RUTHLESS DEVOTION: THE EMPIRE BETWEEN US

HIDDEN CLAWS

The private wing of the hospital was suffocatingly quiet. The only sound ripping through the silence of Room 402 was the steady, rhythmic beep... beep... beep of the heart monitor.

Amilah lay buried beneath the white sheets, looking devastatingly fragile.

When the door finally clicked open, Lowin stepped inside. The fierce, untouchable billionaire completely vanished the moment his eyes landed on her. For a second, his knees gave out. His heart hammered against his ribs, heavy and frantic.

He crossed the room in three jagged strides and dropped into the chair beside her bed. He grabbed her cold, limp hand, pulling it against his cheek. A single, hot tear broke free, tracing a path down his sharp jaw.

"Amy," he choked out, his voice cracking in the quiet room. "Please. Please, little bird, wake up."

He pressed a lingering, desperate kiss to her knuckles. When he spoke again, the pain in his voice turned into a dark, dangerous promise.

"I failed you. I let this happen. But I swear to God, whoever did this will pay. They will beg for mercy at my feet, and I will show them none. Just wake up. I can't breathe seeing you like this. I need to hear your voice, sweetheart. Tell me what happened."

Burial his face in her palm, Lowin's shoulders shook. The stoic façade shattered completely, giving way to silent, heavy weeping.

"I know you'll hate me when you find out the truth about who I am," he whispered into her skin. "But I don't care anymore. Hate me all you want, just live. I love you so much, Amy. My money, my power... none of it matters if it couldn't keep you safe. Only you matter."

Against the white pillow, Amilah's eyelashes fluttered.

The bright hospital lights burned as she slowly opened her eyes. Her brain felt trapped in a thick fog. She felt a heavy, warm weight anchored to her right hand. Weakly, she turned her head, her blurry vision trying to focus on the dark hair buried in her sheets.

"Wh... where..." Her throat felt like sandpaper. "Where am I?"

Lowin's head snapped up. His eyes were bloodshot and wild with emotion. He stood up so fast his chair scraped loudly against the floor.

"Little bird," he breathed, a ragged laugh escaping his lips. "You're awake."

Amilah stared at him. His face blurred with the man from her dreams, the voice that had been dragging her back to the surface when she was drowning in the dark.

"Where is this place?" she whispered.

"The hospital, sweetheart." Lowin leaned over her, his hands hovering as if she were made of glass. "You're safe now. I've got you."

"Oh."

Then, memory hit her like a wave of ice water. The party. The staircase. The beautiful, cruel face of the woman who had pushed her. And then, a name clicked in her mind. Lowin Vance.

Amilah's grip suddenly tightened on his hand. "Those women at the party... they said I drugged Lowin Vance. You have to believe me, I've never even met him!"

Lowin felt a sharp twist of guilt in his chest. He shushed her softly, brushing a stray lock of hair from her forehead. "Shh, baby, it's okay. I know. I believe you. Don't think about that right now."

"But they called me a home-wrecker!" Amilah's voice broke, tears of humiliation springing to her eyes. "They said horrible things. He has to fix this. I want to talk to Lowin Vance. I need to see him."

Lowin's heart did a painful flip. "Amy, please... this isn't the time. Just focus on getting better first, then we'll figure the rest out. I promise."

Exhausted, Amilah let her head fall back and nodded weakly. "Where's Annah? Can I talk to her?"

"They're right outside," Lowin said, deeply relieved for the exit. "I'll get her for you."

In the VIP waiting lounge, the atmosphere was suffocating. Jared Vance paced the floor, while Daniella and Annah sat frozen on the leather sofa. When the heavy door swung open, all three jolted.

"Annah," Lowin said, his voice tight. "Amilah wants to see you."

Daniella's hand flew to her mouth. "She's awake?!"

"Yes."

"Oh, thank God!" Daniella threw her arms around her son.

Lowin held her for a brief second before gently pulling away, his eyes locking onto his sister.

"Go," he murmured.

Annah rushed into the room, her composure crumbling the second she saw Amilah sitting up. Tears flooded her face as she dropped by the bedside. "Amilah! You i***t, you scared me to death!"

Amilah offered a pale smile. "It's okay. I'm fine." Then, her eyes shifted to Lowin, who was lingering by the door like a shadow. "Can I talk to her alone for a minute?"

Lowin stiffened. Is she going to ask about me?

Panic seized him, but he couldn't say no. He slowly backed out of the room, shutting the door. The moment he was in the hallway, he let out a harsh curse and slammed his fist against the wall. This was all Victoria's fault. If that psycho hadn't pushed Amilah, he would have confessed the truth by now on his own terms.

