It was one thing after another—sponsors needing information, crew members asking about last-minute adjustments, and Jackson checking in with me between laps.“Aria, we’ve got an issue with the front left tire,” one of the pit crew members said through the comms, his voice tight with urgency.I swore
Aria’s POVThe office buzzed with the typical hum of activity—people typing, phones ringing, muted conversations in the background. But none of that noise reached me.“You’re not listening to me, Liam,” I snapped, leaning forward in my chair. The conference room felt too small, like his frustration
“Liam, I’m sorry, I—”But he cut me off with a cold, measured tone that sent a shiver down my spine. “No, Aria. You’ve made yourself incredibly clear. If that’s what you think of me, then we don’t have anything further to discuss.”I opened my mouth to argue, to apologize again, but the finality in
Aria’s POVThe office buzzed around me, but the tension between Liam and me was almost suffocating. It had been days since our fight, and though I threw myself into my work, I couldn’t shake the lingering sense of regret.Every time I passed Liam in the hallway or sat across from him in meetings, it
Logan’s expression flickered, but he kept his cool. “What do you mean?”“I mean... maybe your interest in me wasn’t as genuine as I thought. Maybe it had more to do with Liam than with me.”He didn’t deny it. Instead, he smiled that charming, disarming smile of his. “You’re smarter than people give
Liam’s POVThe words from our last fight looped endlessly in my mind as I paced the empty office. I hadn’t been able to focus since Aria stormed out, her cold stare etched into my memory.Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her standing there, accusing me of being the same man I was six years ago. It
But the moment was gone. She shook her head and grabbed her bag. “I’m leaving. I can’t deal with this right now.”I watched as she walked out the door, frustration boiling over inside me. Why was it always like this with her? One step forward, two steps back.The second she started to open up, somet
Aria's POVI tried to focus on the spreadsheet in front of me, but the numbers blurred together. It was no use. My mind kept drifting back to that night—finding the divorce papers on Liam’s desk. It had been a reckless decision to take them, one I hadn’t fully processed until now. At the time, it f
My brow drew together in confusion. “What happened?”At that moment, Rita returned carrying a fresh cup of coffee, which she set down in front of me.Alistair’s entire demeanor changed once more. Shedding his down-to-business persona, he looked up at her with a bright, friendly, and relaxed expressi
Liam’s POVThe Circle Café was a smaller restaurant, opened only for breakfast and lunch and located in one of the corner buildings in the older part of time. It had an eclectic sort of aesthetic, with the paintings of many local artists on the walls for sale. The booths were all different colors an
Liam’s POV“I have a plan,” I said, which such a blatant lie that I needed to rephrase. “I have the beginnings of a plan…”Jackson crossed his arms. “So you have no idea what you are doing.”God, it really did seem that way, didn’t it? He should have spoken to Aria more at length this morning about
“We don’t lie to each other, remember?” I prompted. “I want the truth, Liam.”“You’re right,” he said and pushed a hand through his hair. “I wasn’t going to lie to you, but I’ve been doing a hell of a job avoiding the truth. I’m sorry, Aria.” He sighed. “The truth is… I got a weird call from one of
Aria’s POVAfter that perfect date with Liam and then the just-as-perfect evening with my family, I awoke feeling more hopeful than I had in a very long time. For the first time since Markus and Joanna entered our lives, I began to look forward to my future as Liam’s wife.It might be callous, I wou
Aria’s POVThe kiss was electric, shooting sparked throughout my entire body, starting with where Liam’s lips were pressed to mine. In a flash, his arms wrapped around me, his head tilted, his lips started to part, coaxing mine open as well.As we kissed, falling so easily back into each other, one
Liam’s POVIn my office later, I spent more time thinking about how to prove my love to Aria than I did actually working. Fortunately, not much was needed from me that day, though Joanna, ever watchful, was quick to call out my distraction.“Maybe you should focus on work instead of thinking about a
Aria’s POVHe loved me. I was the only woman for him.They were pretty words, but when paired with the raw earnestness and love in his eyes, I found I could not disbelieve them.Maybe it was wishful thinking on my part. Maybe I was simply allowing myself to be vulnerable to hurt once more.But, the
Especially while Aria was out there confused and hurting.Ignoring Joanna, I rushed out of the room and then into the stairwell. Reasoning Aria either retreated to her office, the bathroom, or her car, I started to take the stairs down two at a time.Shortly, I spotted her on the landing between flo