Chapter 4 A More Powerful Man

From his private booth overlooking the club, Lucas Sullivan had been watching the drama unfold with growing fascination.

The brunette had caught his attention the moment she'd started dancing-there was something about her that reminded him of a masked woman he'd met years ago. Someone he'd been searching for ever since.

But it was the conversation he'd overheard that sealed his interest.

She knew the Gifted Doctor. And it seemed she didn't just know him-she was a particularly influential figure. The mysterious surgeon he desperately needed to save his sister's life.

"I can't believe we're hiding behind pillars like teenagers," his friend Mark complained.

"She might be my only connection to the surgeon I need," Lucas replied, though his eyes remained fixed on Amelia's face.

When he'd seen how she'd handled that blonde woman-quick, decisive, unafraid-he'd been impressed.

And when Wright had tried to drag her away like she was his property, Lucas had felt an unexpected surge of protectiveness.

Now, seeing her walking away from Wright, he made his move.

"Good evening, beautiful."

Amelia looked up at him, exhaustion replacing her earlier fire.

"Look, I'm really not-"

"How many men do I have to tell tonight that she's fucking married!" Damian's roar echoed through the hallway as he charged toward them.

Amelia's face transformed with fury.

"And how many times do I have to tell you we're DIVORCED!"

"We got divorced today! Today, Amelia! And you're already letting strange men put their hands on you!" Damian's voice cracked with an emotion he didn't understand. "Tell me the truth-were you cheating before? Did you break our vows first?"

The accusation hit like a slap. Amelia stared at him in disbelief.

"Do you have any right to ask me that? Any right at all? You're the one who spent months screwing your ex-girlfriend! You broke our vows! And now you're having a meltdown because I'm talking to men after our divorce?"

Something snapped in her expression. Pure, undiluted hatred.

"You want to know the truth, Damian? I was a virgin on our wedding night. And four years later, I still am. Because my husband was so disgusted by me he couldn't even pretend to want me for one night."

Damian went white. "Amelia-"

"No, you wanted the truth. Here it is. Four years of marriage and you never once touched me. Never once looked at me like I was a woman instead of an obligation. So forgive me if I don't feel guilty about finally finding men who actually want me."

She looked up at Lucas, taking in his confident bearing and expensive suit. Perfect.

She grabbed Lucas's hand, her voice honey-sweet. "I've had enough drama for one night. Would you take me home?"

Lucas felt her small hand in his and saw the challenge in her eyes.

This woman was using him to hurt her ex-husband, and normally he'd walk away from such games.

But something about her drew him in.

"It would be my pleasure," he said smoothly.

Damian's face went purple. "Do you even know who you're talking to?"

Of course Damian knew Lucas Sullivan. The billionaire whose wealth made the Wright fortune look like pocket change.

A man known for being untouchable, who never got involved in other people's drama.

"Mr. Sullivan," Damian said carefully, his business instincts warring with his inexplicable jealousy. "She's upset. She doesn't know what she's saying."

Lucas pushed Damian's reaching hand away with cold precision.

"Mr. Wright, the lady seems to know exactly what she's saying. You're the one who needs to learn when to walk away."

Without warning, Lucas swept Amelia up into his arms, carrying her bridal-style.

Amelia's eyes widened in shock. She'd expected him to play along, not literally sweep her off her feet.

But seeing Damian's face-the way his jaw dropped, the way his hands clenched into fists-made her lean into Lucas's chest with a satisfied smile.

"What were you expecting, Damian?" she called over Lucas's shoulder. "That I'd spend the rest of my life crying over you? That I'd waste away waiting for a man who never wanted me in the first place?"

Her laugh was sharp as broken glass. "You're not worth my tears. You never were."

Lucas carried her toward the exit, his stride confident and unhurried.

When Damian tried to follow, two large security guards appeared, blocking his path.

"Let them through," Lucas said quietly, never breaking stride.

Damian watched helplessly as his ex-wife disappeared into the night in another man's arms.

This woman who'd just publicly announced she was still a virgin.

Who'd called him out for his cruelty in front of strangers.

Who'd looked at him with such pure hatred it had stolen his breath.

This wasn't the Amelia he knew. The quiet woman who'd endured his coldness without complaint.

Who'd made his favorite meals and never said a word when he threw them away.

Who'd slept silently on her side of their bed, never reaching for him, never asking for more than he was willing to give.

This Amelia was a stranger. Strong, fierce, unafraid to fight back.

And watching Lucas Sullivan carry her away felt like someone was ripping his heart out of his chest.

For four years, he'd told himself he didn't want her.

For four years, he'd treated her like she was nothing. An inconvenience. A burden forced on him by his grandfather's dying wish.

So why did seeing her with another man make him want to tear the world apart?

Why did her confession about still being a virgin hit him like a punch to the gut?

And why, for the first time in four years, did he finally understand what he'd lost?