Chapter Twenty-One: The Hidden

“Liam?”

The voice rang out like the strike of a crystal glass, sweet, commanding, feminine. Then came the slow, deliberate click of heels against stone.

Sarah’s heart slammed.

Panic clutched her lungs as the balcony doors creaked wider, golden light spilling into the night. She wasn’t supposed to be here, hidden away with him like this. Not when a single whisper, a single glimpse, could ruin everything.

But Liam didn’t falter.

He pressed her firmly back into the shadows, his tall frame cutting her off from sight. His hand tightened at her waist, grounding her even as she trembled. His body became a shield, broad shoulders eclipsing the glow, the heat of him surrounding her until it was hard to remember where she ended and he began.

“Stay still,” he whispered, voice low, lips brushing against her temple in the briefest touch. “I’ll protect you.”

The words burned into her, soft and merciless all at once.

And then, she appeared.

A vision in shimmering silver. The gown clung like liquid metal to her statuesque figure, diamonds dripping from her throat and ears. Her smile was sharp, confident. A woman who knew she belonged here, who knew her worth and worse, knew exactly what she wanted.

Sarah hated the way her chest tightened.

“There you are.” The woman’s voice curved like honey, her eyes glinting with triumph as they swept over Liam. “I was beginning to think you’d run off.”

Sarah’s stomach turned when she saw how close she stood to him. Too close. Her hand brushed his sleeve, lingered there. She tilted her face toward his, lashes low, her lips parting in a smile too intimate.

And then, she leaned in.

Her mouth stopped just shy of Liam’s ear, her voice dropping into a whisper Sarah couldn’t hear but could see in the sultry curl of her lips. The way they hovered, as if she longed to lick the shell of his ear, ravage it, mark him right there.

Sarah’s chest constricted violently. Her nails bit into her palm, hidden in the folds of her gown. Rage bloomed in her veins, hot and shameful. She shouldn’t care. She had no right to care. He’s not yours, Sarah. He never was.

And yet, she did.

God help her, jealousy flooded her like poison, making her throat burn. She hated the woman, hated her flawless confidence, hated her hand on him, her whisper against his skin. But worst of all, Sarah hated herself for feeling it. For wanting to tear the woman away. For wanting to scream mine when she had no claim.

Her breath shook as she pressed back into the shadows, forcing herself to stay silent.

Liam’s expression, however, never wavered. His gaze remained locked on Sarah, even as the woman flirted shamelessly at his ear. His eyes burned with an unspoken promise, you’re the one I see. You’re the one I want.

“I’ll be there in a moment,” he told the woman, his tone smooth but edged with finality.

The heiress giggled, her hand tracing down the line of his arm, nails grazing his cuff. “Don’t make me drag you back inside, Liam. Everyone’s waiting for you.”

Sarah’s heart clenched. The urge to flee twisted inside her chest, but Liam leaned closer before she could move.

His lips brushed Sarah’s hairline, hidden from view, his voice so low it was almost a growl. “Don’t move. You’re safe. I won’t let her see you.”

Her breath caught. Safe. Protected. Hidden.

It was everything and nothing. Sweet and suffocating. A promise that both warmed her and broke her apart. Because the truth was undeniable, she wasn’t the woman on his arm. She was the secret. The hidden fire behind closed doors.

With one last lingering stroke of his hand over her hip, Liam stepped away, shoulders squaring as he turned toward the heiress.

And Sarah’s heart split as the woman looped her arm through his, pressing herself into his side like she belonged there. Diamonds glittered, silver fabric brushed against his tuxedo, and Sarah felt the cruel twist of envy stab deep in her ribs.

From the shadows, she watched him disappear into the ballroom, swallowed up by light and music and the whispers of women who all wanted him.

She pressed a hand to her chest, her breath ragged. She could still feel his warmth, his words. But as the door closed behind him, the ache inside her swelled, burning, bitter, and raw.

How long can I live like this? Hidden. Wanting. Loving a man I was never meant to have?