Billionaire's Forced Bride

Chapter 001

The Engagement Party

Amara's POV

Tonight was in everywhere as planned supposed to be my night, the very night my dreams would come true. Yet, standing like a statue in the middle of the Golden Crown Hotel's grand ballroom, I won't be exaggerating that I felt nothing but like a guest at my own engagement party.

The well lighted room was busy, way too busy with chatter, laughter, and the occasional clink of expensive champagne glasses. The atmosphere was to say the least beyond friendly, a perfect moment just for the lavish celebration for the wealthy elites of Lakeshore City. My mother had in her over ambitious and overbearing manner, made sure every detail screamed perfection.

"Amara, try for once to hold your head high. You have the look of someone about to faint any moment," Mama hissed furiously as she passed me by, though her face was pinched in a perfect forced smile.

"Yes, Mama," I mumbled almost to myself, adjusting the expensive pearl necklace she insisted I wear.

Victor stood handsomely across the room, dutifully and skillfully talking animatedly with a group of over serious businessmen. He looked everly perfect, I lack words to describe how tall, handsome, confident he looked. He's with no doubt, the very man every woman wanted. And yet, if with me finally getting him, the very moment when his eyes finally met mine, I felt nothing, not even a rush of adrenaline, just a cold detachment. He smiled sweetly, but it wasn't for me.

"Victor," I called softly as I made my way toward him slowly.

"Amara," he said, his tone steady and polite, but obviously distant. "You look... look nice."

Nice. That was it? Nothing more. Just nice?

I swallowed my disappointment in a hurry and nodded to him. "Thank you."

The rest of the evening event quickly passed in a blur. Guests came and went, offering hollow and empty congratulations. Mama in her usual manner, hovered around, ensuring everyone knew this engagement was a match made in socialite heaven. And then, not forgetting someone important; there was the perfect daughter, Sisi.

Sisi, everly gorgeous was dressed in her fiery red dress, was as usual the center of attention. She effortlessly flitted from group to group, her laugh loud, vibrantly echoing everywhere, and her smile she ensured was brighter than the chandeliers. She was just in a likable way, the kind of woman who commanded attention without doing much. I for some reasons, envied her for that somehow.

But tonight, something if not everything felt totally off.

I finally got what I was looking forward to; a moment of peace on the balcony, the cool night air soothing my tired nerves. The chaotic laughter and music from the engagement party felt distant, like I wasn't the reason for the gathering, like I wasn't really part of it.

"You don't in anyway look like someone who just got engaged to the love of her life."

I wasn't prepared for that which made me jump out of my skin, turning to see Sisi standing behind me, a glass of expensive champagne in hand. Her lips curled harshly into a small smirk, but her eyes sparkled with something way darker.

"Sisi," I said, my voice wary. "What brought your gorgeous self here?"

"Checking on you, ensuring you are okay, dear sister of course. You seem... tensed," she replied, leaning against the railing for comfort.

"I'm very fine," I lied through my teeth.

"Fine," she repeated, her tone mimicking me in a mocking in a way. "Well, you should be, at least just for now. You have no reason to be sad because you're marrying Victor Graham, the golden boy of Lakeshore, don't sleep on that. Every woman in this city would kill to be in your shoes this moment."

There was something in the way she narrated it, something that made my skin crawl out of its place.

"Sisi, if you have something bottled up to say, just say it," I snapped, tired of her boring games.

Her smirk widened on hearing that. "You should know it's no more news that you don't deserve him, Amara. You're too... plain for his kind of mab. Too ordinary. Victor needs someone who can perfectly match his shine. And that should be someone like me."

I stared at her, stunned at her speech. "What exactly are you talking about now?"

"You'll see," she said cryptically, brushing past, but not without pushing me in an angry manner. Her sinister laughter echoing mischievously as she disappeared back into the ballroom.

As I finally returned to the unwelcoming party, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was definitely wrong. Sisi's harsh words played repeatedly in my mind, but before I could make sense of them, Victor from nowhere grabbed my hand.

