She paused. “I didn’t think it was necessary since the references were so good.” I pulled the phone away for a moment to take a deep calming breath. Patience, I reminded myself. With the phone back on my ear, I told her, “Please do that now.” “We’ve already hired him,” she said. “Please,” I sa
Liam’s POV I had thought that Aria deciding to work at team headquarters would help bring us closer together, but ever since Aria had spoken with Sophia in the jail, she seemed to grow gradually more distant. Every time I tried to bring it up with Aria, she either lied and said she was fine, or
I patiently waited for him to decide to tell me or not. “Aria…” he said, swaying hard left and then hard right. “Would you be mad if I called you Mom?” My heart leapt straight into my throat. I could have cried from the happiness that suddenly threatened to overwhelm me. Stepping closer to him
Aria’s POV At the office the next morning, I was still reeling from William calling me Mom. It had been such a special moment, I was sure it would stay with me forever, until the day I died. I hoped beyond hope, that he would still consider me his mother, even after he had grown up. At the very
“What is this?” I asked. “Where are the kids?” “The kids are with Isabella,” he said. He was smiling but it seemed shy. He kept dipping his head as if to hide it from me. “I thought we could have an evening to ourselves.” I wasn’t against it, but… “What’s the occasion?” “You’ve forgotten,” he
Aria’s POV We drew so close that I could feel the warmth of Liam’s breath on my lips. Then, just as I felt the phantom touch of his kiss, the front door burst open. “Mom! Dad!” Joe called. Liam and I jumped apart. We were both a little out of breath. My cheeks were burning, and Liam seemed a b
Aria’s POV Before I could get lost in my thoughts overmuch, Liam’s voice sounded out from the living room. “Aria! Come take a look at this.” I looked at Isabella again. “Go on,” she said with a grin. “Have fun. I’ll finish up here and join you guys when I’m done.” “You sure?” We always mad
Liam’s POV That weekend, I stuck to my promise and took Joe and William Christmas shopping. This time of year, the stores were incredibly busy, so I held hands with both Joe and William as we perused the store, looking for the kids’ perfect gifts for Aria. As we walked along a shopping plaza, we
I might have understood the high society way of life but that didn’t make me partial to it. The opposite, having to negotiate for everything was exhausting. Everyone was out for themselves. Chuck agreed to keep things quiet until Sunday, but I imagined even that wasn’t entirely selfless.In a few mo
Liam’s POVI’d been on hold for ten minutes before the owner of one of the news outlets finally picks up the phone. I knew Chuck well enough. We’d hung around at the same parties and same events in my younger years, back when I’d been a driver with a partying reputation to uphold.Since I fell out o
Liam’s POV“I sent out the invitations,” Joanna said first thing the next morning in the office.“What? You were supposed to let me see the list first,” I said, surprised and annoyed. Per our previous discussions and agreements, I was supposed to have the final say on the list of invitees.She rolle
Aria’s POVDuring break, I went to the coffee machine in the hallway to get myself a fresh cup. Unfortunately when I went to pour, the pot was empty. Sighing, I grabbed the pot and turned toward the breakroom to use the sink to refill it.Turning, however, I nearly walked straight into Joanna, who I
Watching me, she slowly raises a brow. “If I can make it happen this Saturday, you’ll let me invite whoever I want?”“Within reason,” I said. “I don’t have to tell you why I want to keep this a secret,” I said. If Aria found out about this, it could be the end of everything. I wasn’t going to risk l
Liam’s POVThe next morning, Joanna sat in our shared office avoiding work and creating the official guest list for our engagement party instead. Occasionally, she would throw out a name. Again and again, I would remind her.“I want this to be as small of a party as possible, Joanna.”Again and agai
Liam’s POV Markus’s smile grew, seemingly even more pleased. “Good. You’ve finally seen the truth in things then. Women. Relationships. What do they matter? Legacy, that’s what’s important. You are making the right choice, son. Finally. But then, I always knew you’d come around.” He only could be
Their leaving together could have been a coincidence. Even so, an uncomfortable feeling rose up in my stomach. They looked good together, side by side. Both so attractive, model-like, even though Joanna seemed much happier than Liam. His unhappiness was what gave me the strength to step forward.
Aria’s POV There had to be some kind of misunderstanding. Even if Jackson truly had seen what he said he’d seen, there had to be an explanation. If there wasn’t, then this, combined with those texts Joanna showed me, and the one I had spotted on Liam’s phone last night all added up to only one con