Liam’s POVThe soft hum of the office was all but drowned out by the growing frustration in my head. I tapped my fingers impatiently on the desk, waiting for my assistant to return with any new information.It had been weeks since I first noticed the divorce papers were missing, and no one seemed to
Aria's POVAfter leaving the track, I couldn’t shake the weight of Liam’s question.*Do you regret how things ended between us?* The words echoed in my mind, pulling at something I wasn’t ready to confront. I’d walked away, leaving him standing there, but the truth was, I didn’t have an answer.At
And for a while, it worked.The music, the lights, the crowd—it all blurred together in a haze that dulled the edge of my frustration. Isabella had always been good at pulling me out of my own head, her carefree attitude a welcome distraction.“So,” she said as we clinked glasses, her eyes twinkling
Liam’s POVI paced back and forth in my office, unable to shake the thoughts running through my head. The missing divorce papers haunted me, each unanswered question gnawing at my mind.I hated the idea of suspecting Aria, but as the days passed, the suspicion only grew. Why hadn’t she said anything
Her eyes flared with anger, meeting mine without backing down. “It wasn’t a game, Liam. I wasn’t trying to mess with you. I was hurt.”“Well, congratulations,” I shot back bitterly, “because that’s exactly what you did. You’ve been dragging me along,and when I finally gave in you threw out the very
Liam’s POVI stood outside the office building, my heart hammering in my chest as thick plumes of smoke billowed into the sky.Sirens screamed from all directions, adding to the dizzying chorus of voices and alarms.But none of those faces belonged to Aria.Frantically, I scanned the crowd, searchin
As we drove to the hospital, I sat beside her, clutching her hand. I didn’t care about the ashes smeared across my skin or the sweat that dripped down my face.All I cared about was the rise and fall of her chest—proof that she was still with me.I hadn’t realized how much I needed her until this mo
Aria’s POVI blink awake, groggy and sore all over. The sterile white of the hospital room comes into focus slowly, and I wince as a sharp sting ripples across my collarbones. The burns.I lift my head, but even that small movement sends pain shooting through my body. Great. This is just fantastic.
“Yes,” she replied. She hesitated, as if gathering her courage, but then asked, “I wanted to make sure you were okay.” Another pause. “Are you okay?” “No. Not really.” My assistant had been with me long enough that she already knew the answer before she even asked. Maybe she expected me to lie. Ma
Liam’s POV As I waited for my assistant to spread word about the encroaching press conference, I entirely gave up on attempting any work today. With Sophia’s threats at the forefront of my mind, I didn’t have the mental capacity to handle much else. If I wasn’t needed here to do this conference,
Liam’s POV “Be serious, Sophia.” “You think I’m not serious?” Her voice carried a harsh edge, but even that, I’d heard before. She was ever the kind who cried wolf, but never actually meant it. “Just put your clothes back on and take a nap,” I said. “Maybe eat something.” “I’m not a child, L
Liam’s POV The next morning, as I walked into the office, I carried with me a confusing mixture of different feelings. It was nice to be on good terms with Sophia and William, though I still felt like they both were hiding things from me. Sophia seemed determined to act like everything was fine, a
So much pain. I pulled Joe into a tight hug. “Me, too, honey,” I told him. “But some things just aren’t meant to be.” Joe lowered his head onto my shoulder, and mother and son, we clung to each other as we would to a life raft, if we were adrift out on the ocean. “It’s going to be okay,” I tol
Aria’s POV After Liam had gone, Isabella left Joe to play in his room while she came down to talk to me. “I know you are already thinking of moving, but before you do anything drastic, why don’t you and Joe just come to stay with me for a while?” she offered. “You’d be out of the house but still
Aria’s POV Back at home, I paced back and forth in the kitchen. Joe was out in the living room, finishing his homework with the television on. I didn’t have the heart to force him to focus, not when I wanted to make certain he wouldn’t overhear this conversation. Isabella sat on one of the kitch
“All this time, he has been lying to you,” she said. She walked toward me the way a cat would towards its prey. When she was close enough, she held out the letter for me. “What’s this?” I asked. “Proof,” Sophia said, without any clarification. Reaching up, I accepted the letter and then opened
Aria’s POV After pushing the doorbell for the third time, I knocked on the door to Sophia’s house instead. “Mom…” Joe sounded nervous. Maybe we should leave. I could call the police and have them do a wellness check rather than have us out here, possibly endangering ourselves. Turning to Joe,