"Perfect time to cut the engagement cake," he said.

The cake cutting ceremony somehow passed without any funny incident, but I felt like I was moving through a dangerous dream, or even a nightmare. By then, I searched through the room, and Sisi was nowhere to be seen, and unease settled in my chest like a stone.

Hours later, completely exhausted and drained of the remaining strength in me, I told Mama I needed few hours of rest. She barely acknowledged me or my needs as she was too busy entertaining her guests. I slipped away without warning, following the directions the hotel staff had given me to a reserved room I know nothing of.

But on entering the room, something felt... wrong, totally different.

The lights were now dim, and the air was heavy and suffocating with the scent of alcohol. A man sat slouched on the bed, his shirt unbuttoned, and his head hanging somehow low.

"Excuse me..." I began, but he lifted his head, and that very minute, the words died on my lips.

His piercing, charming gray eyes locked onto mine, and my blood immediately ran cold.

"I think you might have entered the wrong room," I stammered, stepping back toward the door.

"Wait," he said, his voice deep and rough, but somehow sweet. He stood, swaying slightly, and I froze.

Who exactly is this man? Why is he here?

Before I could think and move out a bit, the door slammed shut behind me.

Chapter 002

The Lady in Red Dress

Damian's POV

I leaned back, still unsteady against the bedpost, loosening the tie that felt like a noose around my neck. Tonight, from my planning, was supposed to be another huge celebration of success, but instead, it felt like an endless and meaningless loop of empty congratulations and cheap whiskey.

Just when I decided to finally close my eyes, hoping for a moment of peace, the door creaked open, interrupting me.

"Room service?" I asked lazily, not bothering to turn around to see for myself, as all my thoughts wasn't organized.

There came no answer.

I sat up, frowning, my body still unsteady. "Hello?"

The sound of a close hesitant footsteps reached my ears. I turned and froze at the sight before me. I saw a gorgeous woman standing in the doorway, wide eyed like a deer caught in headlights, with no escape route.

"Who are you?" I demanded, my voice sharp but coarse.

Her hand gripped firmly on the doorframe, and she seemed ready to bolt any minute. "I... I think I'm in the wrong room."

My eyes narrowed at her response. She wasn't in anyway dressed like hotel staff. Her dress clung like a second skin to her like she had been running, and her messy hair , but beautiful hair framed a face that was both stunning and alarmingly panicked.

"Wrong room?" I repeated, still trying to figure out what was happening.

"Yes," she replied quickly, but her feet didn't take any step out.

Something about her aura didn't quite add up to me. People, from my experiences, didn't just wander into my suite unless they had a reason for that.

"Come in," I said, leaning forward and anticipating her.

"No, I should go be going..."

Her attempt to backpedal failed woefully when she tripped over the edge of the rug. Instinct kicked in with no warning. I lunged forward and immediately caught her gorgeous body in my arms before she hit the ground.

She gasped as our bodies made contact, her hands gripping my arms for balance. Her eyes held mine Passionately, and for a moment, neither of us dared moved.

"Careful," I finally said softly. "You could've hurt yourself in the process."

"Let me go now, please..." she whispered, her voice trembling.

But her hands in contrast to her words, didn't leave my arms, and something in her expression begged me to hold on, even tightly to her.

"You're shaking," I said. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing serious," she replied, too quickly.

"Liar," I muttered to her hearing.

"I really need to go," she said again, but her voice was weaker this time.

"Then why aren't you leaving as you said?"

She opened her mouth to answer me, but no words failed her. Instead, I watched as her gaze dropped to the floor, as if she had on her, a burden too heavy to name.

"What's your name?" I finally asked.

"Why do you care that much?" she shot back, a spark of defiance surrounding her face.

"Because you missed your way, and currently standing in my hotel room, looking like the world just ended," I said simply.

For a second, she hesitated, maybe not knowing what to say. "Amara," she finally said.

Amara. It suited her kind of woman.

"Amara," I deliberately repeated, tasting the name in my mouth. "I'm Damian."

"I should go this minute," she whispered again, and still, this time again, she didn't move.

