The days after the heated exchange felt different—strained, almost fragile. Sophia couldn't get Liam's words out of her mind. He wasn't wrong, not entirely. There was a strange sense of unity between them now, even if it was built on necessity rather than any real understanding or affection. Still, every time they were in the same room, the tension simmered just beneath the surface. The constant push and pull had become their new normal.
That evening, after a long day of meetings and endless phone calls, Sophia retreated to her bedroom, hoping to escape the suffocating atmosphere that seemed to follow her everywhere. She needed space. She needed silence.
She sank onto the bed, massaging her temples, when the sound of her door creaking open startled her. She looked up to find Liam standing there, his posture casual but his expression unreadable.
"What do you want?" she asked, her voice weary but sharp.
"I'm not here to argue," Liam replied, his voice low. "I just wanted to talk."
Sophia raised an eyebrow. "About what?"
Liam hesitated, as if choosing his words carefully. "About us. About this whole situation."
She sighed, sitting up straighter. "We've already had that conversation, Liam. More than once. I don't think there's anything left to say."
"I disagree," he said quietly, taking a step closer. "I think we're both pretending that this marriage is just a contract. But I don't think that's true, not anymore."
Sophia's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately steeled herself, locking away the unease that crept up on her. "You're wrong. It's a business arrangement. Nothing more."
But even as she said the words, they felt hollow. She could hear the lies in her own voice. She knew it, and perhaps Liam did too.
Liam was quiet for a moment before speaking again, his voice softer. "I don't expect you to feel anything for me. But I'm not asking for that. I just want to stop pretending we're strangers who hate each other."
Sophia's breath hitched. She didn't know how to respond. She had never allowed herself to feel vulnerable, especially not around him. But there was something about the way he spoke, so unguarded for once, that made her question everything.
She stood up, her heart pounding in her chest. "I don't know what you want from me, Liam."
"I just want you to stop fighting me," he said, his voice barely a whisper. "We're in this together, whether we like it or not. We might as well stop making it harder than it has to be."
Sophia's walls, which she had spent so long building, seemed to crack just a little. But she wasn't ready to let him in—not yet.
"I'm not ready for that," she replied quietly, avoiding his gaze.
Liam didn't press further, but the look in his eyes stayed with her long after he left the room. The pull between them was undeniable, and for the first time, Sophia wasn't sure which side of the line she was on.