Chapter 8b: The Lie Between Us

Mia hadn't planned on waking up with a smile the next morning.

But there it was, tugging at her lips as she stretched in her silk sheets, the memory of Liam's kiss still warm on her skin. The way he'd looked at her—like she wasn't just a challenge, but a woman worth knowing—had sent butterflies fluttering in places she'd locked down for years.

She wasn't naive. She knew better than to fall headfirst into something wrapped in charm and tailored suits. But God, he made it hard not to wonder what it would be like to let go, just for once.

Her phone buzzed.

Lauren (Assistant): You're going to want to see this.

A second later, a link appeared. Mia frowned, clicked.

And froze.

It was a headline.

> "Collins Construction Tied to Bennett Corp: Inside the Hidden Alliance"

Insider sources say Bennett Corp's CEO, Liam Bennett, may have invested in the Collins Midtown Project, raising questions about conflict of interest and favoritism in city approvals.

Mia's heart dropped.

What the hell?

She scrolled through the article, a sick heat rising in her chest. Anonymous sources. Vague references. A blurry photo of them at the gala.

But the implication was clear: that her success wasn't hers alone. That Liam—Liam—had somehow propped her up behind the scenes.

A betrayal wrapped in silk.

No. She didn't want to believe it. Not after last night. Not after everything he said.

But as she stared at her phone, her expression hardened.

She picked up her office line and called her legal team.

"I want every document reviewed. If Bennett Corp touched a single part of my project, I need to know. Today."

---

Meanwhile, Liam sat in his office, staring at the same headline.

"Damn it," he muttered, slamming the paper onto the desk.

No one was supposed to find out. Not yet.

He hadn't invested in her project to manipulate or control. He'd done it months ago—before he knew Mia Collins as anything other than the woman who nearly outbid him for a riverfront property. Her vision had impressed him. Her passion. He'd quietly bought a minor stake in one of her suppliers—just enough to help streamline a few hurdles with permits, nothing illegal. Nothing dirty.

He'd told himself it wasn't personal.

But now, it was very, very personal.

"Do you think she'll believe you?" his CFO, Joel, asked cautiously from across the room.

"I don't know," Liam replied. "But I need to tell her everything. Now."

---

Mia didn't answer his calls.

Not the first time. Not the fifth. Not after the voicemail where his voice cracked trying to explain.

By the time she finally walked into his office without warning, she was all fire again.

And Liam had never been more terrified.

"Mia—"

"Why?" she asked, voice quiet but shaking. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't think it mattered."

"You didn't think it mattered?" Her eyes sparked. "You knew exactly how hard I've worked for my name. For my reputation. And you let me walk around thinking I did this alone while people whisper that I'm sleeping my way into power?"

"That's not—"

"You lied."

"I never lied." He stood, heart pounding. "I just didn't tell you. It wasn't about us. Not then."

"But it is now."

Silence. Heavy. Sharp.

Mia folded her arms tightly across her chest. "Was I just another deal to you, Liam?"

His voice dropped. "You were the one thing I wasn't prepared for."

Her jaw clenched, but her expression cracked just enough for him to see the hurt beneath the rage.

He stepped closer, slowly. "I invested in a supplier. That's all. Months ago. Before we even met. I saw your blueprints. Your pitch deck. You were brilliant. I didn't interfere. I didn't even know you were the one running the Midtown Project until the gala. And by then—" He stopped, exhaled. "By then, it wasn't about business anymore."

Her throat bobbed.

"I should've told you," he said softly. "But I didn't want you to think I was trying to own you."

Mia looked away, blinking fast. "I don't need saving, Liam."

"I know," he whispered. "That's why I fell for you."

The silence that followed stretched, heavy and full of a thousand words neither of them dared say.

Finally, she turned back to him.

"I don't know if I can trust you," she said.

He nodded, quietly devastated. "Then let me earn it."

She didn't reply. Just stared at him a moment longer before walking out.

Liam stood there, alone in the echo of her silence, knowing he'd just watched something real start to slip through his fingers.

But he wasn't letting go.

Not yet.