Page 124 of Strictly Business

She shakes her head, her eyes glued to the floor like she can’t bring herself to meet my gaze. I reach for her, my hand hovering near her cheek, but she flinches, stepping back. The rejection hits me like a physical punch to the gut.

“Amara, what the hell did I do?” I ask, my voice strained, cracking. “Please, tell me. Whatever it is, I’ll fix it.”

She lifts her head, finally meeting my eyes, and the green I love—wet and blurry, full of tears—rips through me.

“I know,” she whispers.

“Know what?” My brows knit together, frustration and confusion crashing through me. I don’t understand. What the hell is she talking about?

She takes a deep breath, her hands trembling at her sides. “I know, Nicholas. I know none of this was real to you.” Her voice wobbles. “I know I was just a means to an end to you. You never cared about me. Not really.” She shakes her head, the sound of her voice breaking something inside me. “I just don’t understand why you had to lie and pretend to care about me this whole time.”

My frown deepens, the confusion settling deeper into my chest. What the hell is she talking about?

“I would’ve gone along with it if you asked. You didn’t have to—” Her words cut off as I take a step toward her.

Her lips press together, her gaze falling to the floor. The pain in her eyes twists my insides. “I would have doneanythingfor you.”

Her words hit hard, landing like a punch to the gut. I take a step back, struggling to understand.

“Amara, what the fuck are you talking about?”

She lets out a bitter laugh, hollow and broken. Tears streak down her face, leaving wet trails. “You don’t have to keep pretending. I heard what you told your brother.”

I freeze. The air seems to leave the room, suffocating me as the blood drains from my face. “My brother?”

Chapter forty-one

Amara

“My brother?” Nicholas repeats, his face eerily still. The muscle in his jaw tenses, and I can feel the anger rising inside him.

I turn away, my heart pounding in my chest. I can’t do this. I can’t listen to his lies anymore.

“Amara…” His voice breaks through the silence.

“Please… leave me alone, Nicholas.” I can’t look at him. Not now. Not after everything.

“Fuck,” he mutters under his breath, his voice breaking. “What did—Goddamnit. Tell me, Amara. What the fuck did my brother tell you?”

I scoff, shaking my head as I walk away from him, dragging the suitcase along with me. “Don’t worry, he didn’t tell me anything. I heard it straight from your mouth.”

His steps falter, and I hear him curse under his breath. “What are you… Amara can you please juststopfor one second?”

I freeze, the wheels of the suitcase halting as my body shakes. My eyes squeeze shut at the sound of his voice, so raw, so desperate.

I just want to forget it all. Forget how he looked at me, how I let myself believe in the lies he told me. Forget how my heart raced every time I thought there was something real between us.

“Please, Amara,” he pleads, his voice low and soft, a desperation in it I can’t ignore. “Please, just turn around and look at me.Please.”

The silence stretches between us, and I fight to swallow the lump in my throat.

I turn around anyway, not strong enough to ignore him. As soon as our eyes meet, he lets out a breath, shaking his head slightly as if he’s trying to process everything I’ve just said. His gaze shifts over my face, his brows knitting together in confusion.

“What did you hear?” he asks, his voice hoarse like the words are stuck in his throat. His eyes lock on mine, pleading. “Tell me.”

I shake my head, my throat tightening, feeling the familiar sting of tears building behind my eyes. “I don’t want to repeat it,” I whisper.

He steps closer, just a few inches, his hand reaching out to touch me. But I take a step back, and his hand drops to his side, clenched into a fist. “Fuck,” he mutters under his breath, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “I don’t know how to fix this if you won’t tell me what you heard.”

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