Chapter 3
The muscles in Elias’s shoulders locked instantly beneath his suit jacket, his fingers twitching once at his sides as if the words had physically struck him.
For the first time that night, the cold control on his face cracked.
Amara saw it.
That brief flicker.
Something terrifyingly close to panic flashing through his dark eyes.
But she was too exhausted to care anymore.
Too empty.
She remained sitting on the floor beside the table, motionless, her back pressed weakly against the edge. Strands of hair clung messily to her tear-stained cheeks, her breathing shallow and uneven from crying too much.
Meanwhile Elias stared at her as if he couldn’t process what she had just said.
The color slowly drained from his face.
Then finally, he spoke.
His voice came out stern.
Restrained.
“You married me only a year ago.” His brows furrowed deeply, lines forming between them as he stared at her. “Aren’t you afraid of disappointing your parents?”
“I’m not.”
She answered instantly.
Without even a second of hesitation.
Her swollen eyes remained fixed on him.
Empty.
“I want a divorce from you, Elias.”
His jaw tightened so hard the muscle visibly flexed near his temple.
A dangerous silence followed.
Then after several long seconds, he slowly unclenched it and inhaled through his nose.
“You’re angry right now,” he said coldly, forcing calm into his tone. “I’m not going to take these words seriously.”
His tone softened slightly, though his posture remained tense.
“You can stay here and calm down.”
Amara stared at him in disbelief.
Her expression twisted instantly.
Fury.
Heartbreak.
Disappointment.
Everything crashed across her face at once.
Did anything she said ever matter to him?
She asked him for a divorce.
And his response was that she was simply angry?
Elias closed his eyes briefly and took a long breath. When he opened them again, some of the frustration inside them had faded.
Slowly, he walked toward her.
Amara instinctively stiffened the moment he came closer.
Elias lowered himself onto the floor in front of her, despite the expensive suit stretching and wrinkling against the cold marble beneath him.
His hand reached toward her waist carefully, fingers brushing the side she had hit against the table earlier.
“I’m sorry,” he muttered quietly.
His thumb rubbed gently against the sore spot through the fabric of her dress.
“I shouldn’t have raised my voice at you.”
Amara’s eyes were glossy with tears, her lashes wet as she stared at him silently.
Seeing her like that made something dark flicker in Elias’s expression.
His voice softened further.
“Don’t be upset. I’ll buy you a necklace.” His voice softened further. “And a bag. What else do you want?”
He searched her face carefully.
“How about I get you everything released this year?” he said, almost trying to soothe her like a child. “I’ll have Kaya arrange everything in your closet herself.”
Amara’s lips trembled slightly.
“I need you to leave,” she whispered quietly.
The movement of his hand stopped instantly.
For a second, something sharp flashed through his eyes.
Then he tilted his head slightly, staring at her.
“I’m your husband,” he said quietly. “Where will I go?”
His gaze drifted across the room.
The mess around them finally registered in his eyes.
Her clothes were scattered across the floor near the bed. Jewelry lay fallen beside the dressing table. The blanket had been dragged halfway off the mattress and crumpled onto the ground.
The entire room looked like the aftermath of a storm.
He slowly rose to his feet again.
He walked toward the clothes on the floor and bent down to pick them up one by one.
His breathing sounded restless now. Uneven.
His large hands carefully folded her dress before placing it neatly on the side table. But his fingers tightened around the fabric midway, his knuckles whitening slightly.
“It’s fine that you left the party early,” he said, his back facing her. “If you admit your mistake and promise to tell me before leaving next time, I won’t be upset about it anymore.”
He straightened before glancing over his shoulder at her.
Amara said nothing.
A tear slid silently down her cheek.
Elias stared at it.
Then he abruptly looked away again, his shoulders stiffening.
A few seconds later, he turned back around once more, as though he physically couldn’t stop himself.
“It’s fine.” His throat moved slightly as he swallowed. “Don’t worry about it. You don’t have to inform me before leaving.”
He bent down and picked up her jewelry from the floor one by one, placing each piece carefully onto the dressing table.
“You don’t have to admit any mistake either,” he continued quietly. “It was my fault.”
His brows pulled together tightly.
“I’ll be more careful in the future. I’ll arrive on time and leave the parties with you. I’ll keep an eye on you. Whenever you want to leave, I’ll leave with you.”
Then he looked at her once more.
“Amara…” his voice lowered. “Let’s make up, okay?”
