Chapter 217

Aria’s POV

Liam and I went down into the kitchen, where I put a pot of coffee on. It was late for caffeine, but after the day we’d had, for this conversation, I wanted to be fully alert.

I’d agreed to hear Liam out, as I’d never fully given him the chance to explain in the past. My feelings were still tangled, hot and too big to ignore, but for the children’s sake, if not for my own, I would force myself to be calm while I heard him out.

While I waited by the coffee pot, Liam paced the length of the kitchen. Though he was silent, he was making the same gestures as he would if he were speaking – perhaps practicing what he was going to say?

I ignored him for now. When the coffee was done, I poured two cups. Without even realizing it, I prepared his just how he liked it. Only when I finished did I understand what I had done.

With a heavy heart, I stared down at the mug. I knew, based on this conversation, our relationship might be nearing the end. Yet my life with Liam was so intrinsically intertwined.

If I prepared his coffee without thinking it, what else did I do?

Would I have to relearn how to live by myself after being separated from him?

“The coffee’s ready,” I said. Taking my mug, I moved to the table and sat down.

Liam walked to the counter, saw his own coffee already prepared, and stopped. He entirely froze, not moving an inch.

“Aria…”

“Don’t,” I said, not sure if I could handle any kind of softness right now, especially any acknowledgement of it on my side by him. The only way I would make it through this conversation was if we both agreed to be strong.

Seemingly sensing that, he nodded, turned away from the coffee, and looked at me.

“I was a coward,” he says. “Markus was pressuring me. The team was barely keeping afloat from the onslaught of his hacking and other financial attacks. He was even coming after you, showing up here with all that money.”

Liam pushed his hand through his hair. “I was burning the candle on both ends, trying to handle everything. Yet, because I was so busy, I was losing you and not being there for William and Joe. When Joanna suggested her plan, this fake engagement, I didn’t go for it at first. I knew it would hurt you.”

So the fake engagement was Joanna’s idea. That didn’t make me feel better, even if it was true. “You still went along with it.”

“I was exhausted and I just wanted Markus to back off,” Liam said. “I was losing you, losing my family, and the team. I didn’t know what else to do. It seemed like the best idea at the time. But I swear to you, Aria, I wish I would have just kept fighting. If I’d known…”

“You knew it would hurt me,” I said. “That’s why you didn’t tell me.”

He lowered his head a little, not disputing that. “I’d foolishly hoped that I could resolve all of this without your having to worry about it. I agreed to pretend an engagement only in front of Markus and Joanna’s parents. I didn’t know until later about the engagement ceremony. By then, it was too late. I couldn’t back out without making things worse.”

“For who?” I asked.

Backing out would have made things easier for me. For our family. Regardless what Liam might have convinced himself, if we had communicated better I was sure that we could have found a way to overcome all of this together.

But Liam had decided he wanted to carry the weight of the entire world on his shoulders alone.

As such, keeping silent only made things easier for him.

“I know I messed things up in a big way,” Liam continued. His shoulders slumped slightly, defeat in his entire posture. “But I swear to you, it was only to stop Markus from ruining our lives.” He huffed a hard, bitter laugh. “And now the bastard is dead. I didn’t need to do any of this at all.”

“You didn’t anyway,” I said. “If you had just talked to me.”

I wasn’t sure what I believed. His story made sense but I still wasn’t fully convinced it was the full truth. Though I wanted to trust Liam, I couldn’t doubt what I’d seen with my own eyes. He had attended that engagement party. In front of everyone, including the media, he had gotten on one knee and proposed to Joanna.

No one knew he was already married to me.

“I regret not telling you sooner, Aria. I wanted to. So many times. But I didn’t want to cause you unnecessary pain.”

“I would have found out eventually, Liam. A secret like that wouldn’t stay secret for long.”

Especially with Joanna, who had been chasing after Liam since even before her appearance in our lives. She’d been determined to be Liam’s wife from the start. This gave her the perfect opportunity to push forward that narrative – assuming Liam was telling the truth to me now.

It was so easy for him to say all of this when we were alone. Would he keep the same story if we were in front of others?

Looking at me, he seemed to notice my hesitation. “You don’t believe me.”

“I want to,” I admitted. “But it’s difficult.”

“I’ll prove it to you, then,” he said.

“How?”

“Tomorrow, at work,” he said. “Let’s go in together. We’ll confront Joanna and she’ll tell you the truth.”

I doubted that the most out of everything he said. Joanna had never been an ally to us. But, if she had Liam had made this plan together, in some kind of mutual arrangement, then perhaps she was the only person I could turn to for the truth.

It seemed so bizarre to be depending on Joanna for my peace of mind. But if that was what was necessary, then so be it.

The next day, Liam and I sent the kids off on the school bus together and then drove into work following one another.

I didn’t even go to my office first to put down my stuff. Instead, I follow Liam straight up the stairs to the highest floor and the office he shared with Joanna. Joanna was already there, painting her nails at her desk. Her laptop was open, with her email up, but she wasn’t really looking at the screen.

Noticing us, she glanced over. “Oh. Hello, Liam. Aria, this is a surprise, seeing you.”

I frowned at her.

“Joanna,” Liam said. “I’m glad you are here. I’ve brought Aria into the loop about the fake engagement. If you could please confirm that our engagement was all just a plow to trick Markus and your parents, I would appreciate it.”

Joanna’s bright mood immediately dimmed. “Fake engagement?” she echoed, sounding confused.

Liam tensed. “No games, Joanna. Tell her the truth.”

“I am, darling,” Joanna said. “I haven’t the faintest idea what you are talking about.”

My blood went cold.

“Joanna,” Liam said sternly.

Looking at me, Joanna said, “Liam told me before the engagement celebration, Aria, that he was leaving you. Is that not what he told you?”