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 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,
“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
Aria’s POV I stared at the television in absolute shock. To my knowledge, no one had been asking about Liam and my relationship. And even if they had, this was not the response I would have expected him to give. Hadn’t he himself wanted to come forward about our relationship not all that long ag
Aria’s POV “I was driving by,” Logan said. I strained to listen to the conversation happening at the front door, from my arm chair perch in the living room. “I saw Aria’s car here. I thought, what better time to see if she and the kids wanted to go out for some ice cream?” The suggestion itself
Liam’s POV Nerves spiking, I tapped my hands against the wooden armrests of the uncomfortable chair I found myself sitting in. I was in my lawyer’s office, with him occasionally peering at me from overtop the mountain of paperwork towering on his desk. When he looked, I stopped fidgeting. As his
“You don’t have to eat it all,” I told them, having already finished my cone, though even that might have been a mistake. My stomach was already topsy-turvy since Sophia had fired at us. I’d never been shot at before. The kids still didn’t understand what had happened though, thinking instead th
Aria’s POV After ice cream, Logan drove William, Joe, and me back to Isabella’s house to collect our suitcases, and then back to my own house. Joe was delighted to be back home. William was confused. “My mom will be expecting me,” he said as he rubbed his hand up and down the opposite arm. He di
Joe remembered all the lessons about stranger danger. He knew they shouldn’t accept things from people that they didn’t know or trust.Even accepting this pie was probably a bad idea, though Joe thought that so long as they stayed in the diner, it would be okay.He kept glancing at the door.William
Aria’s POVIn our search for the children, we traveled along the roads to the park. There, I searched the kids’ favorite play areas: behind the slide, around the swings, near the seesaws and the jungle gym.William and Joe were nowhere to be found. Likewise, I saw no evidence that they had been here
Joe’s POVWhen William told Joe he was leaving, Joe knew he couldn’t let William go alone. The world was a dangerous place, and William was far too confident about things. Plus, with how William was talking, he sounded like he wasn’t planning on coming back.Joe hoped to convince him differently.So
Aria’s POVFor most of the day, I did my best to avoid Liam, but it was difficult. He seemed to be doing the same, giving me the space I requested, yet every once in a while, we’d find ourselves entering the same room or hallway, or going the same way toward the stairs.There was an awkward moment o
Aria’s POVBitter thoughts of Markus made me feel sick, but I pushed those dark feelings away and turned off the television again. With Markus gone, he could never hurt anyone ever again. He couldn’t haunt or stalk us.Liam might have already made his choice, but at least the children and I would be
Liam’s POV“Isabelle, I just need to talk to Aria,” I said, pleadingly. “If you just tell me where she is –”“Then you’ll continue to bother her.” Isabelle, arms crossed, glared at me in open disgust and distain. “She told me what she saw. And it makes me feel a thousand times worse, for having told
Liam’s POVI took my own car to Mr. Peters’ office. Several times on the route, I nearly turned and drove home instead, desperate to talk to Aria. Once, I stopped so long at a red light that Joanna called me on the phone.“Your father is dead, Liam. You have an obligation to him now. Aria will still
“I’m so sorry,” Isabelle said, her face downtrodden, her own make staining streaks down her face. We must have looked like quite the pair. It’d be laughable if my heart wasn’t so very heavy. “I totally misread the entire situation. When I saw that ring…”“How could you think anything but what you di
Liam’s POV“I don’t care what you think, Joanna,” I said coldly. With everything going on, now she wanted to threaten me? Didn’t she realize that without Aria, I had nothing left to lose? “With Markus gone, I have no reason to stay in this relationship.”“We had an agreement,” Joanna said. Her anger