Chapter 198

Aria’s POV

“I am busy,” Liam said. He purposefully stopped tugging on his sleeve, gripping both hands on the laptop and paperwork he carried instead.

I knew he was busy. That wasn’t fully a lie. But was he truly so busy that he couldn’t find five minutes to talk to be before Sunday? That, I highly doubted.

This timeline made the Saturday invitation even more suspicious. Something was definitely going on here. Maybe something big was happening on Saturday night. But what could it be that he would risk everything just to keep it from me?

“But that’s not the only reason that we can’t talk until Sunday,” Liam finally admitted. “I wish I could tell you everything, but I can’t right now. Not until Sunday. On Sunday, I promise I’ll explain everything and everything will be made clear.”

“I don’t like this secrecy, Liam,” I said. “In the past, we had too many secrets too. Back then, Sophia had tried to drive a wedge between us, just like Joanna is doing now.”

“Just like Sophia, Joanna will not succeed,” Liam said. Inching closer to me, he looked down at me with intensity and passion in his gaze. For a moment, my breath is entirely stolen. Like this, he reminds me so much of the man I fell in love with so long ago. So confident and handsome. The kind of guy who could make you agree to anything, even to signing your soul away.

I wanted to believe him with the entirety of my being, but it was so damned hard, especially with the complications of our past. I’d trusted him back then too, and everything blew up in my face. But we’d been through so much since then. We’d endured so many hardships.

Surely we could endure this one too… right?

“It will all make sense on Sunday. You will understand everything then,” Liam said. “I just need you to hold out for me until then.”

As it was already Friday, Sunday didn’t seem all that far away. And I’d already waited so long.

But I was growing impatient. Even one more day felt like a lifetime.

“Do you trust me, Aria?” he asked.

It was an entirely unfair question. He had to know that, and that for me to answer honestly left myself open and vulnerable. If I gave him my trust, and he abused that trust…

I didn’t know if I could recover.

But, yes. In that moment, I supposed I did trust him. It had been the culmination of months of effort on both our parts, to repair our relationship and make things between us grow once more.

“Yes, Liam. I trust you.”

“Then wait for me to tell you until Sunday, okay?” Liam said.

Waiting would prove nearly impossible, but with my feelings for Liam, I could try. But on Sunday, there had better be an explanation that would be good enough to make this misery worth it.

Liam had to know that would be expected, but he still seemed confident.

“Fine,” I said, though worry stayed with me. “I’ll wait until Sunday.”

“Thank you,” he said, smiling a little. Leaning in, he placed a soft kiss to my cheek, then turned and rushed up the stairs.

He didn’t see, behind my back, I had my fingers crossed.

While I would wait until Sunday before asking him for any more answers, that didn’t mean I wouldn’t seek out my own by going to that event on Saturday night.

I’d been invited after all. It was rude to turn down an invitation.

If I trusted Liam, that he had nothing nefarious to hide, then my showing up at this event should not be a big deal. But if it did somehow involve him…

If he was innocent…

I hoped he could forgive me.

If he was guilty…

Well, I didn’t even want to think about that.

Liam’s POV

That night, I arrived home before Aria. I was tired of not spending time with my family, and since Aria and I had our talk, I felt comfortable that she wouldn’t bring anything up again until Sunday.

She was trusting me. God, I hoped I wasn’t about to horribly betray that trust.

As Aria wasn’t there, it was on me to thank Isabelle, who had been watching the kids.

While she and I had never been friends, really, I appreciated her always being there for Aria. I’d always tried my best to be warm with her, and she seemed to reciprocate mostly. He had a good acquaintanceship.

One of those relationships where we’d ask after each other’s health, or talk about the kids or the weather. It was good. Usually.

Tonight, however, after greeting the kids, when I went to say hello to Isabelle, she narrowed her gaze at me, glaring coldly.

“Uh, hi, Isabelle,” I said, caught a little off-guard.

“Liam,” she said. And it was all she said.

“Uh… How are you?”

“Fine.” She grabbed her purse and jacket and walked out of the room, not asking me the return question, or really anything.

Had I done something to upset her? I didn’t know, but I also didn’t feel comfortable asking. Maybe she was just having a bad day or something. I’d ask Aria about it when she came home. Isabelle would likely feel more comfortable talking with her friend.

“Well, uh… thanks for watching the kids,” I said.

“Sure,” she said in the hallway, not looking back at me. She stepped into her shoes, opened the front door, and disappeared through it, closing it behind her.

How strange.

Quickly, I go to check on the kids and find them both working hard on their homework. They want to stop to spend time with me, but I insist they finish first. Then they could be done when Aria came home and we could spend the evening as a family.

With that decided, and the kids back to working hard, I head downstairs to think about dinner. It would be nice to make something for Aria for a change. In the past, we’d shared responsibilities more often, but lately, I’d been so busy, most of the cooking had fallen onto Aria.

I needed to make that up to her. Not just that, so many things.

Starting Sunday, everything would be different.

As soon as I got rid of this damn ring in my pocket.

I could feel it even now, heavy like a weight. I hated the thought of it, of having to carry it around all day. I half wanted to throw it in the trash, but I could guess how expensive it was. Gaudy and garish as it was, the stone was absolutely huge.

It had to be a few hundred thousand dollars at least.

He still hated that he had to present it to Joanna. What a farce all of this was. Just to convince Markus and Joanna’s parents.

Reaching into his pocket, I retrieved the ring to look at it. God, the rock really was huge. I hadn’t looked all that closely before. It was hard to imagine that a diamond this big could be real, but knowing where it came from and who it belonged to, I was sure that it was.

Aria would have never wanted a ring like this.

A soft gasp sounded from the doorway.

In a snap, I lifted my gaze.

Isabelle was standing there, her eyes glued on the ring.