Chapter 101

Evelyn's cheeks burned with humiliation as her private thoughts were exposed. She instinctively lowered her gaze, unable to meet Liam's piercing stare.

Liam's grip on her wrist tightened momentarily before he released her with visible frustration. "If you want out of this marriage, just say it," he snapped. "I won't chain you to me. But don't play these childish games to provoke me."

Tears pricked at Evelyn's eyes as she bit down hard on her lower lip. The metallic taste of blood mingled with her unshed tears. Leaving Liam was the last thing she wanted, yet she saw no way to bridge the chasm between them.

She was drowning in the weight of a past she couldn't escape, a past that threatened to define her present. Each day felt like another battle in a war she couldn't win, her spirit slowly crumbling under the pressure.

Liam's anger faltered as he noticed the silent tears tracing paths down Evelyn's pale cheeks. His expression softened, regret flashing in his stormy eyes. "Talk to me," he urged, his voice dropping to a gentler tone.

When Evelyn remained silent, Liam's jaw clenched. He watched as another tear escaped her lashes, and something inside him twisted painfully.

A sudden urgency propelled him forward. In two quick strides, he closed the distance between them and pulled Evelyn into his arms. Her petite frame trembled against his chest, her face still hidden from view.

The sensation was achingly familiar. Liam hadn't felt this particular brand of heartache since he'd comforted another weeping woman years ago. "What's wrong?" he murmured into her hair.

Evelyn fought to control her breathing, but the tears kept coming. The cruel irony of her situation overwhelmed her - the man holding her might one day be the cause of her destruction.

At a loss, Liam simply tightened his embrace, one hand cradling the back of her head. Evelyn stiffened in surprise at the unexpected intimacy.

Strangely, the warmth of his body against hers seemed to stem the flow of her tears. She stood frozen, arms limp at her sides, acutely aware of the rapid thudding of her own heartbeat.

Beneath her ear, Liam's pulse raced just as frantically. Was it her imagination, or was he as affected by this closeness as she was?

Liam inhaled deeply, the floral scent of Evelyn's shampoo filling his senses. The tension that had plagued him for weeks began to melt away in her arms. The restless emptiness that had haunted him dissipated in this quiet moment.

Evelyn's cheeks flushed as she became aware of how perfectly she fit against him. The embrace felt dangerously intimate, sending her heart into overdrive.

"I'm... I'm okay now," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "You can let go."

Liam hesitated before reluctantly loosening his hold. Evelyn stepped back, her wide, tear-filled eyes searching his face with visible confusion.

The lingering warmth of his body left her strangely unsettled. In Evelyn's world, embraces like this were reserved for lovers, not estranged husbands in troubled marriages.

Under her intense scrutiny, Liam cleared his throat awkwardly. "What upset you?" he pressed. "Was it what I said earlier?"

A sudden realization struck Evelyn - she'd never seen Liam comfort Victoria this way, no matter how dramatically she cried. Yet he'd held Evelyn simply because she'd shed a few silent tears.

"Why did you hug me?" The question slipped out before she could stop it.