Chapter 138

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Liam finally managed to stand upright , his eyes widening in shock as he spotted the bullet lodged in the wall .
“ Aht Andrew was frozen in fear , crouched against the car like a terrified animal .
Not far away , a car was reversing , its engine growling as it backed up .
Liam was still reeling when Aria darted past him , snatching the car keys from Andrew’s trembling hand and jumping into the driver’s seat .
Acting on pure instinct , Liam sprinted over and climbed into the passenger seat just as Aria started the car .
The car sped off , leaving Andrew stranded on the ground . Thinking they were fleeing for their lives , he chased after them , shouting , “ Wait for me ! Don’t leave me ! Help ! Help ! ”
Aria swerved sharply and hit the gas , her eyes locked on the road ahead .
“ What are you doing here ? ” she snapped , her tone sharp and impatient .
Liam’s heart was racing . He took a deep breath , his hands trembling as he fumbled with the seatbelt . “ This is my car. Why wouldn’t I be here ?
“ Is the person in that car the one who tried to kill me ? ” he asked , his voice tinged with disbelief .
“ They’re using a silenced gun ,” he muttered , his unease growing . “ These people aren’t amateurs . ”
Aria shot him a quick glance , her expression faintly mocking . How had she never noticed how clueless he was ?
Liam’s gaze landed on the scratch on her nose , and the memory of the earlier life – or – death moment flashed through his mind . For a second , he forgot what he wanted to say . “ Aria , I never thought you’d save me .”
If she’d been even a little slower , that bullet would have gone straight through her head . She had risked her life for him .
Liam sighed . “ I know you still have feelings for me , but I’ve made my choice . Hannah is the one for me . She’s a great woman , and there’s no future for you and me . ”
Aria was at a loss for words .
Liam continued , “ I was wrong about not recognizing your contributions to the Cole Group . I owe you an apology . ”
After dealing with so many issues , Liam finally understood how challenging it was to run a company . His narrow – mindedness had caused him to undervalue her efforts and say things that were deeply hurtful .
“ You’ve got a bad temper and a sharp tongue , but you’re stunning , capable , and ridiculously skilled . Any guy lucky enough to have you as his protector would feel blessed , but I’m not signing up for that . ”
Aria rolled her eyes .
Liam said , “ They’ve got guns. Don’t chase them . I’ll find out who’s behind this to try to kill me . ”
Seeing Aria stubbornly refuse to back down , Liam assumed she was determined to catch the culprits for his sake . He tried to reason with her , saying , “ If you’re interested , I can introduce you to some top – tier guys . They’re all successful executives , though none of them are quite as handsome as me . ”
“ Shut up ! ” Aria cut him off sharply , her tone full of irritation . “ Say one more word , and I’ll throw you out of the car . ”
Her fiery reaction to his matchmaking offer made Liam pause .
He wondered , ‘ Does she truly love me that much ? But we haven’t even spent much time together .’
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Liam thought back to his school days , recalling the obsessive fans who had confessed their feelings to him . Slowly , he began to accept the idea . “ Aria , don’t get too attached to me . ”
‘ Is this guy out of his mind ? ‘ Aria gripped the steering wheel tightly . If she wasn’t worried about losing the gray car , she’d stop and kick him out right
away .
The gray car veered off the main road and onto a secluded path .
As Aria turned the corner , Liam quickly noticed the gray car was trying to lure them away . He grabbed the steering wheel and shouted , “ Stop chasing
them ! ”
The car swerved sharply , and in the blink of an eye , the gray car sped around a corner and vanished from sight .
Aria shot him a frosty glare . “ Are you trying to get yourself killed ? ”
“ You don’t have to go this far for me , ” Liam said .
“ Get out ! ” Aria snapped .
Since she had saved his life earlier , Liam decided to let her bad attitude slide for now .
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