I Cancel Our Wedding, Then He Comes Begging

Chapter 8

Liam and I stood in the hotel lobby, the tension between us thick. "Are you absolutely sure there are no rooms available?" Liam asked the receptionist, for what felt like the hundredth time.

"Sir," the receptionist replied, her patience wearing thin, "I've explained this already. We're completely booked. The heavy rain has stranded tourists, and every hotel around here is full."

"Are you sure...?" Liam asked again, but I sighed, cutting him off before he could ask a million more times.

"Fine," I said, frustrated. "One room, it is."

Thank God Liam had booked a double room. It was a habit he'd picked up from traveling with friends. If it had been a single bed, we would've been in a real mess. Being the gentleman he was, Liam used a bed sheet to create a makeshift divider between the two beds. Watching him set it up so seriously, I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

"You don't need to do that," I said, trying to hold back a smile. "I trust you."

He stopped, then looked up at me awkwardly. "It's not you I don't trust," he said sheepishly. "It's me."

I nearly choked. His words hit me harder than I expected. Then Liam quickly added, "Aren't you married? If your husband found out, it could cause trouble. I'll check other hotels tomorrow and see if I can get us a new room."

I didn't argue. He was right, after all. If anyone found out about our situation, things could get messy.

Later that night, I couldn't help but text my friend Amanda about the whole thing. Liam was still in the room, so I kept it between us. Amanda thought the whole situation was hilarious, and to be honest, I couldn't help but laugh at the awkwardness of it too.

After one very uncomfortable night, a room finally opened up, and Liam jumped on it without hesitation. The rest of the trip went by smoothly, and we wrapped up our business efficiently. I had worked with our contact before, so we got everything sorted quickly.

Back in Sea City, Liam went to grab the car from the airport parking lot.

"Wendy, it's getting late, and taxis are hard to come by. Let me drive you home," he offered.

"Alright," I agreed, too tired to argue.

The drive felt like it took forever. I was half asleep, dreaming of a hot shower and my bed. When we finally reached my building, I barely had the energy to get out of the car.

"Thanks for the ride," I said, feeling grateful.

"No problem," Liam said with a smile. "Go rest. See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow," I replied with a smile of my own.

As his car disappeared down the street, I turned around and froze. There, standing in the shadows, were two piercing eyes.

Lucian.

He looked like he was about to burst with rage. "Did you go to a hotel with him?" His voice was low, shaking with fury.

I felt my stomach drop. I already knew who had been spreading rumors about me. Keeping my composure, I shot him a cold look. "What's it to you?"

He took a sharp breath, his eyes hurt. "Are you trying to get revenge on me?"

I scoffed. "Don't flatter yourself." Then, mimicking his earlier tone, I added, "People with dirty minds see dirt everywhere."

Lucian's body stiffened, as if the words hit him harder than I expected. For the first time, I could see that he was shaken, maybe finally understanding the anger I'd felt. But honestly, it didn't matter anymore. It was too late for him.