All Chapters of Shattered Vows: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Trevor and Greg were nothing like Liam. I still wondered how they had managed to stay friends with him for so long. According to Trevor, they had been best friends since they were ten. Now, at twenty-seven, they had fought wars together, survived missions, and somehow still put up with Liam's impossible personality. Their constant visits made things feel a little more normal.Well, almost. Because Liam was still Liam. At least their presence made things less suffocating."Sara, you should go home. Evans and I are going to talk to the sheriff," Ella said, dusting off her hands.I nodded, adjusting the basket of grapes I had been plucking. "Alright."The town was restless after last night's incident. The maize farm had been deliberately set on fire. A can of fuel and a matchstick had been found at the scene, confirming that it wasn't an accident. Someone had done it on purpose. But who? My gut told me it was someone close. A competitor with a grudge. Like I said before, there's always a

As we finished loading everything into the truck, Greg leaned against the side and asked, "Where are your parents?"Liam rolled his shoulders. "They'll come alone." His face twisted slightly, like he was regretting the thought of what his parents were probably doing right now. I couldn't help but smile."Let's go," Liam said, hopping into the driver's seat.I climbed in, taking the back seat with Greg, while Trevor claimed the passenger side. As soon as I settled in, Greg leaned in slightly and sniffed. "Damn, you smell nice."I pulled back, giving him a look. "Are you a dog?"He grinned. "I'm a dog for you, baby.""Eww. Just wait till I tell Jane," Trevor teased from the front.Greg scoffed. "Bro, there's nothing going on between us."Trevor snorted. "Yeah, like I didn't see you banging her yesterday."Greg shrugged. "So what? We fucked, and that was it. She doesn't want anything serious. She came for the dick, and I gave her what she wanted.""Oh my God, can you guys stop?" I groane

Days passed. Then weeks. I didn't speak to Liam. He didn't speak to me. We existed in the same space, but we may as well have been on different planets. And I preferred it that way.The moment he walked away that night, leaving me standing in the dark with his words clinging to my skin like a burn, I made a choice.Liam was my enemy now.Not someone to taunt or push for the sake of a reaction. Not someone to play with just because I could. No-this was different. This was war. So, I did what any strategist would do.I adjusted.For the next few days, I ignored Liam completely. No glances. No taunts. No games. If he was in the room, I looked past him. If he spoke, I pretended I didn't hear. He wanted to act like I didn't exist? Fine. Two could play that game. But staying still wasn't an option.I needed a distraction, something to channel the energy buzzing beneath my skin. Something that didn't involve him.So, I threw myself into work. I woke up before sunrise and spent the mornings

I threw myself into work, pitching our fruit like it was the last thing standing between people and starvation. My voice was smooth, confident, drawing in customers with ease. Meanwhile, Liam stood there like a human statue, arms crossed, exuding silent indifference. He wasn't helping, but he wasn't exactly useless either. Because, as much as he tried to ignore them, he was attracting attention.Mostly from girls.Teenagers giggled behind their hands, stealing glances at him. Young women hovered nearby, pretending to browse while sneaking shameless looks in his direction. His presence alone was enough to pull people in, but I made sure none of them left empty-handed.If they wanted to stand there gawking, fine—but they were going to pay for it. Every lingering stare? A sale. Every whispered giggle? Another crate gone. I used their fascination to my advantage, flashing my best smile and making sure they walked away with something in their hands.And then she appeared.A brunette, dress

"There's nothing else," the man muttered, turning his face away. Liam didn't hesitate. His fist connected with the man's jaw in a brutal punch. The man gasped, doubling over. "Man, I was broke, okay?" he wheezed. "I'm a delivery driver. I was on a job that day. I—I took something from her." My blood turned cold. "What?" "It was a necklace," he admitted. I clenched my jaw. "Where is it?" "I sold it," he mumbled. Rage flooded me. "You couldn't help me, but you could rob me?" "I thought you were dead!" he argued. " I was scared of being accused of something I didn't do!" I took a step closer. "What else did you take from me?" "Nothing! I swear! Just the necklace. You had a bracelet too, but it looked old, so I left it. I only took the chain. It was pure diamond, man, I was tempted, and I needed the money... I glared at him, fists trembling. "You stole from a dying woman. And you think 'I was tempted' is a fucking excuse?" His silence was answer enough. I clenche