Aria’s POVInviting William over after school has become second nature at this point. What started as a few casual afternoons where he tagged along with Joe has turned into something more regular.Sophia’s either late or doesn’t show up on time to pick him up, so it’s almost like William’s become a
"I don’t know, Logan," I say, glancing down at the papers scattered across my desk. "I need time to figure things out."He stands up, smoothing out his shirt. "Tell you what—let me take you out this weekend. No pressure, just a chance to make up for some of the things I got wrong. What do you say?"
Liam's POVI pace the office, glancing at the clock. It’s late, and my assistant should have been back with an update by now. This investigation—it’s taking longer than I expected, and the lack of progress is grating on me.There’s something off about Joe’s birth records, something that doesn’t add
As the evening winds down, the two of us find a quiet corner away from the crowd.Aria’s leaning against the wall, looking thoughtful, and I can’t help but notice the way the dim lighting casts a soft glow on her features."You’ve been quiet tonight," I say, stepping closer. "Everything okay?"She g
Aria’s POVI sit at a corner table in the café, drumming my fingers on the wooden surface. I’ve been here for fifteen minutes already, nursing a lukewarm cup of coffee as I wait for Sophia.It’s been long enough for my frustration to build, and the longer I wait, the more certain I am that this conv
---Later that evening, Logan pulls up in front of my house to pick me up for our date.I’m still fuming from my earlier encounter with Sophia, but I push it aside as I climb into his car, giving him a small smile."Hey," he says, glancing over at me as he pulls away from the curb. "Everything okay?
Aria’s POVThe hum of voices around me barely registers as I take a sip of my iced tea, trying to focus on the conversation at hand. I’m in the middle of a lunch meeting, nodding politely as the person across from me discusses project deadlines and client demands.The restaurant is bustling, and my
I wish I had a good answer for him, but the truth is, I don’t know what’s going on in Sophia’s head. I just know that William deserves more than what he’s getting.I take a deep breath, choosing my words carefully.“I don’t know, William. But I want you to know that you’re always welcome with me and
Liam and I needed to get on the same page about this, so that we could plan our next move. Then I remembered hearing Joanna’s flirty voice coming out of Liam’s office. Maybe he was already making plans of his own. I patted the check in my pocket. Within a week, Liam and I had to have our long
Aria’s POV After taking the check, I stood there watching as Markus, smirking, told his driver, “Let’s go.” Markus rolled up the window as the car drove forward, curling around the circular driveway and then disappearing out into the street. With the limousine out of sight, the entire thing felt
Aria’s POV “There’s no need to look so shocked,” Markus said. “Surely, after all this time, you wouldn’t turn away a visit from your father-in-law.” I could only gape at him for a moment. He was here, the man of Liam’s nightmares, the one who made his waking life hell. He wasn’t what I expecte
Aria’s POV For most of my office tasks, I could work from my laptop wherever I wanted. However, there were times when I needed my printer and my file cabinets. For this reason, I did find myself down in my boiler room/office around ten minutes a day, printing and filing. Unfortunately, today, th
None of my inner dilemmas were any of Joanna’s business, however, and I wouldn’t pretend otherwise, not even to spare her feelings. Though, as my initial outrage began to settle, I was overcome with a sudden realization. How did Joanna know that I hadn’t talked to Liam about what I knew? Had she
Aria’s POV As my tiny office down in the boiler room was incredibly uncomfortable, I ended up camping out in the breakroom or one of the meeting rooms with my laptop to work most of the time, when I needed to be doing office work and not out on the track. Work on the new annex building was comin
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