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2025-01-29 23:55:20
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By Chance, By Fate 134
134LiamSophia stayed silent for a moment, letting my words linger. The weight of her gaze pressed against my back, and I could feel her hesitation as if she were deciding whether to push further or let it rest. Finally, she spoke, her voice softer than before.“Liam, you don’t have to do this alone,” she said. “I’m here, whether you want to talk about Alex, Anders, or anything else that’s eating at you. But shutting me out isn’t going to help.”I turned to face her, the frustration in my chest threatening to boil over again, but the sight of her—the patience and concern in her expression—held me back. She didn’t deserve this. Not tonight, not ever.“I’m not shutting you out,” I said, though the words felt hollow even to me. “I just… I need time.”Sophia’s lips pressed into a thin line, and for a moment, I thought she might argue. Instead, she simply nodded. “Okay. But promise me you’ll talk to me when you’re ready.”I nodded, knowing it was the least I could do. “I promise.”She ste
Last Updated : 2025-01-29By Chance, By Fate 135
135AlexI stayed there, staring at the dark expanse of the night, my father’s words echoing in my mind like a cruel mantra. My grip on the railing loosened as the anger gave way to exhaustion. The door creaked open behind me, followed by the familiar clicking of heels.“Running away from your problems, Alex?” Charlotte’s voice sliced through the night, dripping with mockery.I turned slowly, meeting her smug gaze. She was leaning casually against the doorframe, her arms crossed and her lips curled into a smirk. “Shouldn’t you be inside, gloating over your little victory?” I shot back, my tone colder than the air around us.Charlotte stepped forward, the glow from the string lights catching the icy blue of her dress. “Victory?” she scoffed. “Oh, Alex, don’t flatter yourself. This isn’t a game to me—it’s survival. Something you wouldn’t understand since everything’s handed to you.”I let out a bitter laugh, shaking my head. “Survival? Is that what you call manipulating people and playi
Last Updated : 2025-01-29By Chance, By Fate 136
136The terrace was silent except for the faint rustling of leaves in the cool breeze. I stood there, gripping the railing, trying to collect my thoughts when I heard her voice behind me.“Alex,” Elena called softly. I turned to find her standing a few feet away, concern etched across her face. Her dark hair framed her sharp features, and her eyes searched mine for answers.“Hey,” I replied, forcing a weak smile. “Didn’t expect you to follow me.”“Well, someone had to,” she said, stepping closer. “You looked like you were about to explode back there. What was all that about?”“Charlotte being Charlotte,” I muttered, running a hand through my hair. “And father enabling her, as always.”Elena frowned but didn’t press further. Instead, she leaned against the railing beside me, her voice dropping to a more curious tone. “Speaking of drama, though… how did Liam’s wedding go? I heard something happened.”I let out a dry laugh, shaking my head. “Something? That’s putting it lightly.”Elena r
Last Updated : 2025-01-29By Chance, By Fate 137
137AlexThe White House was alive with activity the next day, buzzing with the chaos and excitement of my impending wedding. Staff darted back and forth, their footsteps echoing through the grand halls, while decorators hung garlands and adjusted the massive floral arrangements that lined the corridors. Laughter and chatter filled the air, but I felt like I was suffocating.I stood in the corner of the East Wing, away from the noise, trying to calm the storm in my chest. The knot in my stomach twisted tighter with every passing minute, and I couldn’t shake the question that kept circling in my mind: How did I ever let myself fall for someone like Charlotte?“There you are, Alex!” Her shrill voice cut through my thoughts like nails on a chalkboard. I flinched as Charlotte appeared in front of me, wearing a wide, triumphant smile that didn’t reach her eyes.“Charlotte,” I greeted, forcing a polite smile. “I thought you’d be busy with the final touches for tomorrow.”“Oh, I’ve been busy
Last Updated : 2025-01-30By Chance, By Fate 138
