Chapter 18

Amanda lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling as thoughts of what had just happened played over and over in her mind. The kiss, it was raw, intense, unexpected, and her body still buzzed with the memory of it. She hated how much she liked it.

She was angry at herself for giving in, but deep down, a part of her couldn't deny how it felt, how his touch had made her feel... wanted.

But then, reality hit her like a slap. What the hell had she just done? She had kissed a man eleven years older than her. She squirmed in frustration, the thought feeling too strange to process.

Eleven years.

She was twenty-five, and he-he was in his thirties. She was supposed to be in control, but it felt like the control had slipped right through her fingers.

As she lay there, battling the chaos in her mind, a name echoed through her thoughts. Annabelle. What did she mean to him? Why did she keep haunting her thoughts? Amanda knew she had to get to the bottom of this. Something about Annabel didn't sit right with her.

Why couldn't Raphael just be open about it? He was a man who thrived on control-why did he keep this one thing hidden from her?

The longer she lay there, the more her mind twisted with questions.

Was there something between them? Was Annabel more than just a distant memory to him? A part of her wanted to confront him right then and there, demand answers, but the fear of what those answers might be kept her still.

It was easier to let the questions swirl in her mind, to imagine a world where Raphael's past wasn't a secret.

Her mind raced, but soon, the exhaustion of the night took over. Her eyelids grew heavy, and before she realized it, sleep had claimed her.

The morning came too quickly. Amanda woke up with a start, disoriented and unsure of what time it was. The house was quiet.

Too quiet.

Raphael was already gone.

He'd left for work before she'd even had a chance to wake up and confront him, but there was something that stopped her from feeling completely alone.

On the kitchen table, wrapped neatly in a small dish, was a breakfast he'd made for her. The warmth of the food made her stomach rumble, and for a moment, she allowed herself to soften.

Maybe he wasn't as bad as she thought. Maybe-just maybe-he had a side to him she hadn't seen yet.

She sat down, picking at the food with a mixture of hesitation and curiosity. The meal was simple-eggs, toast, and a cup of coffee-but it felt like more than just sustenance.

It felt like an attempt at something... intimate. Something real. Amanda didn't know what to make of it.

She had expected him to be distant, to act like everything between them was just business, but this-this was personal. For a moment, she allowed herself to soften, to imagine that maybe this marriage, this arrangement, could somehow work out.

But as soon as the thought crossed her mind, a voice in her head snapped her back to reality. She couldn't let herself forget who she was, what she wanted.

She couldn't allow herself to fall for the little gestures, the crumbs of affection he tossed her way. She wasn't some naive girl waiting for a fairy tale ending.

She ate in silence, contemplating everything that had happened between them. Her thoughts kept returning to Annabel, the woman Raphael had never fully explained. She couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to the story.

Was this all just a game to him?

Did he see her as a prize to be won, or was there something deeper, something real?

An idea began to form. She could go to work. Go against his wishes. A defiant smile curled on her lips as she made her decision.

She wasn't going to sit idly at home all day like he wanted.

She couldn't.

She had to do something, anything, that would make him see she wasn't someone to be controlled so easily.

Amanda dressed quickly, pulling on a sleek blazer and some jeans. It wasn't much, but it was enough to make her feel like she was taking control.

She didn't know how to drive, and she definitely wasn't about to take one of his cars. No one at the office could know about their marriage-not yet, anyway.

So, she opted for the bus.

As she stood at the bus stop, waiting for her ride, Amanda couldn't help but feel a surge of adrenaline.

The company was his. Raphael's. The man who had somehow become a constant in her life, for better or worse. She wasn't sure what she was hoping to achieve by walking into that building, but she wasn't about to back down now. She wouldn't be dictated to. She wouldn't be confined to a life she didn't want, no matter how much Raphael tried to control her.

Finally, the bus arrived, and Amanda made her way to the building. When she stood before the towering glass structure, her heart beat a little faster.

This was it.

This was the genesis of everything, and now, she was standing on the precipice of something bigger than she ever anticipated.

The decision to walk in, to confront the man who had completely upended her life, was the first real choice she had made in what felt like forever.

No one could take this away from her.

Not him.

Not anyone.

She stared at the company's logo for a moment, a smile spreading across her face. It wasn't much, but it felt like a small victory.

A declaration of independence.

She was going to make a stand, and maybe-just maybe-she would finally find some answers about what this marriage really meant, what Raphael really meant to her.

Let me show him I'm not some delicate flower to be tucked away at home.

With that thought, she walked in.

The lobby of the building was sleek, modern, and impersonal. The polished floors reflected the light from the tall windows, and the air smelled faintly of expensive cologne and corporate ambition.

Amanda walked through the space with her head held high, ignoring the curious glances of the employees who passed by. She was here for herself. She was here to remind herself that she wasn't defined by the circumstances Raphael had created for her.

As she made her way toward the elevator, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching her, that Raphael's presence was looming over her even though he wasn't physically there.

He had a way of doing that-of making her feel both seen and invisible at the same time. But this time, she wasn't going to let him control the narrative. She was in charge now.

The elevator doors slid open, and she stepped inside, her pulse quickening. This was it. The next chapter of her life was waiting for her, whether she was ready or not.

Yeah, she hated her job, but that was what made her independent and strong , and Raphael wasn't about to take that liberty form her.