Chapter 97
097
THE hum of the city outside faded into the background as Amelia Cole stepped into her office at Satin & Sage. The glass walls reflected her poise, her stride as sharp as the clicking of her heels across the polished marble floor. Gone was the weary woman of sleepless nights and silent tears, of course, months ago, this Amelia was sculpted by fire. Confident, sophisticated and untouchable.
Ryan followed closely, balancing his tablet and a slim file, his usual calm demeanor intact. He knew her well enough to recognize that the slight stiffness in her shoulders meant she was holding something back.
Amelia dropped her bag on the desk with measured grace, but her eyes, usually so composed, narrowed as she turned to face him.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked, her voice cool but carrying the weight of accusation.
Ryan looked up from the file, puzzled.
“Tell you what p>
“Where the board meeting was being held,” she pressed, her tone tightening. “You knew it was at Cole’s Holdings, Ryan. You knew, and yet you didn’t think it was important to mention p>
Ryan exhaled softly, setting the file down. He had known this was coming.
“Ma’am…” he began carefully, “if I had told you, would you have gone p>
Her lips pressed into a thin line, the silence between them answering for her.
“That was what I thought,” Ryan said, folding his arms. “You have built yourself into a fortress, ma’am. You have been preparing for this moment for months, walking back into that world, not as someone’s wife but as your own name, your own power. If I had told you it was happening under Adrian’s roof, you would have stayed away. And that would have been a mistake p>
Amelia’s brow furrowed. She paced toward the tall window overlooking the street below, arms wrapped lightly around herself.
“It wasn’t your choice to make for me,” she said quietly, but the tremor of suppressed emotion betrayed her calm façade.
Ryan studied her, his voice steady but edged with something protective.
“You handled yourself flawlessly. Do you have any idea what they saw today? Not just Amelia Cole- the wife who disappeared. They saw a woman who walked back into that boardroom with elegance, strength, and control. Even Adrian couldn’t hide how rattled he was. And you-” his voice softened, “you stood taller because of it p>
Her jaw clenched at the mention of Adrian, the memory of his shocked stares cutting across her mind like glass shards. She turned, her dark eyes hardening again.
“I don’t care how rattled he was. He doesn’t get to look at me as if I owe him an explanation. He doesn’t get to be surprised that I survived without him p>
Ryan nodded once, slow and deliberate.
“Then maybe I was right. Maybe not telling you was the push you needed p>
Silence stretched, thick with unspoken truths. Amelia’s gaze dropped to the edge of her desk, fingers tracing the smooth wood, as though grounding herself.
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“You saw him,” she said finally, her voice quieter, almost fragile. “The way he stared. Like he had just woken up from a dream and found himself in a nightmare. And then…” she stopped, biting down hard on her lip. “He saw the twins p>
Ryan stepped closer but stopped short of touching her.
“And what of it? They are yours, ma’am. You carried them, you gave them life, you have raised them without him. They don’t make you weaker in his eyes, they make you untouchable. Do you know what I saw on his face p>
She looked up at him, searching.
“Regret,” Ryan said simply. “And fear. Because he knows he has lost what he once took for granted p>
For a long moment, Amelia said nothing. Then she gave a small, humorless laugh, shaking her head.
“You always know what to say, don’t you p>
Ryan allowed a faint smile.
“It is my job, isn’t it? Assistant, advisor…” He paused, his gaze lingering on her just a second longer than usual. “ And maybe more than that, if you let me p>
She caught the flicker in his voice, the suggestion beneath it, and quickly turned back to her desk, pretending not
to notice.
“Book the next appointments for me. And make sure the press keeps their nose out of my children’s lives. I don’t want their faces in magazines or gossip columns p>
“Already on it,” Ryan said, his voice back to businesslike. But the unspoken words still lingered in the air between
them.
Amelia sat at her desk, pulling her laptop open. The sophisticated businesswoman on the outside resumed her composure, but deep inside, Adrian’s eyes, those haunted, shocked and pleading eyes still burned in her memory.
And she hated herself for still feeling it.
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Cedella
Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella’s storytelling style is immersive and addictive—perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.