#Chapter 39: City Lights

Aria's POV After leaving the track, I couldn’t shake the weight of Liam’s question. *Do you regret how things ended between us?* The words echoed in my mind, pulling at something I wasn’t ready to confront. I’d walked away, leaving him standing there, but the truth was, I didn’t have an answer. At least, not one I wanted to admit. The next morning at the office, I tried to focus on the upcoming race. Meetings filled my schedule, but my mind wasn’t in it. Sitting around the conference table, I found myself stealing glances at Liam. He was sitting across from me, his usual composed self, but something was off. He seemed more on edge than usual, his jaw tight, his fingers tapping absentmindedly against the table as someone else spoke. Jackson, sitting beside me, noticed my distraction. “Aria, you good?” he whispered under his breath as the meeting continued around us. I straightened in my seat, feigning interest in the discussion. “Yeah, I’m fine.” But Jackson wa