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
---Later that evening, I was at the garage, helping with some last-minute preparations when Joe wandered in. He was carrying a crumpled sheet of paper, his usual playful grin plastered across his face.“Hey, mama!” he called, waving the paper at me. “Guess what I made!”I smiled at his enthusiasm.
Liam’s POVI watched my phone as it rang, seeing Joanna’s name on the screen. After talking with the investor, and already receiving texts from the others that mirror his opinions, I had next to no desire to answer this call and speak with Joanna herself.And after what she said on television… She p
Aria’s POVI sat on the couch between Liam and Joe, with William sitting on the other side of Liam, watching as the interview was about to air on television.I’d been nervous, even up to a minute ago, but now I only felt numb. I had no idea what was about to happen, but in this moment, I had nothing
Joe’s POVAfter school the next day, William and Joe are supposed to go to the bus and take it home, but they sidetrack, heading downtown instead. Using one of the kids at school’s phone, they already texted Isabelle their plans, asking her to pick them up. They didn’t stick around to see if there w
Aria’s POVIt was the easiest question of my life. “Of course I do. I love Liam very much.”“Then that’s really all you need,” Jackson said. Seeing I was about to dismiss him, he hurriedly continues. “Listen, I know it sounds cliché, but it’s the honest truth. Does it matter what anyone else thinks?
Liam’s POVI stared at Joanna, as the dread crept up inside of me. She was clearly trying to intimidate me though, as if hoping to see if I’d buckle under pressure, and I absolutely refused to give her that satisfaction. So I rallied myself, standing straighter, and told her plainly, “I won’t be int
Liam’s POVWho the hell did this guy think he was, coming into our home and attacking Aria like that? The interviewer Craig had a bad attitude from the start, but I’d been willing to overlook all of it for the sake of the actual interview. To even get the crew here, I’d had to call in some favors. I
Despite that look, the first half of the interview seemed to go alright. Liam and I introduced Joe and William, and the kids talked for a bit about how much they loved us, as well as some of their favorite pastimes.“I want to be a racecar driver when I get older,” William said. “Just like my dad.”
Aria’s POVThe producer suggested that we start with the full family interview as we eased into things, so, after the crew set up the cameras in lighting in the living room, we sat down.The interviewer, the reporter from the station Liam had called a favor into, kept us waiting for a while, as he s
Aria’s POVUnder my ear, I heard the quick pulsing of Liam’s heart, hammering in his chest. Glancing up at him, I was surprised to find his eyes a little wide. Then, I realized the implications of what I had just said.“I didn’t mean it like that!” I said quickly, blushing hard.I wasn’t ready for s