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 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
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“Well, you’re pregnant!”!” The doctor turned the ultrasound screen toward me, pointing to a tiny, almost imperceptible form.My world stopped. I reached down, my fingers brushing the barely noticeable swell of my abdomen. A wave of warmth and excitement surged through me.I couldn't wait
Aria’s POVWhen I woke up, the sterile scent of antiseptic filled my nostrils, and the harsh fluorescent lights above me made my head throb. I blinked, trying to make sense of where I was. The hospital.Panic rose in my chest as I reached down, my hands trembling as they settled over my abdomen. The
Aria’s POV“Get out of my way!” Liam’s voice thundered through the room, his eyes blazing with anger as he glared at me.I stood frozen, unable to move, the words stinging like a slap. But before I could even register what was happening, he scooped up Sophia in his arms and stormed past me, heading
Third Person POVThe bustling noise of the airport surrounded them as Joe walked with wide-eyed curiosity through the busy terminal. His mother, Aria, was a few steps ahead, her mind focused on getting to their gate on time.They had just returned from a week-long retreat with some of Aria’s high-pr
Aria’s POV"Mom, you can’t wear that!" Joe stood with his hands on his hips, his tiny face scrunched up in disapproval. He looked so serious that I had to bite back a smile."You need to dress up properly before heading to work," he insisted, pointing to the closet as if he were the parent and I the
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