Inside the room, Amilah's fragile look vanished. A cold, sharp fire sparked in her eyes. She gripped Annah's wrist tightly.

"You need to find my purse," Amilah whispered, her voice deadly serious. "Find it, and give the proposal to your brother."

Annah blinked, completely stunned. "After everything... you still want to work with the my family?"

"Vance Empire recognized my talent," Amilah said, her eyes flashing with a dangerous, cold fire. "I am not throwing my future away because of false rumors. Besides... that woman on the staircase. It was Victoria Jackson, wasn't it?"

Annah swallowed hard. "Yes. What about her?"

"She pushed me because she thinks I'm sleeping with her man," Amilah whispered. "She took her anger out on me. Now, I'm going to take mine out on her."

"I don't get it..."

"She's the face of the Vance fashion line, isn't she?" Amilah's gaze narrowed. "I am going to get into that company. I am going to climb all the way to the top until I am her boss. And then, Annah? I am going to make her life a living hell."

Annah's jaw dropped. A thrilled shiver ran down her spine. "Oh my god... I knew you had hidden claws ! Yes! Oh, sorry, I shouldn't get excited, you're hurt," Annah squealed, hugging her carefully.

"And please," Amilah added, "tall to your brother. He needs to clear my name."

Annah's excitement instantly withered. She nervously fidgeted with her fingers, a massive wave of guilt washing over her face. "I... I'll be right back," she stammered, bolting from the room before Amilah could question her.

The second Annah crossed into the lounge, Lowin cut her off. "What did she say?"

Annah looked at her brother in pure awe. "I think you need to change your plans about how you're going to handle Victoria."

Lowin's brow furrowed. "Why?"

"Amilah wants you to sign her papers. She's joining the fashion department. She wants to become Victoria's boss... and she wants revenge."

A slow, dark, incredibly proud smile spread across Lowin's face. He let out a low chuckle. Jared and Daniella stared at him like he'd lost his mind.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Daniella intervened, her motherly instincts kicking in. "What if that psycho Victoria tries to hurt her again?"

"Lowin owns the building, Mom," Annah countered, her eyes sparkling. "She won't dare try anything. You should have seen the fire in Amilah's eyes. She wants to break her."

The fear eating at Lowin's chest completely evaporated. If his little bird wanted a battlefield, he would build her one.

"Where is the proposal?" Lowin demanded.

"In her purse, in the car! I'll get it!" Annah sprinted down the hall and returned a minute later, breathless, slapping a thick folder into Lowin's hands. "Dad, give him a pen! Quickly!"

Jared sighed, pulling a heavy Montblanc pen from his tailored suit jacket. "Why are you enabling this madness, Annah?"

"Think about it, Dad," Annah whispered gleefully. "If Amilah joins Vance Empire, the chances of her becoming your daughter-in-law shoot up to a hundred percent. Plus, don't we all want to see that witch Victoria get what she deserves?"

Jared and Daniella exchanged a look, then slowly nodded in unison. Lowin uncapped the pen and slashed his authoritative signature across the contract. A dangerous satisfaction settled deep in his bones.

"Can I go see her now?" Jared asked.

"Yes, But do not tell her who I am." Lowin cautioned, rubbing his temples. "

Jared froze. "What do you mean, Lowin?"

"He has his reasons, Dad," Annah muttered.

"How do you think she's going to feel when she finds out?" Jared's voice dropped into a stern, authoritative growl. "How can you be this selfish, Lowin? Is this how we raised you? You got this girl into this mess, and now she's signing a contract thinking Lowin Vance is some stranger. That is f*****g deception."

"Dad, I know I f****d up, okay?" Lowin snapped back, his control fraying. "I'm going to fix it. Just... not right now. Not while she's in a hospital bed."

"Then when?" Daniella pressed.

"Once she recovers. Go in and see her. I have to go to Dominic's office and make a few calls." Without waiting for a response, Lowin turned on his heel and strode down the corridor.

Inside Dr. Dominic's office, Lowin stood by the window, his phone pressed to his ear as Debrin Salvatore's furious voice barked through the speaker.

"So you're telling me to just let Victoria walk?!" Debrin growled from the other end. "Does that make a lick of sense to you, Vance?"

"I know it sounds insane," Lowin said coldly. "But if Amilah wants to exact her own vengeance, I am not going to deny her that pleasure. I will be her shield while she plays her game."

"She literally tried to kill her!" Debrin slammed his hand on a desk over the line. "What if she targets her again?"

"She won't get the chance," Lowin whispered, his voice dripping with ice. "Trust me."