138LiamAs the jet began its descent, I couldn’t shake the feeling of unrest that had followed me ever since we left the palace. The pilot’s calm voice crackled over the intercom, announcing our imminent arrival in Bora Bora. Sophia glanced at me, her fingers interlaced with mine, offering a comforting squeeze.The jet touched down smoothly, and I exhaled a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. Outside the window, I caught a glimpse of the turquoise waters and lush greenery that stretched beyond the runway. Despite the paradise surrounding us, my mind remained a battlefield. Alex. His upcoming wedding. It all loomed, dark and suffocating.A small convoy awaited us at the airstrip—a sleek black car and several attendants, all poised with professionalism that came with hosting royalty. The moment Sophia and I stepped off the jet, a soft murmur of greetings filled the air. The island's officials stood lined up, offering polite bows and wide smiles.“Your Highness, welcome to Bora Bora
Last Updated : 2025-01-30By Chance, By Fate 139
139LiamSophia stood in the center of the suite, arms crossed, her back to me as I walked inside. The tension in the air was thick, pressing against my chest like a vice. I opened my mouth to speak, but she beat me to it.“Don’t even start, Liam,” she said coldly, not turning around. “I already know what you’re going to say, and I don’t want to hear it.”I stopped a few feet away, my hands shoved into my pockets. “Sophia, it’s not what you think.”She spun around, her eyes blazing with anger. “Not what I think? Really? Because what it looks like is that you’re willing to ruin our honeymoon—our marriage—because of him. Am I wrong?”I flinched at her tone but forced myself to meet her gaze. “It’s not about ruining anything. I just… I need to see him, to understand why he’s doing this now.”Sophia let out a humorless laugh, shaking her head. “Why? So you can beg him to stop? Ask him to pick you instead of her? Do you even hear yourself, Liam? You’re acting like a lovesick teenager.”“Th
Last Updated : 2025-01-30By Chance, By Fate 140
140AlexThe shrill ring of my phone pierced through the quiet of the room, pulling me out of restless sleep. I groaned, blindly reaching for the device on my nightstand. The digital clock glared 1:47 a.m. in bold red numbers. My frown deepened when I saw the name flashing on the screen: Liam.I froze, staring at the name, my heart pounding like a war drum in my chest. What the hell was he doing calling me at this hour? The instinct to ignore it flared, but something else—curiosity or maybe some lingering emotion I hadn’t fully dealt with—compelled me to answer.“Liam,” I said, my voice hoarse from sleep.For a moment, there was silence, but then his voice came through, raw and filled with desperation. “Alex... please, don’t hang up.”I shut my eyes, leaning back against the headboard as a thousand emotions washed over me. “Liam, what are you doing? Do you have any idea what time it is?”“I know, I know,” he rushed, his tone frantic. “But I had to call. I—I couldn’t let this happen wi
Last Updated : 2025-01-30By Chance, By Fate 141
141LiamI sat in the airplane seat, staring out the small window at the endless expanse of clouds. The hum of the engine filled the silence between Sophia and me. She sat beside me, her arms crossed, her expression neutral but tight, as if she was holding something back. My mind raced, looping through Alex’s words, the sound of his final “Goodbye” ringing in my ears.I tried to hold it in. I really did. But the pain bubbled to the surface, pressing against my chest like a weight too heavy to bear. A sob escaped, muffled by the palms I pressed into my face. My shoulders began to shake uncontrollably.“Liam?” Sophia’s voice cut through the noise in my head. Her tone was cautious, wary, as though she wasn’t sure if she should reach for me or pull away. She shifted slightly, angling herself toward me. “What’s wrong? You’re scaring me.”“I’m sorry,” I managed to choke out, my words barely audible through the sobs. “I’m so sorry, Sophia. I’m a mess—I’m such a mess.”She frowned, her brows
Last Updated : 2025-01-31
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By Chance, By Fate Epilogue
