“What if we stop running from the truth?”
His brow furrowed slightly.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean we face it,” Elena said firmly. “Together.”
“You realize what that would do,” Liam replied. “My family could lose everything.”
“And what about the families who lost their homes in that fire?” Elena asked quietly.
Liam fell silent.
The question cut deeper than any accusation.
For years he had lived hidden away, pretending the world simply feared his scars.
But the truth was heavier than that.
It was the guilt he carried every day.
Elena reached out slowly and took his hand.
“I’m not afraid of your scars,” she said gently.
“I’m afraid of living a life where we pretend they don’t mean anything.”
Liam’s eyes filled with emotion he had buried for years.
“You would really stand beside me if everything falls apart?”
Elena smiled softly through her tears.
“You once walked into a burning house for me.”
She squeezed his hand gently.
“I think I can walk through the truth with you.”
For the first time that night, Liam let out a quiet laugh—small, fragile, but real.
The decision had been made.
The next morning, the Hamilton mansion would no longer be a place of secrets.
And whether their future held loss, freedom, or something entirely unknown…
They would face it together.
