The silence in the car on the way home from the hospital was thick, laced with emotions neither of them wanted to name. Elina's hands rested on her stomach protectively, her thoughts spiraling. Liam kept glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, as if he was afraid she might vanish.
She was the only real thing in his world right now.
But just as they turned into the driveway of the penthouse, Liam's phone buzzed again.
He checked it, his expression immediately tightening. "It's from the firm. I have to take this."
He stepped out of the car, walking a few paces away as he answered. Elina watched him, her heart sinking. Just when she felt like he was opening up, he was retreating again.
She sighed and got out of the car, walking slowly toward the building, not waiting for him.
When Liam returned to the penthouse half an hour later, Elina was sitting at the kitchen counter, a mug of tea in her hands. She didn't look up.
"I'm sorry," he said. "That call… It was important."
"Of course," she said softly, still not looking at him.
He hated how that made him feel. Like he was losing her without ever having had her in the first place.
"Elina," he said, walking closer. "There's something I have to ask you."
She turned toward him slowly, her gaze guarded.
"That night… The night we met. Can you tell me what really happened?"
Elina's fingers tightened around the mug. "You don't remember anything?"
He shook his head. "Just flashes. A red dress. Your eyes. The way you smelled like vanilla and lavender."
She swallowed hard. "You came to the bar looking like you wanted to disappear. I was working late, filling in for a friend. You sat at the counter, ordered three drinks, but barely touched them."
Liam leaned against the counter, listening intently.
"I asked if you were okay," she continued, her voice low. "You didn't answer. You just stared at me, like I was the only thing in the room that made sense."
His heart twisted.
"You asked me if I believed in second chances," Elina said. "I told you I didn't."
A faint smile touched his lips. "What did I say?"
"You said... 'Then maybe you've never been truly broken.'"
A silence fell between them.
"I didn't mean for it to go that far," she said. "We talked. A lot. You were kind. Sad, but kind. And then we ended up at your place. It wasn't supposed to be anything more than one night."
"But it was," he murmured.
"Yes."
Liam stepped closer. "You could've told me who you were the moment I proposed the marriage."
"I tried," she said, her voice breaking. "But your father was watching. My father threatened me. And I… I was scared."
He exhaled, guilt weighing on him like an anchor. "I don't know how to fix this."
"Then stop trying to fix it," she whispered. "Just… be here. With me. Now."
For once, Liam didn't have a clever reply.
He simply reached out and touched her cheek, his thumb brushing against her skin like he was memorizing her all over again.
The next morning...
Liam received a message from an unknown number:
> "Meet me. Confidential. It's about your father. Don't bring anyone."
He frowned, debating. Then, curiosity and a deep-rooted need for answers got the better of him.
He went.
The meeting point was an old private café in the outskirts of the city. Liam entered cautiously, his eyes scanning the place.
An old man in a navy coat sat in the corner. He waved Liam over.
"You don't know me," the man said. "But I worked with your father thirty years ago. I was his fixer. His shadow."
Liam narrowed his eyes. "Why are you contacting me now?"
"Because you deserve the truth. Your father… He's not just ruthless in business. He destroyed lives, Liam. Including hers."
Liam's breath hitched. "Whose?"
"Elina's mother."
Silence.
The man leaned in, voice lowering. "Your father ruined her. Bought her company, manipulated her finances, and drove her to take her own life."
Liam's blood turned cold.
"I didn't realize it until I saw the girl," the man said. "The resemblance. Her name. Elina is her daughter."
Back at the penthouse, Elina stared at the envelope on the coffee table. It had arrived without a return address, marked Urgent.
She opened it slowly, her hands trembling.
Inside was a photograph.
Liam. Her father. And… her mother.
In the same room.
Same event.
Years ago.
There was a note attached:
> "Secrets run deeper than you think. Watch your back."
Elina gasped, dropping the photo as if it had burned her.
What did this mean? Why were they all connected?
Suddenly, everything felt like a lie. Her life, her marriage, her child…
Was this all just a twisted chess game between powerful men?
And she—just a pawn?
Hours later...
Liam burst through the door, eyes wild. "Elina—"
She was standing by the window, the photograph in her hand.
"I know," she said before he could speak. "I saw it."
His heart dropped.
"Elina, I didn't—"
"Did you know our parents were connected?"
"I didn't," he swore. "Not until today."
She turned toward him, hurt flashing in her eyes. "So this is what it was all about? Some old family war I didn't even know existed?"
"No. This isn't about them. It's about us now."
"How can you say that when everything about our beginning was a lie?"
Liam stepped closer. "Because I'm trying to make it real. Every single day."
Tears rolled down her cheeks. "Then show me. Prove to me that I'm not just part of your father's legacy."
He cupped her face, desperate. "I'll burn his entire legacy to the ground if that's what it takes to keep you and our child safe."
For a moment, she searched his eyes.
Then nodded, just slightly.
"I'll give you a chance, Liam. But just one."
And that one chance might be all he needed—or all he'd get.