Chapter 447

Evelyn settled across from him, her playful smile vanishing instantly. "Am I not adorable?"

Liam's fingers tightened around his glass. "You know that's not what I meant."

Resting her chin on her palms, Evelyn studied his stern expression, her words slow and deliberate. "I wanted to see you."

The declaration caught Liam off guard. His pulse quickened inexplicably, a sudden tension coiling in his chest.

Why had she come? Was there something she needed? Or was it something more... personal?

His throat went dry. He took a hurried sip of pumpkin soup, hoping to steady the erratic rhythm of his heart.

But the sweetness of the soup only mirrored the unease twisting inside him.

Setting the bowl down carefully, Liam exhaled. "Cassandra, if you have something to say, just say it. Vague words like that lead to misunderstandings."

Evelyn hesitated, her fingers twisting in her lap. Stealing wasn’t an option—she had to ask outright.

As Liam waited, she seemed to wrestle with herself.

He glanced briefly at his phone, checking for missed messages.

Beneath the table, Evelyn dug her nails into her palm, her heart hammering like a trapped bird. Before she could speak, heat already flooded her cheeks.

"Liam... would you come to bed with me?"

The words hung between them, heavy and charged.

A sharp clatter shattered the silence—Liam’s phone slipped from his grip and hit the floor.

Evelyn flinched, wide-eyed. Liam bent swiftly, retrieving it with uncharacteristic clumsiness.

He placed it on the table, then immediately pocketed it, his movements erratic. Her boldness had stunned him.

As she stepped closer, Liam rose abruptly, his voice rough. "Cassandra, I’ve made my stance clear. Someone as sharp as you shouldn’t struggle to understand my intentions."

Her face burned, but defiance flickered in her eyes. "I know what you’re afraid of. You think I’ll marry someone in Solterra, and you want to protect my... innocence."

"If you understand, then stop this," Liam bit out, his chest tight. He loosened his tie, fingers fumbling with the top button of his shirt before turning away. He strode toward the living room, needing distance.

Evelyn followed, her voice unsteady but determined. "I don’t even care about it. Why do you?"

At the bar, Liam poured himself a glass of ice water and drained it in one go. Setting it down, he faced her. "You could vanish any day. What do you really want?"

She stepped closer, tilting her head up. "Just one night with you. Or two. Maybe three."

She wanted his child—a gamble on Solterra’s mercy.

Liam dragged a hand through his hair, his body thrumming with restless heat. Her audacity was intoxicating.

"You’re out of your mind," he muttered. Grabbing her wrist, he pulled her toward the door. "I’m taking you home."

"I’m not leaving." Evelyn wrapped her arms around his waist, clinging stubbornly.

Liam couldn’t bring himself to push her away—not when he might hurt her. His throat worked as he looked down at her, his voice dropping to a rough whisper. "Cassandra... don’t make this harder."