#Chapter 28: Wine & Dine

Liam’s POV I slammed the car door shut, feeling the rush of adrenaline still pumping through my veins. It was done. Mason Thornhill wouldn’t be blackmailing me—or anyone else—anytime soon. The look on his face when I confronted him was something I’d remember for a long time. Shock, panic, and then a barely masked rage that told me I’d finally hit him where it hurt. The evidence Aria had found was exactly what I needed. Mason’s shady business deals, his involvement in that unsolved crime—it was all leverage I could use to keep him off my back. As I drove back to the office, the triumph of the confrontation still lingered, but my mind kept drifting back to Aria. She’d been the one to unearth the crucial details, putting in the kind of work that made me realize just how much I still depended on her, even now. She was my equal in ways I hadn’t fully appreciated when we were together. I wanted to share this victory with her—not just because she’d helped, but because, s