Chapter 0024
His sweet voice greeted me the moment I finished, no fear in his voice. “Mom, when are you coming home? I want to see Dad!”
Before I could respond, Liam snatched the phone out of my hand with a quick swipe.
“Hey, buddy,” he said into the receiver, his voice softening as he spoke to Joe.
“Uncle Liam!”
“You want me to come over tonight?”
I reached for the phone, but Liam dodged easily, holding it high above his head.
I glared at him, stretching up on my toes to grab it back, but he kept it just out of reach, a playful smirk tugging at his lips.
“Give it back,” I demanded, my voice low but forceful. We danced around each other, me lunging and him evading, the scene quickly turning into a ridiculous tug–of–war.
From a distance, it must’ve looked like a bickering couple caught in a moment of lightheartedness. But nothing about this felt
playful to me.
Just then, Logan’s voice cut through the air like a knife. “Aria.”
I froze, my hand still outstretched as I turned to see Logan approaching, his eyes fixed on Liam. The embarrassment of the
situation hit me.
Behind him, a few of Liam’s friends lingered, watching the scene with expressions that ranged from curiosity to disdain. They shifted uncomfortably, clearly aware of the tension crackling in the air.
One of them, emboldened by the spectacle, couldn’t resist throwing a jab.
“Seems like Aria’s trying to play both sides, huh? Trying to keep the ex and the new man on a string?” His unmistakable. I tried to ignore the giggles several others‘ made no attempt to cover.
The comment was met with two simultaneous glares–one from Liam and the other from Logan.
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Their combined intensity was enough to shut the man up immediately, though his eyes darted away, clearly stung by the rebuke. The group of friends exchanged uneasy looks before they quickly moved away, their whispers fading as they exited the scene.
head throbbed from the confrontation, the headache growing with every second spent in this uncomfortable mess. The atmosphere in the room had shifted palpably, leaving an echo of awkwardness in its wake.
After what felt like an eternity, the gala finally drew to a close..
The crowd slowly trickled out of the ballroom, leaving behind an air of exhaustion. Logan offered to take me home, and I gladly
accepted.
1/2
+15 Bonus
But as we made our way outside, Liam’s car pulled up beside us, his driver waiting patiently by the curb.
“Get in,” Liam said, his voice firm as he opened the door.
I ignored him, stepping toward Logan’s car instead.
But Liam wasn’t finished. “I have something to discuss with you,” he added, his voice laced with an edge of authority that I
wasn’t in the mood to indulge.
“We have nothin
have nothing to talk about,” I replied, keeping my tone even.
Liam raised an eyebrow, a knowing smile creeping onto his face. “Divorce papers–want to talk about those?”
That stopped me in my tracks. I hesitated for a moment, glancing at Logan, who stood silent by my side. With a sigh, I turned
back toward Liam. “Fine.”
Logan’s expression was unreadable, but I could feel the weight of his eyes on me as I slipped into Liam’s car.
The door shut with a soft thud, and as we pulled away from the curb, I caught sight of Liam shooting Logan a triumphant look
from the corner of his eye. The glare I sent his way was sharp.
From the other side of the car, Liam just watched me.
“You look nice,” He said softly. I couldn’t remember the last time he’d said something like that to me.
Still, I didn’t answer him. He knew what I was here to discuss.
