Bound by Fate, Freed by Love

Chapter 18 Heat of His Touch

Fidel took a step closer, his gaze intense as he searched Mira's eyes for answers. "I've been waiting for this moment ever since the wedding," he said, his voice low but edged with frustration. "I never got a chance to talk to you, Mira. But now... I need to know. What's behind this wedding?"

Mira froze. Her heart pounded in her chest as the weight of Fidel's words settled in the air between them. She had feared this conversation, the one she knew was inevitable but had desperately avoided. Fidel's eyes, usually so warm, were now clouded with confusion and a hint of hurt.

"There's nothing between you and Samar, is there?" Fidel pressed, his voice soft but insistent. "I can feel it. Tell me the truth, Mira."

Mira glanced away, unsure how to respond. The truth was so much more complicated than she had ever anticipated, and yet, here was Fidel, standing before her, demanding answers she wasn't sure she could give.

"Did Samar know?" Fidel asked, stepping even closer, his tone more urgent now. "Did he know that I... that I have feelings for you?"

Mira's breath hitched, her mind racing. She could see the sincerity in Fidel's eyes, the pain of a man who had kept his emotions hidden for too long. But how could she explain everything to him? How could she tell him that this marriage wasn't just about her and Samar, but about protecting him, too?

At that moment, Mira's mind drifted back to the past, to the memory of when Fidel had first confessed his feelings for her. It had been during a quiet moment when they were alone after a family gathering. The tension in the air had been palpable, but Fidel had finally said the words that Mira had never expected to hear.

"I know it's wrong," Fidel had said, his voice filled with guilt. "I love Alyssa, I truly do, and I've tried so hard to fight this. But no matter what I do, I can't stop myself from falling for you, Mira."

Those words had shaken Mira to her core. She had always admired Fidel as her brother-in-law, the devoted husband to her sister Alyssa, but hearing him say those things confused and frightened her. She had never imagined that someone as loyal as Fidel could harbour such deep feelings for her.

Mira had pushed the memory away, burying it deep within her heart, trying to move on. But now, standing here in front of Fidel, it all came rushing back—his tortured confession, the guilt she felt, the impossible situation they were in.

"Mira," Fidel's voice pulled her back to the present, snapping her out of her reverie. "Did Samar know about my feelings? Was that why he married you?"

Mira's breath hitched as the weight of the moment returned. Fidel's eyes were searching hers, filled with desperation for the truth. She could see the hurt in them, the pain of a man who had loved too deeply, in too many directions.

"Fidel..." Mira began her voice barely a whisper, her heart heavy with guilt. "I—"

"Tell me, Mira," Fidel interrupted, his voice more intense now. "Did Samar marry you because of me? Was it to keep me away?"

Mira stood there, torn, unable to bring herself to answer. Her silence stretched into a painful eternity, and she could see the growing disappointment in Fidel's eyes. Every second felt like a betrayal—to him, to Alyssa, and even to herself.

Without saying a word, she turned away from Fidel. She couldn't bear to look at him any longer, and the unspoken truth weighed heavily on her shoulders. Her feet carried her away, back toward the house, her thoughts swirling in a haze of confusion and guilt.

As she walked away, her mind was consumed with the weight of the situation. Her heart ached for Fidel, for Alyssa, and for Samar—this web of feelings and hidden truths was strangling her. She didn't know what to do, how to fix any of it, or how she had gotten caught in such an impossible situation.