The lights in the event hall dimmed to a warm amber, casting soft shadows across the marble floors. The air buzzed with chatter and clinking glasses as New York's elite mingled beneath crystal chandeliers, wrapped in tailored suits and silken gowns. But for Amelia, the world felt quiet. Still.
She stood near the edge of the room, fingers wrapped loosely around a champagne flute she hadn't touched. Her eyes, however, were locked on a single figure.
Liam.
He was speaking with one of the board members across the room, his expression composed, professional. But she'd begun to notice the little tells—how his jaw tightened when he glanced her way, how his hand curled at his side like he was resisting the urge to reach for her.
It was Julian who stood beside her now, too close for coincidence.
"You're quiet tonight," he said smoothly, voice low. "Second thoughts?"
Amelia blinked, startled from her thoughts. "About?"
He tilted his head, a small, knowing smile tugging at his lips. "Everything."
She looked up at him, studying the way the low light caught in his blue eyes. Julian had been steady, consistent. He was confident, charming, and despite his polished exterior, there was a sincerity to him that disarmed her.
But it was Liam's shadow she kept searching for in every room.
"I'm just… processing," she replied.
Julian nodded, as if understanding ran deep in him. "That's fair. But if I can be honest—"
"I hope you will."
He chuckled softly. "Then I'll say this: I know you're drawn to him. I'm not blind. But I also know what it's like to choose someone who breaks you slowly while making you feel like they're saving you."
Her breath caught.
He continued, gentler now. "You deserve more than confusion, Amelia. You deserve someone who sees you clearly. Not as a part of a plan. Not as a means to an end. Just… you."
Her chest tightened. She hated that part of her wanted to lean into Julian's calm warmth—wanted to feel safe. But another part of her was addicted to the way Liam looked at her, like she was the only thing standing between him and complete ruin.
"I need air," she whispered.
Julian stepped aside immediately. "I'll be here when you get back."
She nodded, grateful, and slipped out onto the balcony.
The night was brisk. Cool wind kissed her bare arms and brought her back to herself. New York stretched out beneath her, glittering and unaware of the storm building in her heart.
She was just beginning to breathe again when she heard a voice behind her.
"I wasn't sure if you'd come tonight," Liam said.
Amelia didn't turn. "Why wouldn't I?"
He stepped closer. "Because I haven't been completely honest with you. And I think you know that."
Now she turned.
His grey eyes searched hers, and she saw it—the vulnerability he so rarely showed. The hesitation. It made him more dangerous, somehow.
"I know there's something between us," she said softly. "But I also know you've been holding back. About my father. About your past. About everything."
He nodded, slowly. "And I promised I'd tell you."
"Then tell me."
Liam opened his mouth—but before he could speak, a sharp buzz echoed from Amelia's clutch.
She frowned and pulled out her phone. One new message. Unknown number.
Her fingers trembled slightly as she opened it.
"Do you really think either of them wants you for who you are? Ask Liam what really happened the night of the merger. The night your father lost everything. Ask him why he walked away untouched."
Amelia went cold.
She stared at the message, her heart pounding so loudly it drowned out the music behind the glass.
"What is it?" Liam asked, stepping forward.
She held the phone up for him to see.
His expression didn't change. Not immediately. But the flash in his eyes—dark and fleeting—was answer enough.
"Who sent this?" he asked quietly.
"I was hoping you could tell me," she replied, voice hardening.
Liam exhaled slowly. "There are things about that night… things I haven't told anyone. Not even my closest advisors. And if someone knows about it, they're watching both of us very closely."
Her fingers curled around the phone. "What happened, Liam?"
He was silent for a long time. Then: "I'll tell you. But not here. Not like this."
"No," she said, stepping back. "No more 'not here.' No more later. I need to know now. Because I'm standing on the edge of something I can't name, and I don't know whether to jump or run."
Liam's gaze dropped to the floor. For a moment, she thought he might deflect again. But then he looked up, and the walls around him cracked.
"Your father betrayed people, Amelia. Mine was one of them. That merger? It wasn't a loss. It was a calculated takedown. He was never supposed to walk away with a dime. But he did—and he left a mess that ruined families. Mine included."
Her breath caught. "What… what are you saying?"
"I'm saying I came back to settle that score," he said, voice low and pained. "At first, you were just a piece of that puzzle. But then I saw you. I knew you. And everything started to unravel."
She staggered back, disbelief washing over her like a tide. "So it was a game. All of it."
"No," he said firmly, taking her hand. "It started that way. But it stopped being one the moment I realized I cared. The moment I couldn't imagine finishing my plan… if it meant losing you."
She yanked her hand away, overwhelmed.
"Don't," she whispered. "Don't try to make this noble. You used me."
"I never touched anything that wasn't already yours," he said. "Your strength. Your ambition. That fire inside you. I just gave it space to grow. Because I believed in you."
Tears stung her eyes. The message still glowed on her phone screen. Julian's warning echoed in her mind.
Two men. Two choices.
And now, a truth that changed everything.
"I need to think," she said shakily, retreating toward the door.
Liam didn't follow.
When she returned inside, Julian was still where she left him. He looked up, concerned, but didn't press. She was grateful.
Because for the first time since this all began…She truly didn't know who to trust.