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55|Do So Much Better
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Liam didn't get Eden out his system like he told his cousins he would.
How could he, when he saw her everywhere—in the elevators, in the staff lounges, in meetings and Matthew's office. He'd smile at her, try to make small talk but she'd return all his advances with a polite nod and nothing more.
Now that she reported to Matthew, a decision Liam regretted immediately after making it, Eden didn't pay him any attention.
In all the meetings he chaired, he may as well have been invisible in her eyes since she barely acknowledged his presence and hardly glanced at him. If there's something she didn't understand she made a point of asking his cousins or the other assistants to clarify.
Liam knew silent treatment when he saw it; he'd been in his fair share of semi long-term relationships and had landed in the dog box one too many times. But in all his past fuckups, an expensive gift often fixed the problem, and the longest he's ever been in the dog box was t
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Begin Again 56|Opportunity
When he returned to the 36th floor after his lunch date with his parents, Liam was still racking his brain, trying to come up with a solid plan to break down the walls Eden had built around herself over the past few weeks. He's not a praying man, could count the number of times he's prayed on both hands, the most recent being two years ago when his father was diagnosed with cancer. But when he stepped out of the elevator and saw Eden struggling with the printer in the general admin office, he couldn't help but say a small prayer of thanks. The good Lord above had seen his struggles, and for his suffering over the past four weeks had decided to reward him with the perfect opportunity. This was his moment to shine, to show Eden he can be useful to her and she shouldn't write him off just yet. His heart hammered at neck-breaking speed in his chest, threatening to send him to the emergency room as he approached the admin office. He's never
Begin Again 57|Please You
"Excuse me!" Eden held up her index finger, pulled out her iPhone and checked the caller ID. Liam didn't mean to peek, but the lawyer's name flashed on the screen in big, bold writing, taunting him. All his anger and annoyance at her was back, swallowing up his sincere apology. "I should return to my desk," Eden said, slipping her phone back in her blazer. "Why is he still around? Stop wasting his time and yours," he said, pissed out of his head at the realisation that Julian was right about the lawyer. He's very much a part of Eden's life, and he didn't like it at all. "I don't know what you mean." "You know damn well what I mean," he snarled, crossing his arms over his chest. "You don't like him. You don't belong with him, and you're just wasting both your time." "Who are you to decide I don't belong with him?" "I'm the man who knows how to please you, Princess. The lawyer can't." He said frankly. "And when you're rea
Begin Again 58|Consumed
Liam was long gone, but Eden was still lost in her little world, replaying their encounter in the printing room, unable to believe her body's treachery and her heart's betrayal. After their confrontation in Linda's office and her breakdown on the sidewalk, she'd decided to get over him and put her silly fantasies behind her. She'd done well for herself in the past month, stayed away from him even when her heart and body had screamed at her to run to him. But now all the progress she'd made, all the steps she'd taken to put some distance between them had come to a screeching halt. And all it took was a malfunctioning printer and a passionate encounter in the supplies room. Eden was instantly wet again just thinking about Liam's little demonstration; only he can make simple instructions on fixing a printer sound dirty and seductive. She was still mystified by how horny she was at the sound of his voice and words alone, and she couldn't understan
Begin Again 59|Laura Stone
An hour later, as Eden went through her evening routine with Aiden, she was still reeling from her hot encounters with his father. "Ducky!" Her son screeched with excitement as he held up his bath toys and splashed water everywhere, and for a little while, Eden just watched him play, floored by the immense love she felt for him. His father might be an asshole half the time, but he knew how to please her for sure, and it's only a matter of time before she crawled back to him, begging to be pleased like he was so convinced she will. Mortified at the direction her thoughts were taking, She mentally shook herself, "No!" She couldn't and shouldn't allow this thing between her and Liam to burn out of control like Clara warned her it would. He's married, and he still hated her. However painful they were to accept, those two facts hadn't changed; no matter how intense his desire for her had grown over the past month. It's true what
Begin Again 60|Family Reunion
Eden had just gotten home and kicked off her shoes when her bell rang. She leaned on the door and groaned, annoyed with whoever was on the other side. She wasn't in the mood for company; the last thing she wanted was uninvited guests. What she did need though was a long bubble bath in her clawfoot tub, some peace and a good bottle of wine to drown her sorrows. Exactly what the doctor would order for the end of another week of terrible decisions and heartache. She wasn't destined to get either. The bell rang again, shattering any illusions of a peaceful evening she may have had. "Gosh!" She groaned as she straightened her back and turned to confront the intrusion. Ice cold fury seeped through her veins when she flung the flimsy door wide open and found her parents on her front porch with worried frowns on their faces and numerous gift bags in their hands. Of course, Eden thought as she leaned on the doorjamb and appraise
Begin Again 61|La Famiglia
Across town, at a family-owned restaurant whose speciality is all things Italian, in a secluded corner booth reserved for very important people like his parents, Liam was just as miserable as the woman he'd kissed on impulse in the printing room earlier in the week. He was seriously glad his shitty week is finally over. Now he can drink himself to a stupor and forget all the shit with Eden. He glumly picked at his starter—a hearty minestrone soup— and silently fumed over their latest confrontation in his office. He'd called her in because he'd wanted to have an open, honest conversation with her about their relationship, and offer her an olive branch of some sort. But the minute Eden put up walls around her again, the same walls that took him over a month to break down, the lengthy apology speech he'd prepared flew right out of the window— "—Darling, is everything okay?" His mom’s voice cut through his thoughts, and Liam looked up from his soup, start
Begin Again 62|Meet The McBrides
"If it isn't the Andersons! Aren't you all a sight for sore eyes!" Professor McBride's booming voice and hearty chuckle resounded through the room. As much as Liam didn't want to, he found himself looking up from his phone; the man's laugh was infectious, and he sounded genuinely pleased to see his parents. For the longest, confusing second of his life, Liam thought his eyes were playing tricks on him when they fell on Eden. This is new, he thought, blinking up at her. He scratched his head, baffled by this turn of events. He's been blind drunk before and saw double everything. Hell, some of his worst and best decisions were made whilst he was deep in the semi-comatose stages of inebriation. But seeing people, more specifically, the one woman whose touch set him ablaze and whose body he desired with a passion that terrified him, was certainly a new occurrence. "Liam!" His mom rammed him hard in his ribs with her elbow, jolting
Begin Again 63|Compromise
Eden had never been so glad to see a jug of ice-cold water in her life. She attacked it the minute they all sat down in their VIP room, her body trembling with relief at the realisation that she's managed to avert disaster yet again. She couldn't keep having these close encounters and near misses, though. Her luck was bound to run out at some point, and it's only a matter of time before the truth about Aiden's paternity came to light. "You were in such a hurry to get away from the Andersons. Is there a reason you didn't want to dine with your boss and his family?" Steve asked, interrupting her panicked thoughts, a concerned look in his eyes as he patted her shoulder gently. Erica barely noticed the mini-crisis Eden's in. She was still floating on air, elated over the tons of compliments the Andersons had showered on them. "Honey?" Steve touched her arm gently, trying to get her attention. "What is it? Did Anderson Junior treat you badly? Do yo
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[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
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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
