Chapter 28

LIAM

Locked in our bedroom, I couldn't escape the whirlwind of emotions crashing through me. How could Ava betray me like this? Just when I was starting to let my guard down, starting to genuinely enjoy her company, this happens. I paced back and forth, my thoughts racing, my heart heavy with confusion and pain.

How could she do this? How could she lie so convincingly, day after day? I thought we were beginning to understand each other, maybe even form a bond. But now, everything felt like a cruel joke.

My mind replayed Denis's words, each one like a dagger to my heart. "We were together, and then you vanished," he'd said. And the way Ava had slapped him, the fury and desperation in her eyes—was that genuine, or just part of the act? The doubts gnawed at me, refusing to let go.

A soft knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. "Liam, can you hear me?" Ava's voice came through, muffled but desperate. "Let me in. We need to talk."

I clenched my fists, torn between the need to confront h