Chapter 455

Liam's turbulent emotions finally settled. His voice was soft yet filled with warmth as he gazed at Evelyn with hopeful eyes. "Cassandra," he murmured, "do you love me? Would you truly want to carry my child and stay here in Aldenria?"

Evelyn's eyes shimmered with unshed tears, her heart aching unbearably.

Liam's expression was earnest, his words sincere. "If you choose to stay, I swear I'll protect you with everything I have. No matter how powerful Solterra is, I won’t let them touch you. I’ll bear every burden for you."

She bit her lip, shaking her head as she took a step back.

"Liam, I can't let you risk everything to defy Solterra. And I won’t let you sacrifice your life for me," she whispered to herself.

Watching her retreat, tears streaking down her cheeks, Liam's chest tightened with agony.

He closed the distance between them, his hands gently gripping her shoulders as he lowered himself to meet her gaze. "Cassandra, tell me—do you love me too?"

Evelyn swallowed hard, forcing back her tears. She lifted her chin, feigning indifference.

"No. When I return to Solterra, my focus will be on my work. Marriage isn’t part of my plans. I only admired your genes and wanted a child."

Liam's hands fell away. His eyes glistened with tears as he staggered back, devastation written across his face. Her words struck him like arrows, each one piercing deeper, leaving him breathless with pain.

A bitter laugh escaped him, hollow and filled with sorrow. His voice was low, rough with emotion. "If you don’t love me, then why go so far to hurt me like this?"

Evelyn remained silent, tears streaming freely now.

Liam turned away, walking to the sofa where his phone lay. His back was rigid, his shoulders tense. Tears spilled over, his chest constricting with anguish.

His voice turned icy. "Cassandra, let’s pretend we never met. Let’s pretend we never loved. If we see each other again, we’ll be strangers."

"No!" Evelyn cried out, her heart shattering at his words. She couldn’t bear it any longer.

She rushed forward, clutching his hand desperately. "Liam, please don’t do this! After the baby is born, I’ll send them back to Aldenria. I’ll bear the pain of separation. There’s still a chance I can return with them—"

No country would abandon a scientist of her caliber.

But no matter where the child ended up, the separation would still tear her apart.

Liam couldn’t understand—wouldn’t accept—such selfishness. He wrenched his hand from her grasp and strode toward the door.

"Liam!" Evelyn sobbed, chasing after him.

His steps were swift, as if he couldn’t bear to be near her a second longer.

Blinded by tears, Evelyn stumbled, her knees hitting the ground hard. She winced, looking up just in time to see Liam climbing into his car outside the garden. The engine roared to life, and within seconds, he was gone.

Gingerly, she touched her throbbing knee. Curling into herself, she wrapped her arms around her legs and buried her face against them.

Her shoulders shook with silent sobs. Tears dripped onto the floor, each drop a testament to her shattered heart.

The pain was unbearable, searing through her chest like fire.

All she had wanted was to handle her return to Solterra with as little pain as possible. Had she been wrong? Why did Liam care so much about the child?