Chapter 20 #3
His jaw tightened, and he called again. Still nothing.
Then he called a third time.
This time, she finally picked up.
“Elias, I’m no—”
“Come out,” he cut her off sharply. His voice was low and grim. “I’m outside your apartment.”
There was a pause on the other end.
Amara seemed to sense something strange in his tone, but then she sighed in frustration.
“Elias, go home. It’s not good for you to keep calling me again and again. I already le—”
His fist slammed against the door.
Bang.
“Open the damn door, Amara,” he snapped, finally losing patience.
A frustrated breath came from inside.
Then the sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the apartment, storming toward the entrance.
The door suddenly flew open. Amara appeared in front of him, glaring.
Her hair was slightly messy, as if she had been running her fingers through it in frustration.
She was dressed in a soft silk camisole in a muted ivory shade paired with loose black lounge pants that sat comfortably on her hips.
A light cardigan hung off one shoulder, slipping slightly as she moved.
“Are you serious right now?” she snapped. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
But before she could say another word, Elias suddenly stumbled forward.
Amara’s eyes widened in shock when his head dropped onto her shoulder and his arms wrapped tightly around her waist.
He held her like he was afraid she would disappear.
“Elias—”
She instinctively stepped back, but he followed with her, completely glued to her body.
The door slipped from her hand and slammed shut behind them.
Amara frowned in confusion and placed her hand against his cheek, trying to tilt his face up to look at him.
“Are you drunk?”
Elias didn’t answer.
He lifted his head, his dark eyes locking onto hers. Something in that look made her breath catch.
Before she could react, he closed the distance between them. His hand slid to her waist and pulled her forward in one sharp motion.
And then he kissed her.
Hard.
Rough.
Amara froze completely as his mouth pressed against hers, the force of it stealing the words right out of her mind. For a second, she didn’t even move—like her body had forgotten how to respond.
Elias made a low sound against her lips, something raw and broken, and his grip on her waist tightened as if he was afraid she would disappear if he let go.
“Mm— Elias—”
She jolted, pushing against his chest with both hands.
“Stop—”
But he didn’t.
Instead, one of his hands moved up to the back of her head, fingers threading into her hair, holding her in place—not letting her turn away, not giving her space to break it.
The kiss deepened.
Something desperate burned underneath it, like he had been holding back for too long and finally lost control of it all at once.
Amara’s breath turned uneven as she struggled against him, her palms still pressed to his chest, but he didn’t budge.
Only when her resistance grew firmer did his hold finally hesitate—just for a second—his breathing rough, his forehead almost brushing hers as if he was trying to steady himself after crossing a line he shouldn’t have.
And even then, he didn’t fully let go.
She immediately shoved at his shoulders.
“Elias!”
But before she could continue yelling at him, he suddenly dropped to his knees in front of her.
Amara froze.
His arms wrapped around her waist again, his forehead pressing against her stomach as he held her tightly.
Then, in a low, hoarse voice, he whispered,
“Let’s get married.”
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
She stared down at him like she had completely lost the ability to process what was happening.
“…What?”
Elias tightened his hold around her.
“Marry me, Amara.”
She let out a breathless laugh of disbelief and stepped back slightly, trying to pull away from him.
“Are you joking right now?”
“I’m not joking.”
“Elias, leave me alone.”
She grabbed his shoulders and tried pushing him away, but he refused to let go.
Then he slowly lifted his head and looked up at her.
His eyes were red.
“Zoe came out of the coma.”
He told her everything Zoe had said about the night of the accident, and with every word, the shock on Amara’s face deepened.
Her lips slowly parted as she stared at him in disbelief.
“You… were going to propose to me back then?”
The surprise in her voice was impossible to hide.
Elias stayed silent for a moment, his arms still wrapped tightly around her waist, his face buried against her stomach.
Amara could feel the warmth creeping onto his face.
It almost looked like he was embarrassed.
A few seconds later, he finally lifted his head and looked up at her again.
The look in his eyes made her chest tighten.
Warm.
Soft.
And painfully vulnerable.
It was a look she had never seen on Elias before.
“I fell in love with you at first sight too,” he admitted quietly. “That rainy night… when we met for the first time.”
His voice turned hoarse near the end.
His body stiffened slightly, almost like the confession itself made him nervous.
