Chapter 2 The First Performance

LIA'S POV

The contract said our first public appearance as a "reconciled couple" would be at a charity gala. Liam texted me the details—time, address, dress code: formal. He included one more line: "Wear the emerald necklace from the box."

A delivery arrived at my café that afternoon. A large, glossy box tied with a silver ribbon. Inside, nestled in black velvet, was a dress the color of midnight. It was simple and elegant, the kind of dress that whispered money. Beside it sat a smaller box. I opened it to find the necklace.

It was the same emerald pendant he’d given me for our first anniversary. The one I’d left behind on the dresser the morning I walked out. Seeing it felt like a punch to the chest.

I almost didn’t go. I stared at the dress laid out on my bed for an hour, my stomach in knots. But I thought of my dad, smiling and clueless at the party, and my mom’s proud face. I thought of the debt Liam now held over them like a sword. So I put the dress on. It fit perfectly, as if he’d remembered my size after all these years.

A black car picked me up at seven. Liam was already inside, looking like he’d stepped off a magazine cover in a tailored tuxedo. He glanced at me, his eyes sweeping from my hair to my shoes. There was no compliment, no warmth. Just a slow, assessing nod.

"You look appropriate," was all he said.

The gala was in a glittering hotel ballroom full of people who looked important. Liam’s hand settled on the small of my back as we walked in. The touch was light, professional, but it sent a shock through me. It was the first time he’d touched me since the parking lot.

"Remember," he said softly, his lips near my ear as he smiled for the crowd. "We are madly in love and working through our past. You are happy to be back. You adore me. Try to look like you don’t want to bolt."

He introduced me to people as his wife, Lia. His tone was warm, possessive. He told a story about how we’d met in college, leaving out the messy ending. He laughed easily, his arm around my waist, pulling me close. To everyone watching, we were the picture of a second-chance romance.

I felt like an actor in a play where I didn’t know my lines. I smiled until my cheeks ached. I nodded. I said, "It’s so wonderful to be back together," and the words tasted like ash.

Halfway through the night, we ran into Chloe’s friend, Melissa. Her eyes went wide when she saw Liam’s arm around me.

"Lia? Oh my gosh! Chloe didn’t tell me you two knew each other!"

Liam’s grip on my waist tightened slightly. This was it—the first test.

"We go way back," Liam said smoothly, giving my side a gentle squeeze. "We actually have some… history. We’ve recently reconnected. We were just about to tell Chloe all about it."

Melissa’s eyebrows shot up. "History? You mean like…?"

"Like I was lucky enough to marry her a long time ago," Liam said, looking down at me with a fondness that looked so real it hurt. "We were young. We made mistakes. But some loves are worth a second try."

I forced a soft smile, leaning into him. "It’s been a surprise for both of us," I added, my voice surprisingly steady. "But a happy one."

Melissa looked dazzled. "Wow. Chloe is going to flip! This is so romantic!"

After she drifted away, I let out a shaky breath. Liam’s fake smile dropped instantly.

"See? Not so hard," he murmured. "You’re a natural liar."

Before I could reply, a tall, elegant woman with red hair walked up. She kissed Liam on the cheek. "Darling, you didn’t tell me you were bringing a date."

Liam’s posture changed, becoming stiffer. "Vanessa, this is Lia. My wife. Lia, this is Vanessa, a… close business associate."

Vanessa’s smile was sharp enough to cut glass. She looked me up and down, her gaze lingering on the emerald necklace. "The wife from the dark past? How… quaint. I didn’t realize you were back in the picture."

Something about the way she said it, the possessive way she touched Liam’s arm, made my chest tighten with a feeling I refused to name.

"The past has a way of coming back," I said, keeping my voice light.

"Indeed," Vanessa said, her eyes cold. She turned back to Liam. "We need to discuss the Brisbane merger, Liam. When you have a moment away from your… reunion."

She walked away, leaving a chill in the air. Liam watched her go, his jaw tight.

"Who is she?" I asked quietly.

"No one you need to worry about," he said, his tone clipped. "Just play your part."

For the rest of the night, I felt Vanessa’s eyes on me. Liam was quieter, distracted. The easy charm he’d shown earlier was gone. When the car dropped me back at my apartment, he didn’t get out.

"The family dinner is on Sunday," he said, looking straight ahead. "Be ready at six. We’ll tell your parents and Chloe together. That’s when the real performance begins."

I just nodded, clutching my tiny purse. As I turned to leave, his voice stopped me.

"You did alright tonight," he said, still not looking at me. "But Sunday will be harder. Get some rest."

I got out and watched the black car disappear into the night. The emerald necklace felt heavy and cold against my skin. I took it off the moment I was inside, my fingers fumbling with the clasp.

But as I went to put it back in the box, I saw a small inscription on the inside of the clasp that I’d never noticed before. It was too tiny to see years ago. I held it under the light.

Two letters were engraved there: L & L.

Liam and Lia.

A knot formed in my throat. He’d had this made for us. For our future. I had thrown it all away.

My phone buzzed on the table. A message from Chloe.

Chloe: "Melissa just called me! SHE MET YOUR HUSBAND?! WHAT IS HAPPENING, LIA?! You’re MARRIED to LIAM? My Liam? CALL ME RIGHT NOW!!!!"