, I was wrong marrying Elara p>
He reached out, his hands trembling as he tried to grab her shoulders. “Amara, I was wrong about Elara. I see that now. Please, don’t make me go through the same pain you felt seeing me with Elara. I can’t take it p>
Amara flinched, twisting her body to wrench herself out of his grip. The desperation in his voice didn’t move her; it disgusted her. When did she text him? he couldn’t take it, but he expected her to just let it go for deceiving her for 7 years, calling him husband when in fact she was just a mistress he had forced her to be.
“You are sick, Seb,” she spat, her voice low and dangerous. “You need help. Seren is in the hospital right now. That’s where you should be. You should go to her p>
Seb froze. His hands dropped to his sides, and the color drained from his face until he looked like a ghost. “What… what did you just say p>
He looked confused, trapped in a haze. It was clear now: Amira had been the one to lure him there. She had sent that text, knowing exactly how to pull his strings, just to see her sister crumble.
“What happened to our daughter?” Seb asked, his voice cracking. “Amara, tell me p>
Amara felt a cold, sharp satisfaction blooming in her chest. She adjusted her dress, her movements slow and deliberate. She looked at him with eyes that held no warmth, only a bitter, calculated distance.
“You should go ask your wife, Elara,” Amara said, her voice as sharp as a razor. “And stop bothering me. Tell your daughter I don’t want her coming to my house ever again p>
“Amara, please p>
“I paid the hospital bills,” she interrupted, walking toward the door without looking back. “But only because I was the one who had to take her there. Don’t mistake my pity for kindness, Seb p>
She pushed the door open, the warm, golden light of the restaurant spilling into the cold bathroom. She didn’t look back to see him collapse against the sinks. She had a dinner to finish.
“Don’t worry… I will pay you back,” Seb managed to choke out, his voice hollow.
Amara didn’t even blink. She didn’t want his money; she wanted to be done with him. How do you stop loving a person you have devoted your life to for 10 years? That alone is hard enough; now you have to see them everywhere you go, which was pure torture to her poor heart.
As she pulled the heavy bathroom door shut, leaving Seb alone in his sudden panic, a figure stepped out from the shadows of the hallway.
It was Amira. She was leaning against the wall, a sharp, knowing smirk playing on her lips. She had seen the whole thing.
“Nice growing tough skin, sister,” Amira whispered, her eyes gleaming with a dark kind of joy. She walked closer, her voice a low purr. “You’ve definitely changed. You used to be so scared… You used to give in to every little pressure. Hmm. Nice, let’s see how well you will keep this up p>
Amira melted back into the shadows of the corridor, leaving behind the muffled sounds of the restaurant.