Chapter 30 Chapter 30
Amelia
I watched him closely as his jaw tightened, then relaxed, over and over again. He didn’t speak immediately. Instead, his eyes stayed on my face, studying me, as if he was trying to read something I wasn’t saying out loud. The silence stretched before he finally spoke.
“And what exactly would the agenda be?” he asked calmly.
I cleared my throat and straightened my back, forcing myself to sit upright. “My company,” I began. “Nothing has changed in the three weeks since we got married. Things are actually getting worse.” I paused, then continued, “I received reports that some workers have started resigning. My parents won’t stop calling me about it. They are already on my neck.”
He let out a soft chuckle and smirked, clearly amused by my frustration.
“What did I tell you on the day you signed the marriage documents right here?” he asked, his smile slow and confident.
I frowned slightly and shook my head. “I honestly can’t remember,” I replied vaguely, staring right at his eyes.
“Of course you can’t remember,” he said slowly, a smug smile playing on his lips. “But let me remind you.” He leaned back slightly, his eyes never leaving mine. “I told you very clearly that your submission in this marriage would determine whether your company rises or sinks completely.”
He paused, letting his words settle before continuing.
“Now tell me,” he added calmly, almost mockingly, “after the rebellious little act you just pulled, leaving the house without my permission and storming into my office to cause a scene, what exactly do you think I’m going to do to your company?”
The question sat heavy in the air, but instead of fear, something else rose inside me.
I straightened up and met his gaze head-on. “So you think you are going to walk into my life,” I said firmly, “take almost everything I have worked for, force me into a marriage, strip me of my freedom, and expect me to make it easy for you?”
I let out a short, bitter laugh. “You should have asked around about me,” I continued. “You should have found out how I managed to stay at the top of my business in a world that constantly looks down on women like me. I am not a soft woman,” I said, my voice steady. “No matter how much you think you can cage me, I will never be one.”
He stared at me for a long moment, his expression unreadable. The air between us felt heavy before he finally spoke again.
“Are you trying to tell me that you won’t be submissive in this marriage?” he asked, his voice low.
“Yes,” I replied without hesitation. “That is exactly what I’m saying.” I took a steady breath before continuing. “If you respect me, I will respect you in return.” I folded my arms, my voice firm. “I was doing just fine on my own before you interfered with my business. I would have been doing even better if you had stayed out of it. And for the record, I am not one of your fans or admirers that you can control.”
He shook his head slowly, a humorless smile tugging at his lips.
“You seem to have forgotten something,” he said. “The future of your company depends on this marriage.” His voice hardened. “Did you honestly think I was bluffing when I said that?”
Anger flashed across his face, sharp and sudden.
This was something I had started noticing over the past few weeks of living in his house. He had serious anger issues, he snapped over the smallest things, especially at the domestic staff, raising his voice at them for mistakes that barely mattered.
We never ended up visiting his parents the weekend we were supposed to because his housekeeper had accidentally spilled his drink on his shoes. I could have understood his reaction if it had been his clothes, but instead he completely lost his temper. He snapped at the poor woman, shouting at her until she shrank back in fear, then stormed upstairs in anger.
He didn’t even look back at me. I stood there, feeling foolish, still dressed up after putting so much effort into my appearance. Embarrassed and exhausted, I didn’t say a word. I simply turned around, went back to my room, and slept.
“I have fulfilled my part of the bargain by marrying you,” I said. “Now it’s your turn to do yours. I am not going to beg you. You are not the only one with the upper hand here.” I paused, my voice steady. “You don’t want to know how far I’m willing to go until you restore my company.”
He rose slowly from behind his desk and walked toward me. Then he sat down directly in front of me, his presence heavy and intimidating.
“Amelia,” he said coldly, “do you really think your threats will change anything?” His lips curved into a smug smile. “I married you. I took your freedom and soon enough, you will give me your body and everything else, whether you like it or not.”
My stomach tightened as he continued. “You are not leaving this marriage until you give me a child,” he added flatly. “So tell me, who do you think really has the power here?” He smirked. “All you know how to do is bluff.”
He might have been right for now, he held all the control. But that wouldn’t last. I was already planning how to take every bit of it back.
I stood up calmly and adjusted my dress, refusing to let him see even a crack in my confidence.
“I actually like that you underestimate me,” I said coolly. “It just means you won’t see me coming.”
He stepped aside as I walked toward the door. My hand was already on the handle when his voice stopped me.
“Don’t ever think for a second that marrying you meant anything to me,” he said harshly.
“You are forgettable, I married you for revenge, nothing more.”
I turned slowly and smiled at him. “You give yourself too much credit,” I replied evenly. “I don’t even think about you. What I did five years ago was also out of revenge.” My smile widened slightly. “If I had known you’d be pussy wiped, I wouldn’t have bothered at all.”
Then I turned back around and slammed the door behind me.
I left his office and drove aimlessly around the city, my mind racing as I tried to figure out my next move. I considered going to my company, but I couldn’t bring myself to face the workers. I wasn’t ready to look into their eyes knowing everything was falling apart.
Instead, I spoke with Kelvin on the phone for a while. His voice was tense as he explained that things were getting out of hand. The situation was worse than I had imagined.
As I drove, an idea slowly formed in my mind. By the time it became clear, a small smile spread across my face.
Let’s see who really has the upper hand, I thought to myself, pressing my foot harder on the accelerator as I turned back toward home.
Maxwell had no idea what was coming. By this time tomorrow, he was going to regret ever asking me to sign those marriage documents.
Author's note: I so much love love, fallen in love again with Amelia this episode😘😘😂