All Chapters of A Man in Distress: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

CHAPTER TWO ****Liana Pov****I didn’t sleep.I stared at the ceiling of the hotel room until morning light bled weakly through the curtains, grey and exhausted, much like me. My mind kept replaying the last few hours — the wake, Ava’s trembling voice, Damien’s eyes when he saw me.Grief does strange things. It blurs logic and amplifies memory. It brings back ghosts you thought you buried for good.At six in the morning, I gave up on pretending I could rest. I showered, letting hot water scald my skin, as if it could scrub away the scent of lilies and regret that clung to me.When I stepped out, I checked my phone. Bad idea.13 missed calls.9 messages.All from work.And one unknown number.I opened the first message.> Ethan: Heard you didn’t go home last night. Let me drive you to the firm today, okay?The second:> Ethan: Don’t ignore me, Torres. I need to know you’re alright.I couldn’t decide if his concern made me grateful or irritated.Ethan Ward isn’t loud with his feelings.

CHAPTER 4 ****Liana****I woke up before the sun did, long before my alarm had any intention of saving me from my thoughts. The city was quiet, a dark gray against the windows, still sleeping while my mind replayed the same scene over and over: Damien’s eyes in the hallway, that fleeting moment of recognition that hit like something I wasn’t ready to feel again.I sat up, ran a hand through my hair, and forced myself to breathe.It was over. The funeral was over. I had done what I came to do.Now I could disappear again.At least, that’s what I told myself as I sat on the edge of the bed, elbows on my knees, forcing myself not to check my phone. I barely slept; every time I closed my eyes, I saw Elise’s face. Not the woman in the hospital bed. Not the body lowered into the ground. I saw her the night she dragged me to that bar — the glow in her eyes, the excitement, the way she leaned into Damien’s arm like she never feared a thing in her life.And I did what I always did: I stepped

CHAPTER 6 — The Weight of StayingLiana POVWhen the last of the guests finally left the Ramos residence, silence fell over the house like dust settling after an explosion. Everywhere I looked, grief lingered in the corners—half-finished cups of coffee abandoned on tables, tissues stuffed between couch cushions, flowers beginning to wilt from too many hands touching them.I stood at the foot of the stairs, holding a small stuffed unicorn Ava had brought to the funeral, now limp from being clutched all day. Its fur was matted from her tears.A door closed softly behind me.Damien.His footsteps were heavier than usual—slower, dragging, almost defeated. When he reached me, he exhaled a long, uneven breath, loosening his tie as if it were strangling him.“She wants you upstairs,” he murmured.I nodded.He didn’t move. Not yet. He just stood there, looking at the floor like the wor

CHAPTER 8“His Name Lights Up My Phone”LianaBy the time I leave the firm, the sun is already setting—long amber streaks spilling across the glass towers, reflecting gold off the windows of Delgado & Reyes Law. My first day felt like a lifetime.A lifetime I didn't expect to have again.I step out onto the busy sidewalk, my bag slung over my shoulder, my head heavy with cases, conversations, and an unsettling warmth every time Ethan smiled at me.But the moment I reach my car, reality hits me like a cold wind.My phone buzzes again.Damien Evan Ramos1 missed call3 unread messagesMy chest tightens.I lean against the car door, trying to steady my breathing as the city noise surges around me.Ethan was right—I could’ve answered earlier.But something about Damien reaching out terrifies me more than I want to admit.It’s only been days since Elise’s

CHAPTER 10 — LianaThe sun hadn’t even fully risen when I walked into Delgado & Reyes Law the next morning. The city streets were already alive with the rhythm of rush-hour chaos — the hum of engines, the sharpness of taxi horns, the clatter of heels on concrete. And yet, inside the firm’s glass doors, everything was calm, deliberate, meticulously orchestrated. A stark contrast to the storm I felt twisting in my chest.Ethan was already in the war room when I arrived, his laptop open, files stacked neatly, a half-empty cup of black coffee by his side. He looked up and smiled, casual, reassuring. That smile had become my anchor.“Morning, Liana,” he said, voice low enough to keep the early-floor buzz from carrying. “Sleep okay?”I shrugged. “As much as I could. You?”“Barely,” he admitted. “But caffeine is a powerful motivator. And you’re about to need some too.”I raised an eyebrow. “Motivate me for what? I al