Chapter 17 What do you mean?
Liam’s POV
I watched as they walked away, Aria’s back straight, her father’s hand protectively on her shoulder, and Carter- that bastard-following behind them like he had every right to be there. The revolving doors spun, taking them out into the night, leaving me alone in the hotel lobby with nothing but my humiliation for company.
My feet felt like lead as I dragged myself back to the private dining room. The image of Aria in Carter’s arms kept flashing through my mind-her fingers clutching his lapels, the way she melted against him. That couldn’t have been real. Not my Aria.
I pushed open the door to find Sophia on her knees, tears streaming down her face while my mother stood over her, words like poison dripping from her lips.
“You manipulative little snake,” Mom hissed, her perfectly manicured finger pointing at Sophia. “You’ve destroyed everything. Years of friendship between our families-ruined. All for what? Your pathetic obsession with my son?”
Sophia’s shoulders shook with sobs, and something protective surged inside me. I rushed forward, positioning myself between them.
“Stop it,” I snapped. “Can’t you see she’s already hurting?”
Sophia looked up, her tear-filled eyes widening at the sight of me. In one fluid motion, she rose and threw herself against my chest, her delicate fingers clutching my shirt.
“Liam,” she whispered, voice breaking just enough to twist my heart. “I’m so sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen. Please don’t let me come between you and your family. I’ll leave. I’ll disappear from your life completely if that’s what it takes.”
“You’re not going anywhere,” I murmured, wrapping my arms around her trembling form.
Emily made a disgusted noise from across the room. “Are you kidding me right now? She’s playing you like a violin, and you’re just letting her! God, Liam, go see an eye doctor-you’re completely blind when it comes to this woman.”
Before I could respond, she pulled away, gathering her purse with shaking hands. “I won’t bother you anymore,” she murmured, her voice barely audible as she slipped out of the room, her shoulders hunched in defeat.
The door closed behind her with a soft click. I stood frozen, torn between going after her and facing my family.
I turned toward the door, ready to follow-
“Don’t you dare take another step!”
My father’s voice boomed across the room, sharp as a blade.
I halted.
He was already on his feet, eyes blazing.”You ungrateful bastard,” he spat. “You would abandon Aria-for a woman like that?”
I clenched my fists. “It wasn’t like that-”
“Then what was it?” he snapped. “You tossed aside the woman who stood by you, who loved you, who would’ve given you everything-for what?”
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I swallowed hard, my throat tight. “Sofia was sick. She had depression. I- I thought if I left her, she’d… she might hurt herself.”
My father let out a cold, bitter laugh.”So you sacrificed Aria to play savior?”
He stepped closer, his voice rising.
“Do you even understand what you’ve done?The Jones family was our oldest ally. Benjamin Jones stood by me when no one else would during the company’s collapse in ’18. We were days away from shutting our doors, and he put his name, his money, and his reputation on the line to save us.”
He jabbed a finger toward me, his tone sharp as cut glass.”His daughter grew up alongside you. She loved you— unconditionally. And you threw her away like garbage.”
The weight of his words hit me hard. I hadn’t expected my family to take Aria’s side so completely.
I glanced down the hallway, suddenly desperate to fix things with Aria. “I need to go after her.”
“It’s too late,” Emily said, shaking her head. “She’s with Aiden Carter now. Did you see how he looked at her? How she looked back at him? That kiss wasn’t for show, Liam.”
The memory of Aria kissing Carter-and worse, him kissing her back with such possessive intensity-made my stomach churn. That couldn’t be real. It couldn’t.
My mother’s icy voice cut through my thoughts. “I’ve always supported your decisions, Liam. Always. But this? This is where I draw the line.” Without another word, she turned and walked out, not even looking back.
My father’s disappointed gaze lingered a moment longer before he followed her, leaving just Emily staring at me with disgust.
“You know what the worst part is?” she said quietly. “Aria would have forgiven you. Even after everything. But now?” She shook her head. “You’ve lost her for good.”
Left alone, I stared at the champagne flute Aria had dropped earlier, still lying on its side on the carpet. A strange, overwhelming panic surged through me. If I didn’t go to her now-tonight-I might lose her forever.
I rushed to the parking garage, determined to drive to Aria’s house. I needed to explain, to make her understand that what we had wasn’t something to throw away. That Carter was just using her to get to me.
Halfway there, my phone rang. Sophia’s name flashed on the screen.
“Sophia? What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Liam,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “I can’t bear this anymore. Everyone hates me, and it’s all my fault. I should just… disappear from your life. Let you fix things with Aria.”
My blood ran cold at her next words: “Maybe if I die, everything will finally end.”
“Sophia! Where are you?” I demanded, panic rising in my throat. “Sophia!”
“Don’t come looking for me, Liam,” she said softly. “You should be with Aria…”
The line went dead. I gripped the steering wheel, my knuckles turning white. Aria or Sophia? The woman I’d spent twelve years loving or the woman who now needed me to save her life?
With a violent curse, I spun the wheel, turning the car around. Sophia needed me now. I’d go to Aria tomorrow. I’d kneel on her doorstep all day if necessary. She’d forgive me. She always had.
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I drove like a madman through the streets, running red lights, praying I wasn’t too late. When I finally reached Sophia’s apartment, I didn’t even bother with the elevator, taking the stairs two at a time until I reached her floor.
“SOPHIA!” I shouted, pounding on her door. When there was no answer, I stepped back and kicked it open.
The bathroom light spilled into the darkened apartment. I rushed toward it, my heart in my throat.
She was lying in the bathtub, still fully clothed, water tinged pink with blood flowing from her wrists. Her eyes fluttered open when I burst in, a small, sad smile touching her lips.
“You came,” she whispered.
I didn’t answer, just scooped her up and ran for the car, my shirt quickly soaking through with her blood. All I could think was: Not like this. Not like this.
The hospital was a blur of harsh lights and shouting voices. They took her from my arms, rushing her through swinging doors marked “Emergency Only.” I stood there, covered in blood-her blood-watching as they wheeled
her away.
Hours passed in that sterile waiting room. I stared at my phone, Aria’s name highlighted on the screen. I should call her. Explain why I couldn’t come tonight. But what could I possibly say?
“Mr. White?”
I looked up to see a doctor in blood-spattered scrubs standing before me.
“Ms. Clarke is stabilized, but there’s something you should know.” His face was grim, his voice low. “When we were treating her, we found something… unusual.”
My heart stuttered. “What do you mean?”
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