Chapter 12
Elias’s expression changed immediately. He stepped toward her quickly, one hand gripping her waist to steady her.
“What happened?” he asked sharply, concern flashing across his face. “Amara, what happened?”
Amara slowly straightened before turning her head to glare at him with disbelief written all over her face.
“What do you think happened?” she snapped.
The moment she snapped those words at him, Elias still did not look even slightly reassured.
If anything, the worry in his eyes only increased tenfold.
His brows pulled together tightly as he stepped closer to her again, one hand still firmly around her waist as if afraid she would collapse if he let go.
“Tell me clearly,” he said quickly, panic already creeping into his voice. “Something’s wrong? Are you in pain?”
His eyes scanned her face frantically before dropping toward her body.
“Where does it hurt exactly?” he pressed urgently. “Tell me where it’s hurting.”
“I’m fine,” Amara tried to say through clenched teeth.
But Elias was already moving.
Without giving her another second to protest, he bent down and slid one arm underneath her knees while the other wrapped around her back before lifting her straight into his arms.
Amara let out a startled cry, immediately grabbing his shoulders for balance.
“Elias!” she snapped. “Put me down! What are you doing? I’m fine!”
But he barely listened.
His jaw was tight with panic as he carried her quickly toward the front door.
“No,” he said firmly. “Something is wrong. We’re going to the hospital.”
He adjusted her more securely against his chest before looking down at her anxiously.
“How are you feeling? Are you dizzy? Is there pain anywhere else?”
“What? No!” Amara cried out, her face turning red in embarrassment. “I’m not going to the doctor!”
She slapped a hand against his chest lightly in frustration.
“I’m fine! It’s just because of… last night! Who told you to—”
She stopped herself abruptly before blurting out something even more embarrassing.
Instead, she glared at him furiously.
“I’m fine,” she repeated stubbornly.
But Elias still did not slow down.
He carried her straight outside toward the black car waiting in the driveway and carefully put her into the passenger seat.
The second he tried pulling away, Amara attempted to climb back out immediately.
“I said I’m fi—”
Click.
Elias locked the doors from his side before she could even touch the handle. Then he rounded the car quickly and slid into the driver’s seat.
The panic on his face looked completely out of proportion, as though she were dying instead of simply sore.
Within seconds, the car sped out of the driveway.
It didn’t take long for them to reach the hospital, and Elias practically threatened the staff into checking Amara from head to toe immediately.
An hour later, the doctor finally stepped out after examining her and called Elias into the room.
Amara sat stiffly on the examination bed, her entire face flushed deep red with embarrassment while Elias stood beside her.
The doctor smiled politely.
“Don’t worry, Mr. Creed. Mrs. Creed is completely fine. There are no injuries.”
Elias visibly relaxed for only half a second before concern immediately returned to his face again.
“Did you compare the past files?” he asked quickly. “You said before that she was still healing. What about the injured area? Did I hurt her?”
Amara’s brows furrowed slightly in confusion as her gaze shifted toward him.
The doctor shook his head calmly.
“No, Mr. Creed. She’s alright now. The injury appears to have healed completely.”
He smiled lightly.
“You don’t need to worry anymore. Mrs. Creed’s body has healed very well.”
Then the doctor added warmly, “You did a really good job taking care of her. Mrs. Creed is perfectly healthy now.”
Amara blinked slowly.
Confusion immediately crossed her face.
“What…?”
Her eyes shifted between the doctor and Elias.
“What are you talking about?”
The doctor turned toward her kindly.
“Your injuries from one year ago, Mrs. Creed,” he explained gently. “Your internal injuries were severe at the time, so we advised against any sexual activity that could worsen the damage.”
Amara’s expression slowly froze.
“But it’s good that you cooperated with Mr. Creed and allowed your body enough time to recover properly,” the doctor continued. “You’re fully healed now.”
Amara stared at him blankly for several long seconds.
Then her eyes moved toward Elias.
Completely stunned.
Elias took a deep breath and looked away briefly, tension visible across his face.
“Thank you, Doctor,” he said quietly. “I’ll speak with you later.”
The doctor nodded once before leaving the room, gently closing the door behind him.
Silence instantly filled the space.
Amara turned her head toward Elias, disbelief written all over her face.
