Page 22 of Liam (The Valeur Billionaires #4)
“We have no evidence that he knew anything,” Ryder says. “His disappearance seems to predate our interest in him. It’s possible he knows nothing about his father’s fate.”
“So why would he vanish?” Logan asks, voicing the question we’re all thinking .
Ryder shakes his head. “That’s what’s concerning. It could be completely unrelated, or...”
“We need to find him,” I say, surprised by the firmness in my voice. “We need to know where Elias Nort is and find out if he’s behind all of this.”
Our father nods, some of his old authority seeping back into his posture. “Ryder, I want Zane Mercer to put every resource he has on this. Find Elias Nort. And keep the family safe.”
Our father’s eyes sweep across the room, pleading. “You must believe me,” he says, his voice cracking. “I did what I thought was best. I wanted to protect this family. I wanted to protect her. To protect all of you.”
The weight of his words hangs heavy in the air. He turns to Lucas and Logan, his gaze intense. “Wouldn’t you do the same for Ava? For Sloane?”
Lucas’s jaw clenches, his eyes flickering with a mix of understanding and conflict. Logan’s hand tightens on the edge of the bookshelf, his knuckles turning white.
Then our father’s gaze shifts to Ryder, standing in the corner. “For Cora?”
Ryder’s usually impassive face betrays a flicker of emotion. His eyes meet Cora’s for a brief, charged moment before he looks away.
One by one, they lower their heads, the unspoken answer clear. They would. We all would.
As Ryder nods and steps away to make some calls, I glance around at my siblings. The shock and fear on their faces mirror my own. Our world has been turned upside down in an evening, and I can’t shake the feeling that this is just the beginning of our troubles .
The image of Aleria flashes in my mind. Her brilliant smile, the way her eyes light up when she’s explaining a complex theory. My chest tightens, a bittersweet ache that seems out of place amidst the chaos of the evening.
And yet, she’s the only clear thought in the maelstrom of my mind. A beacon of normalcy in a world turned upside down.
The discussion that follows is heated, fractured. We argue about how to proceed, how to protect the family, how to find this unknown son before he finds us. But underneath it all, I sense a shift. The unshakeable foundation of our family has been cracked, and none of us are sure how to repair it.
I need air, space to think. And I need... I’m not sure what I need, but I can’t process this alone.
“I need some time,” I announce, standing. The others stare at me, concern etched on their faces. “I’ll be back. I need to clear my head.”
I don’t wait for a response, striding out of the study and through the grand foyer. The cool night air hits me as I step outside, and I gulp it down greedily. Without thinking, I pull out my phone and dial a familiar number.
“Alex? Yeah, it’s me. Listen, can you gather the guys and come over?”
An hour later, my living room is a tableau of concerned faces and empty glasses. The coffee table is a minefield of discarded ice cubes and ring stains, a silent testimony to our attempts to numb the shock of the evening .
Diego leans forward, his brow furrowed as he tries to piece together the fragments I’ve shared. “So let me get this straight,” he says, words slightly slurred. “Your dad did something bad. Something big. And now there’s someone who might be out for revenge? But you can’t tell us any details?”
I nod, the motion making the room spin. I reach for my glass, almost knocking it over, before taking another swig. The scotch burns a path down my throat, a welcome distraction from the chaos in my head.
“That’s heavy, man,” Ryan breathes, shaking his head.
Alex’s eyes haven’t left my face, his gaze sharp despite the alcohol. “There’s something else, isn’t there? Something you’re not telling us.”
I take a deep breath, the buzz loosening my tongue. “I did something not great yesterday,” I confess, guilt twisting in my gut. “I went to the lab and...”
Diego leans forward, his eyebrows raised. “And what?”
I wince, the words tasting sour. “I piled a ton of work on Aleria. Made her stay late.”
Alex’s eyes narrow. “On purpose?”
I nod, unable to meet their gazes. “She had a date. With some guy named Jake. You know, for the bet? And I just… I couldn’t stand it.”
“Jesus, Liam,” Ryan breathes, shaking his head. “That’s pretty low, man.”
“I know,” I groan, rubbing my face. “It was wrong. But seeing her, thinking of her with someone else… I can’t get it out of my mind.”
