Liam closed his eyes for a second.“You’re making it very clear that your feelings for me don’t run as deep as mine do for you,” he said quietly, exhaustion weighing on every word. “I’m starting to realize that I’m the one who loves more... and that makes me believe that, eventually, I’m going to end up alone in this relationship.”Olivia looked at him, disappointment filling her eyes, but Liam continued.“That’s why I never wanted to give my heart to any woman. Because, to me, love always ends the same way: betrayal, suffering... and death.”She drew a deep breath, as if gathering the scattered pieces of herself.“Love doesn’t survive when there’s a third person standing between a couple,” she said with devastating calm. “It cools. It corrodes. It slowly kills the relationship.”She lifted her chin.Her eyes were glossy with tears, but unwavering.“How many more times am I supposed to find her standing around in lingerie?” Her voice trembled but never broke. “Next time, am I supposed

Olivia smiled.Without answering, she slowly turned in a deliberately provocative circle, keeping her gaze locked on his.“Do you like it?” she asked playfully, stopping right in front of him.Liam stepped closer.Close enough for her to feel the heat radiating from his body.His thumb brushed lightly along the side of her waist—a minimal, calculated touch that said everything.“Beautiful...” he whispered into her ear.He pressed a slow kiss to her neck, sending a shiver through her entire body, before pulling back just enough to look at her again.Olivia held his intense gaze confidently, fully aware of the effect she had on him.Liam tightened his grip on her waist and drew a deep breath.“You’re going to be the death of me someday,” he murmured.She placed her hands against his chest, feeling the warmth of his skin beneath her fingertips.“It’s getting very hot out here...” she teased softly. “Don’t you think?”Liam answered without words.His hand moved to the back of her neck, hi

Silence settled heavily between them.Olivia reached up and touched Liam’s face again, but this time the gesture was different. It wasn’t just tenderness.It was understanding.Liam spoke in a low voice, every word carrying the weight of truth. His gaze remained fixed on hers, too intense to escape.“You affected me from the moment you walked into that place.”He paused briefly, as though reliving the memory.“I watched you the entire night. Wherever you went, I followed... like a shadow.”The corners of his lips lifted into a restrained smile, almost disbelieving.“I fell in love with those blue eyes, deep as the ocean, the very first moment I saw them.”His gaze darkened slightly.“And that terrified me.”Liam drew a deep breath and rubbed the back of his neck, a gesture that betrayed the conflict still lingering inside him.“You had this pull on me... this magnetism I couldn’t resist.”For a few moments, neither of them spoke.The sound of the ocean seemed louder.He inhaled again,

Edgar took a deep breath before speaking to the receptionist, never taking his eyes off Olivia.“You may leave,” he said firmly. “I’ll see her myself.”The door closed behind the receptionist.With a restrained gesture, Edgar indicated the chair in front of his desk.“Have a seat, Olivia.”He rose slightly, straightening his white coat.“Would you like some water? Juice?”“Thank you, Edgar, but I’m fine,” she replied politely.She sat down calmly.Edgar rested his hands on the desk and leaned forward slightly, studying her in silence for several moments, as though trying to understand what had brought her there.“I’ll admit I’m surprised by your visit,” he finally said, his voice controlled but curious.Olivia maintained perfect posture.She folded her hands in her lap and met his gaze without hesitation.“I won’t take much of your time,” she said firmly. “To get here, I had to walk into a perfume store and leave through a different exit to lose my security detail.”Edgar let out a sh

Edgar wandered through Central Park without truly noticing where he was going.His steps were slow, dragging, as though he had aged years in the span of a few hours.The distant noise of the city never reached him.Everything felt muffled, as though he were submerged underwater.He sat down on the grass, leaning against the trunk of a tree overlooking the lake.The water’s reflection was far too calm for someone whose world was collapsing inside him.He took a deep breath.It didn’t help.His hands trembled as he pulled Laura’s diary from the folder.For a moment, he hesitated.As if he already knew that every word inside would tear another piece out of him.He opened it.> After years without hearing anything about Edgar, he showed up at the nightclub where I was.I thought I was going to die.Edgar closed his eyes briefly.He remembered that night.The shock of seeing her.The loss of control.The jealousy that had consumed him without warning.> He’s stronger now. More attractive.