As I shut the door behind Liam, I leaned against the door, sliding to the floor as the tears I’d been holding back came rushing out. My chest heaved with every sob, and the guilt churned in my stomach like acid. He hadn’t deserved the way I spoke to him. He was only trying to help.Liam was right, God, he was so painfully right about not making excuses for Dan. And I hated that he was. My life was a mess, and I was stuck, drowning in it.Dragging myself off the floor, I shuffled to my ensuite bathroom. The harsh light from the mirror made me wince as it highlighted the bruise on my cheek. My fingers hovered over the purple blotch before I pressed gently against it, hissing in pain.I opened the cabinet above the sink, fumbling for the aloe vera gel I kept on hand for moments like this. I wiped my face clean before applying it. As I smoothed the cool gel over the tender skin, I couldn’t stop the wave of bitterness that hit me. Sometimes, when Dan was mad, he forgot himself and hit me so
Dinner at my parents’ house. Just the thought of it made me want to groan out loud, but skipping wasn’t an option. If I did, my mom would be calling me nonstop, guilt-tripping me into next week. So, here I was, sitting at the dining table, trying to focus on my plate but failing miserably.Amber was all I could think about. The way she looked at me earlier at the grocery store, so torn, so fragile. Played on a loop in my mind. Was she okay now? Did Dan say something hurtful to her? Or worse, did he hurt her again? My jaw tightened at the thought, my grip on the fork almost snapping it in half.I let out a relieved breath remembering my men were stationed near her house, ready to report if anything seemed off.And then there was the burner phone. I’d slipped it into the chocolates I gave her earlier, with a note explaining it was for emergencies. She’d probably be furious when she found it, but I didn’t care. I needed to know she had a way to contact me if she needed help.“Liam!” My m
I placed the burner phone on the nightstand and stared at it, a ghost of a smile tugging at my lips. Talking to Liam had stirred a strange comfort I hadn’t felt in a long time.He had a way of making me feel seen, like I wasn’t invisible. I hated that. Hated how my heart fluttered at his attention, hated the warmth his voice carried, and most of all, hated that I was still thinking about him long after the call ended.With a shake of my head, I forced myself to focus. I was a married woman. No matter how much Dan and I had drifted apart, I had made vows. I closed my eyes, imagining what life would be like if Dan could just be the man he had once been the charming man who brought me flowers, whispered sweet promises, and made me believe in forever.I tried to remember the man I married—the one who used to hold me close and make me feel like I was the only one in the world. But lately, all I could feel was his anger. His dismissiveness. His cold indifference.Sleep found me eventually,
He was cheating on me. I couldn’t believe it. I looked around me wondering if I was dreaming. Maybe it was a nightmare and soon I would wake up from it. But the proof was right there on his phone, staring me in the face.My hands shook as I wiped the tears streaming down my cheeks, willing them to stop, but I couldn’t stop myself. I picked up the phone again and scrolled further through the messages, hoping that maybe I saw wrong the first time.But the more I read the messages the more evident it was that Dan was truly cheating on me. The realization shattered my heart into a thousand pieces and It felt like a dagger was being twisted in my chest. How could he do this?Tears blurred my vision as the realization sank deeper. I had been such a fool. All this time, I had been playing the perfect housewife, cleaning up after him and his ungrateful family, bending over backward to make him happy. And while I was busy sacrificing myself for his approval, he was sneaking around with someon
All through dinner, my stomach churned with anger and disgust. Every time I glanced at Maddie, her perfectly poised demeanor grated on me. She was sitting there, laughing at some lame joke Dan made, acting as though she wasn’t the woman I’d just seen exchanging intimate messages and photos with my husband. It was infuriating. The nerve of her, walking into my home, eating at my table,laughing in her face.And Dan. Oh, Dan. His audacity knew no bounds. At one point, he reached across the table and took my hand, giving it a squeeze like we were some blissfully happy couple. The heat of his palm against my skin made my stomach twist in revulsion. I wanted to rip my hand away, to shove him back and scream at him for this charade. Instead, I forced a tight smile and let him hold it, my fingers stiff in his grasp. My skin crawled, but I couldn’t let it show.“This chicken is delightful, Amber,” Mrs. Thompson said, smiling warmly. “You must share your recipe. I can never get mine to turn out
LiamI had just hung up with the guy I’d asked to keep an eye on Amber, and what he said, made my chest tight. Amber had left the house looking distraught and had taken off to a bar. A bar? That wasn’t like her. Not at all.Now, I paced the length of my office, my thoughts racing. Should I go to her? Damn it, what if she was in trouble? Had Dan hit her again? Just the thought of that bastard hurting her made my blood boil. I gripped the edge of my desk, trying to calm my anger.This afternoon at the grocery store, the fear in her eyes gutted me. I couldn’t stop replaying it. She wouldn’t let me help her, wouldn’t let me protect her. That kind of fear didn’t just happen overnight. It was the result of years of breaking someone down.“Fuck this,” I growled under my breath. Enough waiting around. I grabbed my car keys and coat, slamming the door behind me as I headed out. I didn’t care what she said about keeping my distance.As I slid into the driver’s seat, my phone rang. I frowned at
