Chapter Five: Married again

I blinked a few times, still confused. What did he mean?

"How do you know this?"

"The man who tried to kill you, I had him followed by some of my bodyguards, they couldn't catch up with him but it was obvious that he was sent to kill you."

I was still wondering how my boring mundane life could even have a twist like this, for the most part it's just been me existing and minding my business.

"What happened to you that night?" Liam asked.

I narrated the whole story to him, how I found out about my cheating husband and how I was on the street and I got run over "accidentally."

"That must have been tough, are you sure your husband didn't have a hand in this?"

His question took me aback, and I began to consider the possibility. Aiden was no longer the man I knew and married, because the Aiden I knew would never cheat on me.

Who's to say that he couldn't have something to do with this too?

"I'm not sure, I don't know."

Liam nodded. "Whoever is trying to kill you must have given up by now because they think you're dead."

"But I'm still very much alive," I replied.

"Well, that's not what the news says." I watched as he did his hands into his pocket and retrieved his phone.

He pointed the screen towards me and I squinted my eyes to look. There I was on the headlines, Olivia Tan, declared dead. Apparently they found a disfigured looking body in the river and assumed it was me.

"No," I whispered, my throat tightening. I thought about my sister, she was the only family member I had left. How would she feel upon hearing this news?

I shook my head, "it can't be I have to tell them I'm alive," I said and immediately jumped on my feet.

Liam grabbed my wrist gently and pulled me back, "They believe you're dead, so it's a chance to lay low and restrategize. Returning would put you at risk from unknown enemies who already know you.

I knew he was right, but it was still difficult to accept. I snatched my arm away from his hold.

"I need some time to think about this," I said and then left the dining area.

My feet led me to the balcony, and I wrapped my fingers against the railing. I tightened my grip on the cold metal as the evening breeze swept over my face, blowing loose tendrils of my hair.

The tears didn't stop, they continued to roll down my cheeks, hot. Never in my life have I processed this kind of pain before.

"Don't you just want to let it all out?" Liam's voice chimed behind me.

His voice was deep and calming, and something about his presence made me feel safer. "I've been crying ever since I found out my husband was cheating on me, I'm tired of crying, I'm not supposed to cry over him any longer." My voice was choked up with raw emotions.

He stepped forward, "then don't, you don't need to cry anymore over a man who doesn't love you."

"It's easier said than done, I'm carrying his child…" I broke out into softer sobs.

Liam wrapped his arms around my frame, offering me warmth. I loosened my muscles and let myself melt into his embrace.

His touch was just the trigger I needed to let it all out, all the pent up emotions, all the pain. A hoarse cry escaped from my throat as my lips quivered.

I held onto Liam tightly and let myself feel it, all the emotions. He didn't say a word throughout the whole thing, he just stood there, acting as my solid rock.

Finally I felt light, it was like all the pain had suddenly gone away. "Thank you."

"For what?" He asked, rubbing my shoulders with the pad of his thumb.

"For being there, for saving me, for having my interest at heart…"

He turned to face me. "A beautiful woman like you shouldn't be in a state like this, it doesn't suit you," he teased.

I didn't even realize when a laugh erupted from me. Liam had a way of genuinely making me feel happy, and even if we'd just met for such a short time, it felt like I'd known him since forever.

"I don't even know what I want to do in my life." I looked at my belly. "I have a baby going inside me and the whole world thinks I'm dead."

"You don't have to know it, you don't have to figure it out on your own. I'm here for you."

His words plucked at my heartstrings and I couldn't help but pull him into a hug. After we broke apart I straightened my hair.

"I'm going to make Aiden pay and whoever had a hand in my attempted murder will also pay dearly for what they did to me."

Liam narrowed his eyes at me and then got on his feet. "Allow me to help you," he said, whispering against my ears as he placed his hands on my waist.

"How?" I looked over my shoulders and then swallowed.

"I will help you get revenge on Aiden, I'll bring him down, I'll help you find out who tried to kill you and make sure that they pay you too."

This all seemed too good to be true, firstly he rescued me and saved me from drowning and then he gave me a place to live treating me well and then now he wants to help me?

"But why do you want to do all this? You barely even know me."

"Barely is enough for me, I know you're a wonderful woman and I don't know how stupid Aiden had to have been to cheat on you."

I stepped away from him and then turned around, "so you want to help me just because you think I'm a wonderful woman?"

He flashed a sweet smile at me. "I want you to be my wife," he declared without skipping a beat.

My head became an echo chamber the moment he said those words and they kept replaying in my head.

I suddenly felt weak in the knees and my breathing became uneasy.

"B-but… I'm pregnant," I whispered, looking away.

He stepped forward and then grabbed my hands, giving me a gentle squeeze. "It doesn't matter to me, I love you I love you means I have to accept all of you, including the baby growing inside you," he said and then placed his hands on my stomach.

My skin tingled and the butterflies in my stomach began to act upon once again. My heart began beating faster.

"This is all too much, I-"

"It's ok, you don't have to make a decision right now. You can decide whenever you're ready, and if you reject my proposal I'll respect it and we can go our separate ways."

He turned around and began walking away. I fixed my eyes on his retreating back as I was still processing everything he had just said.

Liam Black was a good man. He was as handsome as he was charismatic and charming. He was certainly powerful enough to help me exert my revenge on Aiden and everyone who wronged me.

If I didn't accept this proposal, what then would I do with my life? Go back out there and have whoever was after me find me and kill me?

"Wait!" I said, causing him to halt in his tracks. "I'll marry you, I'll be your wife and I will be loyal to you. In exchange, you will help me get my revenge."

His smile was warm and genuine, "I promise you, you won't regret this Olivia."

A few days later

Liam had arranged for everything, he wanted us to leave the country for a while to ensure my safety and that of my child, so that we could all start fresh.

He handed an envelope to me, "everything is in there: your new name, our marriage certificate, flight tickets and visas and the documents to our new house in France."

The car was parked by the street outside and we were already seated in the back, ready to leave. That was when Liam realized that he forgot his wallet and rushed back inside. "I'll be right back," he said, planting a kiss against my cheek as he rushed to get it.

From the corner of my eyes I noticed a little boy holding a white piece of paper, he crossed the road and knocked on the door to my window.

The driver tried to tell him to get lost but then I rolled down my windows and looked at the kid. Without saying another word, he shoved the paper through the window and then ran off.

Confused, I pick up the piece of paper to read what's on it. "You'll never be safe, no matter where you go."

My stomach dropped when I read those words.