Chapter 38

Karen’s POV

The café was quiet with a soft jazzy melody drifting smoothly through the air. It was different from the usual work tension as it was providing an unexpected sense of calm compared to the usual buzz and business of the office environment.

I sat across from Liam, our table seemingly too small but the space between us feeling awkwardly wide. For the first time since I’d started working with him, we weren’t discussing business. Instead the conversation had somehow shifted to something… more personal.

Liam leaned back in his chair, his dark green eyes fixed on his coffee cup as he gently swirled the contents. The motion was deliberate and for a moment, I forgot to breathe as the tension kept rising. This was the second time I was having a supposed meeting with him and yet each tension was worse than the last. There was something about the way he carried himself in that moment that looked so relaxed and composed that made me wonder how well I really knew him.

"So," he started