Her words were filled with irony.

Liam was usually a calm man, but even he was stung by what she said. He wasn’t supposed to say it, but the words came out before he could stop them. “You know I love you, Zoe!”

Time itself seemingly froze and an awkward silence hung over the air.

For a few seconds there, he regretted blurting it out. However, he was both a lawyer and a practical man. Now that the cat was out of the bag, he figured he should stand by it.

Staring at Zoe, he asked, “Are you still waiting for Mason? Why won’t you give me a chance?”

Her voice was icy cold when she replied, “I’ll never fall in love with you! I’ll always remember how you plotted our family’s downfall! Here you are, asking me to be with you. Have you got a screw loose, Liam?”

…

Reaching out, Liam clutched her hand.

She was startled and tried to shake him off, but he forcibly pulled her close. She got so close that their bodies were almost pressed against each other. The way he stared at her made her