“I loved you too,” he continued, his brows pulling together. “But, Amara, for the love of God… you never asked me out back then.”
Amara froze.
Her eyes trembled slightly as she stared at him.
“I-I didn’t know you liked me too,” she answered in a daze.
Elias let out a quiet breath and rubbed a hand over his face before continuing.
“I was planning to ask you out properly,” he said. “I wanted to make things official with you.”
Then, slowly, he pulled away from her.
Amara watched him in confusion as he lowered himself onto one knee in front of her.
Her breath caught.
Elias reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring box.
When he opened it, the diamond nearly blinded her under the apartment lights.
A massive diamond set on a white gold band.
Amara’s fingers twitched slightly at the sight of it.
Elias looked up at her again, his gaze steady this time.
“Will you marry me?”
His voice was low but firm.
“I love you,” he said, his throat tightening as he forced the words out. His Adam’s apple moved as he swallowed hard. “I don’t know how else to say it.”
A faint, helpless smile flickered across his lips for a second before fading.
“I just know I love you,” he continued, his voice rougher now. “And I don’t care about anything else anymore.”
His fingers tightened slightly around the ring box.
“All I know is that I can’t imagine my life without you in it.”
Amara’s entire body turned rigid.
Shock completely filled her face.
For several seconds, she could only stare at him speechlessly.
Elias rose to his feet again. His hand reached for hers carefully, almost cautiously, like he was afraid she would pull away.
“During our marriage,” he said quietly, “the only reason I kept my distance from you was because you were unwell.”
His jaw tightened.
“It was difficult for me too.”
Amara’s eyes flickered.
“And I’m sorry,” he continued softly. “I’m sorry for not being there for you during your treatment.”
His thumb brushed lightly against her fingers.
“I’ll never let you face anything alone again. I promise.”
Amara’s eyes slowly reddened.
“You hurt me too much, Elias,” she whispered.
The words made his expression tighten with pain.
“I know.”
Her voice trembled slightly.
“How are you even going to make up for all of that?”
Elias held her gaze for a few long seconds, his expression steady but raw in a way he rarely allowed anyone to see.
Then he spoke quietly, his voice low and certain.
“I’ll give you myself,” he said. “Everything I own. Everything I have.” His throat tightened slightly as he continued, eyes never leaving hers. “Even my life.”
A pause.
His fingers brushed lightly against hers.
“You own me now.”
Amara’s breathing faltered.
Then she suddenly pushed against his chest lightly, overwhelmed by everything happening too fast.
But Elias caught her wrist gently and pulled her back toward him.
Before she could say anything else, he lowered his head and kissed her again.
This time, the kiss was slower.
Deeper.
Filled with everything he could not put into words.
His hand cupped the side of her face while the other wrapped around her waist, pulling her flush against him as he kissed her until her knees weakened.
Then, without breaking away from her completely, he guided her toward the bedroom.
***
Amara tried to pull herself out of Elias’s tight embrace and slip out from under the blanket, but the moment she moved, his arm instantly tightened around her waist.
Before she could even sit up properly, he dragged her right back against him.
“Elias—”
He rolled on top of her, caging her beneath him as his grip tightened possessively around her waist.
Amara looked up at him with exhausted eyes and groaned softly.
“Not again,” she mumbled weakly. “I can’t do this again. I need to sleep now. I’m exhausted.”
Elias’s gaze burned as it slowly traveled over her face.
Then his expression softened.
He cupped her face gently in his hand and lowered his head, kissing her everywhere.
Her lips.
Her cheeks.
The corners of her eyes.
Her forehead.
Amara let out a sleepy whine and pushed lightly at his shoulder.
The diamond ring on her finger caught the sunlight spilling through the curtains, glittering brightly between them.
Elias paused.
His eyes fell on the ring for a second before he looked back at her again.
“I love you.”
His voice was low and hoarse.
Amara’s sleepy eyes instantly widened.
Her entire body went still beneath him.
The way he said those words… the way he looked at her while saying them… it sent a shiver down her spine.
Heat rushed to her cheeks immediately.
No matter how many times Elias told her he loved her, she still couldn’t get used to it.
Her crush.
The man she had loved for years.
He was looking at her with that unbearably tender gaze while whispering those words to her like she was the most precious thing in his world.
The feelings she had buried for years pounded violently in her chest, making her almost breathless.