It was nearly dawn when Liam finally returned home.

He casually tossed his coat onto the couch. He yawned and glanced at the empty living room as he asked the housekeeper, "Why did my parents call me so many times today?"

The housekeeper, who was cleaning the house, respectfully replied, "Mr. and Mrs. Clarke had invited the Torres family over for a meal. They—"

He cut her off impatiently at the mention of the Torres family as he was still harboring anger. "That's enough. I don't want to hear anything related to the Torres family from now on."

With that, he headed straight to his room.

It was already noon the next day when he woke up.

Thomas and Mariana were having lunch as he came downstairs. They waved him over. "Liam, give Mia a call and ask if they've—"

"I'm checking out the wedding venue today. I've got no time."

Mariana didn't press him further. Instead, she made a video cal

There were only ten minutes left until the wedding ceremony was set to begin.

Liam had searched the entire backstage area of the hall, but there was still no sign of the Torres family.

His gut told him that Hector, Isabel, and Mia might not attend his wedding.

The uneasiness in his chest intensified the moment that thought crossed his mind. His heart pounded so hard that it felt like it might burst out of his chest.

What followed was a wave of endless frustration and panic. He pulled out his phone, frantically switching between his contacts and WhatsApp. His expression grew increasingly agitated.

A few minutes later, a groomsman told him it was time to get in position.

He eventually decided to call Hector's phone number on his way to the ceremony.

A minute later, a booming voice came through. "Liam! Aren't you about to get married? What made you think of calling me?"

The sound of

All the frustration and pain that Mia had been holding in finally reached its breaking point when Liam lashed out at her without even trying to understand the situation.

However, she kept her composure and tried to explain what had happened. "She was the one who tried to have me raped. She staged the whole thing, including falling down the stairs. Go ahead and check the private room if you don't believe me. That homeless man is still there…"

Riley panicked and burst into tears at her words, trying to explain herself. "No, Liam! She was the one who called me a homewrecker and said I ruined the relationship between you two. That's why she pushed me down the stairs. I didn't do anything! Why would she say such awful things about me?"

He was caught between them, but he chose to believe Riley without a second thought.

He pulled her into his arms and turned all his fury on Mia. His voice was icy. "Why would Mia do something like that? You pushed her down the stairs for no reason, and now you're trying to twist the truth.

"You've been clinging to me since we were kids. I only tolerated you for the sake of our families. But since you're being so delusional and shameless, I think you should get away from me!"

Mia's heart completely froze over at those few words. She looked him straight in the eye and said firmly, "Fine. I'll give you what you want. We're done!"

Her unyielding tone only fueled Liam's rage.

He couldn't resist throwing one last cruel remark after her as he watched her stumble down the stairs. "Don't ever let me see you again!"

She knew they never would, so she left without looking back.

…

The next morning, she woke up and tore off the last page of the calendar.

She was about to head to the garage with her suitcase when her parents called out to her. "Mia, Liam's parents invited our family over for one last lunch together. Come join us after you drop off your luggage, okay?"

She was deeply unwilling, but she knew that no matter how bad things got between her and Liam, it had nothing to do with the elders.

Therefore, she nodded after hesitating for a few seconds.

Thankfully, Liam wasn't home for the lunch gathering.

Thomas and Mariana kept calling him, hoping he would come back. They tried a dozen times, but he never answered.

Seeing that the food had already been served, Mia paused momentarily before saying softly, "He's probably with his girlfriend right now. It's just a meal, so it's no big deal if he doesn't come. Let's not interrupt their date, shall we?"

They also had a flight to catch, and time was running short.

Only then did Liam's parents put their phones away and urge everyone to sit.

The meal was filled with nostalgia as both families reminisced. Mia stayed quiet most of the time while listening to them, keeping her head down and eating silently.

Afterward, they gathered in the yard to take a family photo as a keepsake.

The Torres family left with their luggage at 1:00 pm. Thomas and Mariana accompanied them to the airport before trying to call Liam again when they arrived. Yet, there was still no response.

They sighed heavily as they looked at their old friends with regret and smiled apologetically. "Liam has been busy with his engagement and didn't know you were moving. He'll be heartbroken once he comes back and sees your house empty."

Mia shook her head gently and said faintly, "No, he won't."

The four elders turned to look at her in surprise. "Why not?"

The boarding announcement came through the speakers. She didn't answer and simply offered a polite farewell to Thomas and Mariana.

Her parents then retrieved a gift from their pocket and handed it to them. "We won't be able to attend their wedding. Thomas, please pass on our blessings. We wish them a lifetime of happiness."

Both families were filled with unspoken emotions as they parted their ways.

Mia stood at the side and quietly took out her phone to block and delete Liam's contact information.

After she was done, she linked arms with her parents and gave one final wave to Thomas and Mariana before walking toward the boarding gate and never looking back.

It was nearly dawn when Liam finally returned home.

He casually tossed his coat onto the couch. He yawned and glanced at the empty living room as he asked the housekeeper, "Why did my parents call me so many times today?"

The housekeeper, who was cleaning the house, respectfully replied, "Mr. and Mrs. Clarke had invited the Torres family over for a meal. They—"

He cut her off impatiently at the mention of the Torres family as he was still harboring anger. "That's enough. I don't want to hear anything related to the Torres family from now on."

With that, he headed straight to his room.

It was already noon the next day when he woke up.

Thomas and Mariana were having lunch as he came downstairs. They waved him over. "Liam, give Mia a call and ask if they've—"

"I'm checking out the wedding venue today. I've got no time."

Mariana didn't press him further. Instead, she made a video call herself.

A call from Riley came through on Liam's phone just as her phone was connected.

Liam's 

Chapter 10