“What the hell is going on?” she demanded. “What is the doctor talking about?”
Elias stayed silent for a moment.
His jaw tightened slightly as he exhaled heavily and looked away again, as though mentally preparing himself to say something he had been hiding for a very long time.
Finally, he pressed his lips together and spoke quietly.
“Let’s go home first.” His eyes lifted toward hers again. “We’ll talk at home.”
Even though she didn’t want to, she had no choice in that moment.
A faint displeasure flickered across her face, her lips pressing into a thin line as she pushed herself up from the bed.
Her movements were still careful, slightly stiff, as she swung her legs over the edge and steadied herself on her feet.
Before she could fully adjust, Elias was already there.
His hand closed around hers and he pulled her forward without hesitation. She stumbled a half step, more from surprise than resistance, and immediately tried to tug her hand free. His grip didn’t loosen. If anything, it tightened just enough to make it clear he wasn’t letting go.
Her brows knitted, irritation flashing across her face, but she didn’t make a scene. Instead, she let herself be guided out, even as her fingers flexed within his hold in silent protest.
Elias kept walking, his posture rigid, his attention fixed ahead as he led her out of the hospital and straight toward the car. He opened the passenger door and guided her inside with a hand at her arm, making sure she was settled before shutting the door.
She barely had time to exhale before he was moving around the car.
The ride home was quieter than she expected. Somehow, the distance felt shorter this time, the silence between them heavy. When they finally arrived, Elias was out of the car almost immediately, already reaching for her door.
But Amara didn’t wait for him. The second the car stopped, she pushed the door open herself and stepped out. Her movements were quick and stubborn as she headed straight into the house, with Elias following close behind.
The moment they crossed the threshold, Elias reached for her hand again. His fingers slipped between hers before gently pulling her farther into the house.
She froze for half a second, surprise flashing across her face. Then her expression hardened into a frown.
This time, she didn’t even try to hide it.
“Why do you keep pulling me like this?” she demanded, yanking her hand slightly. “Let go of my hand.”
Elias looked caught off guard, his steps faltering as he turned to face her. His brows drew together, a flash of confusion crossing his features.
“Stop acting like this,” he said after a beat, his voice lower now. “What do you want to eat?”
But Amara didn’t move. Her chest rose and fell unevenly as she stared at him, frustration written all over her face.
“No.” She stepped directly in front of him, blocking his path. “First, tell me what went wrong at the hospital.”
At that, she finally pulled her hand free when his grip loosened slightly. The shift between them was immediate. The tension in Elias’s face dimmed into something quieter, more guarded.
He looked away first.
“What do you want to eat?” he repeated softly. “We’ll talk later.”
That only made her move closer, forcing him to stop completely.
“Tell me the truth,” she demanded, her eyes locking onto his. “What are you hiding from me? What internal injuries was the doctor talking about?”
Elias closed his eyes briefly. His hand lifted to his temple, rubbing once as he let out a long breath. When he looked back at her, the calmness on his face looked forced.
“In your accident,” he said quietly, “you were hurt badly. When your grandfather came to me about the marriage, he told me everything. You had internal injuries… and you were still healing. The doctor said you shouldn’t have sex until your body fully recovered. It was going to take time.”
“And why the hell was I not told about any of it?” Amara snapped, her voice slicing through the silence. Her chest heaved sharply as anger rushed through her. Her hands curled into tight fists at her sides, nails digging hard into her palms.
“Were you trying to keep it from me till the day I die? How is that fair? How is it fair that both of you hid something this huge from me?”
Her eyes burned as she stared at him, her breathing uneven now, frustration building with every second.
Elias stood still for a long moment before exhaling slowly through his nose. His jaw tightened, and when he finally spoke, his voice sounded tightly restrained.
“Your grandpa asked me to keep it a secret,” he said quietly, his gaze fixed on her, heavy with something that looked dangerously close to guilt.
“He didn’t want you worrying about it while you were still recovering.
Back then… you were already carrying too much.
He didn’t want to add more pain to it, so I agreed. ”
For a second, silence stretched between them.
Then Amara let out a short, disbelieving laugh. There was no humor in it. Her head shook slowly as her eyes widened, hurt and anger flashing across her face.