Liam Devereux
I hadn’t expected her to say yes so easily. That showed how desperate she really was. That meant I had the upper hand, for three months.
Three months to remind her of what she walked away from. To make her feel what I had felt when she disappeared. To break her.
Sophie had no idea what she had just signed up for.
She stood there, her fingers curled into tight fists at her sides, her chest rising and falling with uneven breaths. I could see the battle in her eyes, the hesitation, the disgust, the reluctant acceptance. She was already regretting it.
Good.
"When will I get the money?" Her voice was steady, but the slight tremor in her fingers gave her away.
I leaned back, watching her like a predator observing his prey. "As soon as the contract is signed."
Her jaw tightened. "You don’t trust me."
I smirked. "Not even a little bit."
A flash of pain crossed her face before she masked it with indifference. "I need the money tonight."
I raised a brow, pretending to consider it. Then, I tilted my head toward the sleek black car parked a few feet away. "Get in."
She hesitated for only a second before turning on her heels and stalking toward the car. I followed behind, taking my time, savoring the way her shoulders were stiff with tension.
The moment we settled into the car, I instructed James, my driver, "Take us to the penthouse."
Sophie let out a sharp breath and crossed her arms over her chest. She stared out the window, refusing to look at me, refusing to acknowledge my presence.
I let the silence stretch between us for a few minutes before I finally spoke. "You’re awfully quiet for someone who just sold herself for a few thousand dollars."
She snapped her head toward me, eyes blazing. "Shut up."
I chuckled. "Touched a nerve, didn’t I?"
"You don’t get to talk to me like that," she hissed. "You think you’re so powerful, don’t you? You think you can just throw money at your problems and they'll disappear?"
"That’s exactly how it works," I replied smoothly. "And you just proved it."
She clenched her jaw, turning her head away again. I could practically hear the way her teeth ground together.
Then, suddenly, she turned back, her gaze burning into me. "Why are you acting like you don’t care about Lucas?" she demanded.
I remained silent, unfazed by the accusation.
"You heard me," she continued, voice shaking with anger. "He’s in the hospital, Liam. He needs a transplant. He was your friend once. And yet you sit here, acting like none of this matters!"
I drummed my fingers against my knee. "Lucas stopped being my friend the day he…." I trailed off.
Her breath hitched. "This isn’t about us."
I let out a low chuckle. "It’s always been about us, Sophie."
She sucked in a sharp breath, her throat bobbing as she swallowed hard. Silence filled the car again, thick and suffocating.
Then, quietly, she spoke. "I hate you."
Something inside me tightened, but I refused to let it show. Instead, I smirked. "Good. That will make this even more interesting."
She shook her head, her expression filled with disgust. "You’re a jerk, Liam. It’s confirmed. And I hate you with everything—"
I didn’t let her finish.
Before she could get another word out, I grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward me, crashing my lips onto hers.
She gasped against my mouth, her body going rigid before she tried to push me away. But I didn’t let her. I deepened the kiss, forcing her to feel the fire that still burned between us, the fire she had tried to extinguish all those years ago.
She hated me. I knew that.
But hate and passion were two sides of the same coin.
And for the next three months, I would make sure she never forgot that.