His words hit me like a blow, leaving me momentarily speechless. I had always believed that if I tried hard enough, I could make up for Joe not having a father in his life.But Joe’s innocent question shattered that illusion. For a moment, I just sat there, struggling to find the right words.I coul
Aria's POVMy heart pounded in my chest, the sound almost deafening as I tried to regain my composure. Liam was too close, his presence overwhelming in the small fitting room.I couldn't let him see how rattled I was, not now, not ever. I needed him gone."Leave, Liam," I demanded, my voice low and
Liam’s POV The silence in the car was unbearable, but I kept my focus on the road. The tension between Sophia and me was at a breaking point, and I knew it was only a matter of time before she let her frustrations loose. “I saw you go into her fitting room!” she finally snapped, her voice shar
Aria’s POV "Mommy!" Joe’s voice broke through the air like a lifeline, and before I could react, he was in my arms, clutching me tightly. His small body pressed into mine, and I dropped to my knees, hugging him back with all the strength I had left. My breath caught in my throat, the fear of los
Aria’s POVSophia stormed into Liam’s office, her heels clicking sharply against the floor, the tension rising with each step. I watched from the chair across from Liam’s desk, arms folded, knowing exactly what was coming."Liam," she began, her voice high-pitched, almost whiny, as she rounded the c
"You believe me?" I asked, my voice quieter now, unsure of how to interpret his unwavering gaze."Of course," Liam replied without a second’s hesitation, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.I felt a jolt of surprise. For all our history, for all the battles we’d fought over the years,
Liam’s POV"What are you doing?!" Aria’s voice was sharp, cutting through the quiet room as she stood up from her chair, her eyes narrowing at me.I didn’t flinch, keeping my tone calm. "We’re still married. What’s the problem?"Aria scoffed, her hands flying to her hips in a dramatic gesture. "You
Aria’s POVBusy bustle of the hospital surrounded us, but Logan’s voice pulled me back to the present. He sighed, glancing at me with a mixture of concern and relief."Joe was worried about you, Aria. That’s why we came to the hospital." His tone was gentle, but there was an edge to it, as though he
Aria’s POVI wasn’t ready to go home yet. Upset as I was, I worried what the kids would think if they saw me like this. I also had no idea how I was going to explain to Isabelle just how wrong she had been about all of this.So I told the cab driver to take me to the park, and there, I exited and pa
Liam’s POVI sat on a stone bench along the walkway, my mind in shock over what just happened.I’d risked so much trying to appease Markus with this fake proposal, and now I was going to lose it all. And with Markus gone, it hadn’t even been necessary.I should have waited this out, or fought harder
Aria’s POVI couldn’t trust my own eyes. There was no way, I thought, that Liam would betray me like this. Even when the evidence had been clearly laid out before me, in my heart, I didn’t want to believe it. Even now, seeing it here, I was ready to doubt.Yet, hearing his voice, there could be no m
Liam’s POVWith Joanna on my arm, we walked around the massive event ballroom, speaking directly with our guests. The mayor is in attendance, as are several prominent members of the city council. All of the news media owners are in attendance with their wives, including Chuck who gives me a smirk fr
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
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 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
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
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