Loving the enemy

Chapter 10

Liam’s pov

I glanced at the view of the city from my office window. I sat at my desk, staring at numbers on the screen I barely absorbed, my thoughts wandering somewhere else entirely.

Her.

Ava Quinn. My wife.

The word still felt foreign on my tongue. Waking up with two years loss of memory and finding her at my bedside,saying we were married, had been the biggest surprise of my life. Or at least, the biggest since the blast on the yacht that stole pieces of me I couldn’t get back.

I should have felt suspicious. I should have demanded answers, pressed her until I uncovered every hidden truth. But I didn’t. Instead, I went along with it. Something in her eyes made me believe her. Even if she wasn’t my wife when I opened my eyes, something in me wanted to claim her. Not because I was fooled. No. Because for some reason… it didn’t feel wrong.

Ava is not like anyone else in my world. She doesn’t flatter me, doesn’t squirm under my stare, doesn’t treat me like a prize to be won. She carries herself with quiet defiance, even when she tries to hide it. And that night at the gala, when I asked her to tell me one true thing about herself, she said she hated pity. The way she said it, like it was a confession she had never shared with anyone.

I could see it in her eyes. She is carrying something heavy. Secrets. Pain. And instead of pushing me away, that truth drew me closer. Why? I don’t know. Maybe because for once, someone was real with me. It all felt real and I wanted it to stay that way. She said we loved each other, I couldn’t imagine myself being in love. I have never been in love but something about her draws me in and I want to find it all out.

The click of the office door snapped me out of my thoughts. My mother walked in, elegant as ever in a suit, pearls on her neck. Her presence filled the room before she even spoke.

“Liam,” she said warmly. I haven’t seen her since I gained consciousness. I was told by Daniel that she had come to see me at the hospital a couple of times before she had a business trip to attend. I didn’t expect less from my mother. It’s always business first with her.

“Mother,” I greeted, standing briefly before settling back into my chair.

“I didn’t expect you back at the office this soon. I heard you just regained consciousness and had to suspend my business to come see you.” She said settling down on the chair opposite mine.

“I’m fine. Nothing I can’t handle. How’s Father?”

“He’s fine,” she replied quickly, brushing the concern aside with a wave of her hand. “Stubborn as always, but fine. You know how he is.”

I allowed myself a small smile. “Good.”

She moved closer, eyes assessing. “Now. Tell me something. When exactly were you planning to inform me that you got married?”

Here we go.

I leaned back in my chair. “I wasn’t aware I needed your permission.”

Her lips pressed into a thin line. “Don’t be flippant, Liam. I had to hear it from the news. Imagine my humiliation, standing there while people whispered about how my son married in secret, and I didn’t even know her name.”

I could hear the disdain coming from her voice as she said “her name.”

I chuckled, amused more than irritated. “Ava. Her name is Ava. And yes, she’s my wife.”

“As if that makes it better,” she snapped. “Do you have any idea how reckless this is? Who is this girl, Liam? Where is she from? Why wasn’t I told?”

“She’s my wife,” I repeated evenly, letting the words hang heavy between us. “That’s all you need to know.”

Her eyes narrowed. “That may satisfy you, but it does not satisfy me. You carry the Vance name, Liam. You don’t get to bind yourself to just anyone without consequence.”

I raised a brow. “Just anyone?”

“I’ve seen her picture,” my mother said coolly. “She’s… pretty, I suppose. But I don’t recognize her family, her lineage. No circles of influence. No legacy. Do you expect me to smile politely while people whisper about how my son threw himself away on a nobody?”

“Threw myself away?” I laughed, shaking my head. “Mother, you make it sound like I’m a pawn you can trade at will.”

Her chin lifted. “You should have married Sophie. That girl has pedigree. Influence. Her family’s name could have fortified ours. Instead, you choose this.”

Ah. Sophie. The card she always played.

“You’re still on that?” I asked, half amused. “Sophie would have been a merger, not a marriage. You don’t honestly think I would chain myself to someone just because you approve?”

“At least Sophie would not embarrass this family,” she shot back. “At least Sophie knows how to carry herself in public, how to represent the Vance name. Your… wife will never belong in this world. She will never be accepted.”

Her words might have stung if I hadn’t already heard them in my own head. But instead, I smirked. “We’ll see about that.”

Her eyes flashed. “You’re playing games, Liam.”

“No,” I said calmly. “I’m married. And nothing you say will change that.”

Silence stretched between us. At last, she drew in a breath, smoothing her jacket. “Very well. But I will not be ignored. I want to meet her. Properly. We’ll host a family dinner. Tomorrow evening.”

I tilted my head, watching her carefully. Her voice was calm, but her eyes said something else. This wasn’t a dinner. This was a test. A hunt.

“Tomorrow?” I asked.

“Yes,” she said. “If she is to carry my son’s name, then I deserve to see what kind of woman she really is.”

I could almost picture it now, Ava across the table from my mother, her every word and gesture weighed, judged, dissected. My mother plans on breaking her, I could see right through her. Probably push her to run the opposite direction. This will be fun.

“Fine,” I said at last. “Tomorrow.”

She gave me a tight smile. “Good. I’ll make arrangements.”

When she finally left the office, silence returned. I leaned back in my chair, fingers tapping idly against the desk.

Ava Quinn. My wife.

My mother wanted a test, but part of me was looking forward to it. Because something told me Ava wasn’t the type to break.

And I couldn’t wait to see it.