I stepped closer to her, ensuring to close the space between us. "Are you running away from something terrible?"

Her lips parted to narrate her story, but before she could answer, the air between us shifted, without warning, it became charged and replaced by raw emotion. I don't know who moved first, maybe it was her, maybe I took the liberty of moving first, but suddenly, I found her lips on mine.

It wasn't a sweet kind of kiss. It was very desperate, messy, like she was putting her all, trying to escape whatever demons haunted her.

"Wait," she breathed, suddenly pulling back slightly. Her hands made their way to rest on my chest, but they didn't push me away.

"We can stop if you don't want it," I said, though the heat between us made it hard to mean what I just said.

Her eyes weakly searched mine, as if looking for an answer I couldn't give her. Then she leaned over and kissed me again, harder this time, and I knew we were crossing a line that couldn't be undone.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

The morning sunlight streamed mercilessly through the curtains. I groaned in pleasure, dragging a hand across my face. My head pounded continously like a drumbeat, and my body felt heavy.

Turning over, as usual, I expected to see the same occurrence of emptiness of my bed. Instead, I saw her beside me.

Amara.

She sat face down on the edge of the bed, clutching the sheet like her life depended on it to her chest. Her hair was a total mess, and her shoulders trembled for reasons I know not as if she was on the verge of breaking.

"Morning," I said, my voice rough from the alcohol that I took.

She flinched like a puppet at the sound, her gaze darting immediately toward the closed door.

"Relax," I said. "I have no intention of biting you."

"This was a huge mistake," she muttered, more to herself than to me.

I sat up beside her, carefully studying her. "Was it?"

"Yes," she snapped furiously, finally turning to face me. Her eyes had turned red, and guilt was written all over her face that it almost broke me.

Before I had the chance to say anything else, she scrambled to her feet, gathering her dress from the floor. "I shouldn't have been here in the first place. This never happened, okay?"

"Amara, wait..."

But she was already at the door, her hand turning the doorknob, opening it. She didn't look back, and when the door finally slammed shut, it left an unsettling silence in its wake.

I stared unbelievably at the empty space where she had been, her name still lingering on my lips.

Amara.

Who exactly was she? And why on it does it feel like she just took a piece of me alongside with her?

Chapter 003

Scandal Unleashed

Amara's POV

I barely made it through the polished lobby without breaking down. My heels clicked loudly against the marble floors as I forced myself to be in control of just one thing; walk at a normal recognized pace. People stared weirdly, their curious eyes following the obvious tear in my dress and my messy hair. I didn't care what was going on in their minds.

I forcefully with the remaining strength in me, pushed through the revolving doors and stepped into the cool morning air. The street as usual was buzzing with life, like my absence never mattered, taxis honking, pedestrians rushing past, but as for me, all I had was the feeling of someone underwater, drowning in my own thoughts.

What had I done now?

My phone buzzed repeatedly in my clutch. I fished it out to see the caller with shaky hands. It was from home, a text from our darling Sisi.

"Where are you? Mom's losing it this minute."

I groaned in frustration, my chest tightening at the thought of facing my horrible and loveless family. Sisi's text didn't come as a request, it was a command. She probably had something very dramatic all planned out for me, she always did at the slightest opportunity. And I won't disappoint, but always be the unwitting pawn, all the time.

I hailed a passing cab immediately, climbing in without a second thought. The ride to the Benson family home felt endless, and I never wanted it to end. Every second stretching into an eternity. My mind after wandering around, then returned to the night before, replaying the events of the night, each memory sharper than the last.

Damian. The heated kiss. The heat that followed. The regret afterward, trying to figure the way forward.

The house as expected was already alive with noise when I arrived. The moment I stepped into the foyer, my mother's sharp and harsh voice rang out from the living room.

"Where exactly have you been all night, Amara?" Caroline Benson, my mother snapped, her arms crossed like someone ready for a fight, and her perfectly styled hair gleaming under the chandelier. She looked ready like one that would devour me wholely.