I woke to a pounding in my skull that felt like someone was using a jackhammer inside my head. Groaning, I shifted beneath the softest blanket I’d ever felt, my body nestled in the warmth of a bed that wasn’t mine. Panic jolted through me as I blinked against the dull light filtering into the room.Where the hell am I?The room was unfamiliar, painted in a soothing shade of gray that seemed at odds with the black curtains drawn tightly over a massive floor-to-ceiling window. A sleek, modern nightstand sat beside the bed, its surface polished to a mirror shine. On it, a digital clock glowed faintly, the red numbers reading five minutes after six. It’s morning.I sat up slowly, instantly regretting the motion as the world tilted and my head throbbed harder. Pressing a hand to my forehead, I tried to piece together the fractured memories of last night.The bar. Liam. Champagne.Oh, God.I groaned aloud, burying my face in my hands as flashes of my drunken antics came back to me. I’d aske
The heat had seeped into my skin, leaving it raw and red by the time I dragged myself out of the shower. My tears had dried up somewhere along the way, leaving a hollow ache in my chest.I didn’t bother with my skincare routine or anything beyond the basics—just blow-dried my hair, and pulled on a loose sweater and leggings. The act of dressing felt mechanical, like every other part of my life lately.Out of habit, I wandered downstairs, the ache in my heart still throbbing but muted now, like background noise. The sink greeted me with the mess I’d left behind last night. I should have ignored it—left the dishes there to prove a point, or maybe just to let them fester like my marriage had. But instead, I rolled up my sleeves and started scrubbing, the rhythm of it grounding me in some twisted way.By the time I started making coffee, the front door creaked open. I froze, gripping the counter as I heard the unmistakable shuffle of Dan’s footsteps. My stomach twisted, half with dread, h
A scream lodged in my throat as I ran, my breath coming in ragged gasps. My feet pounded against the ground, but no matter how fast I moved, Dan’s voice was right behind me, slicing through the air like a blade.“You think you can get away from me?” His laughter was jagged, cruel. “You’re mine, Amber. You’ll always be mine.”I pushed forward, desperate, but the darkness around me thickened, closing in. My legs burned, my chest ached, and then—hands. His hands. They yanked me back, fingers digging into my arms, his breath hot against my ear as he growled, “I will destroy you before I let you go.”I jerked awake, my body trembling, the room dark except for the faint glow of the city lights outside. My breath came in uneven pants, my skin damp with sweat. For a moment, I didn’t know where I was. The nightmare still clung to me, the echo of Dan’s voice making my pulse hammer wildly.Then a warm hand touched my arm.“Amber.” Liam’s voice was low, calm, pulling me back to reality. He was si
Just as we were about to leave, Liam’s phone rang. He glanced at the screen, then sighed. “It’s one of our investors,” he said, his voice tinged with frustration. “Give me a few minutes, and we’ll head out as soon as I’m done.”I nodded, and before answering the call, he leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead. The unexpected gesture sent warmth through me, but before I could process it, he was already speaking into the phone.Grabbing my iPad, I headed back to my desk and decided to keep busy while he handled business. But minutes turned into an hour, and soon, the quick phone call had escalated into a full-on conference meeting with the other investors. I caught glimpses of Liam through the glass walls of his office, his expression shifting between composed and mildly exasperated as he navigated whatever disagreement was unfolding on the call.By the time he finally emerged, the sun was dipping lower in the sky, it was almost closing hours. His tie was loosened, the top but
I stormed out of the eatery, my pulse pounding with frustration. How could I have been so foolish to believe Dan had changed? That he had finally done the one decent thing and signed the divorce papers? I should’ve known better. He was still the same manipulative cheating liar, clinging to a marriage that was long dead.He had a week. One week to sign those damn papers. If he didn’t, I was filing a petition, and I would make sure every dirty truth about him came to light.Lunch was the last thing on my mind as I walked back to the office, my appetite long gone. I needed the distraction of work, something to drown out the anger simmering inside me.Just as I settled at my desk, my phone buzzed with a message from Liam.Liam: Are you done with lunch?I typed a response, “Yeah” not seeing the need to tell him that I ended up not getting lunch.A second later, another text came in.Liam: Come to my office.Taking a steadying breath, I grabbed my phone and made my way to his office. When I
