Chapter 3 A Love That Hurts💔

The morning after the piano night, something in the house felt different.

It wasn't Damien's cold glares or silence-those were still there-but something softer clung to the air. Like maybe, just maybe, he saw her now... not as Alina's replacement, but as Amira.

And yet, that made it hurt even more.

She caught him watching her once, while she was folding laundry in the hallway. He didn't say a word. Just stared at her, as if trying to understand a puzzle that never made sense.

Then... he walked away.

But not before whispering under his breath, "Why do you remind me of her?"

Amira's chest tightened. "Who?" she asked, even though she feared the answer.

He paused.

"My mother," he said, eyes distant. "She used to hum like that when things were falling apart."

Amira didn't know how to respond. So she didn't.

That night, she cooked dinner again. He didn't come to the table. He hadn't eaten anything in two days. But she left the plate on the kitchen island anyway.

At 2 a.m., she heard soft clinking.

He was eating it.

---

A Hidden Past

The next day, Amira found herself in Damien's study, searching for a book. She never meant to snoop-but something caught her eye.

A file.

Her name on it.

Shaking, she opened it.

There were photos of her, surveillance shots... school records... her hospital bills when her mother died. Even her mother's obituary.

Tears filled her eyes.

He'd known everything.

Even before the wedding.

She heard footsteps.

Damien stood at the door, jaw clenched.

"You knew," she said, voice breaking. "All this time, you knew who I was. Why didn't you stop it?"

He didn't speak at first.

Then, quietly: "Because I needed someone who wouldn't lie to me. And I was hoping you'd be different."

Her hands trembled. "Then why treat me like I'm poison?"

"Because I hate that I don't hate you," Damien whispered.

---

A Trip to the Hospital

Two days later, Amira collapsed in the kitchen.

Overwork. Stress. No food. No sleep.

Damien rushed her to the hospital himself.

She faded in and out on the ride, hearing his voice calling her name, fear in his tone for the first time ever.

At the hospital, while she slept, Damien sat by her side for six straight hours, unmoving.

When she woke, he was there. His eyes red.

"I thought I was going to lose you," he whispered, holding her hand.

"I thought you didn't care."

"I don't want to," he admitted, voice shaking. "But God, Amira... You make it so hard not to."

---

The Phone Call That Changed Everything

Two days later, a call came.

From her father's doctor.

Her father had suffered a massive stroke. They didn't expect him to make it through the night.

Amira broke.

Damien dropped everything.

He flew her in his private jet to the small hospital back home. She arrived just in time to hold her father's hand before he passed.

He died whispering, "You've always been the stronger one."

Damien didn't leave her side.

He held her while she cried. He kissed her forehead when she collapsed. And in that moment, the billionaire boss she had once feared... disappeared.

In his place was just a man.

A man who finally showed her he had a heart.

---

The Tragic Confession

Back at the hotel, Damien poured them both a glass of wine.

There was sadness in his eyes.

"I need to tell you something," he said.

She nodded.

He looked away.

"The reason I needed to marry someone... wasn't just for business. My company was being taken from me. There were rumors of instability. Investors were pulling out. I needed a steady image. A wife."

"So I was part of a PR plan," Amira said bitterly.

"No," he said quickly. "At first, yes. But now..."

He swallowed. "Now, I'm terrified that I might actually be falling in love with you."

Amira's eyes filled with tears.

"Then why does it still feel like I'm temporary to you?"

He didn't answer.

Because he didn't know how to say the words out loud.

---

A Final Blow

That night, while he slept, Amira got a call from her sister.

Alina.

"I want my place back," she said coldly. "Damien was supposed to marry me, not you."

Amira's heart shattered.

"Why are you calling now?" she whispered.

"Because I'm ready. And because he's mine."

She hung up before Amira could reply.

Damien stirred in his sleep.

And Amira sat by the window, clutching her chest, praying that for once in her life...

She wouldn't be the one left behind.

---

> 💔 To be continued in Chapter 4...