"I..." My voice trailed, with no strength. "I needed sone air."

"Air?" Came Sisi's sharp voice, dripping fully with fake sweetness. She lounged dramatically on the sofa, her perfectly manicured nails annoyingly tapping against a wine glass. "Funny, because I could remember you disappeared during the engagement dinner."

My heart sank on hearing that. Of course she never ceased to notice every of my movement.

Victor stood quietly in the corner, his arms also folded and his jaw clenched but he never said a word. His disappointment in whatever I did was obvious, and it made my stomach churn greatly.

"I wasn't feeling too well," I managed to explain, but still avoiding his scorching eyes.

"You were not feeling well?" Sisi repeated, but standing up this time. Her voice rose very high, instantly drawing the attention of everyone in the room. "Or were you were somewhere feeling someone else?"

The room went dead silent like a graveyard.

"What exactly are you talking about now?" I asked, my voice not strong and barely above a whisper.

"Oh, don't even play dumb, darling sister," she hissed, immediately pulling out her phone. "I have strong proof of everything."

Before I could protest, she went ahead to tap her screen, and a video popped up, and started playing.

It was the grainy and of course we'll staged footage showed no other but me entering Damian's room. My heart stopped beating.

"This was taken nowhere but at the hotel last night," Sisi said, pacing the room like a predator circling its prey. "While we were all celebrating your engagement, you sneaked out, made yourself busy... by entertaining someone else."

"That's not exactly how it happened!" I protested, great panic rising in my chest, which would have given me a heart attack.

"Then explain it in your terms," Victor said coldly, finally speaking up. His eyes bore into me, filled with a mix of hurt and anger.

"I can't even explain how I ended up there!" I said, tears already crowding my eyes. "It's not exactly what it looks like, please."

Sisi smirked all through seeing that I could not defend myself, and clearly enjoying my humiliation. "Oh, it's exactly what it looks like in this video. You've succeeded in disgracing this family, Amara."

My mother's slap flew from nowhere, the sting spreading across my cheek. I gasped as I never expected it, my hand flying to my face as the room erupted in murmurs.

"How could you do this?" Caroline, my mother spat, her voice shaking with much fury. "After everything we've sacrificed for you in this family?"

"Mom, please," I begged, uncontrollable tears flooding my face. "I didn't even do anything wrong!"

"Enough this very minute!" Victor roared, silencing everyone. He looked at me with cold detachment, as if I was a stranger. "This engagement is finally over."

The words hit me hard, my knees threatening to give way.

"No," I whispered, but he was already out before I could reach him.

"Wait," a deep voice sliced through the dramatic chaos.

Everyone turned as Damian stormed the room. His presence was commanding, his sharp suit spotless despite the early hour.

"Who the hell are you young man?" Sisi snapped furiously, clearly taken aback.

"Damian Kane," he said rather calmly, his gaze darting around the room before it landed on me. "The man your sister spent the night with."

Gasps filled everywhere in the room. Even Sisi was stunned.

"I'm terribly sorry for the misunderstanding," Damian continued, his voice steady and authoritative. "Amara was placed in my room by mistake. Nothing funny or dramatic happened between us that she didn't consent to."

My cheeks burned as his words silenced everyone in the room. Why was he here, and doing this now?

Victor glared furiously at him. "And you expect me to believe your cooked up story?"

Damian shrugged like he never cared. "Believe whatever you would make you sleep well at night. But I take full responsibility for her disappearance and being in my room."

Sisi's mocking face turned in great rage, and she quickly excused herself dashing outside, her phone clutched tightly in her hand.

Damian turned to face me now, his eyes softening. "Are you okay?"

I nodded weakly, too overwhelmed to alter any word.

"Good then," he said. Then, turning back to the others, like a threat he added, "If anyone has an unsettled issue with Amara, they can take it up with me."

The room was silent as he took quick strips toward me, his hand affectionately brushing against mine in a silent gesture of reassurance.

For the very first time that morning and since my existence, I felt like I could finally breathe well. But I knew better, this was just the beginning of whatever my family would unleash.