The Betrayed Oath

Chapter 10

Liam's words cut through the air, sharp and unforgiving. "You still think Alex deserves mercy?"

The room seemed to shrink around me, the weight of his question pressing against my chest. I gripped the folder tighter, my hands unsteady despite my best effort to remain composed. My heart hammered in my ears, drowning out everything else.

"I don't trust you, Liam," I finally said, my voice steadier than I felt. But the tremor deep inside betrayed me.

Liam leaned back casually against the desk, eyes gleaming with amusement, but there was something darker lurking behind that smile. "Smart choice," he said, a dangerous edge to his tone.

He tapped the desk with a slow, rhythmic beat, like a countdown. The tension in the room thickened with each passing second.

"But trust isn't what I'm asking for."

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. His gaze pinned me in place, suffocating me with its intensity.

"You want vengeance," I said at last, unable to keep the accusation from slipping out.

Liam's expression remained unreadable, but his eyes flickered with something, satisfaction? Approval? I couldn't tell. Whatever it was, I hated it.

"No," he corrected, his voice lowering just enough to send a shiver down my spine. "I want justice."

I let out a short, bitter laugh. "Justice?" I repeated, the word tasting like poison. "Destroying Alex's life, ruining everything he's worked for? That's not justice, Liam. That's cruelty."

Liam's smirk faded, replaced by a cold stillness. The air between us thickened, heavy with the unspoken truth hanging between us.

"He's done worse," Liam said, his voice quiet, but the weight of his words made my stomach drop.

I wanted to ask what he meant, but the look in his eyes told me I wasn't ready for the answer.

"And you're no saint either, Sophia," he added casually, his words like a slap to the face.

I flinched. "What are you talking about?" I demanded.

Liam didn't answer. Instead, he just watched me, like I was something he couldn't quite figure out.

I stepped closer, anger bubbling up inside me, fighting to break free. If he wanted me to play his game, fine. But I wasn't going to do it on his terms.

"If you've got something to say, say it," I shot back.

Liam tilted his head, eyes scanning me with unnerving precision, like he was reading me, piece by piece. "You think Alex is the villain," he said after a long beat. "Maybe he is. But you're no hero, Sophia."

My pulse quickened. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Liam didn't respond right away. Instead, he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small USB drive, holding it out to me with a quiet finality.

"You want answers?" he asked, his voice soft, like he was offering me a choice. "Here."

I didn't move to take it. Fear anchored me in place.

"What's on it?"

"The truth," he said simply. "About Alex. About you. About everything."

My fingers itched to grab it, but a wave of dread washed over me. "Why should I believe you?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

Liam sighed, clearly growing frustrated, but there was something strangely genuine in his eyes. "Because I'm not the one lying to you," he said, his voice low and steady. "Not about this."

His words stung, but they felt true. Too true.

"And what do you get out of this?" I asked, narrowing my eyes. "What's your angle?"

Liam's smile didn't reach his eyes. "The satisfaction of watching Alex lose everything. Just like he made me lose everything."

His voice cracked on the last word, and for a split second, I saw something raw and unguarded behind that cold facade.

"And me?" I asked, my voice quieter now. "What happens to me in all this?"

Liam's smile faded. "That depends on you," he said, his tone unreadable.

The room seemed to close in on me, the walls pressing against my chest as I was faced with a choice I didn't want to make.

"This is insane," I whispered, shaking my head. It was too much, too fast.

Liam's eyes hardened. "No, Sophia," he said, voice like ice. "What's insane is pretending Alex hasn't been lying to you for years. What's insane is trusting a man who sees you as nothing more than a pawn."

I opened my mouth to deny it, but my throat went dry. "You don't know that," I said, though the words felt hollow.

Liam took a step closer, his voice dropping to a near whisper. "Then prove me wrong."

The challenge hung in the air, thick with the weight of consequences. My fingers brushed the folder, then moved to the USB drive. Both felt like ticking time bombs.

"If I do this," I said, my voice trembling, "there's no going back."

"Exactly," Liam said, his smirk returning like a knife's edge. "So make your choice."

I hesitated, my heart caught between my mind and my instincts. And then I saw it. A single sheet of paper sticking out from the folder, its heading catching my eye: Power of Attorney: Alex Monroe.

My blood ran cold as I read the next line.

"No," I breathed, disbelief crashing over me.

Liam's smile widened, a twisted satisfaction in his eyes. "Now you're starting to see," he said softly.

I stumbled back, my hands shaking as I scanned the document. The truth began to unravel in front of me, a nightmare I couldn't escape. Alex hadn't just been hiding secrets. He'd been protecting me. From Liam.

"You've been lying to me," I whispered, my voice shaking.

"I told you," Liam said, his voice eerily calm. "Alex isn't innocent. But neither am I."

I backed away, the weight of the folder, the USB drive, and the truth pressing down on me. Liam turned toward the door, pausing before he left, his words hanging in the air like a warning.

"Choose wisely, Sophia," he said. "Once you open that Pandora's box, there's no closing it."

And then he was gone, leaving me with nothing but questions and a choice I wasn't ready to make.