Aria's POVThe news about Joe and William fighting again hit me harder than I’d expected. Another scuffle, another incident of William getting under Joe’s skin.I could tell it was wearing Joe down, even if he didn’t say much about it. That’s when Logan stepped in, offering a distraction I didn’t ev
Aria’s POVI crossed my arms, leaning against the doorframe. Liam stood rigid, his jaw clenched, eyes narrowing as he stared at me. The tension in the room felt suffocating, thick and heavy."So, you and Logan spent the day at the fair with Joe," Liam said, his voice tight, like he was holding back
Liam’s POVI slammed the car door shut, feeling the rush of adrenaline still pumping through my veins. It was done. Mason Thornhill wouldn’t be blackmailing me—or anyone else—anytime soon.The look on his face when I confronted him was something I’d remember for a long time. Shock, panic, and then a
I smiled at the thought, feeling a warmth spread through me that had nothing to do with the wine. “Remind me never to get on your bad side. You really helped me out back there.”Aria glanced at me, her expression unreadable. “I didn’t do it for you, Liam. I did it because Mason’s the kind of person
Aria’s POVThe weight of Liam’s warning lingered in my mind like a storm cloud I couldn’t shake. His words echoed in my head every time I thought about Logan:*“There’s a side to Logan you haven’t seen.”*But was it just bitterness over our failed marriage, or was there something more?I needed answ
When we finally reached my place, Liam escorted me up to the door, his hand hovering protectively near my back.“I promise, Aria, this will be over soon,” he said as we stepped inside. “I won’t let anyone hurt you or Joe.”Before I could respond, Joe bounded down the hallway, his little face lightin
Aria’s POVI sat in my car, staring at the screen of my laptop. The search results were scattered with articles, business profiles, and vague mentions of Liam’s rival, Mason Thornhill.Liam’s warnings about Logan had been a distraction from the bigger threat—a shadow lurking at the edges of his care
Aria’s POVI pushed my lunch around my plate, barely registering the half-eaten salad in front of me. My mind was still stuck on last night. Dinner with Liam hadn’t been what I expected—not by a long shot.“Okay, spill,” Isabella said, sliding into the seat across from me in the cafe. “You’ve been o
That was enough to quiet me for now. “I’m listening.” “His birthday is coming up. We’re all throwing a surprise party for him at his house.” When Robert said that, I assumed he meant the house Liam and I had shared together. It was still strange hearing it referred to as Liam’s house, even thoug
Joe’s POV Joe saved the precious prize, Liam’s hair first. Then he grabbed the money, knowing twenty dollars was quite a lot. William’s hair, however, he dropped, but he was pretty sure that it landed on his shirt. Only… he didn’t know which. He and William had similar hair colors and lengths
Liam’s POV I headed to Sophia’s house after work to spend time with William. I expected to find a babysitter there, not Sophia. I wondered if she would ever learn to be a responsible mother. William loved her so much, and she barely gave him the time of day. If she didn’t change her act, and soo
“It won’t happen again,” I said, meaning it. My feelings for Liam were tangled and complicated. I wanted him in my life romantically, but at the same time, I was terrified of what he might do with that much power over me. I didn’t want to ever feel as much betrayal again as I did when he chose Sop
Aria’s POV Walking into Liam’s office, I felt like a kid called in front of the principal. I knew if nothing else, I was definitely in for a lecture. I had been careless, sending that email instead of coming to Liam with my order form directly like I usually did. Then I had made everything wor
Joe’s POV At school, Joe sat next to William during lunch period. William had seemed really down lately, but he was even worse today, his shoulders slumped and his eyes downcast. Joe didn’t like seeing his friend sad, so even though Joe was feeling his own unhappy feelings regarding the fight be
But Sophia? For years, I’d been at her beck and call, overwhelmed with guilt and loss at the death of my best friend, her brother. I tried to step in to support Sophia, as he would have done. All she did was take and take and try to take even more. Despite the clear boundaries I’d tried to estab
Aria’s POV Logan’s words bothered me more than they should have. I would never be angry about Liam’s devotion to William, his son, but thought of his continued running off to serve all of Sophia’s desires left me with the same unresolved frustration I had felt six years ago. Liam had changed in
Liam’s POV It had been a good long while since I stepped into a boxing ring. Even longer since I’d actually wanted to throw a punch this badly. As Logan and I circled each other in the ring, our boxing gloves on and mouth guards in, all I heard in my head again and again were Aria’s words. Whe