Chapter 221

Evelyn had hoped to find damning evidence on Liam's phone, but all she uncovered were classified blueprints of experimental military tech.

Scrolling through his messages, she noticed Victoria had been blocked weeks ago. Yet his contacts still listed her under "Victoria Dawson."

Wrapped in the silk sheets, Evelyn exhaled in frustration at the dead end. Then her breath caught - her own contact name flashed "Sweetheart" in bold letters.

Her pulse skyrocketed as she verified the affectionate title wasn't a mistake. The phone trembled against her chest where her heart threatened to break free.

She replaced it with exaggerated care, oblivious to Liam's lashes fluttering open at her movements.

The scent of Evelyn's jasmine perfume hit Liam's senses like a physical blow. He forced his breathing steady, watching through slitted eyes as she settled back onto the mattress.

Moonlight painted silver streaks across Evelyn's sleeping form when he finally dared look. So close, yet separated by invisible barriers no armor could breach.

Adjusting the thermostat with silent precision, Liam draped his blanket over her shoulders. The room's temperature plummeted in response.

Shivering, Evelyn instinctively sought warmth, curling into Liam's radiating heat like a flower turning toward sunlight.

He couldn't resist brushing a stray lock from her forehead, lips ghosting over her skin. The gesture dissolved months of carefully constructed walls.

Then everything shattered.

Evelyn's wandering hand slipped beneath his shirt, fingers tracing the ridges of his abdomen with sleep-softened curiosity. Her palm flattened against his pounding heart.

Liam turned to stone. Every muscle locked in torturous restraint as her touch set his nerves ablaze.

He counted backward from one hundred, gripping the sheets until his knuckles whitened. The war between propriety and desire raged until dawn painted the room in pale gold.

Morning brought Evelyn awake with a gasp, fragments of scandalous dreams clinging like cobwebs. Reality proved worse - her body molded against Liam's, hand splayed possessively over his chest.

Mortification turned her veins to ice. She willed her traitorous limbs to retreat, praying his steady breathing meant he slept through her indiscretion.

As her fingers skimmed downward, iron strength clamped around her wrist. Liam guided her palm lower, pressing it against the evidence of his own restless night.

The silent accusation burned hotter than any words.