His Brother’s Bride: Bound By Secret

‎Amelia's POV

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‎The chandelier above our dining room glowed too brightly, its light bouncing off the polished mahogany table until it stung my eyes. I stared at the untouched plate in front of me, my fork clenched so tight in my hand that my knuckles ached.

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‎"You will marry Damian Blackwood." My father's voice sliced through the silence, firm, unyielding. He didn't look at me as a man speaking to his daughter, but as a general issuing orders to a soldier.

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‎My stomach twisted. I'd heard the rumors, the whispers in the business circles about the Blackwoods needing a merger of loyalty with another old family name. But to listen to it said my life was offered like a bargaining chip made my throat close.

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‎I forced myself to lift my gaze. "You can't be serious." My voice shook, softer than I wanted. "You're marrying me off like I'm property."

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‎Robert Reed finally raised his eyes from his wine glass. Dark, tired eyes, worn down by the financial strain, he thought I knew nothing about. "You are my daughter," he said calmly, "and it is time you fulfilled your duty. This marriage will secure our future."

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‎Our. Not mine.

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‎Across the table, my mother shifted uncomfortably, her manicured hands clasping her pearls. "Amelia, sweetheart, it's for the family's good. You'll be safe, taken care of—"

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‎I laughed, a sharp, hollow sound that startled even me. "Safe? You mean silenced. You mean traded like cattle so you and Dad can keep your perfect little life."

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‎"Enough." My father's hand slammed against the table, rattling the cutlery. "Do not mistake this for a debate. Damian Blackwood is the future. By marrying him, you secure your name, your comfort, and your mother's peace of mind."

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‎Something inside me snapped. I shoved back my chair, the legs scraping against the marble floor with a shriek. "You don't care about me. You never did! This isn't about my comfort, it's about your greed."

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‎"Amelia"

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‎"No!" My voice rose, hot tears blurring my vision. "You're willing to throw me into a loveless marriage just to save face. You'd sell me to the highest bidder if it meant keeping your empire alive."

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‎The sting came before I even realized my mother had moved. Her palm cracked against my cheek, sharp and humiliating, ringing louder than her sharp intake of breath.

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‎I froze, one hand flying to my face, skin burning beneath her strike. For a moment, the room was silent. My father's jaw clenched. My mother's chest rose and fell, her eyes glassy with unshed tears.

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‎"You will not speak to us this way," she whispered, but her voice trembled. "Everything we've done is for you."

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‎My laugh this time was broken, choking on the lump in my throat. "No. Everything you've done is for yourselves. Please don't lie to me. You don't want my happiness, you want my obedience."

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‎The tears spilled over, and I couldn't stop them. I couldn't stay in that room another second. I turned and ran, my heels clicking against the floor, my father calling my name but never rising from his seat.

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‎I didn't stop until I was out on the street, the night air biting against my skin. My cheek still burned, my chest tight. The world blurred around me, city lights bleeding into streaks of gold and red. My hands shook as I dug out my phone. There was only one number I could dial.

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‎She answered on the second ring. "Amelia?" Sophia's voice was warm, worried.

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‎I couldn't speak at first. Just a sob, ugly and raw, tore out of me.

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‎"Where are you?" she asked quickly. "Tell me, I'll come."

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‎Within minutes, she found me sitting on the steps of her apartment building, mascara streaking down my face, my dress wrinkled from the way I'd collapsed into myself. She didn't ask anything at first. She just knelt, wrapped her arms around me, and held me until my breathing slowed.

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‎When I could finally speak, my words came out in a rush. "They're making me marry him. Damian Blackwood. I don't. I can't."

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‎Sophia pulled back enough to look at me, her green eyes fierce. "That cold billionaire everyone drools over in the magazines?"

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‎I nodded, fresh tears threatening.

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‎She sighed, her hand brushing my hair away from my face. "Babe… I wish I could say fight them. Run away. But you know you can't. Your father"

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‎"I don't care about him!" My voice cracked again. "He doesn't care about me. He wants his empire saved."

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‎Sophia's jaw tightened. She pulled me into another hug. "I know. I know it's not fair. But you'll survive this. You're stronger than you think."

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‎Her words should have comforted me. Instead, they sank like lead in my stomach. Stronger than I think? Right now, I feel like glass, one touch away from shattering.

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‎I pulled back, staring at the night sky above us. Somewhere between the glittering stars and the city lights, I felt my future closing in. I wasn't Amelia Reed anymore. I was Damian Blackwood's bride-to-be.

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‎And there was no way out.

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‎I wiped the tears from my face, lifted my chin, and whispered to Sophia as if saying it aloud could make it accurate: "I'll survive this. Somehow."