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