Chapter 400

Evelyn forced a fragile smile, concealing the storm within beneath practiced composure. "I'm fine. I should go," she murmured with deliberate casualness.

Her fingers slipped from Liam's grasp like water through fingers. Before he could react, she'd already darted out of the walk-in closet, her hurried footsteps echoing through the bedroom.

Liam turned to watch her retreating figure, his chest tightening with unspoken questions. The enigma that was Evelyn Carter continued to baffle him.

Why did she keep drawing him into this intoxicating dance if her heart remained uncommitted?

Her earlier words haunted him: "When you return, we can still be husband and wife."

Liam pressed his palms against the cool mirror surface, bowing his head as if in prayer. A sharp ache pierced through his ribcage as he inhaled deeply.

He understood geopolitical strategies better than most men understood their own wives. Evelyn still had five years remaining on her Solterra contract - they'd never let their prized scientist stay in Aldenria indefinitely. Whether it took five years or fifty, Liam was prepared to wait.

Yet doubt gnawed at him. Would the Evelyn of tomorrow feel the same as she did today? Did she truly see him as a life partner, or was this another fleeting whim?

One thing remained certain - until vows were exchanged, he would never take what wasn't freely given. Not even a kiss, no matter how desperately he longed to claim one.

The thought of her potential regret terrified him more than any battlefield.

Downstairs, Evelyn sat curled on the sofa, a forgotten book limp in her hands. The words blurred before her eyes as her thoughts kept drifting upstairs to Liam.

The sound of polished shoes on marble snapped her from reverie.

She looked up just as Liam descended the final steps, his tailored suit accentuating his military bearing. The dark fabric hugged his broad shoulders perfectly, the silver tie clip catching the light like a blade.

Evelyn's breath hitched. Even after all this time, his effortless elegance still made her pulse stutter.

"Liam, are you leaving?" She scrambled to her knees on the couch cushions, fingers gripping the backrest.

Adjusting his cufflinks, he moved toward her with that predatory grace. "The Valtorian vice chancellor's visit. State banquet." His gaze softened as it met hers. "Protocol demands my presence."

Understanding dawned on Evelyn's face. Her hand flew to her lips. "Earlier... when Victoria came looking for you... she was supposed to accompany you, wasn't she?"

Liam's faint smile confirmed her suspicion.

Heat flooded Evelyn's cheeks as she ducked her head. "Then what I just did-"

His fingers gently carded through her hair. "It's alright," he murmured. "Unless specifically ordered, I don't require an escort."

"Will you be back for lunch?" Her voice sounded small even to her own ears.

"Don't wait meals for me." His thumb brushed her cheekbone.

Evelyn nodded, watching as he turned toward the door. At the last moment, she called out, "Liam, be safe."

He pivoted back, his stern features softening at the worry in her eyes. In three long strides he was before her again, cradling her face with surprising tenderness. "Evelyn," he breathed, "wait for me at home."

"Always," she whispered back, her smile blooming like dawn as she gazed up at him.

Liam's throat worked as he fought the urge to close the distance between them. With visible effort, he stepped back and turned away.

Evelyn scrambled after him in her slippers, reaching the grand foyer just as Ryan Sullivan opened the car door outside. To her surprise, Victoria hadn't left but stood waiting by the vehicle with military patience.

An unfamiliar unease twisted in Evelyn's stomach. Unlike Victoria Dawson's petty manipulations, Victoria Hudson's devotion was genuine - the kind that endured years and distance without expectation.

Had Liam not fallen for Evelyn first, he might have married this remarkable woman already. They shared a world Evelyn could never fully inhabit - the same profession, the same values, the same unspoken understandings.

Leaning against the marble column, Evelyn watched the car disappear down the drive, her chest constricting with emotions she couldn't name.