Chapter 405
Chapter 405
“Aria!” Hannah’s voice cracked as she cried out, desperate and losing it.
She lunged forward, but Dexter caught her by the back of her shirt, holding her in place. “What are you doing?”
Hannah couldn’t stop the tears from streaming down her face.
With the theft charge hanging over her, there was no way out. Who else could possibly help her? Who was left?
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted someone in the crowd. Hannah froze, her mouth open, letting her tears fall freely. “Liam…”
Liam’s wrist was still in Diego’s grip. He hadn’t expected to see Hannah here, or Aria.
Diego, who’d just arrived in town for a six–month exchange at
they’d become partners in crime again.
Aeffner Hospital, had been Liam’s war buddy, and as soon as Liam started at Heffner,
The hospital was just nearby, and they’d come out for lunch when they heard the commotion and Hannah’s shrill cry. Curious, Diego had dragged Liam along to check out the scene.
Liam stood rooted to the spot, floored to run into both Aria and Hannah at his own workplace.
“Professor Colton?” Diego lit up, hurrying over with his hand out. “I can’t believe it–Professor Colton! I never thought I’d bump into you here. This is incredible!”
Aria reached out to shake his hand, calm and poised. “Hello, Mr. Sanders.”
Diego’s eyes sparkled. “You actually remember me?”
She gave a faint smile. “Just call me Aria–that’s the name I use now.”
Diego grinned even wider. “I’m working at Heffner now, same hospital as your husband, Liam.”
Aria’s smile faded slightly. “He’s not my husband. We’re divorced.”
Diego’s eyes went wide. He spun around to stare at Liam. “What the hell?”
All this time, Liam had never mentioned the divorce.
No wonder he’d always dodged Diego’s attempts to meet Professor Colton. Now it made sense. What kind of idiot gets divorced from someone like her?
Just then, Hannah managed to break free from Dexter and darted to Liam, wrapping her arms around his waist, sobbing, “Liam, I don’t want to break up!
Please!”
Liam immediately pried her off, his face cold. “It’s over, Hannah. We’re done.”
Diego looked dumbfounded for a second, then remembered what Liam had said when they’d first met and that Hannah wasn’t his wife, and they weren’t
married.
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He turned back to Liam, “So you cheated on her?”
Liam didn’t say a word. He didn’t even try to deny it.
Diego’s expression darkened, but then something lit up in his eyes.
He turned to Aria with a bright smile, “Aria, can we exchange numbers?”
Aria didn’t see a reason to refuse. She nodded and took out her phone.
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Chapter 405
Off to the side, Owen watched the foreigner, feeling a vague, unfamiliar twinge of jealousy.
Diego noticed Owen and asked, “And you are…?”
He’d heard that in Huthailia, close friends sometimes called each other by repeating the name, but he decided to play it safe and just use the first name
Aria introduced him, “A friend. Also my lawyer.”
Diego’s smile got even sunnier as he looked Owen up and down. “Diego.”
Owen met his eyes with a steady gaze and gave a slight nod, “Owen.”
The two men sized each other up for a moment, neither one looking away.
Aria turned to leave. “We’ll get going now.”
Diego waved after her, “See you soon, Aria!”
In Owen’s mind, the words echoed coldly: Hopefully, never.
As Aria walked past him, Liam felt a bitter, complicated twist inside. Regret, frustration… something he couldn’t even name it.
Hannah clung to him, teary–eyed, “Liam, I…”
“Hannah.” He cut her off, voice cold and edged with anger. “Don’t ever come near me again.”
With that, he walked away.
Diego followed, not bothering to keep pace, but he kept a clear distance. He hated cheaters, even if the guy was an old friend.
AD
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