Chapter 142: An Unknown Deal
"What...?"
Liam looked up from the couch, his phone still in hand. Evelyn stood in front of him, arms folded, her perfectly pressed blouse doing nothing to soften the sharp line of her frown. She’d been on his case since breakfast, repeating the same concern in different words.
"You heard me," she said, voice clipped. "Your brother hasn’t stepped foot out of his room in a week. The head maid called me and asked me to come and you know... the company can’t just run on autopilot while he broods. He has responsibilities, and so do you."
Liam sighed, dragging a hand through his already messy hair. "I know... you can stop bugging me. And please, Mom, just let him be. He’ll be okay after a few weeks. It’s not like this is his first time locking himself inside his room."
Evelyn’s eyes narrowed, and for a moment, the elegant, unshakable matriarch of their family looked almost... tired. "This time is different, Liam. Don’t pretend you don’t notice it. He’s not sulking. He’s... breaking."
Liam’s jaw tightened at her words, but he looked away, focusing on the black screen of his phone as if it might save him from the truth. He had noticed. The silence in Theo’s wing of the house wasn’t the usual cold wall his brother built when stressed—it was heavier and suffocating.
Still, he muttered, "He just needs time."
Evelyn stepped closer, her voice softening. "Time won’t heal him if he’s already given up."
The words sank deep, leaving Liam restless. For the first time that morning, he didn’t have a quick answer.
The silence dragged between mother and son until Liam’s phone buzzed in his hand. He glanced down, grateful for the distraction until he saw the name flashing on the screen.
Aurora.
Evelyn’s sharp eyes immediately caught the shift in his expression. "Who is it?"
"No one," Liam muttered quickly, thumbing the message open.
’Can we meet? It’s important.’
Liam’s brows furrowed. Aurora wasn’t the type to reach out unless she meant it. He could almost hear her urgent tone in the short words.
He typed back, ’When?’
The reply came instantly: ’Now. Same café as before.’
He didn’t even bother to type a reply. In a heartbeat, he was on his feet, shoving the phone into his pocket and snatching his car keys from the table.
"Liam?" Evelyn’s voice sharpened. "Where are you going?"
"Out," he shot back, too quick, too sharp.
"Out?" Her eyes narrowed, suspicion flashing. "Don’t you dare walk out on me when I’m talking about your brother—"
But Liam was already halfway to the door, heart pounding. Aurora rarely reached out. That was the thing about her—cool, self-contained, never the type to lean on anyone. Even when she had first come to him desperate, ready to strike a deal that neither of them ever spelled out to anyone else, she had done it with her chin high, like she still had the upper hand.
And maybe she did.
Because even now, months later, Aurora was still the only woman who managed to throw him off balance. He’d had plenty of flings, plenty of women slipping in and out of his life like they never mattered. But Aurora? She stuck. And the fact that she was calling now, after days of Theo sniffing around Daisy and the shop, meant something was about to crack.
Liam’s grip tightened around his car key as he shoved out the front door. Evelyn’s voice snapped behind him, sharp and demanding, but he didn’t slow down.
====
The café door chimed as Liam stepped inside, the low hum of chatter and clinking cups washing over him. His gaze swept the room once, then landed on her.
Aurora.
Even in the corner, tucked away by the window with her hands wrapped around a coffee cup, she pulled his eyes like a magnet. For the briefest moment, something glimmered in him, something he hated admitting even to himself. Interest. Heat. The same pull that had gotten him into this mess in the first place.
"Mr. Kingsley... I need your help..." Aurora spoke the moment Liam slid into the seat.
Liam rolled his eyes upward, clicking his tongue. "Help, help, help... all I ever do is give, and I still haven’t gotten a damn thing back." A very subtle smirk tugged at his lips. "That sounds unfair, don’t you think?"
Aurora stiffened. "This isn’t about me... Daisy’s sick. She can’t sleep, she barely eats... I’m afraid she’ll break if it goes on like this." Her voice cracked slightly. "I need your help to bring Theo to her."
Liam leaned back, one arm draped over the chair as if he had all the time in the world. That lazy, dangerous calm of his made her skin prickle. "Why should I help? That’s their mess... not mine." His smirk curved, but his eyes stayed razor-sharp. "And let’s be honest, I’ve gotten nothing out of this deal so far. Meanwhile, I’m the one taking the risk. What if Theo finds out?"
He tilted his head, studying the way she squirmed. "Tell me, Aurora... is this just me playing charity while you get exactly what you want and walk away clean?"
She bit her lip, caught. "I—I haven’t forgotten."
"Oh, I know you haven’t forgotten," Liam said smoothly, leaning in just enough to make her pulse jump. His voice dropped, silk over steel. "You’re just stalling. Waiting, hoping you’ll never have to pay the price."
Aurora’s fingers tightened around her coffee cup, knuckles whitening. "This isn’t the time to bring that up—"
"This is exactly the time," Liam cut in, his smirk sharpening. "Because every time you come running back to me, begging for another favor, you remind me just how much you owe me. And this..." His gaze pinned her in place, unblinking. "This might be your last chance to prove you’re good for it."
She let out a shaky breath, her lashes fluttering before she forced the words out. "Can I... ask for one more favor?"
His brows arched, amused. "What is it?"
Aurora hesitated, her voice small but steady. "Can we... get married first?"