Epilogue Four months later,AlexThe day started like any other, though I had this odd sense that something was off. Liam had been unusually secretive for the past week—whispering into his phone, disappearing for hours, and giving me these coy little smiles that made me both suspicious and amused.“Are you hiding something from me?” I’d asked him over breakfast that morning.“Who, me?” he replied, his face the picture of innocence. “Never.”I rolled my eyes but let it go. If Liam had a secret, I’d find out eventually.The day passed uneventfully, and by the time evening rolled around, I was half-convinced he’d forgotten my birthday entirely.“Get dressed,” he said, popping his head into the bedroom. “Something nice.”“Why?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.“Just trust me,” he said with a grin, disappearing again before I could press him further.---An hour later, we were in the car, heading to a destination he refused to disclose. My curiosity was driving me insane, but I tried to play i
By Chance, By Fate 150
150AlexMoving in with Liam felt surreal, like stepping into a dream I didn’t dare believe I could have. His apartment—our apartment now—was warm and inviting, filled with little pieces of him that I was quickly coming to adore. A framed photo of his childhood dog sat on the mantel, his collection of vintage vinyl records lined the shelves, and a faint scent of cedar lingered in the air.“Home sweet home,” Liam said, tossing his keys onto the counter as we stepped inside.I dropped my bags by the door and glanced around. “It’s still sinking in that this is real.”He grinned, pulling me into a hug. “It’s real, Alex. This is us now.”Just then, the doorbell rang, breaking the moment. Liam sighed, releasing me. “That’ll be Daniel. He insisted on helping us settle in.”“And Sophia?” I asked, half-joking. “Is she coming too?”“Of course,” Liam said, smirking. “Those two are attached at the hip these days.”---Sure enough, Daniel and Sophia arrived with bags of food and a bottle of wine.
By Chance, By Fate 149
149AlexThe morning air was sharp as I stepped out of my car, nerves bouncing in my chest. Daniel was already waiting for me near the café, leaning casually against the doorframe like he had all the time in the world. His calmness was infuriating, especially since I was a mess.“Relax,” Daniel said as I approached. “You’re not going into battle.”“Feels like I am,” I muttered, shoving my hands into my coat pockets. “This isn’t just about me anymore. It’s about Liam… and Sophia, for some reason.”Daniel smirked. “You’ll thank her. Trust me.”I raised an eyebrow but didn’t press. We stepped inside, and there they were—Liam and Sophia, sitting at a table in the corner.They had come here to USA to see us and we took a rendez vous here. Liam looked as tense as I felt, his jaw tight, eyes scanning the room nervously. Sophia, on the other hand, exuded a calm confidence, sipping her coffee like this was a regular Tuesday.When Liam’s eyes met mine, I froze. The weight of everything—the lie
By Chance, By Fate 148
148AlexFew days later,Daniel paced back and forth in my room, a mix of anger and determination etched across his face. His fists were clenched, and I could see he was holding himself back from exploding.“You’re not going to believe this,” he finally said, stopping in front of me.I sat on the edge of my bed, my heart sinking at his tone. “What is it?”He hesitated for a moment, then blurted out, “Charlotte’s lying. She’s not pregnant, Alex.”My stomach dropped. “What?”“She’s lying!” Daniel repeated, his voice louder this time. “I overheard her on the phone with one of her friends. She was laughing about how she tricked you into staying. She said it was the only way to keep you from running off with Liam.”I stared at him, my mind reeling. “Are you sure about this?”“Positive.” His jaw tightened. “I even recorded part of the conversation. I figured you’d need proof.”He pulled out his phone and played the audio. It was Charlotte’s voice, clear as day, bragging about her manipulati
By Chance, By Fate 147
147AlexAfter everything that happened, I could barely think straight—well, no pun intended. I couldn’t shake the chaos of the past few weeks. Liam was miles away in Norway, dealing with his own mess, while I was stuck here with Charlotte, pretending like my life wasn’t falling apart.It wasn’t like I didn’t think about leaving her. I did. Every single day. The problem was, Charlotte knew how to play the game better than anyone. The moment she sensed I was pulling away, she dropped the bomb.“I’m pregnant.”Those two words stopped me dead in my tracks.“What?” I stammered, blinking at her as if I’d misheard.Charlotte crossed her arms, her lips twisting into that smug smile she always wore when she knew she had the upper hand. “You heard me. I’m pregnant, Alex. So whatever you’re thinking about doing, just stop. You’re not going anywhere.”I stared at her, my mind racing. “You’re… how? When?”She rolled her eyes like I was the dumbest person alive. “Do you really need a biology lesso
