Amelia stood alone on the balcony long after Liam had returned to the gala.The cold night air bit into her bare shoulders, but she barely noticed.
Her heart was a chaos of feelings she couldn't sort out.Every time Liam was near, he overwhelmed her — with his intensity, his ambition, the magnetic pull he seemed almost unable to hide anymore.He saw something in her, something she wasn't sure she even saw in herself.
And then there was Julian.
Julian, who looked at her with a softness Liam never showed.Julian, who offered freedom, not chains.But did she really know him? Could she trust what he was offering… or was it just another game in a world built on manipulation?
You're not your father's daughter.Liam's words echoed in her mind, stirring something deep and painful.
She leaned over the marble railing, closing her eyes against the sting of tears.
Why did everything have to be so complicated?
When she had first taken the job at Blackthorne Enterprises, she had been desperate to build her own future — to stand on her own two feet, far from her father's shadow.She hadn't expected to find herself caught between two powerful men, each offering a different kind of life.
Each threatening to tear her apart in a different way.
Inside the ballroom, the gala was winding down.Soft classical music drifted out onto the terrace, but Amelia couldn't bring herself to go back inside yet.
She needed space.She needed to think.
But as the minutes dragged on, footsteps approached behind her.
She stiffened.
Not Liam.
Julian.
"Amelia," he said softly, his voice warm with concern. "Are you alright?"
She turned to him slowly, forcing a small, brittle smile.
"I just needed some air," she said.
Julian stepped closer, but not too close. He always respected her space in a way Liam never did — and somehow, that made her ache even more.
"You seemed upset," he said. "After… everything."
Amelia laughed under her breath, a harsh, broken sound.
"Upset is putting it mildly," she said.
Julian studied her, his handsome face unusually serious.
"I know Liam," he said carefully. "I know how he operates. You're not just a pawn in his game, Amelia. But you could become one if you're not careful."
Her chest tightened painfully.
Julian wasn't wrong.Liam's world was made of sharp edges and darker intentions.He didn't always play fair.
But neither did Julian, she reminded herself bitterly. No one in their world played fair.
Still… when Julian looked at her, there was something real there. Something honest.And she was so tired of feeling like she was constantly fighting invisible battles.
"Julian," she whispered. "I don't know what to believe anymore."
He reached out, gently brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Believe in yourself," he said. "Believe in what you feel. And if you ever need a way out... I'll be there."
Amelia's heart twisted.
Julian was offering her a future — no strings, no manipulation. Or so it seemed.
But could she trust that?
Could she trust anyone?
She lowered her gaze, struggling to gather her scattered thoughts.
Julian stepped back, giving her space once again, his expression unreadable.
"I'm not asking you to make a decision now," he said. "But I needed you to know... you have options. You're not trapped."
She nodded wordlessly.
And yet, in her heart, she knew the truth.
She was already trapped.
Not by contracts.Not by offers.But by feelings — wild, dangerous feelings that refused to be caged.
Feelings for Liam.
Feelings for Julian.
And feelings for herself — for the person she wanted to be, the future she wanted to claim.
Hours later, Amelia returned to her small apartment, the city buzzing faintly outside her windows.
She peeled off the emerald dress, letting it puddle at her feet like a discarded dream, and stood in front of the mirror, staring at her reflection.
Who was she becoming?
Was she just another pawn in a game of billionaires?Was she the naive girl who had believed she could escape her father's legacy?Or was she something more — something stronger?
She pressed her fingers against her temple, her mind a whirlwind of memories.
Liam's voice — rough, almost desperate — "I want you to choose me."
Julian's voice — steady, offering — "I'll be there if you need a way out."
Two paths.
Two futures.
And no map to guide her.
The next morning, Amelia walked into Blackthorne Tower with a tension coiled so tightly inside her she thought she might snap.
Everywhere she turned, she imagined eyes watching her.Judging.Waiting.
She reached her office, grateful for a few minutes alone, but even here, she couldn't escape the weight of everything pressing down on her.
A soft knock at her door made her jump.
It was Liam.
Of course it was.
He looked as devastatingly composed as ever — dark suit, darker gaze. But there was something in his eyes today. A flicker of vulnerability he couldn't quite hide.
"Can we talk?" he asked.
She swallowed hard and nodded.
He stepped inside, closing the door behind him.
For a moment, they just stared at each other.
Then Liam said, "I meant what I said last night."
Amelia nodded, her throat too tight to speak.
"I'm not going to force you to stay," he continued. "But I'm not going to give you up either."
A shiver ran down her spine.
"I don't know if I can live in your world, Liam," she whispered. "I don't know if I want to."
Liam's expression darkened, but when he spoke, his voice was almost gentle.
"You wouldn't be living in my world, Amelia. You'd be building it with me."
Tears stung her eyes, but she blinked them away.
"Liam..." she began, but again, he didn't let her finish.
He crossed the room in two strides, cupping her face in his hands.
"I will fight for you," he said fiercely. "I will fight anyone — even myself — if that's what it takes."
Her breath hitched.
Because part of her wanted to believe him.
Desperately.
And part of her was terrified that believing him would be the biggest mistake of her life.
"I need time," she said, voice shaking.
Liam pressed his forehead to hers.
"Take all the time you need," he whispered. "I'm not going anywhere."
When he finally left, Amelia sank into her chair, trembling.
How had everything spiraled so fast?
How had two men — so different, so dangerous in their own ways — managed to wrap themselves around her heart?
She buried her face in her hands, fighting the tears threatening to overwhelm her.
She had to make a choice.
Soon.
Because if she didn't, the choice would be made for her.
And she wasn't sure she'd survive it.