Only The Beginning

Liv's POV

Hell seemed to have caught me on its damned radar for the weekend!

Aaron’s house stood like a jewel at the heart of Dreamville Town, an architectural masterpiece that always felt foreign to me every time.

Yes. Even after my fucking engagement to him.

He isn't the owner of this beautiful estate, he is but only a son to Kaelon Blackwood, the richest man in all of Dreamville and beyond.

I paused for a moment on the steps, clutching my keys tightly. The house had never felt like home, more like a stage where Aaron played the role of a loving fiancé, and I pretended to be a part of his elite world.

But today, everything was different. I wasn’t here to play a part or indulge his whims. He has done enough harm.

All I wanted now, more than ever, was to pack up my life and leave all this behind.

I rolled my eyes over the white room I found myself in.

The foyer was as grand as ever, with its marble floors gleaming under the light of a crystal chandelier.

But something felt… off.

I shifted my gaze to Aaron, who was pacing like a caged animal, his hands flying in animated gestures, his golden hair disheveled in a way I’d never seen before.

And then there was him. Kaelon Blackwood.

Their estate is a tall and magnificent structure, but standing taller and even more magnificent than the glowing chandeliers in this mansion was the man before me.

The man I’d drunkenly thrown myself at, the man who had held me with such possessive intensity that I couldn’t forget it no matter how hard I tried.

The same man who now stood with his arms crossed, a mask of irritation covering his chiseled face as he watched his son rant.

My heart dropped to my stomach. I was shocked to find him standing there listening to his son's blabber.

Fuck! How could I not have known?

But there he was, larger than life, his steel-gray eyes briefly meeting mine before flicking away.

Dressed in a sky blue shirt, tucked perfectly into a navy blue pants with a navy blue coat to cover, he looked nothing like the father of a grown ass man like Aaron.

"Liv!" Aaron’s voice rang out as he spotted me, his tone a mix of relief and desperation. He practically lunged toward me, his long strides closing the distance in seconds.

“Liv, baby, thank God you’re here!” He grabbed my hands, clutching them as though I were his lifeline.

His touch made my skin crawl, and I instinctively tried to pull away, but he held on tighter.

“I’m so sorry,” he began, his words tumbling over one another in a frantic rush. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I didn’t mean to cheat on you. It was… she seduced me! You have to believe me, Liv. I..”

My attention wasn’t on him anymore. It was on Kaelon, who had raised his hand and pressed it to his forehead, a gesture so full of exasperation that I almost laughed despite myself.

His dark eyebrows furrowed as though he couldn’t believe the words coming out of his son’s mouth.

“Baby, let’s just get married,” Aaron continued, his voice trembling. “We can fix this. I’ll do whatever it takes. Please, Liv. I love you!”

Kaelon rolled his eyes with such exaggerated irritation that it was impossible to miss. And then, before I could even process what was happening, he moved.

In three long strides, he was beside me. Without a word, he shoved Aaron away from me, not violently, but with a force that I didn’t see coming.

Aaron stumbled back, his eyes widening in shock. “What the hell?” he spat, glaring at his father.

Kaelon didn’t respond immediately. His piercing gaze was locked on me, his jaw clenched, and for a brief moment, I thought I saw something raw and possessive in his eyes. I shivered, unsure if it was fear or something else entirely.

“Dad, what the hell is your problem?” Aaron’s voice cracked with disbelief, breaking the tense silence.

Kaelon turned to him then, his expression icy. “My problem is you,” he said coolly, his deep voice reverberating through the room. “You’ve embarrassed yourself enough. Leave her alone.”

Aaron’s face turned a deep shade of red, his fists clenching at his sides. “What right do you have to push me away?” he demanded, his voice rising. “You don’t get to act all high and mighty now, Dad. You don’t have ANY right!”

Kaelon’s eyes narrowed, but Aaron wasn’t done. “You’ve been pushing me away since I was a kid! You were never around, always too busy with your damned businesses to even care about your own family. And now, even now, you’re still pushing me away!”

Kaelon’s jaw tightened, but he said nothing, his silence only fueling Aaron’s rage.

“And you!” Aaron turned to me, his blue eyes wild with anger and hurt. “You’re no better! You were always so obsessed with your designs and your research, always too busy for me! I gave you everything you wanted, Liv. Everything! And you couldn’t even pay attention to me the way you were supposed to!”

“What?" I managed to say, clearly surprised at his accusation.

“Let's just get married and put all of this drama behind us Liv, come on." Aaron blabbered.

The venom in his voice stung, but before I could respond, Kaelon moved again. He grabbed Aaron by the shoulders, his grip firm and unyielding.

“That’s enough,” Kaelon said, his voice colder than I’d ever heard it. “You’re acting like a spoiled child. If you can’t control yourself, get lost. Now.”

Aaron’s chest heaved with heavy breaths, his gaze flickering between his father and me. With a sharp jerk, he broke free of Kaelon’s grip and took a step back.

“Fine,” he spat, his voice dripping with bitterness. “You want me to leave? I’ll leave. But don’t think for a second that this is over.”

Without another word, he stormed off, his footsteps echoing angrily down the hallway. I stood frozen, my heart pounding as the weight of what had just happened settled over me.

Kaelon let out a long breath, his shoulders relaxing slightly as he turned to face me. For a moment, neither of us spoke, the tension between us crackling like static electricity.

“You didn’t need to do that,” I finally said, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Yes, I did,” he replied, his tone leaving no room for argument.

His eyes softened then, and for a brief moment, I saw a flicker of something, concern, perhaps? It was gone as quickly as it appeared, replaced by his usual stoic demeanor.

“You shouldn’t be here,” he said quietly, his voice gentler now.

I crossed my arms over my chest, trying to steady my breathing. “I came to pack my things. That’s all.”

Kaelon nodded, stepping aside to let me pass. As I brushed past him, I felt the heat of his gaze on me, and my heart betrayed me by skipping a beat.

I hurried up the grand staircase, my thoughts a whirlwind of confusion and emotions. My relationship with Aaron was over, there was no doubt about that.

But whatever this thing was between Kaelon and me, it was far from simple.

And I had a sinking feeling that it was only the beginning.