Trista’s POVI inadvertently glanced at Liam. I was surprised! Really? Where did that come from? That slew of compliments? He actually thought I was talented? Who knew? Not me. At least, I’d never thought he believed I was.And as for my shares and position in the company? Deep down, I’d honestly believed that Liam had given those things to me because he wanted me back. But now? Had he really given me shares and my position based solely on my talent?It appeared so. Why else would he come all this way to see Lucian?He flashed me a smile and I couldn’t help but smile back. He was defending me. He had come here, to Italy, to find Lucian himself. So he could persuade Lucian to let me to enter the competition. Of course, he didn’t know that Hazel and I had already met Lucian on the cruise ship. We’d have to tell him, but now didn’t seem like the right time. Liam kept his gaze fixed on me.“Trista WILL be famous one day. I have no doubts about it.”I felt a flutter in my heart. It was re
Trista’s POVI chuckled, bemused by Liam’s confused expression.“I think you owe me an explanation,” Liam said. “Because CLEARLY they know each other.”Smash.Something else crashed against the wall. A lamp maybe?“Calm down!” Lucian’s voice yelled.“I’ll do NO such thing, you LYING ASSHOLE!” Hazel shrieked.“Okay, the ruse is up,” I smiled at Liam. “Lucian and Hazel…they sort of had a ‘thing’,” I confessed.Liam narrowed his eyes. “A thing?” he asked skeptically.“Yes,” I confirmed.“And this ‘thing’…did it happen on the cruise ship?” Liam prodded.We had filled Liam in on our initial meeting with Lucian. We’d left out most of the details though.“Yes?” I offered, feeling a bit sheepish.Hazel and Lucian continued to fight it out in the bedroom.“Is that why Hazel was attacking Lucian on the street? Because of this…thing?”Liam studied my face. I nodded.“Lucian was… he was different on the ship,” I said.“Different how?” Liam asked. I could tell he wasn’t too pleased about Hazel and
What was wrong with me? Where had that come from? Why was I so emotional? Liam’s words had really gotten under my skin. I was extremely agitated, but I didn’t know why. I’d gone straight back into the past, blaming him for all the things I THOUGHT I’d let go of.Why did I do that? This fight wasn’t about the past. It wasn’t about my relationship with Liam. It was about Hazel. So why had I bought up all this shit…AGAIN?I faltered then. I looked away, embarrassed at my outlash.“I…I’m sorry, Trista,” Liam stammered. He stepped towards me but I recoiled. “You’re right. I did the same thing I’m accusing Hazel of doing. I…”Knock knock knock.Someone was at the door.“Who’s that?” I asked, grateful for the distraction.“I’ll get it,” Lucian said, emerging from the bedroom. “It’s my boss.”Hazel came out too and nodded at me to show she was okay.Lucian opened the door and a man waltzed in. I recognized him, but it took me a moment to place him.“Mr. Liam Stonewood, Trista, Hazel, I’d lik
Trista’s POV“Fabulous,” Lemone said, smacking his knee with his hand. “I’ll add you both to the list for the competition. Best of luck.” He beamed at Liam, but neglected to look my way. “Now, perhaps you could go and fetch us all a latte, Lucian? All this business talk has me craving some caffeine.”Lucian looked severely unimpressed, but he couldn’t refuse his boss. So he sulked out of the apartment, leaving us alone with Liam.The moment the door was shut, Lemone turned to Liam, a twinkle in his eye. “I hope you don’t mind, but there’s something personal I wanted to discuss with you. It’s about my daughter…”Clearly, Lemone had asked Lucian to fetch coffee as a ruse to get Liam alone. As a human, it would hardly be appropriate to discuss werewolf matters in front of him.Liam, however, wasn’t interested in discussing what ‘plans’ Lemone had up his sleeve for Liam and his daughter.“I’ll just stop you right there,” Liam interrupted. “I honestly don’t want to sound rude, so please do
“I don’t think that’s entirely true,” Liam said.Hey, this fool what's he up to! Is he going to stand up for Lucian in front of me and hazel?I shot him a look that said ‘shut up’! Hazel was in a pretty fragile state right now. I didn’t want Liam to cajole her.“Is that so?” Hazel asked slyly. “Go on then. Tell me your opinion.”“You were using him,” Liam said matter of factly. “To get ahead in the competition. And even if you WERE friends, he’s under no obligation to help you.”“I did no such thing,” Hazel said haughtily. “I only asked him about the competition FORMAT. I wasn’t using him at all, despite what HE thinks.” “Well, in any case, you don’t need him.” Liam glanced at me. “Trista can win this all on her own. She doesn’t need any one’s help to succeed. So you, my dear,” he glanced at Hazel in the rear view mirror, “were barking up the wrong tree, so to speak.”Hazel shot Liam a dirty look, which made Liam chuckle.Seeing them together like this, I realized how close Li
Trista’s POV“I believe in you.”He said it so matter of factly, so off-handidly. It was blunt. Blunt and honest. This had nothing to do with his feelings for me. He really thought I had talent. I could tell by the tone of his voice.I didn’t know what to say.“Look, I have something to confess,” he smiled. “I saw some of your sketches. You left them behind when you left the pack.”Left? That wasn’t the word I would use. I was exiled. But I didn’t interrupt. I let him keep going.“I didn’t mean to invade your privacy or anything,” he explained. “But I couldn’t help it. There were a couple sketchbooks full of designs and drawings. Trista, I knew as soon as I saw them that you are really, REALLY talented.”A thought hit me then.OMG!My drawings? In a sketchbook? That I’d left behind? My cheeks burned with embarrassment as I remembered some of those drawings.There were sketches of Liam in there! Drawings I’d done right after we got married. Portraits. Intimate ones.I slunk down into m
Liam’s POVHe was cute, the little boy. Huge grin, brown, tousled hair.So that was Trista’s son?I didn’t get a good look at him, though. Trista whispered something to the boy and then pushed him back through the door. She and Hazel side-eyed each other. If I didn’t know better, I’d say Trista seemed a bit nervous.A bit stressed, even.Maybe she was afraid I wouldn’t like the kid?That was silly though. I loved kids.“He’s a handsome young lad,” I commented. “What’s his name?”Trista completely ignored my question though. Instead she said, in a rushed ramble:“They were supposed to be out for the afternoon but they came home early. I’m sure they’ve completely destroyed the apartment. Isn’t that right, Hazel?”Hazel nodded quickly. “Yes. They’re little terrors! Naughty naughty naughty!”They both laughed, an awkward, forced, high-pitch laugh.I narrowed my eyes.They were acting strange, these two. But why?“That’s okay. I know what kids are like. I don’t mind a mess.” I went to push
Liam’s POV“Yes,” I said. “Then I want you to go directly to my safe. Take all the gemstones, Jules. Package them up carefully, and YOU, send them to me here, in Milan.”“ALL of them?!” Jules was shocked. His yelling made my eardrums hurt a bit. “But that’s your mother’s private collection, Mr. Stonewood. She spent years collecting those gems from auctions all over the world! I thought she wanted to use them for the next Luna’s Crown!”“Nevermind any of that,” I snapped. This was none of his business. “Just do as I say and package them up. I expect them to be here by tomorrow morning.”Trista had less than three days until they closed entries to the competition. That wasn’t much time.Jules agreed to both my requests and we hung up.I felt a little disoriented after the phone call. It wasn’t like me to make such quick, brash decisions. I was acting strangely and I knew it. My behavior was unusual. Was it guilt driving me to behave this way?I’d always considered myself a no-nonsense s