By Chance, By Fate 146
146Liam After Alex left, I immediately booked a business-class flight to Norway. My head was spinning, and my chest felt tight as I made my way through the airport. The scandal had erupted faster than I could comprehend, and now everything was unraveling.The messages from Sophia, my wife, wouldn’t stop coming. My phone buzzed incessantly in my pocket, and each time her name lit up the screen, I felt another wave of frustration. She knew why I’d gone to the USA. She knew I’d gone to see Alex. But being caught? That was the part she couldn’t handle.Her last message burned in my mind: "You’ve humiliated me, Liam. Fix this. Now."As if fixing this was as easy as flipping a switch.I leaned back in my seat as the plane took off, closing my eyes in a futile attempt to relax. But the stress kept clawing at me. My mother had called too, several times. I refused to pick up. Not now. I couldn’t deal with her fury and the barrage of accusations over the phone. Whatever was coming, I’d face i
By Chance, By Fate 145
145AlexI paced the room, my phone clutched so tightly in my hand that my knuckles had turned white. My breathing was shallow, and my chest felt like it was being crushed under a massive weight. The headlines were everywhere, and the notifications on my phone wouldn’t stop. Every second, there was another call, another message, another piece of my life falling apart.“Alex, you need to calm down,” Liam said, his voice steady but soft. He reached for me, but I stepped away, shaking my head.“Calm down?” I snapped, my voice trembling. “Are you kidding me right now? Do you see what’s happening? My parents are going to kill me! My dad already hates that I’m even remotely involved in politics, and now this? A scandal with a prince? God, Liam, what were we thinking?”“We weren’t thinking,” he admitted, running a hand through his hair. “We were just… feeling. And I don’t regret it, Alex. Not for a second.”“Well, I do!” The words came out before I could stop them, and the moment they did, I
By Chance, By Fate 144
144Alex's POVI was so shocked to see him standing there. Of all the places, of all the nights, Liam showed up here. At first, I thought I was imagining things—the dim lighting of the bar, the soft hum of alcohol in my veins. But no, it was really him. His face, those familiar blue eyes that haunted me for years, the slight stubble along his jaw that hadn’t been there before.To be honest, I’d missed him.Not that I’d admit it, at least not right now. Not after everything. But seeing him in the flesh brought back memories I had buried so deep I thought they’d never resurface. The way he used to laugh at my stupid jokes. The way he’d look at me like I was the only person in the room. And, of course, the way he shattered me when he left.I tried to keep my composure, but my voice betrayed me as I asked, "What the hell are you doing here?"His answer was almost laughable in its simplicity. "I needed to see you," he said, as if that excused everything."To say what?" I shot back, narrowi
By Chance, By Fate 143
143LiamThe moment we stepped through the grand doors of the palace, the heavy aroma of fresh lilies greeted us, mingling with the faint scent of polished marble. Queen Ingrid, my mother, stood at the foot of the grand staircase, her regal demeanor faltering for a moment as she took in our unexpected return. Her icy blue eyes, so much like mine, narrowed slightly, betraying her shock.“Liam,” she began, her voice laced with surprise. “And Sophia. Back so soon? I thought you were supposed to be in Bora Bora for another week.”I forced a smile, trying to keep my composure. “Ah, yes, Mother. There was, uh, an issue with the resort,” I said, fumbling for a plausible excuse. “Something about a mix-up with our accommodations. It wasn’t… ideal.”Sophia, ever the composed partner, chimed in seamlessly. “It was a shame, really. The resort was stunning, but the management couldn’t seem to get anything right. Liam thought it would be better if we cut the trip short.”Queen Ingrid’s brows lifted
