Three days of shadows and hollow smiles. Every time I had managed to slip into the office wing at the house, or found an excuse to linger near the executive suite at Vanderbilt International, Liam was nowhere to be found. It was as if he’d been scrubbed from the building, leaving me with nothing but the echo of his voice and the phantom weight of his hand on my wrist.
I paced the length of the master bedroom, my heels sinking into the plush cream carpet. My phone vibrated on the vanity—a call from Jason.
"There’s a small dinner tonight, darling," he said, his voice smooth as polished stone. "Nothing fancy, just a couple of partners and their wives. I’d like you by my side."
"Of course," I replied, forcing a lightness into my tone. "I’ll get ready."
Hanging up, a spark of genuine electr
