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Chapter 19

Author: Taashu K
last update Last Updated: 2024-11-02 23:31:31

Returning to Chicago from the conference felt like coming down from a dream. The sunny coastal air and the charged intimacy of the resort had been replaced by the gray, towering buildings and chilly winds of the city. But more than the scenery, it was the shift in Liam’s behavior that made Izzy feel like something important had been left behind on that beach.

Liam had barely spoken to her on the flight home. He’d buried himself in his laptop, responding to emails and drafting plans for upcoming projects, his focus entirely elsewhere. Any attempt she’d made to start a conversation had been met with curt, polite responses that quickly fizzled into silence. He seemed wrapped in a protective shell, one she hadn’t seen in him before, and it left her feeling strangely abandoned, like a part of their connection had been severed.

When they finally returned to the penthouse, he mumbled something about heading to the office and disappeared almost immediately, leaving her standing alone in the g
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