Chapter 2

2.

Amelia saw the rage swirling in Damian’s eyes and her heart tightened. She instinctively clenched her fists.

He had never looked at her with such a ferocious expression.

Amelia took a deep breath, trying to figure out how to explain herself.

Before she could speak, Damian strode over, grabbed her by the shoulders, and roared.

"When did you become so poisonous, Amelia? You had someone switch out Brooke’s medication!"

Amelia was stunned. A wave of relief washed over her, but it was quickly followed by another sharp, stabbing pain in her stomach.

Her voice was hoarse as she defended herself. "Damian, I wouldn't resort to such a cheap trick."

"Brooke doesn't lie. Only your assistant handled her medicine," Damian’s voice was sharp, the light in his eyes growing colder. "Brooke is in critical condition. Give me the real medicine, now!"

"You don't believe me?" Amelia’s eyes filled with shock and sorrow. "You said you would always believe me."

Years ago, she had been framed for stealing and was locked in a storage room as punishment. A fire suddenly broke out, and everyone fled.

Only Damian had rushed into the flames to save her. In front of everyone, he had proven her innocence and sworn, "No matter what, I will always believe Amelia!"

The scars from the burns on his back were still there, but his promise had already turned to dust.

Damian saw the disappointment in her eyes and his heart faltered. His aggressive stance softened for a moment.

Just then, an urgent voice came from the doorway. "Mr. Hart, forget the medicine! You need to come quickly, Ms. Ryan is not doing well."

The color drained from Damian’s face. The man who was always composed and calm was now in a full-blown panic.

He let go of Amelia and turned, shoving her aside in his haste. He didn't even notice.

Falling again, a violent pain shot through Amelia’s abdomen. Blood began to flow down, staining her pants red.

A strange terror engulfed her, and she instinctively cried out his name.

"Damian, I'm bleeding. It hurts."

He heard her, but he didn't turn back.

"Stop faking it, Amelia. It's pathetic to seek attention like this. Nothing can happen to Brooke."

Amelia’s breath hitched. She curled up in agony, unable to tell if the pain in her stomach or the pain in her heart was worse.

Wave after wave of excruciating pain washed over her, and her vision went black as she fainted.

Amelia woke up in a hospital room, just as a doctor was making his rounds.

"You're ten weeks pregnant, and you were at risk of losing the baby. We’ve stabilized the situation for now, but you absolutely must rest and relax. Your cortisol levels are dangerously high for the fetus. You must stay away from any sources of stress..."

"I'm pregnant?" Amelia was stunned, a mix of joy, worry, and an indescribable complexity swirling within her.

"Yes, you've been quite careless not to know. Where is your husband? He needs to get here and take care of you."

Just as the doctor finished speaking, Damian appeared at the door of the hospital room.

"Amelia."

"Are you the patient's husband? Where have you been? Don't you know that pregnancy requires..." The doctor was clearly annoyed, but before he could finish, Amelia cut him off.

"Doctor! I'll talk to him."

The doctor frowned, sizing up Amelia and Damian with a knowing look. He nodded and advised, "Take care of yourself. If the situation is complicated, it might be better to make a decision sooner rather than later."

Amelia nodded in thanks. The doctor gave Damian a meaningful glance before turning to leave.

Damian didn't notice anything unusual; all his attention was on Amelia.

Seeing her pale face, a flicker of concern crossed his eyes. He stepped forward and pulled her into his arms. "How did you manage to get yourself hospitalized? Thank god you're okay."

"You're a grown woman, not some teenager. Why are you acting so jealous and petty? Don't worry. Brooke just saved my life once, that's all."

Listening to his lies, Amelia felt nothing but disgust.

Because she remembered what he was like when he had loved her with all his heart.

When she was young, her parents died in an accident, leaving her, an eight-year-old, with her three-year-old brother. All their relatives came to fight over the family company, but no one wanted to take in the two children.

It was Damian who took her hand and led her away from the noisy funeral home. He had said, "Amelia, I'll take care of you and your brother from now on."

From that day forward, looking after her and her brother became his mission.

When others bullied her, he would fight back for her, even if it meant being stripped of his inheritance rights for three months by his family and being confined to the house. He would just smile and tell her it didn't hurt.

"For Amelia, a little punishment is nothing."

The Hart family didn't approve of him marrying her, so he signed a high-stakes agreement with them to earn twenty million dollars in three months. He worked relentlessly, surviving on IV drips to stay awake.

He had risked his life to win that bet, and in doing so, he won her a wedding of unprecedented grandeur.

At the wedding, his eyes were red with emotion. "Amelia, I can finally give you and your brother a home. Soon we'll have our own children, we'll be happy forever. I love you."

The vows and memories were still vivid, but his heart had changed.

Since that was the case, she didn't want him anymore either.

"Why aren't you talking?" Damian noticed she was lost in thought and reached out to touch her forehead. "Are you not feeling well?"

Amelia turned her head away. "I'm fine."

Damian was momentarily taken aback, his hand frozen in mid-air.

Amelia didn't want to argue with him any longer. She coldly turned her back to him and picked up her phone to text her lawyer.

[Prepare the contract for the two-hundred-million-dollar investment for the lab immediately. Also, draw up divorce papers. Bring both to the hospital.]

Damian assumed she was still angry and didn't say anything more, sitting down behind her.

He quietly placed some painkillers and a hot compress by her hand, then sat on the edge of the bed. He gently adjusted the pillow behind her back and took her cold hand in his.

But Amelia felt no warmth at all. She didn't even lift her head.

Not until she heard a knock on the door.