Diego snorts, a mix of amusement and disbelief in his voice. “You’re jealous. Straight up, green-eyed monster jealous. ”
I open my mouth to deny it, but the lie dies on my lips. “I...yeah. I think I am.”
“Think?” Alex scoffs. “Liam, you sabotaged her date. Face it, you’ve got real feelings for this girl.”
The realization washes over me, equal parts thrilling and terrifying. “I do,” I whisper, more to myself than to them. “God, I really do.”
The guilt intensifies, churning in my stomach. “I messed up. But what do I do now?”
“Wait a minute,” Ryan interrupts. “What happened to Sofia?”
“She was great. We went out twice, but I couldn’t ask her out again when I’d rather be with Aleria.”
Alex sighs, running a hand through his hair. “First, you need to apologize. And then, you need to figure out what you really want. Because if you keep jerking her around like this, you’re going to lose her before you’ve got her and for good.”
“What if she won’t give me a chance? After how I treated her in college, after how I’ve been acting... And with all this family stuff going on...” I wave my hand, nearly upending my empty glass.
“Whoa there, Romeo,” Ryan says, reaching out to steady my arm. “Don’t do anything rash. You’ve got enough on your plate right now without adding relationship drama to the mix.”
Diego nods, his movement exaggerated by the alcohol. “Yeah, plus, you know how you get when things get real. Maybe it’s better to keep some distance for now.”
Their words make sense, but they grate against something raw inside me. I stumble to my feet, pacing. “But what if by the time I’m ready, she’s with someone else? That Jake guy... ”
“Liam,” Alex’s voice cuts through my rambling. “Think about what you’re saying. Is it fair to drag her into whatever this is?”
Diego sets his glass down with a soft thud. “Look, man, we get it. You like her. But you’ve gotta go slow.”
Alex nods, leaning forward. “You hurt her before, and if you do it again?—”
“She won’t forgive you,” Ryan finishes, his voice gentle but firm. “And let’s be real, you don’t exactly have the best track record.”
I wince, their words hitting a little too close to home. “This time, it’s different.”
“Maybe.” Alex exchanges a glance with the others before speaking. “You’re drunk. You’ve just had a massive shock with your family. Are you sure this isn’t a reaction to all that?”
I stop pacing, their words cutting through the alcohol-induced haze. Could they be right?
“Look,” Diego says, standing up to put a hand on my shoulder. “We support you, man. If you want to pursue something with Aleria, we’ve got your back. But take some time. Make a plan. Show her you’ve changed before diving in headfirst.”
Ryan nods. “Yeah, like, woo her or something. But sober. And without all this family drama hanging over your head.”
“You’re right,” I admit, the words tasting bitter. “I can’t drag her into this mess. Not until I figure things out.”
Alex smiles. “That’s our boy. Now, how about we focus on processing this family stuff first? One crisis at a time, yeah?”
The night wears on, filled with theories and plans, but my mind keeps drifting back to Aleria. My friends are right. I need to be careful, to be sure. But a part of me can’t shake the feeling that by the time I’m ready, it might be too late.
“It’s getting late,” Alex says.
“Promise you won’t do anything rash?” Diego asks, keys jingling in his hand.
I hold up three fingers in a mock scout salute. “Promise. No drunk texts, no grand gestures, no complications. I’ll be good.”
They file out, Ryan pausing at the door. “We mean it, Liam. Sleep it off.”
“Yes, Mom,” I call after him, closing the door behind them.
The silence settles heavy around me. I last approximately seven minutes before reaching for the scotch. One drink turns into three, which turns into half the bottle. The room spins pleasantly as I sprawl on my couch, staring at the ceiling.
What do they know anyway? They haven’t seen the way Aleria’s eyes light up when she talks about her work. They don’t understand how it feels to watch her with Jake, knowing I had my chance and blew it.
My hand reaches for my phone. The screen blurs in and out of focus as I pull up Aleria’s contact. My thumbs hover over the keyboard.
Liam
tell jake hes a lucky bastard... wait no dont tell him that...
just wanted to say you looked pretty today... i mean professional... dr james...
My thumb hovers over the send button, my heart pounding an erratic rhythm against my ribs. The words stare back at me, a testament to everything I shouldn't be feeling.
“What am I doing?” I mutter, the familiar panic rising in my chest. I drop the phone onto my chest, running a hand over my face.
“I'm never drinking again.”