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128|Truth Is Permanent And Fixed
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Liam was neck-deep in reports and proposals when Clara knocked and came in with a tray of refreshments and his head of security in tow.
She set the afternoon snacks on his desk and excused herself, but not before reminding him he had a 3:00 PM meeting with Matthew and the marketing team.
"Mr Anderson, the report you asked for on Ms McBride and her son," James said when they were alone and handed him a brown A4 envelope.
"You took your time," Liam murmured as he reached for his espresso and motioned for him to take a seat on the couch.
"Ms McBride keeps her son out of the spotlight, and she doesn't seem to have any other social media accounts other than her I*******m. We had to do a bit of surveillance work." The head of security explained why it took his team a little over a week to get him the report.
"What did you find?" Liam asked.
His fingers were already ripping through the envelope, though. And within seconds, he came face to fac
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Begin Again 129|Without Trust
As soon as his head of security left, Liam gathered up the paternity test results, birth certificate and the report on Eden's dating history, stuffed them in the brown envelope with Aiden's photos and locked them away in his safe. He couldn't take any chances. The last thing he wanted was information about his son ending up in the wrong hands, or worse, getting leaked to the tabloids. He'd just thrown on his jacket and fixed his tie when Clara strolled in, a notebook in her hand and an anxious look in her eyes. She paused just inside the door and announced, "Sir, they are waiting for you. Ms Edwards and her team are already here." "I'm right behind you, Ms Winston." Liam nodded and followed her out of his office, his mind still racing at unprecedented speeds with endless questions. Twenty people were seated around the oval table when he walked into the boardroom on the 35th floor, but Liam only cared about one. He held Eden's gaze briefly before makin
Begin Again 130|Your Only Warning
"Fucking hell, Laura!" Liam barked at his ex and pushed her away from him. She stumbled and fell in a clumsy heap at his feet. "She lied to you, and you still want her—" She spluttered out her bewilderment, but his cold, piercing gaze was enough to shut her up real quick. He gulped down more of the bourbon, resenting her even more for complicating his already messy evening. Now he not only had one but two issues to work through with Eden. "When did you find out?" He demanded when her words sunk in at last. "That night at Crush when she fought with her boyfriend. I tried to warn you the last time I was here, but you were adamant he's someone else's kid." "You knew!" His voice was dangerously soft as he placed the now half-empty bottle on his desk. "You knew, and you said nothing!" "You hate kids, remember? In all the years we were together, you never wanted them. I figured there's no need to tell you since you were so co
Begin Again 131|Stars In His Eyes
Accepting Isaac's movie invitation was a mistake. Eden knew that as soon as they bought the tickets, and he splashed out on popcorn and drinks. It was supposed to be a casual night out on the town between two friends. But, Isaac had stars in his eyes, and she had a lot of hurt in her heart. This wouldn't end well for one of them, or both, the same way it didn't end well for her and Liam. What did you think was going to happen, Eden thought sadly as she tried to follow the intricate storyline of the Rom-Com playing out in front of her. It sounded very much like the badly-written plot to her own love life, and there were a lot of similarities between her and the protagonist. They were both attracted to emotionally unavailable men and ignored the dependable guys who wanted to give them the world. Isaac was safe and dependable. He was a decent guy, a good friend and a fantastic handyman. He'd helped her repaint the inside of her house, and
Begin Again 132|Lesson Learnt
Isaac went out of his way to make sure she's happy and comfortable even though the ride to her place was relatively short. He put on some upbeat music and turned on the heater to warm her up. They drove in silence for a kilometre or two until Eden grew restless, and she found herself babbling away to distract herself. She was so afraid that her hurt and anger would take over once again if she stayed still too long. She'd cried enough for Liam for one night. So she faked a huge smile on her face as she asked Isaac random questions. He was happy to answer them all while he negotiated the car through the nearly empty streets. Eventually, the conversation moved on to their respective jobs, and Isaac updated her on his latest divorce case, a couple with mega millions on the line, but the only thing they wanted to wrangle over was their ten-year-old Sphynx cat. "I get it," Eden said. "I would have fought for Snow, too, if I knew there's a custody ba
Begin Again 133|Unforgivable
