Taking the long way, I ascended the stairwell in the headquarters building. There, as I was heading up, Aria came rushing down.“Aria,” I said, spotting her on the landing above.She stopped but turned her head away from me. “Liam.”That was a rather frosty reception, even with how strained things h
Aria’s POV“I am busy,” Liam said. He purposefully stopped tugging on his sleeve, gripping both hands on the laptop and paperwork he carried instead.I knew he was busy. That wasn’t fully a lie. But was he truly so busy that he couldn’t find five minutes to talk to be before Sunday? That, I highly d
Liam’s POVI hastily shoved the ring back into my pocket, hoping Isabelle hadn’t really seen it or that she would doubt her eyes. Instead, she continued staring right where it was as if she was in a trance.It was an awkward standoff, both of us like deer caught in headlights.My dread helped me rec
Aria’s POVLowering my voice, I was exceedingly cautious of where I was and who might overhear.“That’s ridiculous,” I told Isabelle on the phone. “Liam and I are already married. I’m sure you haven’t forgotten that.”“I’m telling you it’s a wedding ring, Aria. And it makes sense, too. The secret in
Liam’s POVI fretted so much about what Isabelle could be telling Aria, that even the kids noticed me acting strangely. William asked me to help him with his math homework, but decimals and fractions all seemed out of reach for my breaking concentration.In the end, William had to correct me a few t
Liam’s POV“Chuck,” I said, recognizing the news media owner who I had called a couple of days ago, practically begging him to keep the engagement party a secret.I hadn’t even considered that he might be here, in this restaurant, seeing me out on what appeared to be a date with someone other than w
Aria’s POVThe rest of the dinner was filled with stilted conversations and us avoiding looking directly at each other.The drive home was entirely silent. I looked out the window, counting the streetlamps we passed, while Liam coolly sat behind the wheel. There were many things to talk about, but I
Liam’s POVThe exclusive banquet hall where we were holding the engagement event had a few side rooms for potential brides and grooms to prepare if they were getting married there.I stood in the groom’s room, looking at myself in the full length mirror. Dressed in a tuxedo, I could have been a groo
Liam’s POVI parked out front of the house and then rushed inside. I’d already called the non-emergency police to alert them of the situation. They had promised to send over a few officers to help maintain the peace but they haven’t arrived yet. As such, I felt it was a miracle the reporters did not
Come on, Liam. Figure this out.My next appointment had already canceled, so I had some time to sit there and think. Yet I couldn’t think of one good idea that wouldn’t backfire.Around 3, I thought of Aria and the kids, probably home by now, safe and oblivious to the struggles I was facing here.Th
Liam’s POVAfter receiving Joanna’s message, as well as one from my assistant to tell me most of the other shareholders I had meetings with that day canceled on me, I called Joanna outright.No more games, or passive aggressive messages. If I had to go to the source to stop this madness, then that w
I sat very still for a moment, hating how powerless I was. “Is there no way for me to convince you?”“There isn’t,” Richard said. Glancing at me, he added, “Learn from this, Liam. You are young yet, and you’ll bounce back. When you do, don’t make such stupid mistakes like this again.”“I won’t,” I a
Liam’s POVIn an attempt to stop Joanna’s takeover of the team, I called my assistant and have them make several more appointments that day with various shareholders, starting with those that held the most to those that held the least.I didn’t return to the office, moving instead straight from the
My brow drew together in confusion. “What happened?”At that moment, Rita returned carrying a fresh cup of coffee, which she set down in front of me.Alistair’s entire demeanor changed once more. Shedding his down-to-business persona, he looked up at her with a bright, friendly, and relaxed expressi
Liam’s POVThe Circle Café was a smaller restaurant, opened only for breakfast and lunch and located in one of the corner buildings in the older part of time. It had an eclectic sort of aesthetic, with the paintings of many local artists on the walls for sale. The booths were all different colors an
Liam’s POV“I have a plan,” I said, which such a blatant lie that I needed to rephrase. “I have the beginnings of a plan…”Jackson crossed his arms. “So you have no idea what you are doing.”God, it really did seem that way, didn’t it? He should have spoken to Aria more at length this morning about
“We don’t lie to each other, remember?” I prompted. “I want the truth, Liam.”“You’re right,” he said and pushed a hand through his hair. “I wasn’t going to lie to you, but I’ve been doing a hell of a job avoiding the truth. I’m sorry, Aria.” He sighed. “The truth is… I got a weird call from one of