Debrin exhaled a sharp, frustrated breath. "Fine. But just so you know, Victoria had an accomplice. Rose Williams."

Lowin's eyes narrowed into slits. "The Williams didn't take my warning seriously, it seems. I'll handle them tomorrow morning. Make sure Rose limps her way home tonight."

"With pleasure. Same goes for Victoria's little grunts. They wasted my time," Debrin muttered.

"Do as you wish, Mr. Salvatore." Lowin ended the call.

Dominic, who had been sitting quietly behind his desk checking charts, looked up.

"Amilah is awake," Lowin announced.

Dominic stood up so abruptly his rolling chair slammed into the back wall. He snatched his lab coat and stethoscope off the rack, his expression grim.

Amilah looked up, her heart fluttering nervously. "Doctor... is something wrong?"

"Yes, little girl. Very wrong," Dominic said, his usual sarcastic tone entirely absent. He approached the bed, grabbing his clipboard.

"But... I feel fine," she stammered.

"You're lucky, Amilah."

Amilah blinked. It was the first time the arrogant chief of medicine had actually used her real name instead of a mocking nickname.

Dominic checked the vitals on the monitor, his face an unreadable mask. Finally, he looked down at her, his eyes softening with a rare touch of empathy. "Your lab results came back. Amilah... you're three weeks pregnant."

The world completely stopped.

Pregnant.

The word echoed in her mind like a bomb. Amilah's heart skipped a violent beat. "That... that can't be. I..."

Suddenly, the timeline clicked. The gala. The wild, breathless night in his penthouse with him. Afterward, she had been so excited visiting her parents, then so buried in work... she had completely forgotten to track her calendar until yesterday when she realized she was three days late.

"Don't panic," Dominic said gently. "That's why I kicked them out. We need to do a scan to make sure everything is okay. That fall was nasty."

Tears spilled over Amilah's lashes, tracking down her pale cheeks. Her hand moved involuntarily, resting flat over her still-flat stomach. A baby. It was so sudden, so terrifying. And the worst part? I don't even know his real name. She remembered how distant and cold he had acted the other night. Fear coiled tightly around her throat. What if he didn't want it? What if he abandoned her?

"Please," Amilah choked out, grabbing Dominic's coat. "Please, don't tell him. I want to tell him myself. When the time is right."

Dominic rolled his eyes internally, imagining the meltdown Lowin Vance would have if he knew his 'little bird' was carrying his heir. "Little girl, that's between you and him. But don't wait too long. The man is losing his mind out there. He cares about you."

"I... I don't think he does," Amilah whispered, her voice breaking with insecurity. "What if he hates me for this? What if he doesn't want the baby?"

"You won't know until you tell him," Dominic sighed, tapping his clipboard. "Enough talk. You need rest. I'll have the nurse send in some food. I'll find a way to sneak you down to the OB-GYN clinic before they come back in, though keeping that overprotective shadow away from you will be a miracle."

"He can't know," Amilah insisted, her eyes hardening with renewed determination. "There is something I have to do first. This stays between us."

"Doctor-patient confidentiality. My lips are sealed," Dominic promised, turning to leave.

Meanwhile, at the police station across town, the mood was pure chaos.

"Sir, turns out Lowin Vance wasn't lying," Kelvin said, his voice shaking as he handed over a file. "We got a anonymous tip-off two hours ago. A body was dumped near the Vance Empire underground parking lot. It's been identified as Jade Houston. Dead from a clean gunshot wound right between the eyes."

Dale ran a frantic hand through his hair, his breath hitching. "What's the timeline?"

"CCTV from the Crescent Hotel shows Jade Houston leaving with a man matching Lowin Vance's description at exactly 9:00 PM. But sir... at 9:00 PM, Lowin Vance was physically at Vance military base with you. It's impossible for him to be in two places at once. This proves it... Mr. Vance has a twin."

"Holy s**t," Dale cursed. They were dealing with a psycho look-alike. "Call Lowin Vance. Now!"

Kelvin dialed the number, and Lowin picked up immediately.

"Dale?"

"Jade Houston is dead, Vance," Dale said bluntly. "And the killer made sure all the clues point straight to you. What the hell do we do?"

Sitting on the hospital sofa, Lowin raised an eyebrow, a cold smirk touching his lips. It seemed his twin brother, Justin, was getting desperate. He has officially started the game to ruin him.

"Issue the warrant," Lowin said smoothly.

Dale gasped. "What? Are you crazy?"

"It's exactly what he wants," Lowin whispered into the phone, his eyes darkening as he stared at the closed door of Amilah's room. "So play his game. Let him think he's winning. Because the higher I let him climb... the harder his fall is going to be."