Betrayed By The Billionaire

85

"Do you like her, Liam?"

The memory of her voice, young and trembling with a hint of jealousy, echoed in the silent villa.

"Sara’s brother, Leo, is my best friend. To me, she’s just a sister."

"Really?"

"Of course."

"Liam... I believe you."

In his mind’s eye, Liam saw himself reaching out to take that girl’s hand. It had been so small, so soft—as if she had no bones at all. Her face had been a masterpiece of porcelain perfection, her dark eyes sparkling like rare jewels. Her smile was clean, shy, and sweet. She was everything good in the world, while he had been hiding a heart stained with darkness.

Only three months ago, she had wrapped her arms around him from behind, leaning into him with absolute trust and dependence. Her voice had been like a melody: "Liam, I’m graduating soon. Let’s get married the moment I have my diploma."

Liam closed his eyes, a grimace of agony contorting his handsome features. He didn't want to remember.

Have you ever been trusted by someone without condition? Have you ever had someone go mad with obsession for you? Have you ever had a person love you so deeply they had no reservations left?

Chloe Bishop was that person. She was a high-born princess who had accepted his physical flaws, cooked for him, risked her life to follow him on dangerous adventures, and stood against the entire world just to be by his side. If you have never known a love like that, you cannot fathom the hollow, jagged pain currently tearing through Liam’s chest.

He felt like a small child who had carelessly thrown away his favorite toy, only to realize in the middle of the night that he was utterly, terrifyingly alone without it.

Liam suddenly remembered the morning Chloe came to find him, clutching his old prosthetic leg. She had held onto it with white-knuckled desperation, her eyes screaming a thousand words she couldn't say. He knew then that the prosthetic was just an excuse to see him, a final thread to hold them together.

But he had let go. He had told her he didn't want it. He had told her to throw it away.

That was the last time she had reached for him. She had tried so hard to grip his hand, but he had looked the other way and walked away without a single backward glance. In her moment of absolute despair, someone else had reached out. The hand he let go of was now being held by another; the woman he discarded was now another man's wife.

He turned around now, only to find the space behind him empty. The woman who had loved him for six years, who vowed to follow him forever, had vanished into the crowd. She was gone.

Liam looked at the sofa where Chloe had just been lying. The emptiness in the room mirrored the void in his soul. It felt as if, in a single night, he had been abandoned by the entire world.

"Chloe... Chloe..."

Driven by a sudden, frantic impulse, he bolted out of the villa.

The white Porsche became a blur of speed in the moonlight. Liam ignored every red light, his tires screaming as he tore through the city until he reached Justin’s apartment. He didn't knock; he began kicking the door with a violent, rhythmic thud.

"Justin! Get out here right now!"

Justin, who had just fallen asleep, threw on a robe and opened the door, only to see a fist flying toward his face. He dodged instinctively, retreating several steps into the foyer. He looked at Liam with icy disdain. "It’s the middle of the night. What kind of madness is this?"

Liam’s eyes were bloodshot, his face a mask of primal, wounded rage. He lunged forward, grabbing Justin by the lapels and shaking him. "Why didn't you stop her?" he hissed, his voice a jagged rasp. "You loved her, didn't you? Why did you stand there and let her marry a monster like Xavier Grayson?"

All of Liam’s legendary composure was gone. He looked like a beast caught in a trap.

Justin curled his lip. "Who are you talking about?"

"Stop playing games!"

"I genuinely have no idea who you're referring to." Justin was doing this on purpose, savoring the sight of Liam’s humiliation.

Liam tightened his grip on Justin’s throat, his teeth bared. "Chloe! I'm talking about Chloe Bishop! Are you satisfied now?"

Justin grabbed Liam’s wrists and wrenched his hands away with a sharp jerk. "And who the hell are you to her, Liam? What right do you have to ask a single question about her life?"

Liam stood frozen, the question striking him harder than any physical blow. He had no answer. He had traded his right to care for a different life, and now, the silence of the hallway was his only witness. Will Justin reveal the truth of the marriage, or will he let Liam drown in his own regret?