Amara didn’t answer him.
Didn’t even look at him.
Instead, she quietly asked,
“Did you go to the party with Bianca last night?”
Her body remained curled near the table, her hands clenched tightly together in her lap while tears dried against her pale cheeks. The morning light spilled across the room, illuminating the mess around them.
Elias immediately walked back toward her and lowered himself onto his knees in front of her.
“I met her outside the club,” he explained quickly. “She just came inside the party with me.”
His eyes stayed fixed on her face, watching every tiny reaction carefully.
“From now on, you and I will always go in together.” His voice lowered slightly. “I’ll wait for you before entering.”
Amara shook her head at once.
“You don’t have to.”
Her voice was hollow.
“In fact,” she whispered, “next time you can just bring Bianca here.”
Elias’s brows slowly furrowed.
Amara’s lips curved into a bitter smile that looked more painful than mocking.
“You already enjoy taking her inside with you everywhere anyway, don’t you?”
Her glossy eyes stayed locked onto his.
“So why stop at the party? Bring her into this house too.” She glanced around the bedroom before looking back at him. “Bring her inside this bedroom. I’m sure she’d be more than happy to sleep beside you.”
“Amara!”
The change in Elias’s expression was instant. He stood up abruptly and took a step back from her.
“What the hell does that mean?” he roared.
His voice thundered through the room.
“Do you even hear yourself?”
Amara let out a cold scoff and looked at him angrily through her tears.
“I’m telling you the truth.” Her voice cracked. “Isn’t it obvious already?” She laughed bitterly. “You can sleep with Bianca and make her your wife.”
“You are not in your fucking right mind anymore,” Elias snapped furiously.
He dragged a hand harshly through his hair before turning away and pacing once, breathing heavily.
The veins in his neck stood out.
“Do you hear the things coming out of your mouth?” he barked.
“Why are you offended now?” Amara shouted back, tears streaming down her face now. “Isn’t this what you wanted?”
Her fingers curled tightly against the floor beside her.
“You can take her to parties…” Her voice trembled violently. “Then bring her home too. She would happily cling to you, and you…” she laughed painfully, “…you’re more than willing to be with her, aren’t you?”
Her glossy eyes met his.
“I told you. I want a divorce!”
The moment the words left her mouth, Elias’s expression darkened completely.
The fury in his eyes turned terrifying.
His jaw clenched so hard the muscles ticked violently, and his fists slowly tightened at his sides until his knuckles turned white. His entire body went rigid with rage, shoulders tense, chest rising and falling heavily.
For a moment, he simply stared at her.
Then he took a deep, shuddering breath and suddenly stepped back from her as though forcing himself to regain control.
“You can stay here and calm down,” he said coldly.
His tone was dismissive now. Sharp. Dismissive. Distant.
“I only came back to tell you that I’m leaving for a business trip for a few months.”
Without waiting for her response, he turned away from her again and snatched his watch and phone off the side table harshly.
The veins along his hand stood out from how tightly he gripped them.
Then, just as suddenly as he had arrived, he stormed out of the room.
The loud slam of the door echoed through the bedroom.
And silence followed.
Amara remained sitting on the floor motionlessly, her body numb, her thoughts blank. Her breathing felt uneven as she stared emptily ahead, almost unable to process what had just happened.
Then suddenly—
Her phone began ringing.
The sharp sound pulled her back to reality.
She looked down absentmindedly before grabbing the phone with trembling hands. The moment she saw the name on the screen, her throat tightened instantly.
“Dad.”
Without even thinking, she quickly picked up the phone and pressed it against her ear.
“Hello?”
On the other end came a warm, familiar voice.
“Sweetheart.”
Her lips trembled as she lowered her head, desperately biting back the sob threatening to escape her throat.
“I haven’t seen you this entire month,” William continued lovingly. “Will you come visit Mom and Dad?”
Amara shut her eyes tightly.
“Of course,” she whispered softly, her voice shaky.
The warmth and love in her father’s voice felt so painfully different from Elias’s coldness that the contrast suddenly became unbearable.
It hurt too much.
“How are you doing?” Jonathan continued gently. “Are you alright? Are you having fun? Do you need money?”
He chuckled lightly before continuing in a playful tone,
“Oh, and a new Hermès bag was released recently. You like Hermès, right? When you come home, I’ll give you lots of things, so come over quickly.”
His voice sounded as though he were trying to bribe a child into visiting home.