𝐂𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐁𝐲 𝐕𝐨𝐰𝐬

Chapter 12

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"In chains of duty, love's light dims, and hearts are bound where freedom swims."

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Aamirah’s heart raced as she stepped out of the cab, her fingers trembling as they grasped the cold steel handle of the hospital door. The air was crisp against her skin, but her mind was too clouded to notice.

She had finally slipped away from the mansion, just for a brief moment, to visit her father. It had taken every ounce of her willpower to leave, knowing the consequences of being caught, but the need to see him was stronger than her fear.

The man she was engaged to—her future husband, though she could barely stand to think of him that way—had helped her father. He had paid for everything, from the surgery to the future recovery care, but he hadn’t done it out of kindness.

Nothing came without a price. In exchange, Aamirah had agreed to look after his infant son, a child left behind by his previous wife, and ultimately, she had agreed to marry him. But her family didn’t know the truth. They had no idea that it was him—the man who now controlled her life—who had saved her father.

As far as her parents were concerned she told everyone, a wealthy benefactor had appeared just in time to cover the medical expenses as she didn't told them about the difficulties.

They didn’t ask questions; they were too grateful. Her father was alive, and that was all that mattered to them. But Aamirah knew the truth, and it weighed on her like a chain around her neck.

The hospital hallway was eerily quiet, the sterile scent of antiseptic lingering in the air. Her sandals squeaked against the polished floor as she made her way to her father’s room. Her heart felt heavy in her chest.

She hadn’t seen him since the surgery, and guilt gnawed at her. She had been stuck in that mansion, bound by a deal she had no choice but to make. She didn’t want to resent the kid—he was innocent in all this—but she couldn’t help feeling like her life had been stolen from her.

The man she was promised to had made it clear from the start that her father’s life came at a price. "He’s alive because of me," he didn't said that but she could feel it.

"Don’t forget that." Aamirah had wanted to scream, to shout that she hadn’t forgotten, that he is the one who made everything difficult but she had no proof and he is too powerful for her to upset him by saying anything stupid like that therefore, she had kept quiet, biting her tongue, because what other choice did she have?

Her father’s health hung in the balance, and her family couldn’t afford this loss. The man knew that. He knew how desperate she was.

She paused at the door, taking a deep breath. The beeping of machines was the only sound that broke the silence as she pushed the door open. Her father lay in the hospital bed, looking smaller and frailer than she remembered. His skin was pale, his face gaunt, but when he saw her, his eyes brightened.

“Aamirah,” he whispered, his voice hoarse. “You came.”

Tears pricked at her eyes as she moved closer, taking his hand gently in hers. “Of course I came, Baba,” she said softly, forcing a smile. “I couldn’t stay away.”

He squeezed her hand weakly, his fingers trembling. “I’m so proud of you,” he said, his eyes filled with warmth. “You’ve been so strong through all of this.”

A lump formed in Aamirah’s throat, and she blinked back the tears. Her father didn’t know the truth. He didn’t know the deal she had made, the price she had paid to keep him alive. And she couldn’t bear to tell him, not when he was still so fragile.