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
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 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
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
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
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
“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.
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
Liam’s POVFriday morning, I was filled with dread and trepidation. I wasn’t looking forward to this coming weekend, not even slightly. The engagement party set for Saturday night was sure to be terrible, but it’s the potential fallout with Aria that had me on edge the most.I hoped she could see my
Aria’s POVThe question blindsided me, and I had no idea how to answer it. How did William know Liam and I were having troubles? We’d tried so hard not to fight in front of them anymore. And even though we’d been distant with each other, we always tried to be friendly when the kids were around.But
Liam’s POVI placed my hands on William’s shoulders, hoping to ease him. His posture had gotten all tense, when he’d confronted Jackson. I was a little worried he might start a fight with Jackson now, too.“Thanks William, but it’s okay,” I said. “Jackson isn’t wrong. I have been failing Aria by not
Aria’s POV“William? What are you doing here?”William, with Liam holding his hand, come into my office.“Can I hang out with you today?” William asked me.I looked up at Liam, searching for explanation.“Someone got into a fight with the school bully,” Liam said. “He’s been suspended for the rest o
“This is my son, William,” I said. To William, I added, “William, this is my co-worker Joanna.”“Just a co-worker? How cruel?”“Joanna,” I snapped. I wouldn’t tolerate her attempting to drag my kids into this unpleasant arrangement between us, and if she even wanted to try it, I’d burn the whole thi
Liam’s POVAs William had been suspended from school for a couple of days, I had no choice but to take him back to the office with me, at least for today. We could later make accommodations for the rest of the week, but it was difficult to get a full day nanny at the last minute.“Now, Liam,” I tol
Right now, however, I had bigger things to worry about. I rushed out of the headquarters building and drove to the other side of town to the kids’ school. Inside, William was waiting for me, sitting on a seat outside of the principal’s office.The principal’s door was open, with her waiting within.
William’s POVWilliam’s worries stayed with him, making him stay awake all night, tossing and turning in his bed. By morning, he was dead tired, dragging his way through breakfast and to the school bus. Even as tired as he was, he knew that if he stayed home, claiming to be sick, he wouldn’t find an
Aria’s POVFinding no luck at Markus’s, I returned home. I wanted to tell Liam about the strange invitation I’d found, that asked me to be at some fancy venue on a Saturday night, but something about Liam that evening was making me hold my tongue.After all, didn’t he say he was also going to be out