Chapter 413

The air between them crackled with unspoken tension. Evelyn drew in a shaky breath, steeling herself as she took deliberate steps toward Liam.

His head lifted at the sound of her approaching footsteps, those piercing gray eyes locking onto hers.

Evelyn didn't offer any greeting. She sank onto the opposite couch with practiced indifference, her carefully constructed icy demeanor barely concealing the flush creeping up her neck. She deliberately avoided his gaze, pressing her lips into a thin line.

Liam's brow furrowed slightly as he took in her appearance - the way her cheeks burned with suppressed emotion, the telltale tension in her shoulders that betrayed both anger and something more vulnerable.

"Still feeling unwell?" His voice was impossibly soft, barely audible, but she caught the concern lacing his words.

Evelyn's fingers curled into fists. She forced her voice to remain steady. "Do you honestly think what you did was acceptable?"

The memory of her tear-streaked face from last night flashed through Liam's mind. He snapped his laptop shut with deliberate slowness. "I owe you an apology. It won't happen again."

Her expression twisted at his words. The implication stung like a physical blow.

It wouldn't happen again? Was that all she meant to him? Some fleeting mistake to be brushed aside?

"Liam," she ground out between clenched teeth, unshed tears making her vision swim. "What exactly are you saying?"

His chest constricted at the sight of her distress. Setting the laptop aside, he leaned forward. "Why are you crying? If my apology isn't enough, tell me what you need."

What did she need?

The bitter truth settled in her stomach - as long as she remained a researcher at Solterra, there could be nothing between them. No public relationship. Certainly no future.

"Why did you bring me back here?" The question tore from her throat, laced with months of pent-up frustration.

Liam answered without hesitation. "You're safer here with me."

A humorless laugh escaped her. She couldn't argue with his logic, which only fueled her resentment. Wordlessly, she stood to leave.

Before she could take three steps, Liam was there, his hand closing around her wrist. He turned her to face him, both hands now gripping her shoulders as he searched her face.

"Let's talk this through properly," he murmured, his thumbs brushing against her collarbones.

Evelyn wrenched away. "There's nothing to discuss."

The pain in Liam's eyes was palpable. "Tell me what's wrong," he pleaded quietly. "Don't shut me out like this."

She remained stubbornly silent, glaring up at him with wounded pride.

Liam exhaled sharply. "Cassandra," he breathed, his voice rough with emotion. "Do you have feelings for me?"

Evelyn bit down hard on her lower lip. "No," she lied after a beat.

The hurt that flashed across his features nearly undid her. "Then why the jealousy over Victoria? Why drown your sorrows at that bar?"

She jerked free of his grasp, putting distance between them. "You knew I was upset, yet you still took her side. Is that how you treat someone you care about?"

Liam's breath hitched. "You admit it then? You do feel something?"

"No!" The denial came too quickly. "I don't... not anymore."

The words hung between them like a death sentence. Liam's hands trembled as he reached for her, only for Evelyn to twist away.

His arms fell uselessly to his sides.

"Not anymore?" he repeated hoarsely. A bitter smile twisted his lips. "So there was a time when you did?"

Evelyn inhaled sharply, struggling to maintain her composure. "You still don't understand what you've done wrong."

"Then explain it to me," Liam demanded, his voice breaking. "Because I'm clearly missing something vital here."