Chapter 51
“Liam..….. will you stop and talk to me?” Izzy demanded, her footsteps echoing against the polished marble floors as she followed him into the sprawling mansion. Her heart was still racing from everything that had happened, and now Liam’s silence was only adding to her frustration.
Fortunately, Calen wasn’t seriously injured. Aside from the inevitable bruises forming on his face, he was otherwise unharmed–drunk, but unharmed.
As expected, Liam didn’t stop. He walked inside the mansion, his shoulders tense, his jaw set. He pulled his shirt over his head in one swift motiqu–revealing his broad back and the faint sheen of sweat clinging to his skin. Without a word, he headed straight for the indoor gym.
“Hey! I am talking to you!” Izzy snapped, quickening her pace to catch up to him. She stopped just outside the gym door, watching as he wrapped his hands in tape with an almost mechanical precision. The faint sound of the punching bag being struck echoed through the space as he began landing hard, methodical punches.
What the hell was this gu
guy doing!?
Her frustration boiled over. “Liam, what the hell was that back there? You can’t just barge into my office and punch someone! Thad it under control!”
Still, Liam didn’t respond. He continued to punch the bag, his movements relentless and controlled. Each hit reverberated in the quiet gym, the sound mixing with Izzy’s quickened breathing as she stood there, glaring at him.
Liam!” she shouted, stepping fully into the gym. “I’m serious! Look at me and answer me right now!
Finally, he stopped. His fists hovered mid–air, and for a moment Izzy thought he might turn around and actually answer her. But instead, he exhaled sharply, grabbed the bag to steady and then swung another brutal punch that made her
flinch.
“Liam!” she yelled again, stepping closer. She placed herself between him and the punching bag, her hands on her hips.“Enough! I’m not leaving until you explain yourself.”
Liam’s chest heaved as he stared at her, his hands still clenched into fists. His eyes were sharp, burning with frustration and. something else she couldn’t quite place.
“What would you rather me do, Izzy?” he asked, his voice low but cutting. “Stand there and watch as that man tries to assault you?”
The words hit her like a punch to the gut, silencing her instantly, Her arms fell to her sides as she stared at him, her mind. replaying the scene in her office–Calen’s unsteady steps, his hand gripping her arm, the monstrous glint in his eyes. Assault her? She didn’t think of it like that. Still, she shuddered at the memory, but her stubbornness wouldn’t let her back down so easily.
“I didn’t need your help,” she said, her voice quieter now but no less firm. “I could’ve handled it.”
Calen had a history of losing control when he drank too much. She’d managed to handle bim before, and she was certain she could do it again.
Liam stepped closer, the heat radiating off him as he towered over her. “Really?” he asked, his eyes narrowing.“Because from where I stood, it didn’t look like you had it handled”
Izzy’s breath hitched as she took a small step back, bumping into the punching bag behind her. She tilted her chin up defiantly, refusing to be intimidated.
“You think I’m weak?” she challenged. “You think I couldn’t handle him?”
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Chapter 51
Liam shot back. “Hthink you’re stubborn. Too stubborn to mit when you’re in danger!”
Liam’s gaze never left her as he closed the space between them. His movements were slow, deliberate as if he was giving her every opportunity to push him away, to tell him to stop. But Izzy didn’t move. She stayed rooted in place, her chest rising and falling as her breath quickened.
“What was I supposed to do, Izzy?” Liam asked, his words cutting through the charged silence. “Just stand there white someone was about to hurt my wife?”
Izzy froze. The word hung in the air between them, heavier than anything else that had been said. Wife. It wasn’t the first time he’d called her that, but this time, it felt different. It wasn’t just a joke or a throwaway contment. It was deliberate.
“You’re being dramatic, she said at last, though her voice lacked the sharpness she intended. “I was confident I could handle him.”
She was used to dealing with things on her own. Why did he have to storm into her office, knowing full well it could jeopardize her plans?
Now, Izzy had to explain why Liam was inside the building on a Saturday morning!
“You didn’t see his face,” Liam said, his eyes narrowing slightly. You didn’t see what I saw, Izzy. Do you really think I could just stand there, watching the woman I grew up with suffer?”
Her throat tightened, and she couldn’t find the words to respond. She hated the way his words twisted something deep inside her, forcing her to confront feelings she wasn’t ready to me.
You still don’t get it, do you?” he pressed, taking another step closer. This time, their bodies were mere inches apart. She could feel the heat radiating from him, could smell the faint hint of his cologne mixed with the sweat from his workout. “What was I supposed to do? Tell me.”
Izzy’s heart raced, her pulse thrumming in her ears. She tilted her head back to meet his gaze, refusing to look away. “I don’t know,” she whispered.
“What did you say?”
“I said, I don’t know!” she raised her voice. “I don’t fucking know Liam! I don’t know!”
“Exactly,” Liam said. “You don’t know. And neither do I. All I knew was that I couldn’t stand by and do nothing.”
He lifted a hand, his knuckles still red and raw from the punching bag. For a moment, she thought he might touch her, but he hesitated, his hand lingering in the air before he let it fall back to his side.
“Why do you always have to fight me?” he asked. “Why can’t you just let me protect you?”
Izzy’s lips parted, but no sound came out. She wanted to argue, to tell him he had no right to make that decision for her. But as she looked up at him, the intensity in his gaze stole the words from her.
Protect her? From who? From what? Growing up, Izzy had only Monica and Amalia–two people determined to sabotage her other relationships. She had been surrounded by nothing but snakes. Long ago, Izzy had learned the hard truth: she could rely on no one but herself. When it came to survival, there were some battles only she could fight.
“Answer me,” he said quietly. “Why do you always push me away
Push him away? She didn’t even know she was pushing him away, Izzy didn’t answer. She couldn’t. Instead, she stayed perfectly still, her eyes locked on his. The tension between them was suffocating, and yet she couldn’t bring herself to break
Ishe swallowed and bit her lower lip before she added. “I don’t know.”
Liam’s jaw tightened, and then, without warning, he leaned down. His hand moved to the small of her back, pulling her closer in one swift motion as his lips crashed against hers
10:44 Sat, Jan 4
Chapter 51
Izzy froze, her breath catching in her throat. The kiss was firm, demanding, and it sent a shockwave through her. For a split second, she thought about pulling away, about ending it before it went too far. But then she found herself leaning into him. her hands instinctively gripping his arms for balance.
The world around them seemed to disappear. The argument, the tension, the questions–all of it faded as the kiss deepened. She felt his other hand slide up to cup her face, his touch both firm and gentle, as if he was afraid she might slip away.
