Chapter 30
Aria’s POV
I made my way through the bustling office, the faint hum of phones ringing and keyboards clacking a familiar backdrop. The corridor was quieter as I approached Liam’s office, away from the buzz of the main floor.
I clutched the file in my hand—Jackson’s latest training plan, something I needed Liam’s approval on. That was the excuse, anyway.
But as I stood there, the memory of last night lingered at the back of my mind, weaving its way into my thoughts. Dinner with Liam had been… different.
As I reached out and pushed the door open, the soft creak seemed to echo louder than it should, like a warning or maybe even a dare.
But when I pushed the door open, the office was empty. Liam’s desk was cluttered with documents, but his chair was vacant, the space feeling eerily still in his absence.
I placed Jackson’s training plan on Liam’s desk, ready to turn and leave, but something else caught my eye.
There, sitting neatly in the center of the desk, was a fresh stack of divorce papers—crisp, unmarked, and undeniably new.
The sight of them sent a jolt through me. Memories of the day I’d first left the original papers on our kitchen table flashed in my mind—the anger, the hurt, the feeling that our marriage was a broken bridge we couldn’t rebuild.
I had convinced myself it was the only way forward.
But these papers were different. They weren’t the ones I’d signed all those years ago; they were updated, drafted by Liam’s lawyer, the ink still smelling faintly fresh.
I stared at them, feeling a slow burn of anger and betrayal simmer beneath my skin.
Liam and I had made progress, hadn’t we? The dinners, the unspoken moments of connection, the hints that maybe we weren’t as broken as we thought.
What else does he want to take from me?
Without thinking, I snatched the papers off his desk. My heart pounded, a mix of rage and disappointment clouding my thoughts.
The idea that Liam had been keeping this as a backup plan, a way to end things cleanly whenever he felt like it, made my blood boil.
Before I could second-guess myself, I stormed out of his office and marched to the trash bin in the hallway.
I stared at the papers for a split second, feeling the weight of every unsaid word, every mixed signal between us. And then, with a flick of my wrist, I tossed them in.
What was I doing? I didn’t even know. Maybe it was reckless and impulsive, two things I never thought I’d be, but right now, it felt like the only response that made sense.
If Liam wanted to hold onto the past, that was his choice.
But I wasn’t going to let him keep an easy way out hidden in his drawer like some safety net. Not when I’d been risking everything by hoping, even just a little, that we could find our way back to each other.
As I made my way out of the building, my head was swimming with emotions I wasn’t ready to confront. I was so lost in thought that I didn’t notice Sophia until it was too late.
She was coming in as I was leaving, her perfect hair pulled back in a tight ponytail, eyes sharp and unforgiving. We collided, shoulder to shoulder, and she stumbled back, eyes narrowing when she realized who she’d run into.
“Well, if it isn’t the ex-wife,” Sophia sneered, her voice dripping with disdain. “Back to make more messes you can’t clean up?”
I bristled, my pulse quickening at her pointed jab. “Nice to see you too, Sophia. I’d ask what you’re doing here, but I think I already know.”
Sophia scoffed, her perfectly manicured nails tapping impatiently against her crossed arms. “You really can’t help yourself, can you? Always inserting yourself where you don’t belong.”
“I’m just doing my job,” I shot back, though the sting of her words hit harder than I’d let on.
Sophia had always been the thorn in my side, constantly making her presence known, as if I needed a reminder of how far I’d fallen out of Liam’s life.
“But I guess you’d know all about sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong.”
She stepped closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “You think Liam’s gonna just forget everything that happened between you two? He’s moved on, Aria. And Logan? He’s just stringing you along because it’s convenient.”
Her words cut deeper than I wanted to admit. I forced a smile, refusing to let her see the hurt she’d caused.
“Whatever you think you know, Sophia, keep it to yourself. I’m not interested in your opinion.” I brushed past her, but the her words left me reeling. Was she right?
Had I been fooling myself, believing Logan’s reassurances and Liam’s sudden attentiveness were more than just temporary distractions?
Why did her comment about Logan seem so pointed?
I didn’t have answers, just a growing sense of unease that wouldn’t be easily dismissed.
Liam’s POV
The office was quiet, the end of the workday approaching faster than I expected. I shut down my computer, rubbing my eyes as I leaned back in my chair, trying to shake the exhaustion that clung to my bones.
It had been a hell of a week—confronting my blackmailer, navigating the fallout, and somehow managing to keep my head above water. But now, there was something lighter about today.
For the first time in a long time, I felt like I was winning.
I gathered my things, reaching for the divorce papers I’d left on my desk earlier. They’d been sitting there for weeks, a silent reminder of the past I hadn’t been ready to fully confront.
But Aria had held up her end of the deal. Maybe it was time I did so, too. Reaching for them, I realized they were missing from the spot I had left them.
I paused, staring at the empty spot where the papers had been. A knot formed in my stomach. I rifled through the other documents, searching, but the papers were nowhere to be found.
My frustration flared as I stormed out of my office, spotting my assistant at her desk just down the hall.
“Lucy!” I called, my voice sharper than intended. She looked up, startled. “Have you seen the papers that were on my desk? The divorce papers?”
Lucy blinked, visibly thrown by my intensity. “No, sir. I haven’t touched anything on your desk today. I didn’t even realize you still had those…”
Her words trailed off, and my mind raced. The papers didn’t just disappear. Someone had taken them. But who? The answer came quicker than I wanted it to.
Aria.
The thought of her sneaking into my office, seeing those papers, and throwing them away—did she do it on purpose?
Hope flickered in the back of my mind, something I hadn’t allowed myself to feel for a long time. Maybe, just maybe, this meant something.
But no. I couldn’t afford to think like that. I couldn’t let myself believe that this meant she wanted to give us another chance.
I brushed it aside, telling myself it was a mistake, nothing more. I’d just have to get another copy from her. That’s all there was to it.
As I turned to leave, my thoughts still swirling, I saw Logan standing in the doorway, his expression uncharacteristically serious.
He looked at me, a shadow passing over his face that I couldn’t quite read.
“We need to talk,” Logan said, his voice low and urgent. There was no hint of his usual bravado, none of the cocky charm he usually wore like armor.
I folded my arms, leaning against the desk, trying to mask my irritation. The last thing I needed was another confrontation today. “What’s this about, Logan? You’ve got five minutes.”
Logan hesitated, his gaze shifting as if he was weighing his next words carefully. Whatever he had to say, it wasn’t going to be good. I could feel it in the air, thick and suffocating, like the calm before a storm.
And as Logan took a step forward, his face set with grim determination, I knew this conversation was about to change everything.