As I walked toward the restaurant, I tried to keep my emotions in check. The last thing I needed was to jinx this moment by celebrating too soon. I wasn’t free from Dan until those divorce papers were in my hands, signed and sealed. Only then would I allow myself to finally breathe.The small eatery came into view, and I pulled the door open, stepping inside. My gaze swept over the space until it landed on Dan. He was seated in a corner at the far end of the restaurant, away from the bustling lunchtime crowd. The moment his eyes met mine, his lips curved into a smile—too wide for my liking. Unease rippled through me. I couldn't remember the last time Dan had smiled at me, at least not genuinely. The only time he ever did was when we were posing for cameras, playing the perfect couple.My stomach twisted as I approached the table. Dan rose to his feet, then, to my absolute shock, he reached for a chair and pulled it out for me. My steps faltered. My gaze darted around the restaurant, h
The next morning, my phone buzzed with a text from Liam. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and smiled as I read his message: "I'll be at the hospital for a while. Go into the office without me. One of the guys will take you. I'll join later."I sent a quick response letting him know I would reschedule his meetings. Stretching in bed, I felt a warmth I hadn’t felt in years. My thoughts drifted to last night, his voice, soothing and deep, a lullaby that carried me into sleep. I sighed, letting the moment linger before reluctantly slipping out of bed.As I brushed my teeth, my gaze caught my reflection in the mirror, a soft pink coloring my cheeks. I froze my toothbrush in midair. Blushing? Over Liam? I shook my head, muttering, “Get a grip, Amber,” but even as I rinsed my mouth, I couldn’t shake the image of his smile, the way he had looked at me last night, and the feel of his hands on me. I managed to get ready for work without spending the entire morning daydreaming about Liam. When
Dan was chasing me through a dark, empty alley, his voice echoing off the walls, low and menacing."You can’t escape me, Amber. I’m never letting you go," he growled, his tone dripping with venom. "If I can’t have you, no one will."His bitter laugh ricocheted in my ears, chilling and cruel, as I ran faster, my breath hitching with each frantic step. No matter how far I pushed, the alley seemed endless, his shadow looming closer and closer.I woke up with a start, gasping for air, my body drenched in sweat. My heart pounded wildly in my chest as I sat up, clutching the blanket like it could protect me from the lingering fear. It was just a nightmare, I reminded myself, glancing around the dark room to reassure myself that Dan wasn’t there. He couldn’t hurt me anymore.Curling into a ball, I reached for the bedside lamp and turned it on. I tried to calm the storm inside me, taking deep, shaky breaths. When that didn’t work, I forced myself out of bed and stumbled to the bathroom.Standi
LiamI drove to the hospital as fast as I could, my mind racing faster than the car. The call from my mom replayed over and over in my head, her shaky voice barely coherent as she told me about Dad. I gripped the wheel tighter, trying to keep myself calm as several thoughts ran through my mind. This wasn’t his first heart attack. Over the past few years, my dad’s health had steadily declined. And every time something like this happened, a gnawing question echoed in my mind: Is this the one?When I arrived, Mom was waiting in the lobby. The moment she saw me, she threw her arms around me, her body trembling. “Liam,” she said, her voice cracking. “Oh, thank God you’re here.”I held her close, trying to absorb some of her panic. “Mom, what’s going on? What happened?”She pulled back, tears brimming in her eyes. “I found him in his study. He was holding his chest, gasping for air. I should have gone in earlier to check on him. I shouldn’t have allowed him to be in his study alone…” Her v
Just then, Brian returned a wide grin on his face and a young woman hanging on his arm. “Hey, guys!” he said, his voice cheerful as ever. “Meet Julia.”I barely caught her name, my mind still hazy as I tried to come down from the high Liam had just sent me to. I managed a polite smile, but my attention was fractured, scattered, tethered to one person and one person only, Liam.Brian and Julia slid into the booth, and casual conversation flowed between them and Liam, but I couldn’t bring myself to participate. Instead, I let my eyes, or rather, they chose linger on Liam, trying to figure out what he was doing to me.What we’d just done brought back memories of how we used to be in high school, and later, sometimes, in college before we broke up. Young, wild, free. Back then, being with Liam felt like the most natural thing in the world, like we could conquer anything together.But after I met and married Dan, all of that felt like a distant dream. But I never got any of those things I
AmberI knew I should tell him to stop. I should push him away, walk away, and do something to regain control. But I couldn’t. It was like I’d lost the ability to speak, my body betraying me in ways I didn’t fully understand.Liam’s lips brushed against my ear, his deep voice a soft, deliberate murmur. “You want me to continue, don’t you?”The way he said it sent a wave of heat crashing through me, and I felt my arousal pooling between my legs. My breath hitched, and I could hear the erratic rhythm of my own heartbeat in my ears.He seemed to unravel me with ease, and his presence alone suddenly made me forget every reason why this might be a bad idea. I didn’t care because at that moment, none of those reasons mattered.His hand inched higher, skimming the edge of my thigh as he held my gaze, his eyes dark and full of promise. “Amber,” he drawled like he was trying to control himself.I opened my mouth to speak, but instead of words, a shaky breath escaped.“Tell me to stop.” His han