Liam sat at his fancy mahogany desk. It was a sign of his success in the tough world of money. But it felt like a jail cell to him. The air was heavy with the smell of expensive leather and the quiet hum of the city outside. Liam could only stare at the pattern of the wood grain. He could “t focus on anything else. The weight of his worries was crushing him, like a heavy cloak that made it hard to breathe.
He wasn’t supposed to be here. He should be at Isabelle’s side, celebrating their engagement, basking in the glow of their shared future. But instead, the thought of her, his fiancee, his supposed soulmate, gnawed at his insides. He couldn’t shake the image of her, her laughter ringing in his ears, her hand intertwined with that of his cousin Max, the betrayal a bitter sting on his tongue.
He remembered the warning he had given Max, his voice laced with barely contained rage. “Stay away from her, Max.” he’d said, the words heavy with unspoken threats. The icy blue of Max’s eyes had seemed to shimmer with defiance, but Liam had been resolute, his resolve unshakeable. He had sworn to himself that he would never let his family, his legacy, be tainted by the treachery of a man he once considered a brother.
The door of his office creaked open, interrupting Liam’s agonizing thoughts. He looked up, his gaze meeting Nathan’s, one of his trusted men, his face etched with a mixture of concern and unease.
“Liam.” Nathan began, his voice low and hesitant. “I called you earlier. I… I have some news.”
Liam’s jaw tightened, the tension rising in his chest like a trapped beast, ready to erupt. He felt a chill run down his spine, already anticipating the grim report.
“Spill it, Nathan.” he barked, the words coming out harsher than he’d intended.
Nathan shifted uncomfortably, his eyes fixed on the floor. “I saw them, Liam. Isabelle and Max. Holding hands. In the city center.”
Liam’s blood ran cold. A low growl escaped his throat, a primal sound of anger and betrayal. His fist slammed onto the desk, the sound reverberating through the room.
“Hold hands?” He echoed, his voice thick with fury. “They were holding hands, Nathan? Goddamn it!”
Nathan winced, his body language making it clear that he wasn’t enjoying this task. “I didn’t want to intrude, Liam, but I thought you should know. They seemed… happy.”
The word “happy” pierced through Liam’s fury like a shard of glass. He saw them, their laughter, their closeness, their… happiness. It was a cruel mockery of everything he had built, everything he thought was his.
“Happy?” He choked out, the word tasting like ashes in his mouth. “Happy, Nathan? They’re happy while I’m here, sitting in this goddamn office, stewing over their betrayal! What kind of sick joke is this?”
Liam’s gaze hardened a steely glint in his eyes. “Nathan, you keep your eyes on them. Every move, every word I want to know everything. And Max.” he hissed, his voice low and dangerous. “Max will pay for this. I’ll make sure of it.”
Nathan nodded, his face pale with fear. He knew Liam’s wrath was a force to be reckoned with.
Liam sat back, his fingers drumming a frantic rhythm against the mahogany surface. He needed to act, to confront them, to find a way to reclaim what he thought was his. His phone, a sleek black device resting on his desk, beckoned him, a silent promise of connection, of confrontation. But as Liam’s fingers hovered over the screen, a wave of hesitation washed over him. He couldn’t bring himself to call her, to face her, to break the fragile facade of their relationship.
Instead, he dialed another number, the name “Gina” flashing across the screen. His mother-in-law, his supposed ally, the woman who had orchestrated this entire engagement.
The phone rang each ring a hammer blow to his sanity. He could hear Gina’s voice, a familiar mix of surprise and concern.
“Liam, what is it? Is everything alright?”
Liam took a deep breath, trying to control the rage that threatened to consume him. “Gina, we need to talk. This marriage, this… arrangement, it isn’t working out.”
Gina” ‘s voice faltered, her usual warmth replaced by a nervous tremor. “Liam, what are you saying? Isabelle is… She’s so excited about marrying you.”
“Excited?” Liam scoffed, bitterness lacing his words. “She’s excited because you’ve been drilling the importance of this union into her head. This marriage was never about love, Gina. It was about power, about control, about the continuation of a legacy. And now, it seems, she’s found something else, something more real, something more… true.”
Silence. The only sound was the distant hum of the city, a grim symphony of indifference.
“Liam.” Gina finally spoke, her voice shaky. “I don”l’t know what you’re talking about. Isabelle… she loves you. She’s just… maybe she’s a bit confused, that’s all.”
Liam’s anger flared. “Confused? She’s holding hands with my cousin, Gina. In the middle of the street, for all to see! Do you call that confusion?”
Gina’s breath hitched. “Liam, I… I don’t know what to say. I just… I need you to understand, this is very important for both of our families. We need to make this marriage work.”
Liam’s eyes narrowed, his voice cold and steady. “You know what, Gina? It’s not working out. And if Isabelle continues to defy me, to go against my wishes, then I’ll be left with no choice but to terminate the contract. You know what that means, Gina. You know what you’ll have to pay.”
The threat hung heavy in the air, a suffocating cloud of fear and desperation.
“Liam, please.” Gina pleaded. “Let me talk to her, I’ll talk to her. I’ll make her see the reason. Just… please, don’t do this.”
Liam, his anger finally reaching its peak, slammed the phone down, the sharp crack echoing through the room. He stood up, his face contorted with barely contained rage. He felt a wave of exhaustion washes over him, the weight of his fury finally starting to take its toll.
He turned away from the phone, his gaze falling on the door as it swung open again. A woman entered a familiar figure, her face a mask of professionalism.
“Liam,” she said, her voice a soft melody in the atmosphere of simmering anger. “A gentleman named Damien Russo has sent you an invitation. A soiree, tomorrow evening. He says it’s a… celebration of our… “mutual understanding.”
Liam looked at her, his anger fading into a chilling curiosity. He knew Damien Russo, his rival, his opponent, the man who had always stood in his way. The invitation, a delicate card embossed with a single black rose, was a cryptic message, a veiled threat.