Gabriel's Obsession

The Betrayal

Amelia's POV

The words struck me like a thunderclap, reverberating through my very bones. Gabriel Hamilton and Anna Jones are to be engaged.

A gasp escaped my lips before I could stop it. The grand foyer, once a place of warmth and security, now felt like a cold, suffocating cage. The air was thick with murmurs, judgmental gazes slicing into me from every direction. My arms instinctively tightened around my daughters, their tiny bodies the only source of comfort I had in this moment of betrayal.

I willed myself to breathe, but my chest felt constricted, as if an invisible force was squeezing the life out of me. How could this be happening? Had I just stepped into a nightmare?

Across the room, my three sisters-in-law—Jessica, Maddison, and Paige—stood together like a trio of vultures, their painted lips curled in satisfaction. Anna, the woman at the center of this disastrous spectacle, stood smugly beside Gabriel's mother her head tilted ever so slightly as if awaiting my reaction. She even wore a victorious smirk, as if she had orchestrated my downfall and was now relishing the moment.

My heart pounded wildly as my gaze landed on Gabriel. He stood still amidst the chaos, his expression unreadable. Was he surprised to see me? Was he relieved? Did he regret anything? Why wasn't he saying anything?

My legs trembled beneath me, but I forced myself to stand tall. I had just given birth, my body still healing from the pain, yet here I was—being humiliated in my own home. My mind screamed at me to run, to escape, to shield my daughters from whatever game these people were playing.

But before I could react, a firm, familiar hand clamped around my wrist.

Gabriel.

His grip was tight, almost painful, as he pulled me forward, away from the intrusive stares, away from the suffocating whispers. I barely had time to react before he was leading me through the mansion's corridors, his long strides forcing me to match his hurried pace.

"Gabriel, stop!" I hissed, struggling against his hold. "What the hell is going on?"

He didn't answer. He only moved faster, his fingers digging into my skin as if ensuring I wouldn't slip away. I could feel the storm brewing inside him, his whole body tense with restrained fury.

I barely had time to hand my daughters over to Mother Grace, who had been waiting near the nursery, before Gabriel yanked me into our bedroom and slammed the door shut.

The moment we were alone, I yanked my wrist from his grasp, my breath coming in ragged pants. "Talk to me, Gabriel! What the hell was that?"

He stood still for a moment, his chest rising and falling heavily. His hands raked through his hair, a telltale sign of his frustration.

"I didn't want this." His voice was low, almost pained. "None of it."

My stomach twisted.

"Then why was it announced?" I demanded, my voice shaking. "Why is your mother telling people you're engaged to another woman?"

Gabriel exhaled sharply, his fists clenching at his sides. "Because my father made a deal. It's a contract, Amelia. One I had no say in."

A sharp, bitter laugh escaped me before I could stop it. "No say? Are you serious, Gabriel? You, the almighty Hamilton heir, had no say?"

His jaw tightened. "I told you, my father is pulling the strings. He thinks you failed me, Amelia. He thinks you failed him."

The word failed cut through me like a blade.

"And you? Do you think I failed you?" My voice cracked, but I refused to let him see my pain.

Gabriel's lips pressed into a thin line. He didn't answer right away. And that silence... that silence was enough to confirm my worst fears.

"So, that's it?" I whispered, my hands trembling. "Because I had daughters instead of a son, I'm suddenly disposable?"

"That's not what I said," he growled, stepping closer. "You're twisting my words."

"Am I?" I snapped, taking a step back. "Because it sounds to me like you're letting them erase me from your life!"

Gabriel's face darkened, his blue eyes flashing with something dangerous. "I'm not letting anything happen," he said through gritted teeth. "You don't understand, Amelia. If I refuse this engagement, my father will destroy everything."

"Then let him," I shot back. "Fight back, Gabriel! I fought for you! I carried our children—your children—while you were off playing your father's little game. And now, after everything, you're standing there telling me you have no choice?"

Something in him snapped.

Before I could move, his hand shot out, grabbing my arm.

"You don't get to leave me," he said, his voice low and possessive. His grip tightened, not enough to hurt, but enough to send chills racing down my spine. "You are mine, Amelia. Do you hear me?"

My breath hitched. "Let go of me."

He didn't. Instead, his grip softened, his fingers trailing down to my wrist, then to my palm. He lifted my hand to his lips, pressing a kiss against it.

"You are mine," he repeated, softer this time. "I will never let you go."

My heart pounded violently against my ribs. This wasn't the Gabriel I had fallen in love with. This wasn't the man who had once held me with tenderness, who had whispered words of devotion into my ear.

This man was obsessed.

"This isn't love, Gabriel," I whispered. "This is obssession."

His gaze darkened further, his free hand trailing up to my face, cupping my cheek. "Love, obsession... does it matter? Either way, you belong to me."

I flinched, but he didn't pull away.

"You're scaring me," I admitted, my voice barely audible.

A flicker of something—guilt?—flashed in his eyes, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared. Instead, he leaned in, his lips brushing against my ear.

"Good," he whispered.

I shuddered, my entire body going cold. This isn't happening. This isn't happening.

"You won't marry her," I said, more to myself than to him. "You're still my husband."

"And you're still my wife," he murmured, his fingers trailing down my arm. "Nothing will change that."

"Then why are you letting them do this to us?" I choked out. "Why won't you fight for me?"

Gabriel exhaled sharply, pressing his forehead against mine. "Because I can't lose you, Amelia."

"You already have."

The words left my lips before I could stop them, but I meant them.

The love I had for him—the trust I had in him—was crumbling, piece by piece. And he knew it.

His grip on me tightened for a moment before he finally let go. He stepped back, running a hand through his hair, his jaw clenched.

"We'll figure this out," he muttered.

I wanted to believe him. I really did.

But as I looked at him—the man who claimed to love me yet refused to stand by me—I knew one thing for certain.

Gabriel Hamilton's love wasn't the kind that saved you.

It was the kind that destroyed you.

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