Liam knew he should go home, regroup and calm the fuck down. They were both very upset, for different reasons, of course, and nothing good would ever come out of this night if he didn't walk away. But he could never think straight where Eden was concerned. When it came to her, his heart would always rule over his head. So without thinking things through or weighing his options, Liam ran up her rickety porch and banged his fist on the door. "Eden, come out right now!" He'd camp out here the whole night if he had to. But one way or another, they'd have it out tonight, and he'd get all his answers. The door flew open instantly. Unimpressed and properly pissed off, Eden stepped out of the house and pushed him down the steps. "What the hell do you think you're doing? You'll wake my son up!" "You mean our son?" Liam demanded. Confusion and something he could only describe as fear flickered across her face ever so briefly, but she qui
Begin Again 134|The Gift Of Healing
Brenda came out of hiding the minute she heard the front door slam shut. She looked as terrified as Eden felt, and for a minute or two, they both just sat on the couch in total silence and stared at the blank TV screen. "Are you okay?" The nanny asked when the silence became a little too unbearable. In a surprisingly steady voice, belying the flood of tears brimming in her heart, Eden assured her she was okay; she'd been through worse where Liam was concerned. It was total horseshit, of course. Tonight's confrontation was by far their most brutal, heartbreaking, soul-crushing battle yet, and she was amazed she was still standing after all the bloodshed. "You should get some sleep," she added as she gently pulled Brenda to her feet and pushed her towards her bedroom. "It's late." "What about you?" The nanny asked as she paused in the hallway, the worry and fear etched on her face almost palpable. It was the first time Ed
Begin Again 135|Grace And Humility
"What the hell happened to you?" His therapist couldn't hide her horror when he strolled into her office. The perplexed look on her face and her unusually shrill tone was a first for Liam. She was always apathetic to a point he had convinced himself she was really an android masquerading as a human. He was secretly pleased and somewhat perturbed to see Linda was just a mere mortal like him, and her cold mask of apathy slips off once in a while. "I need a fucking drink," he announced as he crossed the room and paused in front of the window and watched the fine droplets slide down the pane. It had begun to hail soon after he left Eden's place, but the torrential storm had lost its steam and fizzled out into a drizzle, pretty much like his feelings. Fighting with Eden always left him drained. "Linda, where's my fucking drink?" He asked without turning back from the window. "This is not a pub, Liam!" She snapped but rummage
Begin Again 136|Code Blue
The sound of a key rattling on her front door snapped Eden out of her daze, and a moment later, her friends shuffled in, looking all cosy and comfy in their jammies. "Edie, what the fuck happened?" Lydia screeched as she dumped her pillow and duvet on the sofa. Since it was bound to be a long night, she came prepared. "Yeah, you haven't invoked 'code blue' since Simon," Cassandra added as she uncorked the bottle of red wine and waited for Sienna to hand her the glasses. Eden couldn't wait that long, though. She snatched the bottle as soon as it was opened, not caring at all she'd wake up with a banger of a headache or, worse, an upset tummy. She took a huge mouthful, stunning everyone with her level of commitment. They knew she'd gone on a bender recently, but it was the first time in two years she was drinking in their presence. They exchanged worried looks as she set the bottle down on the counter. "He knows," she announced in a dead
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Begin Again 196|We'll Always Be Together
[Six Months Later]... After months of preparations, Eden's weeklong exhibition at Fugue was a smashing success. She even managed to sell two of her paintings. But with all the smiling and pandering she had done to Rock Castle's uber-rich, she would not have expected anything less. So when Saturday rolled around, the only thing she wanted to do was to crash on the couch and put up her feet. Not a lot for a girl to ask. But she wasn't destined to enjoy the little things in life. Having tried every trick in the book to get her to give up her spot on the couch and leave the house with him, Liam finally let the cat out of the bag. Her friends had tasked him with the sacred job of dropping her off at Heat for a surprise baby shower. Eden didn't want to go anywhere, but she would never hear the end of it if she didn't show up. So she threw on a pair of black leggings—the only thing in her closet that still fit her— and Liam's denim
Begin Again 195|Begin Again
As Liam watched Eden slowly make her way to him, he was overcome with emotion. The whole day he had tried to keep it together, and he had lost track of the number of times his cousins had had to stop him from running to her guest suite to see her. And now that she was here, and they were so close to the start of their next chapter, hard as he tried to blink away his tears, Liam couldn't. He choked back a sob, unable to believe how lucky he was. He had never seen that many brides before, but Eden took the number one spot from the few that he had. She looked incredible in her dress, a vision of grace and elegance and beauty, exactly how he imagined a real-life princess would look. But then again, she was his Princess, his hell, his paradise, and her slow progress down the aisle wasn't working for him. He crossed the room in few quick strides, and in a heartbeat, he had her in his embrace as he kissed her fiercely, much to everyone's surprise and cheers.
