The Billionaire's Secret Vow

The Offer

Amelia barely slept that night.

Every time she closed her eyes she saw Adrian standing across the ballroom.

Alive.

After three years of believing he was gone, he had simply walked back into her life and asked her to marry him as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

By morning she was exhausted.

She sat at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee in front of her while Chloe watched her from across the room.

"You haven't touched it."

Amelia looked at the coffee.

"I forgot about it."

"You've been staring at it for ten minutes."

Amelia sighed and leaned back in her chair.

"I don't know what to think."

"About Adrian?"

"About everything."

Chloe pulled out the chair opposite her and sat down.

"So he really wants you to marry him?"

"For one year."

"And what happens after one year?"

"I don't know."

"Did he explain why he chose you?"

Amelia shook her head.

"Not properly."

Chloe was quiet for a moment.

"Do you believe him?"

"No."

The answer came quickly.

Then Amelia looked down at the table.

"But I don't think he was lying either."

Chloe frowned.

"That's not much better."

"I know."

Amelia still couldn't understand why Adrian had made the offer.

He had enough money to marry anyone he wanted. He could have chosen someone from a powerful family or someone who actually wanted to be with him.

Instead he had chosen her.

The daughter of the man everyone believed he had destroyed.

There had to be a reason.

Her phone rang.

Amelia looked at the screen.

Unknown number.

She almost ignored it.

Something made her answer.

"Hello?"

There was silence for a moment.

Then a man's voice spoke.

"Miss Hart."

Amelia sat up.

"Who is this?"

"You should stay away from Adrian Blackwell."

Her heart started beating faster.

"Who are you?"

"You don't need to know."

"Then why are you calling me?"

"Because getting involved with him will only bring more trouble to your family."

The line went dead.

Amelia stared at her phone.

Chloe immediately noticed her expression.

"What happened?"

Amelia told her what the caller had said.

Chloe's face changed.

"Do you think it was a prank?"

"I don't know."

"Did they threaten you?"

"No."

"But they warned you."

Amelia nodded.

For some reason, the call bothered her more than Adrian's proposal.

Someone else knew about him.

Someone else knew she had spoken to him.

That couldn't be a coincidence.

Later that afternoon, Amelia received another message.

This time there was no phone number.

Just a location.

A private restaurant in the city.

She almost deleted it.

Then another message appeared.

If you want the truth about your father, come alone.

Amelia stared at the screen for a long time.

She knew she shouldn't go.

Every sensible part of her told her to stay away.

But her father was involved.

And after three years of questions, she finally had a chance to find some answers.

She went.

The restaurant was quiet when she arrived.

A waiter led her to a private room.

Amelia opened the door and stopped.

Adrian was sitting inside.

She immediately turned around.

"I'm leaving."

"Sit down."

She looked back at him.

"You sent the message?"

"Yes."

"You could have just called me."

"You wouldn't have answered."

He wasn't wrong.

Amelia sat down but kept her distance.

"What do you want?"

Adrian placed a folder on the table.

"I want you to know what happened three years ago."

Amelia looked at the folder.

"Why now?"

"Because I finally have proof."

She opened it.

Inside were copies of financial records, contracts and documents she didn't fully understand.

She looked at him.

"What am I looking at?"

"Your father's company didn't collapse because of bad investments."

Amelia's fingers tightened around the papers.

"What are you saying?"

"Someone was moving money out of Hartwell Group before the company failed."

She stared at him.

"Who?"

"We don't know yet."

"You expect me to believe that?"

"I don't expect you to believe anything. That's why I brought the documents."

Amelia looked down again.

There were several transactions made through accounts she had never seen before.

"What does this have to do with you?"

Adrian leaned back.

"I was investigating the same person."

"Who?"

"That's what I'm trying to find out."

She looked at him carefully.

"Then why did everyone blame you?"

"Because I allowed them to."

Amelia frowned.

"Why?"

Adrian didn't answer immediately.

When he finally spoke, his voice was quieter.

"Because the person behind it was closer to your family than you think."

Amelia felt a chill run through her.

"Who?"

"I don't know yet."

She closed the folder.

"Then we're done."

She stood up.

Adrian didn't stop her.

But as she reached the door, he spoke.

"If you want the truth, Amelia, you need me."

She turned around.

"I don't need you."

"Then find the truth without me."

She hated the confidence in his voice.

"You really think I'll marry you?"

"No."

He looked at her calmly.

"I think you'll eventually understand why you should."

Amelia walked out without answering.

But for the first time since her father's company collapsed, she had something she hadn't had in years.

A reason to question the story she had always believed.

And somewhere deep inside, she already knew she wasn't going to be able to walk away from it.