Page 52 of Liam
“About earlier…” I’m not sure what I’m going to say. Apologize? Ask her to forget it happened? Beg her to let me kiss her properly this time?
“It’s fine,” Aleria says, cutting me off, her words tumbling out in a rush. “We got caught up in the moment. It doesn’t have to mean anything.”
There’s a pang in my chest at her dismissal, sharper than I expected. “Right,” I say, trying to keep my voice neutral. “Just a moment.”
But as she stands to gather her things, her hand brushes against mine. We both freeze, the simple touch electric. For a heartbeat, neither of us moves. How easy it would be to pull her close, to damn the consequences and lose myself in her.
“Liam, I...” Aleria breaks the silence, her voice barely a whisper.
“Yes?”
She steps back, shaking her head as if to clear it. “I should go. Jake’s waiting for me. We have plans.”
The mention of Jake’s name is like a bucket of cold water. I straighten, slipping on my professional mask as if it’s armor. “Of course. Don’t let me keep you.”
Aleria hesitates for a moment, looking like she wants to say more. Instead, she simply nods and hurries out.
I watch her go. Part of me wants to call her back to finish what we started. To tell her everything—about my family, about my feelings for her, about how terrified I am of the future.
But the rational part of my brain, the part that got me through law school and built a tech empire, knows it’s better this way. I’m the key investor in her project. I have a responsibility to maintain professional boundaries. And witheverything going on with my family, dragging Aleria into that mess would be selfish and dangerous.
I slump into my chair, the weight of the day crashing down on me. How did everything get so complicated? A week ago, my biggest concern was a presentation. Now, I’m juggling family secrets, potential criminal investigations, and feelings for an employee I can’t act on.
I pull out my phone, staring at the text I sent to Aleria.
What was I thinking? I sound crazy, needy. Not at all like the confident CEO I’m supposed to be.
I toss the phone aside and lean back, staring at the ceiling. My father, the man whose moral code I’ve built my life around, is a murderer. Our family’s empire, every line of code and legal precedent we’ve established, could come crashing down faster than a poorly secured blockchain.
And Aleria... God, Aleria. The one person who makes me feel like maybe, just maybe, things could be okay is off on a date with someone else. Someone uncomplicated.
A bitter laugh escapes me. If this were a legal case, I’d know exactly what to do. Build a defense, find loopholes, protect my client at all costs. But this? This is uncharted territory.
There’s no precedent for how to handle your father’s decades-old crime while simultaneously pining for a woman who’s not only off-limits but clearly not interested. No amount of coding or legal maneuvering can fix this.
I have absolutely no idea what to do.
Chapter Fifteen
ALERIA
Iglance at the clock, the glowing numbers reading 8:30 PM. The lab is quiet, empty except for Liam and me, both hunched over our workstations like mad scientists.
I should be exhausted—we’ve been at this for hours—but instead, there’s an electric buzz in the air, a palpable excitement that has nothing to do with our ASTRA project and everything to do with the man sitting next to me.
Which is ridiculous, of course. Liam Valeur is my investor, not some crush to moon over. Even if he looks too good for someone who’s been staring at spectroscopic data for six hours straight.
“If I look at one more tissue sample readout,” I groan, rubbing my eyes, “I’m pretty sure my brain will achieve spectral superposition and be simultaneously functioning and completely fried.”
Liam chuckles, the sound sending an annoyinglittle shiver down my spine. “Wouldn’t that make you more efficient? You could diagnose in multiple wavelengths at once.”
I roll my eyes. “Oh sure, laugh it up, Mr. I-Can-Code-Algorithms-In-My-Sleep. Some of us mere mortals need actual rest.”
“Rest? I’m not familiar with the concept,” Liam quips, stretching in a way that makes his shirt ride up.
I absolutely do not notice the sliver of skin this reveals. Nope. Not at all.
“Besides,” he continues, oblivious to my internal struggle, “I thought you lived for this stuff. Isn’t lab work your idea of a good time?”
