Chapter 41
“Make me regret it? In what way?” Seb’s voice cracked, a desperate laugh bubbling up.
“She said you pushed her,” Seb whispered, his voice trembling
“Then you should wonder who taught her to say that,” Amara replied, sitting back down and picking up her pen as if he were no longer there. “Now get out of my office before I have security drag you out in front of your former employees p>
“Listen, you need to apologize for what happened in your house, Amara. I have to do this.” He looked at her, his eyes pleading. “When little Seren opened her eyes… that was the first thing she requested. An apology from you p>
What if I don’t? Amara thought, her heart turning into a cold stone in her chest. Look at him. This is the same man who swore he would love her forever. Now he’s standing here, extorting an apology for a crime she didn’t commit.
She leaned back, a chillingly calm smile spreading across her lips. “I can apologize,” she said, her voice smooth as silk. “But I want something in return. Just like last time p>
Seb blinked, caught off guard. “What is it this time p>
“I want you to delete all our pictures from your phone,” Amara demanded, her eyes fixed on his. “Every single one. Do it, and I’ll apologize to her.” Amara said, the thought of Seb still holding on to their memories or even looking at their pictures felt like a pull back in the past.
Seb’s face went pale. “You… you want me to delete all our pictures p>
“Yes. Just knowing they are on your phone makes me sick,” she said, her voice cutting through the air like a knife.
“You used to take those pictures and send them to me, telling every moment meant to be celebrated that I should look at them when I miss you. Those pictures are all that’s left of us, of our love, Amara!” Seb cried out, clutching his pocket where his phone lay.
Amara didn’t flinch. “What? Do you not agree? Then get out. I won’t apologize p>
The silence stretched between them, thick and suffocating. Finally, Seb’s shoulders slumped. The man who had once promised to cherish their memories took out his phone with trembling hands.
“Alright,” he whispered. “You want them gone. Done p>
He tapped the screen aggressively. Select all. Delete. Of course, Amara thought, watching his thumb move. He’s forsaken her again. For a lie, he destroyed the only evidence that they ever existed. She wasn’t surprised; she was just reaffirmed.
“I have deleted everything,” Seb said, his voice hollow. He turned his phone screen toward her to show the empty gallery. “Now, come and apologize to Seren. And you will do it in front of the reporters. You will apologize for the harm you caused her p>
Amara stood up, smoothing her skirt. She walked toward the door, where she could already hear the muffled chatter of the press. Elara had timed it perfectly. Seren was already out of the hospital, standing in the company lobby surrounded by cameras, looking small and fragile in her mother’s arms.
As Amara stepped out into the hallway, the flashes started popping, blinding and aggressive. Elara looked up, a triumphant, wicked glint in her eyes behind her fake tears.
Amara looked at the cameras, then back at Seb, who was ushering her toward the victim.
“Is this what you wanted?” Amara asked, her voice projecting clearly for every microphone to catch. Her smile didn’t fade; it grew sharper.
The lobby was thick with camera flashes and the suffocating perfume Elara wore. The reporters hovered like vultures, their lenses aimed straight at Amara’s face.
“What? Seb, she stole our company and hurt Seren. This is just too much,” Elara cried out, her voice wobbling with practiced perfection. She squeezed Seren’s shoulder, a silent signal.
“Dad, I’m in so much pain,” Seren whined, hiding her face against Seb’s leg. “I want her to say sorry publicly p>
Seb looked down at his daughter, his heart hardening into a knot of protective rage. He looked at Amara, the woman he had just deleted from his life. “You were the one at fault. You should apologize to Seren p>
Amara looked at him, and for a moment, the cameras, the reporters, and the noise faded away. There was only the man who had traded ten years of memories for a lie.
“My biggest mistake was falling for you,” Amara said, her voice so cold it seemed to drop the temperature in the room. She then turned her gaze to the little girl. “So, you think I hurt you? You want a public apology p>
“Amara, stop threatening her!” Elara stepped forward, shielding Seren. “If you hadn’t pushed her, she wouldn’t be hurt p>
“Yeah,” Seb added, his voice booming for the reporters to hear. “Seren has always been well-behaved. She wouldn’t lie. Amara, she’s just a child. How could a child possibly lie p>
Amara tilted her head, a terrifyingly calm smile playing on her lips. “What? Are you too scared to own up, Seren? You know there are cameras all over the house p>
“Exactly!” a reporter shouted, thrusting a microphone forward. “How could a child possibly frame an adult? Miss Piers, you mentioned security cameras. If you’re innocent, show us the footage p>
A flicker of panic finally crossed Seren’s face. She tugged on Elara’s sleeve, her voice dropping to a whisper. “Mommy… maybe we should drop it. Actually… Mommy p>
“Seren, don’t worry,” Seb said, placing a reassuring hand on her head, completely misinterpreting her fear for trauma. “We will get your justice today. Amara, pull up the CCTV footage and show everyone. If you have nothing to hide, show it p>
Amara didn’t hesitate. She didn’t blink. She looked over her shoulder at her secretary, who was standing by the large digital display in the lobby.
“Pull up the CCTV from my house that day,” Amara commanded.
The secretary’s fingers flew across the tablet. The large screen flickered to life, displaying the grainy, wide-angle shot of Amara’s private home from the day before. The reporters surged forward, their cameras clicking in a synchronized frenzy.