chapter 11

Liam didn't think about Judith for the rest of the night.

At least, that was what he told himself.

Unfortunately, his mind disagreed.

The moment he got home, he found himself remembering small details from the auction.

The way she smiled when speaking to Ethan.

The confidence she carried now, the fact that she hadn't looked sad.

Not even once, it was ridiculous.

He was a thirty-two-year-old billionaire running one of the largest corporations in the country. He had acquisitions to oversee, investors to meet, and enough responsibilities to fill every hour of his day.

He shouldn't be lying awake at one in the morning wondering if Judith had gotten home safely.

Yet here he was.

Staring at his bedroom ceiling.

Wide awake wondering if she was fine or if she has really gotten over him.

The next morning didn't improve his mood.

Halfway through a board meeting, one of the directors brought up Lux Group's newest healthcare project.

Normally, Liam would have listened with professional interest.

Instead, the first thing he thought was:

Judith is probably involved in that.

The realization irritated him.

He wasn't sure why.

"Mr. Smith?"

Liam looked up.

The boardroom had gone silent.

Every executive was staring at him.

One of them cleared his throat.

"We were asking for your opinion."

Liam glanced at the presentation screen.

For the first time in years, he had completely lost track of a discussion.

"Proceed with the proposal."

The executives exchanged confused looks.

That wasn't an answer.

But nobody was brave enough to point it out.

Who dared?

Meanwhile, Judith was having a much better morning.

At least until Julian appeared in her office carrying enough files to build a small wall.

"What did I ever do to you?"

Julian dropped the stack onto her desk.

"You were born."

Judith stared at him.

"You woke up today and chose violence."

"Correct."

She threw a pen at him.

Julian caught it without looking.

The annoying thing was that he always could.

For the next two hours, they worked through project reports, investment proposals, and acquisition plans.

By lunchtime, Judith's head hurt.

Pregnancy was making concentration harder than usual.

Something Julian noticed immediately.

"You should take a break."

"I'm fine."

"That's not what I asked not that i asked for your permissionor suggestion. "

Judith sighed.

"You're becoming worse than Mom."

"Then i'm doing a good job."

"That wasn't a compliment."

Later that afternoon, Ava arrived carrying three shopping bags and a dramatic amount of energy.

She dumped herself onto the sofa in Judith's office.

"I have news."

Judith didn't look up from her laptop.

"Should I be worried?"

"Probably."

That got her attention.

Ava grinned.

"The internet thinks you're dating Ethan."

Judith groaned.

"Again?"

"Again."

Ava tossed her phone across the desk.

The headline made Judith close her eyes.

LUX HEIRESS AND BLACKWOOD SUCCESSOR SPARK ROMANCE RUMORS

She handed the phone back.

"They've been saying that since university."

"Yes, but now people actually believe it."

Julian looked up from his paperwork.

"I support it."

Judith threw another pen.

This one missed.

That afternoon, Ethan stopped by Lux Group.

Officially, he was there for business.

Unofficially, everyone knew better.

The receptionist greeted him like a regular customer.

Which, unfortunately, he had become.

When he entered Judith's office, he found her standing by the window.

"You look tired."

"Good afternoon to you too."

Ethan smiled.

"Shouldn't you be resting?"

"Shouldn't you be working?"

"I am working."

"You run half the city."

"And yet I still made time to visit."

Judith rolled her eyes.

The smile tugging at her lips betrayed her.

For a while they discussed the joint project.

Then other topics.

Then absolutely nothing important.

The conversation flowed easily.

The way it always had.

But it was comfortable, natural and so simple.

Something Judith had come to appreciate.

───

Across the city, Liam was leaving Smith Group headquarters when he spotted a familiar face.

Sophie Bennett.

She stood beside her car, sunglasses perched on top of her head.

The moment she saw him, her face brightened.

"Liam."

He nodded politely.

"Sophie."

She walked closer.

"I haven't seen you since the auction."

"I've been busy."

That answer would have discouraged most people.

But Sophie was no ordinary person so it didn't discourage her at all.

"I was thinking we should have dinner sometime."

Liam glanced at his watch.

"I don't think that's a good idea."

The smile on Sophie's face faltered.

"Why not?"

Because he wasn't interested, because he had never been interested, because he suddenly had very little patience for assumptions.

But Liam was raised to be polite and didn't see a reason to explain

So he simply said,

"I'm focusing on work right now."

It wasn't entirely a lie.

Yet as he drove away, Sophie's expression lingered in his mind.

Not because he felt guilty.

Because for the first time, he realized he might have unintentionally allowed her to believe something that had never been true.

And if Sophie had misunderstood his silence...

Had Judith misunderstood it too?

The thought followed him all the way home.

That night, Judith sat on the balcony outside her bedroom.

A gentle breeze moved through the gardens below.

One hand rested unconsciously against her stomach.

The doctor said everything was progressing normally.

The baby was healthy.

Every time she heard those words, a small sense of relief settled inside her.

Her phone buzzed.

A message from Ethan appeared.

Don't forget your appointment on Thursday.

A second message followed.

And before you complain, yes, I'm reminding you because you'll forget.

Judith laughed.

Then typed back.

You're annoying.

His response arrived almost immediately.

You like me anyway.

Judith shook her head, smiling despite herself.

She realized that life felt lighter.

Not that it was perfect or easy.

But lighter.

And somewhere across the city, Liam Smith sat alone in a mansion that felt much larger than it used to, slowly realizing that the woman he thought would always be there even after the divorce was learning how to be happy without him.