The Price Of Being His

CHAPTER FOUR

AMARA

“Are you sure there isn’t a relative or a friend you can call to pick you up?” the nurse asked me for what felt like the hundredth time, her brows furrowing with concern.

I glanced down at my phone, the screen still displaying my unanswered calls to Xander. A tired sigh escaped my lips as I shook my head. “No, there’s no one. But I’m fine, really.” I have been in worst state in the past and I survived.

The truth was, I had almost been hit by a drunk driver while walking down my street to get some ice cream. It had all happened so fast—a screech of tires, the blinding headlights, my body frozen for a split second before I stumbled backward just in time. But in the end, nothing truly terrible had happened. No broken bones, no serious injuries—just a shaken-up version of myself sitting in the emergency room, convincing a nurse that I could manage on my own.

She didn’t seem convinced. I could see it in the way her brows pinched together, the slight hesitation in her posture. She probably thought I was too rattled to be left alone, that I might unknowingly walk into another moving vehicle.

“Thank you for everything,” I said, pushing myself up from the chair and reaching for my jacket. My fingers trembled slightly, but I ignored it. “You made all of this a little easier to deal with.”

The nurse offered me a kind smile, the kind that held warmth but also a hint of worry. “I was just doing my job,” she said softly.

I nodded and turned toward the exit, my steps slow as I made my way out of the hospital.

Should I go to Xander’s place or just head back to my apartment?

After much contemplation, I realized I didn’t want to be alone tonight. The silence of my apartment would only magnify the unease in my chest, and I so much need a company right now, so I hailed a cab and headed to Xander’s house instead.

***************

When I arrived, the house was quiet—too quiet. Xander wasn’t home.

With a sigh, I made my way to the kitchen, brewed myself a cup of warm tea, letting the steam rise to my face in an attempt to calm my nerves. But the unanswered calls still bothered me.

I hate that subconscious self that keeps telling me that he is with Isabelle.

After taking a few sips, I decided to find out where he was. Stepping outside, I approached one of the security guards stationed near the entrance.

“You know where your boss is?” I asked, hoping he won’t blow me of off with responses like…he isn’t supposed to report his boss’s whereabouts to me.

The man gave me a curt bow before responding. “He’s at the launch event for Wember Oils.”

Wember Oils.

The name alone made my stomach twist. The company belonged to Zealot Leo—Isabelle’s father. And where he was, she was bound to be as well.

That is a fact, judging from the Isabelle I met a few weeks ago.

So that was why Xander wasn’t answering my calls. He was with Isabelle.

I swallowed down the bitter feeling creeping up my throat and forced a tight smile. “Thanks.”

Turning away, I walked back inside, setting my half-empty tea on the coffee table before sinking into the plush sofa. A long breath escaped me as I pulled out my phone, scrolling through the internet in an attempt to distract myself.

But no matter how hard I tried, my mind kept circling back to one thought—he ignored me for her.

As if the universe itself wanted to mock me, my media feed was flooded with videos of Isabelle.

I hesitated for a moment before clicking on one. The screen came to life, showing her standing under the bright event lights, poised and elegant as always. A journalist held a microphone to her lips, and with a dazzling smile, she announced, “I’m here to stay for good.”

My stomach tightened.

But what really caught my attention wasn’t her words—it was the way her fingers kept grazing the pendant of her necklace. A necklace I knew all too well.

I didn’t need anyone to tell me it was the one Xander had given her. The confirmation came when she glanced at the camera, her smile turning almost coy as she murmured, “It was a gift from someone very important to me.”

A scoff slipped past my lips before I even realized it.

Exhaling sharply, I turned off my phone, flipping it face down on the sofa as if that could block out the thoughts racing in my head.

A quick glance at the clock told me that I’d be spending the night alone—something I had wanted to avoid in the first place.

*************

The soft creak of the bedroom door stirred me from sleep. The quiet shuffle of footsteps followed, moving closer until a familiar scent wrapped around me.

Then, a cold pair of lips brushed against my temple.

I kept my breathing steady, feigning sleep. Not because I was tired, but because I couldn’t bear to let him see how much his behavior with Isabelle was affecting me.

Because if he saw—if he knew—I wasn’t sure I’d be able to handle his response.

“Mum?”

His voice, sharp with irritation, pulled me from my thoughts. Peeking one eye open, I saw him standing by the window, his phone pressed tightly against his ear.

“I already told you—I’ll be proposing to her soon.”

Proposing?

My breath caught in my throat.

“I know you like Isabelle, Mum, but you’re seriously getting on my nerves with these constant reminders,” he snapped before abruptly ending the call. With a frustrated sigh, he tossed his phone onto the sofa.

I barely had time to shut my eyes before he turned around.

I listened as he walked into the closet, rustling through his belongings. A few minutes later, he emerged, heading straight into the bathroom. Moments later, the sound of running water filled the silence.

I remained still, my mind racing.

He’s proposing to Isabelle?

A dull ache settled in my chest, but I pushed past it as I slowly sat up. My gaze flickered toward the closet.

I had never been the type to snoop. Never felt the need to dig for answers that weren’t freely given.

But after what I’d just heard, I needed to know—was I wasting my time? Was I holding onto something that was never mine to begin with?

With careful steps, I walked into the closet, reaching for his jacket. My fingers trembled slightly as I searched through the pockets, bracing myself for whatever truth I was about to uncover.

I pulled his wallet from the closet, my heart pounding as I rushed to the door, checking quickly to make sure he wasn’t coming back yet. I opened the wallet with trembling hands, scanning through it until my fingers brushed against a crumpled receipt tucked away at the back.

Curiosity gnawed at me, and with a deep breath, I unfolded it.

The words on the paper made my breath catch in my throat. A receipt for a ring.

A sob lodged in my chest, and I quickly pressed my hand to my mouth to stifle the cry threatening to escape.

He was planning an engagement with Isabelle. After all the times he told me that he would never get married, after all the promises he made to me… He was out there making plans with her. And here I was, sitting on his bed like an i***t, waiting for him to return.

Like some… some w***e.

My vision blurred, but I wiped my tears away quickly, forcing myself to focus. I slid the receipt back into his wallet, but in my haste, the wallet slipped from my hand.

It hit the floor with a soft thud.

I sniffed, my heart still heavy in my chest as I bent to pick it up. That’s when I saw it—a picture, partially hidden beneath the wallet.

Curious, I reached for it, my fingers shaking as I turned it over.

My fingers trembled as I picked up the photograph, flipping it over. My eyes scanned the image, and my heart sank as I froze in place.

It was an ultrasound image.

A freaking ultrasound image!

And right above it, in bold letters, were the words Isabelle Leo.

She was carrying his child.

How could he hide something like this from me? Was he ever going to tell me about it?

This was the reason they were getting married. It wasn’t just about love—it was about a future they were building together.

They were already building a family together. Without needing to be told, I knew. It was over for me.

The sound of the shower turned off, snapping me back to the present.

Panicking, I quickly placed the photograph back where I had found it, stuffing it into the wallet before hurriedly placing it back into the jacket. My heart was pounding in my ears as I rushed back to the bed, lying down and closing my eyes. I forced myself to keep my breathing steady, pretending to be asleep just as Xander entered the room.

He climbed into bed beside me, his body warm as he pulled me close against his chest.

And for the first time since I met him, his arms didn’t feel safe anymore.