Amelia remained silent as Liam spoke, not because she didn’t care, but because her feelings were the very thing that was tearing her apart.
She stood and moved toward the window, watching as the city lights blurred into soft golden streaks across the glass. Although her voice was steady, there was an undeniable tremor beneath it.
“Liam… I don’t even know what comes next. I’m not sure what’s real anymore. All I can think about is that if Ethan is alive, he’s out there waiting for someone to save him. And if I don’t go — if I choose to stay safe while he’s in danger — I don’t think I could live with myself.”
Liam approached slowly, taking careful steps. “And what if you end up needing help yourself?”
At that, she turned to face him. For the first time, Liam didn’t see strength or bravery in her eyes. Instead, he saw sheer exhaustion. He saw fear. He saw someone who was tired of fighting battles against shadows on her own.
“Do you really think I’m not scared?” she whispered. “I’m terrified. Of Clara. Of the truth. Of what Ethan might say if I find him. Of what could happen if I don’t.”
A heavy silence followed.
Then Liam spoke, softly but with a gravity that filled the air around them.
“Amelia… you’re not just fighting for Ethan anymore. You’re also battling what this situation is doing to you.”
Her breath hitched.
He continued, his voice low and sincere:
“I was with you when the phone rang. When the photo fell. When the message came in. I’ve walked beside you every step of the way, not because I owe Ethan anything — but because I can’t ignore the idea of losing you, even to a memory.”
Amelia’s heart raced.
There it was — the connection that had been quietly building between stolen moments, unanswered calls, and late-night confessions.
A bond that wasn’t meant to exist… but did.
“Liam,” she whispered, “please—”
He shook his head softly. “You don’t have to pick between us. I’m not asking for that. I just want you to know… I don’t want to be left behind.”
Her eyes burned, and she fought back the tears.
Because a new truth had entered the room.
Not the truth about Ethan.
Not the truth about Clara.
But the realization she had been dodging the most:
Someone loved her.
And she felt it.
Before either of them could say more, a loud knock echoed through the front door — sharp, urgent, as if someone didn’t care about waking anyone.
Liam froze. “That’s unusual. Nobody comes by this late.”
Amelia’s heart raced. “Do you think it could be Clara?”
Liam gestured for her to stay back as he approached the door cautiously. Drawing a slow breath, he unlocked it and pulled it open.
Standing there was a man, drenched from the rain, shivering, his face mostly hidden by a hood.
But Amelia recognized that voice before he even looked up.
“Liam… I need your help.”
It was Ethan.
Alive. Pale. Breathing heavily. His eyes wide with panic.
Amelia gasped.
The room seemed to spin.
Her heart stopped before it started racing again.
“Ethan?” she managed to say.
He met her gaze.
Broken. Guilty. Desperate.
“Amelia… I didn’t just disappear. I was running — from her.”
“From Clara?”
He nodded slowly.
“She’s not who you think she is.”
Liam stepped forward, his jaw tense. “Then start talking. Because she told Amelia that you’d vanish forever if she didn’t meet with her alone.”
Ethan closed his eyes as if in pain.
“You don’t get it,” he whispered. “If you go to her… none of you will come back.”
Amelia felt as if the floor had dropped out from under her.
“Then tell me everything, Ethan. Right now.”
He opened his mouth—
But before a single word could escape, the lights in the apartment went out.
Darkness swallowed the room.
The last thing Amelia heard was Ethan’s voice—softly whispering through the dark:
“She found me.”
💬 Question for Readers:
Ethan is back — but can Amelia trust him after everything he’s done? Should she still attend the meeting… or take the time to find out the truth first?
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Romac Romance, love triangle between Amelia, Ethan, and Liam, romantic suspense novel, mystery romance series, Ethan’s surprising return, Clara’s hidden identity, emotional love drama, chapter 9: Unspoken Truths, Lolasura Romac story, fiction romance blog
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