THE SECRET BEHIND THE DOOR.
My heart slammed in my chest.
"I have no idea what's coming… just like my father".
Ameer's voice echoed in my ears, cold and sharp.
I pressed my back against the wall beside the door. My hand gripped the railing as my breath came fast and shallow.
Who was he talking to?.
I inched closer, peeking through the small crack.
Inside, Ameer stood with a phone to his ear. He paced slowly, one hand in his pocket, the other holding the glass of champagne he hadn't finished earlier.
"No, she hasn't suspected anything, he said, his voice low but clear, "she thinks this marriage is about saving her father."
He stopped walking and looked out the window.
Yes, I will handle it. Three years is more than enough to finish what he started.
My fingers went numb.
Finish what he started?.
I stepped back quickly. My body felt like ice.
I had just signed my life away to a man who clearly had more secrets than truth.
Suddenly, the floor creaked.
Ameer turned his head sharply
"Who's there?"
I held my breath.
The door swung open.
There he stood. His sharp eyes Locked onto my's.
His expression was unreadable.
"What are you doing here?"
I came down To get water, I stammered.
He looked past me toward the kitchen.
"You are standing far from the kitchen."
I heard something. I thought someone broke in.
His jaw tightened.
"You were spying".
I wasn't…
He stepped closer. Next time you want to know something, ask. Don't sneak around like a thief.
My anger flared. Then stop acting like you have something to hide!
Ameer didn't answer. He simply walked past me and shut the door behind him with a loud click.
The next morning, I dressed in a silk cream gown his maid laid out. It was part of the image… a " good wife" we were to attend a press conference for the company's new partnership.
Ameer didn't say a word in that car. He typed on his phone, his expression stiff.
I stared out the window, my heart still heavy from what I heard last night.
The event was held at a hotel ballroom. Cameras flashed the moment we stepped in.
" There you are!" Someone whispered. The new power couple.
Ameer placed his hand on my lower back, pretending we are close. I fought the urge to move away.
Reporters swarmed around us.
" Miss Bello, how does it feel to marry the man whose company bought your father's?"
I smiled tightly. "It feels like a new beginning. I believe in turning pain into purpose.
Ameer smirked beside me.
When we sat on the stage, I leaned close and whispered.
"That wasn't an act. I meant it."
"Good," he said, not looking at me. " Now smile."
I did.
...…..
Later that evening, we returned home. I kicked off my heels and threw my purse on the sofa.
I'm not your doll, I said.
"Stop acting like I'm here to decorate your arm".
You're not, he replied calmly.
You're here to keep your father out of prison. That's all.
"You really don't care, do you?.
Ameer turned slowly. " Care?" about a girl who's forced into a marriage to protect a man who betrayed his company? No. I don't.
My mouth dropped. "You keep saying my father betrayed the company. What are you talking about?"
He looked at me for a long time, then turned away.
"Go to bed, Nia."
No, I said, stepping forward.
"Tell me."
Ameer faced me again, and for a moment, I saw something strange and in his eyes….. not hate, not coldness …. Maybe regret?.
But it was gone quickly.
I'll tell you when it's time, he said.
" I'm not a child!.
"No, he said quietly, but you're not ready."
He left me standing in the living room.
Days passed.
We went to events, smiled for the cameras, and pretended to be a perfect couple. But behind the scenes, silence ruled our home.
I began digging. I searched my father's office at night. I called his old employees, even visited the company's lawyer.
Nobody would talk.
I went to see my mother. " Mum", I asked softly, did Dad ever….. do something illegal in business?.
My mother's eyes widened.
"What are you talking about?"
Please. Tell the truth. I need to know.
My mother looked away. We all make mistakes, Nia. But your father….. he thought he was protecting the family.
"What did he do?".
My mother wiped her eyes.
You need to be careful. The Hassan are dangerous.
Just then she stood and walked away.
I was so confused.
"What's going on?" I said with anger in my chest.
That night, I lay awake in bed. My thoughts swirled like a storm
I remembered Ameer's words.
"Don't trust your father".
What if…. he's telling the truth?. I said silently.
In the morning I noticed Ameer had left early.
I decided to search his office.
I crept in quietly. The room smelled like leather and fresh cologne.
I opened drawers, checked files. Nothing.
Then, behind one of the shelves, I saw a safe
I knelt and stared at the keypad.
I tried his birthday.Wrong. I tried "0000". Still wrong.
I leaned back, thinking.
Then I remember the wine glass from our wedding dinner. It had "Z. H" on the bottom. His father's initials.
I typed " ZAYD".
The safe opened. Inside was a flash drive and a folder labeled.
CONFIDENTIAL….. BELLO CASE.
My hands shook as I opened the file. Inside were copies of signed checks, documents with my father's handing an envelope of money to a government official.
My breath stopped.
My father…. had paid bribes. tears welled in my eyes.He had lied.
I grabbed the flash drive and turned to leave.But Ameer was standing at the door.
His face was hard.
"I warned you not to trust anyone, he said."
I had to know! I cried.
Why didn't you tell me? I asked.
Would you have believed me?
Silence.
He walked forward, now you know. Your father betrayed my family. He stole from his partners. He caused people to lose their jobs. My father cleaned up his mess.
I dropped my gaze
"Then why marry me?"
Ameer's face softened. Just for a second.
"Because this is bigger than both of us".
Before I could ask what that meant, his phone buzzed. He picked it up and went pale.
What happened? I asked.
He put the phone down slowly.
"My father has been arrested. And someone leaked your name to the press."