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
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I said flatly, turning back to my screen. Jackson shrugged, but his grin lingered.“Hey, I’m just saying, it’s nice to see him not storming around like he’s about to fire half the office. Must be all those good vibes you’re sending his way.”I didn’t respo
Aria’s POVI made my way through the bustling office, the faint hum of phones ringing and keyboards clacking a familiar backdrop. The corridor was quieter as I approached Liam’s office, away from the buzz of the main floor.I clutched the file in my hand—Jackson’s latest training plan, something I n
“But I guess you’d know all about sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong.”She stepped closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “You think Liam’s gonna just forget everything that happened between you two? He’s moved on, Aria. And Logan? He’s just stringing you along because it’s
Liam’s POVLogan barged into my office without knocking, arms crossed and that holier-than-thou look on his face. I knew what was coming before he even opened his mouth.“You need to stop dragging Aria into this mess,” he said, his voice laced with accusation.I didn’t even bother looking up from th
“Great,” I said, maybe too quickly. “See you then.”I hung up before she could ask any more questions, tossing my phone onto the desk. What the hell was I doing?---I was leaning against the car when Aria showed up, right on time. She was always on time—hadn’t changed a bit in that regard.Her hair
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