Chapter 13
Liam’s friends it up when they finally heard his raspy voice. But then they went quiet and shot each other uneasy looks when they realized what he’d
They were confused about why Stephanie hadn’t shown up, especially after everything Liam had been through and with so many days passing
Normally, she would’ve been at the hospital, staying by Liam’s side around the clock and hardly sleeping at all.
Ivan scratched his head, sounding unsure. “She p–probably doesn’t know about this yet.”
IV dripping steadily and let out a relieved sigh.
„tan figured it might be better if Stephanie didn’t know about this. He looked
His friends noticed his expression soften and figured he was finally coming around. They gathered around him, talking
“Liam, we found out that the guy Marve brought that day is her new boyfriend, Julian Hawkes, the third son of the Hawke family from Aetherport. They met while studying abroad and made it official a couple of days ago
“The “surprise” Marve was talking about yesterday was her bringing him to
meet you, just to embar
embarrass you in front of everyone!
The Hawkes? That explained how Jilian could afford a limited–edition sports car.
Liam thought it over but stayed quiet
His friends let loose and got more and more excited as they talked.
“We can’t do anything to Julian, so let’s take it out on Marvel She’s been messing with you for years, and now that she’s moved on to someone else, she
unsons. She has no clue how much she’s worth!”
“Exactly, Liam, Just ser the word, and we’ll figure out how to handle her. Isn’t she all about gold–digging? Let’s spill everything she’s done over the
rams and see who’d still want anything to do with her!”
Liam stayed silent while his friends tossed around different ideas for getting back at Marve
Slowly, they started to sense something was off. They dropped their smiles and carefully asked, “Liam, you’re not going easy on her, are you? She’s already shown her true colors–what’s the point?”
“Tech, she’s just a pretty face with a nasty side. Don’t be dumb, Liam–picking her is worse than picking Stephanie!”
“What do you mean “worse? I think Steph’s great. She’s been there for you all these years, never caused any drama, cleaned up a ton of messes, and she’s got ambition! Isn’t she way better than Maeve?”
The cold look on Liam’s face finally faded when Stephanie’s name came up.
He scanned the room, his voice low and more determined than ever. “From now on, don’t bring up Maeve around me, and don’t go after her for anything. We’ll just cut ties and leave it at that.”
“She never
udly agreed to be with me, I was just fooling myself and thinking I was more than I really was!”
It was clear how things were, and Liam couldn’t avoid the truth any longer.
Everyone wenitg
quiet.
Liam sew the reluctance on their faces, his gaze softened, and his voice grew gentler. “Stephanie Rowell has been my girlfriend from day one, and she
and Jean, who were still recovering
After finishing his IV, Liam went to the ward next door to check in on Victor and Jean
They were still mad at him, and both locked away as soon as he came in.
Liam kw he’d let them down, that his ten years of wrong choices had broken their hearts. He sank to his knees right there to own up to his mistakes. “Mom, Dad, I’m sorry. I’ve been wrong all these years. I shouldn’t have put our family aside, acted selfishly, and caused you both so much stress. “I’ve figured everything out. I’ll start listening to you both, return to the company, and take on the responsibilities I need to.”
Jean’s expression softened a little when she heard what he said. Victor was still fuming. He didn’t look at Liam, acting like he hadn’t heard a word he said. Liam stayed on his knees, feeling the cold floor beneath him
Minutes slipped by, and the ward was thick with silence.
wasn’t until his legs went unb from kneeling that Victor finally frowned and said, “Fine, get up. It’s a blessing you’ve come to your senses. Get well and report to the compatry!”
But Liam stayed kneeling, looking at them with determination “Can we push it back for two months? I’d like to get married first,”
Victor’s face went crimson with anger when he heard Liam was planning to get married. He snatched the cup off the table and flung it at Liam
“You want to get married? Who exactly are you planning to marry, Marve? Llam, are you serious? She ruined your hand, and you’re still thinking about marrying her? Are you trying to drive your mom and me insane?”
The cup grazed Liam’s ear before smashing on the floor. Hot coffee splattered onto his injured hand, soaking through the fresh bandages.
But he didn’t pay any attention to it, keeping his focus on Victor and Jean, who were seething. “It’s not her. It’s my girlfriend. We’ve been together for six years, and I’m ready to marry her.”
Six years? Victor and Jean looked at each other in disbelief, having never heard a word about it until now.
Eventually, Jean softened her tone and asked, “You’ve been with her for so long. Why haven’t you introduced her to us? Which family is she from?”
Liam’s face showed a brief hint of hesitation but quickly returned to normal.
He gave it some thought before responding, “She’s not from a well–known family. Her background is pretty ordinary. I kept it quiet because I thought you might not approve.”
Victor’s anger flared up again at his words. He was about to blow up when Jean jumped in to hold him back. “Why bring up marriage when you already know we wouldn’t agree?”
