Chapter 394

"Liam," Olivia whispered, her voice catching in her throat as she struggled to process what had just occurred between them. Yet she maintained an outward composure, rising from the bed with deliberate grace as she began dressing.

Her fingers trembled slightly as she fastened the buttons of her blouse. "Don't blame yourself," she said evenly. "We're both consenting adults who made our choices. Honestly, I should be thanking you. Without your intervention today, things could have ended much worse for me."

Liam remained motionless on the bed, an unfamiliar emptiness settling in his chest. Her detached response made him feel strangely disposable, as if their intimacy meant nothing to her.

As he sat up, the sheets slid down to reveal his chiseled torso - the defined ridges of his abdominal muscles, the powerful contours of his shoulders, all the way down to that tantalizing V-line that disappeared beneath the rumpled bedding.

He had so much he wanted to say, but all that emerged was a quiet, humorless chuckle. "You're taking this remarkably well."

Olivia finished adjusting her clothing and turned to face him. The moment their eyes met, Liam saw the glistening tears pooling in hers. Suddenly, she stumbled backward, knocking over the crystal vase on the nightstand.

Before Liam could react, Olivia snatched up a shard of broken crystal and pressed it against the delicate skin of her throat. A thin crimson line appeared instantly beneath the sharp edge.

Liam's pulse roared in his ears. He hastily wrapped the sheet around his waist and lunged forward. "Olivia, no!"

"Stay back!" she commanded, her voice breaking as tears streamed down her face. "Do you think I'm calm? My reputation is everything to me! I'm in agony because the man I gave myself to isn't the one I love. I didn't even know you before tonight! I refuse to be remembered as some wanton woman. If this is my fate, then I'd rather not live at all."

The raw despair in her eyes terrified Liam. He could see she was moments away from making an irreversible decision.

In a burst of panic, the truth spilled from his lips: "How can you say you don't know me? I'm the father of your child! Your ex-husband! This only happened because of the poison - if I'd had the antidote, I never would have... If you hate me that much, I'll vanish from your life forever. Just please, put the glass down!"

Olivia went completely still at his confession.

Seizing the moment, Liam carefully approached and pried the crystal shard from her grasp. As he did, Olivia lifted her gaze - and to his shock, all traces of anguish had vanished from her expression.

A cold, knowing smile curved her lips. "I knew all along," she said, her voice dripping with icy amusement. "I was just waiting to see how long it would take you to admit the truth."

Liam's stomach dropped. The calculating glint in her eyes made his skin prickle. "When did you figure it out?" he asked hoarsely.

Olivia exhaled sharply. "Your death story was convincing. I actually believed you were gone." Her gaze turned piercing. "But just now... I recognized you."

She offered no further explanation. The truth was simpler than Liam could imagine - she'd known him by the way her body responded to his touch, by the way her heart had recognized its other half even when her mind protested.

Olivia had loved Liam Blackwood for as long as she could remember. Some bonds even amnesia couldn't break.