ealized that surviving Liam Blackwood's world wasn't about playing saf

-

ffocating moment

to pierce through my skin. I could hear the faint click of cameras phone cameras, discreet but de

and pressed lightly against the small of my back, gro

Pretend or not, I

smi

ced to look natural, though m

m new to this world. But if you think I'm intimidated by ex-gi

ollectivel

d, before she regained her composure and sipped her

'd survived my first public test. His hand slid to my wais

r down my spine that I

-

r pictures, laughed at jokes I barely heard, and let Lia

Zoey, tell me how does it feel to be marrie

uess even untouchable men ne

s enough to make my chest warm despit

t from smiling, my feet ached from the

-

to the back of the car,

," I muttered, slum

oment before saying, "You did mo

"I didn't think

ike approval. "Cassandra will test you again. And next time, s

looked like he belonged to the night powerful, composed, dangerous. A

-

nd padded barefoot across the marble floor. Liam loosen

ur own tonig

u," I sai

nst the counter. "Thank yourself

, I saw the man behind the cameras the one who lived in t

ever wished he could go back to being just a man an

"You didn't hav

to mine. "You're my wife. The world needs to beli

ansactional. But instead, warmth blo

-

struggled to

ving room and found Liam there, as always, st

eep much, do

fted slightly. "Sleep is a luxu

awn to the quiet gravity of him. "Wh

swirled the amber liquid in his

," he said finally, his voice so low I almost did

h. I wanted to ask more, to pull at th

choed through

s head snapped t

iding to the massive wall screen

he building's private entrance and a swarm of

he cameras that

le of the chaos, holding a folder abo

rainy footage, I c

san

with my signature our marriage a

-

she leaked that, the entire fake marria