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.
We share a smile—one that feels oddly familiar, like a glimpse of what we used to be.But then his phone buzzes, and the moment breaks. Liam glances at the screen, his expression tightening.“It’s work,” he mutters, clearly reluctant. “I have to go. But I’ll be back.”He leans down and presses a kis
Aria’s POVThe office buzzes with life as I step inside, the familiar sounds of keyboards clacking and hushed conversations wrapping around me.It feels good to be back, though a dull ache in my collarbone reminds me that I'm not entirely in fighting shape just yet. But I'm here, and that's what mat
My collarbone still aches, but it’s manageable, and I’m so focused that I barely notice the knock on my office door.“Come in,” I say absentmindedly, still typing away at my computer.The door opens, and I glance up, my fingers freezing mid-typing. It’s Liam, holding two takeout bags.He steps insid
Liam’s POVAs I pull into the parking lot, Joe’s slip of “Dad” echoes in my mind, over and over, like a broken record. The moment I heard it, my heart dropped.I can’t shake the feeling that there’s something more to his connection with Aria than I’ve ever been told. I pull into my usual spot and ta
Aria’s POVI move swiftly down the halls of the office, the buzz of noise flashing by me. It’s comforting, like the hum of a well-oiled machine.I’m back, fully recovered and ready to dive headfirst into work. The major race is looming on the horizon, and I’m determined to prove myself, not just to
Liam’s POV When the next workday arrived, I headed into the office with fresh determination. My aquarium date with Aria had helped given me some new perspective, as well as some much-needed rest, and now I was ready to take on Markus once again. That meant, for now, that I was going to confront
“I’m sorry,” I said genuinely. The secrets between us did nothing to deter the empathy I felt for Liam and his struggles both of the present and the past. His father seemed like an overbearing narcissist, and I could only imagine what that must have been like growing up groomed by a man like that.
Aria’s POV I couldn’t remember the last time I’d gone on an actual, honest-to-goodness date with Liam. Maybe never. Our initial courtship had been a whirlwind, but it had also been kept secret behind locked doors. Liam hadn’t wanted to be seen with me in any romantic capacity. This time, things
Joe’s POV For the next few days, Liam came home on time with Joe’s mom and the whole family spent the evenings together. While having Liam around had been great, there’d been something… off about him lately. Joe couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was though, so that night, after he and Liam
Liam’s POV “You black-hearted, vindictive, cold-blooded monster,” I growled, my emotions getting the better of me. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, what he was saying. That he wanted me to divorce Aria was bad enough, but then he wanted me to take full custody of our son, ripping Joe away fr
Aria’s POV That night, while the kids were busy with their homework, Isabella and I sat hunched over my laptop while we looked into Markus’s investment bank. The official website was well-designed and implemented with professional looking photos and high tech security features. If I hadn’t known
Aria’s POV At the end of the day, I stopped by Liam’s office to see what time he’d be home for dinner. Yet when I walked into his office, his desk was covered in towers of paperwork. He was leaning over his desk, his head dipped low, his fingers carded through his hair. “Liam?” I asked. He lif
Aria’s POV Those were harrowing words. A cheating scandal was bad enough – how could this only be the beginning? And how could Joanna know that, unless she had been the one to start all this. “Are you responsible for this?” I asked her, point blank, as we stood in the back of the conference room
I could easily guess who had told him that, but I still wanted to hear the verbal acknowledgement. “Who told you that?” “That new supervisor,” Jackson said. “Joanna.” Of course. “I heard she’s engaged to Liam,” Jackson continued. “I really don’t want to make waves with the boss.” “They aren’