The guests immediately turned toward him, their conversations halting as all eyes locked on Vincent. The air shifted, the weight of expectation settling over the room like a heavy curtain.
Amara could feel the tension tightening in her chest, her palms growing clammy as her father prepared to speak.
She had a sinking feeling in her stomach, a gnawing dread that whatever was about to happen would change everything.
Vincent cleared his throat, his voice taking on a formal, authoritative tone as he continued. “First, I want to thank each and every one of you for joining us tonight to celebrate my daughter Amara’s birthday. It means a great deal to have such distinguished company here, and I hope you are all enjoying the evening.”
A murmur of polite acknowledgment rippled through the crowd, but the guests remained expectant, sensing that there was more to Vincent’s speech.
Amara stood frozen at his side, her fingers twitching nervously as she tried to predict what her father was about to say. She glanced around the room, her eyes searching for Rowan, but he had stayed in the shadows, watching from a distance.
Vincent’s voice rose again, this time with a note of finality, as if he were about to deliver a verdict. “Tonight is not only a celebration of Amara’s birthday, but also an occasion to mark a new chapter for our family. A chapter that will strengthen our alliances and secure our future..”
Amara’s blood ran cold. She could feel it coming, the weight of inevitability pressing down on her like a crushing force. She shot a glance toward Alessandro, who stood near the edge of the crowd, his eyes gleaming with dark satisfaction.
He knew what was coming too.
Vincent continued, oblivious to the storm brewing inside Amara. “I am proud to announce the engagement of my daughter, Amara Moretti, to Alessandro Romano. The official ceremony will be held next week. And All of you’re gladly invited in advance..”
The words hit her like a physical blow. Amara’s breath caught in her throat, her heart slamming against her ribs.
For a moment, the world tilted on its axis, everything around her fading into a blur of faces and murmurs. She felt the ground shift beneath her feet, but outwardly, she remained composed… a mask she had perfected over the years.
The crowd broke into applause, their claps a hollow, distant sound that echoed in her ears. Alessandro’s smile widened, his eyes locking with hers, a silent challenge behind the dark amusement that played on his lips. He had won.. or so he thought. He moved forward, as if to approach her, to seal the announcement with a public display of unity.
But Amara couldn’t move. Her body was frozen, her mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions.. rage, betrayal, helplessness. Her father had made this decision tonight without consulting her, without caring what she wanted, and now he was handing her over to a man she despised.
She thought she had time..
But it was all for power, for control, for alliances. She was a pawn, a tool to be used to strengthen the Moretti legacy.
Vincent placed a hand on her shoulder, a gesture meant to convey pride, but all Amara felt was the weight of her father’s expectations pressing down on her. “Amara,” he said softly, his voice barely audible over the applause, “this is what’s best for the family. You understand that, don’t you?”
She didn’t answer. She couldn’t. Her mind was racing, trying to find a way out, trying to figure out how to stop this before it was too late.
Alessandro was close now, his presence looming beside her. He reached for her hand, his touch cold and possessive. “Amara,” he murmured, his voice low and full of false charm. “We’ll make a great team.”
A wave of nausea rolled through her. She wanted to pull her hand away, to scream, to push him back and tell everyone in the room that she would never marry Alessandro.
But she couldn’t.. at least, not here, not now.
Not in front of all these people.
The stakes were too high, and the consequences of defying her father in such a public way were too dangerous and disrespectful.
Instead, she stood there, her hand limp in Alessandro’s grip, her eyes hollow as she stared into the distance.
The applause continued, the sound growing louder, more deafening. It felt like the walls were closing in around her, like she was being suffocated by the weight of her family’s expectations and the dark, twisted future that was being laid out before her.
Rowan was still in the corner of the room, his expression unreadable as he watched the scene unfold. He didn’t move, didn’t intervene, but Amara could feel his gaze on her, a silent witness to the nightmare that was unfolding.
As the applause began to die down, Alessandro leaned in closer, his lips brushing against her ear in a gesture that was both intimate and threatening. “I told you, Amara,” he whispered, his voice laced with malice. “You’ll be mine Sweetheart.”
Amara clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. She wouldn’t let him win.
With a forced smile, Amara turned to face the crowd, her expression composed, her voice steady as she spoke. “Thank you all for your kind wishes,” she said, her tone neutral, betraying none of the turmoil raging inside her. “I look forward to what the future holds.”
The crowd clapped again, the sound polite, but Amara barely heard it. All she could think about was how to escape this fate, how to break free from the chains that were tightening around her with every passing moment.
As Alessandro took her hand once more, holding it up for the crowd to see, Amara’s eyes met Rowan’s across the room.
He stood near the back of the room, his dark eyes narrowing, the storm within him evident. Amara couldn’t read the full depths of his emotions, but she saw enough.. there was rage, unmistakable and raw. For a heartbeat, she felt anchored to him, to that rage.
And then, before anything could happen, Rowan’s expression shifted into something unreadable. His jaw clenched, and without a word, he turned sharply and began walking toward the doors, his tall frame cutting through the crowd like a shadow.
Harvey, who had been standing nearby, saw it too. His eyes widened slightly as he registered the news of Amara’s engagement.
There was something volatile in the air, something about to snap. Harvey saw Rowan leaving, he hesitated for a split second, then hurriedly moved to follow Rowan.