Michael sighed, finally meeting my gaze. "Liam's always had a way of manipulating situations to his advantage. But I've dealt with his games before. Whatever he's planning, we'll handle it."
I nodded, though the uneasy feeling in my gut didn't go away. "I trust you. I just... I don't want him to hurt you anymore."
His expression softened, and he reached across the table, taking my hand in his. "You don't need to worry about me. I'm not going to let Liam tear us apart or destroy what we've built. He's had too much power over this family for too long."
I squeezed his hand, appreciating the reassurance, but my mind still wandered to all the possible ways Liam could cause more damage. Our relationship had grown so much, but it felt like every time we took a step forward, something—someone—was always there, trying to pull us back.