Begin Again 194|First Day Of The Rest Of Your Life
Wedding fever hit town as soon as the press release about Eden and Liam's impending nuptials went out. For days the announcement, posted on Anderson Logistics website and all the company's socials, was the number #1 trending topic on all social media platforms. The internet was in disbelief. Thousands of Liam's adoring fans couldn't accept that the day they had dreaded was finally upon them, and the Three-Month Prince was officially off the market. Well, almost off the market. Like most people who have an unhealthy obsession with their idols, they had to share their outrage and sadness with strangers on the internet. Overnight, Eden became the villainess, the woman who had ruined all their fantasies, and they couldn't understand why, out of all the beauties in the universe ready to fall at his feet, Liam would choose her. She had to have used some kind of witchcraft or love spell on him, they said. And when Sienna's exposé on t
Begin Again 193|Something About Almost Dying
Liam headed straight to his study as soon as they got home and spent almost an hour on the phone with his father. Like he'd expected, Clarke was against the meeting and even more disturbed when he brought up the idea of dropping the charges. "Are you insane?" His father barked on his end, and if they were in the same room, Liam knew he would have likely throttled him. "We almost lost you. You almost died! How can you even think about this?" "What other choice do I have, Dad? He's watching Eden. We're getting married in three weeks. I don't want to keep looking over my shoulder. What kind of life will that be for Eden and our children?" "James told you there's a way to handle this. Aleksei and his brother are dogs. They should be put down." "And what will that make us?" Liam asked sadly. "I didn't call to ask for your permission. I was simply informing you the meeting with Andrei is happening." He clicked off before his father could pus
Begin Again 192|Finish Strong
The botanical gardens were in the northern part of Rock Castle, and on a good day, it would have taken them under ten minutes to get there from Van Holt Industries. But, it took them almost twice as long because, by the time they left the doctor's rooms, every man and his dog was out and about, running their morning errands. By the time they arrived, the place was almost packed to capacity. Everywhere they turned, they were greeted by people on their picnic blankets with their wicker baskets; others were on camping chairs under big shady umbrellas, already sipping beers and turning sausages and steaks on their braai stands even though it wasn't even 10:00 AM yet. "Look at this place," Eden murmured, her eyes flitting everywhere. "We can't let Aiden out of our sight. I don't want a repeat of the aquarium. What if Aleksei is here?" "He's in jail, remember?" Liam reminded her as he lifted her chin. "He can't hurt us." "But his brother is around—"
Begin Again 191|Too Many Expectations
Liam never thought he'd survive two weeks in hospital. But he did. With lots of patience, tons of reports and proposals to keep him sane and an endless supply of meds to ease his pain. Before he knew it, the dreaded family fun day, months in the making, finally snuck upon them. However, Anderson Logistics' big day coincided with his hospital release and their first check-up with Dr Emily. Eden was highly strung, anxious out of her wits when she came to pick him up. "There's so much to do today," she wrung her hands as they watched James scoop Aiden up and grab Liam's travel bag. It was amazing how much stuff he had managed to collect over the past couple of weeks. His duffel bag was now heavier than it was when Eden first dropped it off. "Tell me what's wrong," Liam said as he wheeled himself around the room and paused in front of her. He didn't need the wheelchair now, but he found it very comfortable, way better than sitting on the stiff bed. "So, what's wrong?" he pulled her do
Begin Again 190|We Don't Kill People
The thought of spending an indefinite amount of time in the hospital did not please Liam at all, so as soon as they returned to his ward after their brisk walk, he tried every trick in the book to get Eden to speak to the doctors and get them to discharge him. But she refused to do his dirty work, much to his dismay. He thought she would want him home as soon as possible. "Whose side are you on?" He glared at her. "Yours, of course. I don't want to take any chances, you know," she said as she helped him up on the bed. Their son was now sitting on the floor, craning his neck at the blank TV screen in the corner and sipping his boxed juice. Liam had never met a kid who loved TV as much as Aiden, and he wondered if it was normal. Maybe spending all that time with Brenda during the day wasn't such a good thing. Maybe he needed to start going to school to get his mind stimulated. "I'm someone's fiancée now, you know, and I need the groom pr
Begin Again 189|It Will Always Be Yes
Later that evening, when Eden walked into Liam's ward with Aiden in her arms, she was surprised to find him clean-shaven and fully clothed in joggers, sneakers and a hoodie as if he was ready to go somewhere. "Dad!" Aiden shrieked with joy as soon as he saw his father rolling around the room in a wheelchair. Liam roared right back at him, his voice thundering through the room as he opened his arms. "Kool-Aid!" Eden set their son down, and he ran to his father. Liam scooped him up despite his visible agony but yelped out in pain when he tried to throw him up in the air. Eden was instantly at his side, worry dancing in her eyes, the travel bag in her hands falling at her feet with a dull thud. Aiden, too, look just as concerned. "I'm okay," Liam assured them, but the anguish on his face told a different story. "Why are you even out of bed?" Eden scolded him, much to Aiden's disapproval. "Mom, no!" He shook his hea
Begin Again 188|A Lifetime Of Kisses
Eden looked up, startled out of her mind to see his eyes were open. "Liam!" She was instantly on her feet and kissing him on the lips as she sobbed so loud she thought she'd wake the patients in the neighbouring rooms. "Oh my God, it's true. You're awake! I was starting to think they lied." "If you keep crying, I might just pass out again!" He growled and patted the empty spot on the bed. "Come here!" She sank beside him, and he drew her closer and placed his hand on her tummy. "How's my little warrior?" Eden burst into tears again at his words. "You heard everything I said that night?" "Of course I did," he smiled tearfully as well. "I may have been dying, but I'm not deaf, you know." "And you're not angry?" "Why would I be angry?" Liam asked. "Because you just found out about Aiden and now—" "Now our family will be complete," he pulled her down, and she nestled in his arms, careful not to touch his wound. "I l
