Aria’s POVI sit at my desk, absently clicking through emails while my mind swims with the unresolved weight of everything. The looming job promotion, my tangled feelings for both Liam and Logan, and of course, Joe’s place in all this.A knock at the door snaps me out of my thoughts.“Hey, Aria, som
Aria’s POVThe auditorium at Joe and William’s school buzzes with excited energy as parents, teachers, and students gather for the science fair presentations. I take a seat in the front row, my eyes scanning the stage for the boys.They’re near the back, standing beside a large, papier-mâché volcano
Aria’s POVThe phone buzzes on my desk, cutting through the soft hum of the office. I glance at the screen, already knowing who it is before I pick up.The executive’s name flashes across my phone, and a knot forms in my stomach. I’ve been expecting this call, but that doesn’t make it any easier.“A
Liam’s POV The rhythmic hum of the printer fills the room, each sheet of paper sliding out one after the other. I watch them as if they're about to reveal the secrets of the universe, but my heart pounds a little harder with every page that lands on my desk.My assistant gives me a tentative smile
Liam’s POVThe morning sun filters through the windshield as I drive William to school. The radio’s on, playing softly in the background, but the weight in the car feels heavier than usual.I glance at William in the rearview mirror. He’s unusually quiet today, which isn’t like him.Normally, he’d b
Aria’s POV For days, I had agonized over this choice. I had pushed it off for as long as I could, finding every possible excuse not to face this imperfect decision. There were so many reasons to choose either side. I liked it here as things were, but it would be a disservice to me and the good o
Anything to keep the growing doubts from rising up in my mind. I made the right choice, I told myself, again and again. Any choice would have had doubts attached. But this one has new opportunities and room for advancement. I survived a few hours before a company-wide congratulatory email went o
Liam’s POV It was the wrong thing to ask. I knew that the instant the words left my mouth. No, before that, when I was walking down the hallway to Aria’s office, repeating to myself, Congratulate her. Be happy and proud of her. Your own feelings can wait. Lot of good that pep talk did. Fifteen s
Aria’s POV We drew so close that I could feel the warmth of Liam’s breath on my lips. Then, just as I felt the phantom touch of his kiss, the front door burst open. “Mom! Dad!” Joe called. Liam and I jumped apart. We were both a little out of breath. My cheeks were burning, and Liam seemed a b
“What is this?” I asked. “Where are the kids?” “The kids are with Isabella,” he said. He was smiling but it seemed shy. He kept dipping his head as if to hide it from me. “I thought we could have an evening to ourselves.” I wasn’t against it, but… “What’s the occasion?” “You’ve forgotten,” he
Aria’s POV At the office the next morning, I was still reeling from William calling me Mom. It had been such a special moment, I was sure it would stay with me forever, until the day I died. I hoped beyond hope, that he would still consider me his mother, even after he had grown up. At the very
I patiently waited for him to decide to tell me or not. “Aria…” he said, swaying hard left and then hard right. “Would you be mad if I called you Mom?” My heart leapt straight into my throat. I could have cried from the happiness that suddenly threatened to overwhelm me. Stepping closer to him
Liam’s POV I had thought that Aria deciding to work at team headquarters would help bring us closer together, but ever since Aria had spoken with Sophia in the jail, she seemed to grow gradually more distant. Every time I tried to bring it up with Aria, she either lied and said she was fine, or
She paused. “I didn’t think it was necessary since the references were so good.” I pulled the phone away for a moment to take a deep calming breath. Patience, I reminded myself. With the phone back on my ear, I told her, “Please do that now.” “We’ve already hired him,” she said. “Please,” I sa
Liam’s POV I knew Aria was lying to me. She was clearly upset about something. But I couldn’t figure out how to broach the topic without making her even more upset, so I decided not to try. If she wanted to talk about it, she had to know that I was willing to listen. Likely, she was just steamin
“I didn’t like that,” William said. “She shouldn’t have said those things.” “You’re right,” I said. “I wouldn’t have liked that either.” In the past, Sophia had cursed me out using every foul word under the sun. I didn’t particularly care – until she started adding Aria in her vile outbursts. That
Liam’s POV With renewed determination, I drove home, eager to talk to Aria and try to convince her to return to work with the team. But when I walked into the mansion, I was surprised to be greeted by Joe, but not William. My stomach twisted, remembering that Aria was going to take William to se