Bought by the Ruthless Billionaire

CHAPTER 5: PRETENDING TO LOVE THE DEVIL

Amara woke up to the sound of someone shouting.

"Damian! Damian! Where is she? Where is that small girl you say you want to marry?"

It was a woman's voice, loud and sharp, coming from downstairs.

Amara jumped up from the bed. She looked around, confused. The big black bedroom was empty. Damian was not beside her anymore. The bed was neat on his side, like he woke up very early.

She was still wearing her blue gown. She had slept off in his bed. He really did not touch her.

"Damian! Don't hide her! I am your mother! I have right to see who you want to marry after you chased away Vanessa!"

Amara's heart beat fast. His mother.

The door opened and Mrs. Boma rushed in, breathing fast.

"Madam Amara, wake up fast oh! Oga mother don come! Chief Mrs. Blackwood! She come early before party! Oga said make you bath fast, wear the red gown for wardrobe, and come downstairs! Fast fast!"

Amara did not even brush her teeth well. She entered the bathroom, bathed in two minutes, and wore the red gown. The red gown was long, with an open back, tight on her waist, flowing to the floor. It was the most beautiful gown she had ever worn. There were red high heels too. She managed to put them on.

When she looked in the mirror, she did not recognize herself. She looked like a rich Lagos big girl.

"Come down now, my dear. And remember, smile. Oga said you must smile like you love him," Mrs. Boma whispered.

Amara went downstairs, holding the stairs so she would not fall with the high heels.

In the living room, Damian was standing with a tall, beautiful older woman who looked like him — same grey eyes, same sharp jaw. She was wearing expensive lace and gold jewelry. That must be his mother, Chief Mrs. Blackwood.

And beside them, standing close to Damian, was another girl — tall, light skinned, with long bone-straight hair, wearing a short white dress that showed all her body. She was holding Damian's arm possessively. Her eyes were red like she had been crying.

When Amara entered, everybody turned.

Chief Mrs. Blackwood looked at her from head to toe and smiled wide. "Ah! So this is Amara! My son's new fiancée! My God, she is beautiful! Dark skin, natural! Not like all these bleached Lagos girls!"

Damian looked at Amara and his eyes changed. For a second, he looked almost... proud. The red gown hugged her hips and showed her small waist. Her dark skin was glowing.

"Amara, come," he said, his voice softer than usual. He stretched his hand.

Amara walked to him and gave him her hand. He pulled her close to his side and put his hand around her waist, pressing her body to his. His hand was hot on her open back.

"Mama, this is Amara Peters. My fiancée," he said.

Chief Mrs. Blackwood hugged Amara. "Welcome, my daughter! Finally, Damian has found a good girl! Not like that Vanessa that only knows how to spend money!"

The light-skinned girl in white dress hissed. That must be Vanessa, his ex-girlfriend.

"Damian, you cannot be serious," Vanessa said, her voice shaking. "You left me three weeks ago and now you are engaged to this... this village girl? Who is she? Where did you pick her from? Mushin?"

Amara's face fell. She wanted to remove Damian's hand from her waist and run.

But Damian's hand tightened around her waist, holding her firm.

"Careful, Vanessa," he said, his voice now ice cold. The cold devil was back. "You are talking about my future wife. My mother is here. If you insult her again, I will have security carry you out of my house like a thief."

Vanessa's eyes filled with tears. "Future wife? Damian, we were together for two years! Two years! You said you loved me!"

"I never said I loved you, Vanessa. You said you loved my money. There is a difference," Damian replied, without any emotion.

He then turned to Amara and looked into her eyes. And then, in front of his mother and his ex, he did something that shocked everybody, including Amara.

He bent down and kissed her.

Not a small kiss. A deep, real kiss on her lips, holding her waist tight, his other hand in her hair.

Amara's eyes opened wide in shock. Her heart stopped. Her legs shook. She had never been kissed before in her life. And Damian Blackwood was kissing her like he owned her lips, in front of everyone.

She could taste mint. She could feel his lips were soft but demanding.

Chief Mrs. Blackwood clapped and laughed. "Ah! See love! See love! Vanessa, you see? My son has moved on! You should move on too!"

Vanessa screamed, "You will regret this, Damian! You will regret picking this dirty girl over me!" and ran out, crying, her high heels making loud noise.

After Vanessa ran out, Damian finally released Amara's lips. Amara was breathing hard, her lips swollen, her eyes teary, her whole body shaking.

"Are you okay?" he whispered only to her, so only she could hear, his forehead touching hers.

Amara could not talk. She just nodded.

Chief Mrs. Blackwood was still smiling. "Okay, okay, enough romance in front of me. I am old. Amara, my daughter, tonight is my 60th birthday party at Eko Hotel. You must come with Damian. All my friends will be there. I want to show them my son's beautiful fiancée. You will dance with him, okay?"

"Yes ma," Amara managed to whisper.

"Good! Damian, take care of her! She looks innocent! Don't spoil her like you spoilt Vanessa!"

After his mother left, Damian and Amara were alone in the living room.

Amara touched her lips. "Why... why did you kiss me like that? You said it was just pretend..."

"It was pretend," Damian said, his voice cold again, but his eyes were looking at her lips. "That was acting. For my mother and for Vanessa to believe. Did I kiss too hard? Was it your first kiss?"

Amara looked down, tears in her eyes. "Yes. It was my first."

Damian was silent for a long time.

Then he walked closer and wiped her tears with his thumb.

"Sorry," he said, in a very low voice that she almost did not hear. "I should have warned you. Tonight at the party, I will have to kiss you again. And hold you. And people will stare. If you don't want..."

"I... I understand," Amara said quickly. "It's part of the deal. 90 days. I will... I will try to act well tonight."

He looked at her red gown and his eyes darkened.

"You look beautiful in red, Amara from Port Harcourt," he said. "Don't let any man at the party touch you tonight. Remember Rule two."

He left her standing in the living room, her lips still tingling from her first kiss, stolen by the ruthless billionaire who bought her.

Tonight, she would have to pretend to love the devil in front of all of Lagos.