Liam shoved the door open so hard it banged against the wall, then strode inside, pacing the floor like a man on the edge.“Zero percent. Zero fucking percent.” His voice was loud, cutting through the room. “That’s what you should’ve told me when I asked the chances of me liking him.”I closed the door quietly, watching him pace. “Calm down, Liam. At least get to know him before writing him off.”He turned toward me, eyes burning. “I’m not interested. How long have you known?”“Not long,” I said softly. “I found out while you were away.”“And Jay?”“Just today,” I admitted.Liam ran a hand through his damp hair, muttering under his breath. “Better that way. But how could Sophia be this reckless? Of all the men in this city, she chooses him. That singer.”I let out a small laugh, tugging his hand until he sat on the bed beside me.“Relax. Mason is a great guy.”His glare deepened. “You’re making it worse by praising him.”“Fine, no praise.” I smoothed his hand between mine. “But you lo
As the day of Liam’s return drew near, Sophia grew increasingly restless. She moved around the house like she couldn’t sit still, and it almost made me laugh. Out of everyone she could have been worried about– Henry, Laura, even Jay, it was only Liam who had her nerves fraying.The morning he was due back, she barged into my room before I’d even left the bed.“What’s the plan?” she blurted, wringing her hands.I burst out laughing. “Sophia, breathe. I’ve got this. Relax.”Her gaze darted toward the window as if Liam might materialize at any moment.“You don’t get it. Liam has a soft spot for you, which is why you don’t see what the rest of us see. Even Dad’s careful around him when he makes up his mind. If Liam doesn’t want Mason near me, he’ll make sure it never happens, and no one will ever know how he did it.”I leaned back against my pillows, smiling. “Then lucky for you, I’ll make sure he accepts Mason. Leave Liam to me.”She slumped a little, though panic still lingered in her e
For a second, I just stood there, smiling to myself, weighing my options. Should I play it cool, pretend I hadn’t noticed, and wait for the fun of watching their faces when they realized I was here? Or should I make my presence known immediately, and enjoy the reaction head-on?Tempting as it was to lurk and watch them squirm, curiosity and mischief won out. I walked straight over, pulled out a chair, and settled in like I’d been invited.Sophia’s head snapped up first. Her eyes went wide, her mouth opening and closing like she’d been caught red-handed. Mason registered my presence a moment later, surprise flickering across his face before settling into a slow, amused grin.“Well, well,” I said smugly, folding my arms across the table. “Now this is a sight worth walking into.”Neither of them spoke. I leaned back, waving a waiter over. “But before we start… I need to order something for myself. No reason to waste the trip.”When the waiter left with my order, I didn't say a word on pu
Every sunrise brought us nearer to her arrival. Our daughter.Now that the gender was no longer a secret, the entire family carried a new kind of excitement. Liam, most of all, couldn’t contain himself. True to his word, he had the nursery repainted pink, smirking the whole time as he reminded me that the neutral color had been a “waste of paint.”Soon after, tiny pink gifts started appearing out of nowhere. Not new purchases, I realized he’d been stockpiling them all along. Blankets. Tiny dresses. A crib mobile with soft pastel flowers. Piece by piece, he brought them out like treasures he had been waiting for the right moment to reveal, filling the nursery with proof of just how much he had longed for her.I teased him for being obsessed, but the truth was, I was glad. Glad that his wish had come true, that his first child would be the daughter he had longed for. A boy would have been just as loved, of course, but having a girl first carried a special kind of joy.---One evening, w
After Liam dropped Sophia and me back home, he returned to the office. I dozed off before he came back, but half-asleep I heard him moving around the room. I waited for him to climb into bed beside me. When I opened my eyes minutes later, his side was still empty.I made my way downstairs and found him in the living room with Sophia. She was stretched out on the couch, the TV still playing in the background though neither of them paid it any attention. They were deep in conversation, Liam’s face set in that familiar mix of charm and determination.The second he noticed me, he fell silent. Sophia looked at me, then burst into laughter.I dropped onto the couch across from them, narrowing my eyes. I already knew. “Alright. What’s he offering now?”Sophia giggled. “The same car I begged him for when I turned twenty-one. He told me to ask Dad back then. Now suddenly it’s his bargaining chip.”I pressed my lips together, trying not to laugh. “Really, Liam? A car?”His jaw set stubbornly. “
When Sophia and I finally left the Black residence and returned home, Liam was already there.I found him stretched out on the bed, grinning so wide it was almost boyish. The joy rolling off him filled the room with a warmth that pulled me in before I even spoke.“What are we celebrating?” I asked, raising a brow. “Or are you just lying there smiling for no reason?”His grin widened. “What’s there not to celebrate?”I folded my arms. “Liam Black, out with it.”He lifted his hands in mock defense. “But I’m always smiling.”I snorted. “Please. You brood more than you smile. Try again.”He let out an exaggerated sigh, though the warmth in his eyes betrayed him.“Alright, you caught me. After your live show, the calls started pouring in, congratulations one after another. I’ve achieved a lot in my life, Em. Deals closed, launches pulled off, awards collected. But this… hearing people celebrate me as a father, that’s the best feeling I’ve ever had.”My chest softened. I looked at him lovin