Chapter 34

EMILIA

Liam doesn’t stop moving, doesn’t loosen his grip, doesn’t even look back. He just pulls me through the chaos like he’s the only thing keeping me grounded. And maybe he is. The cameras flash, reporters shout, but all I can focus on is the warmth of his hand wrapped around mine.

We break through the crowd, and only then does he slow down. But his grip? Still firm. Like he’s afraid if he lets go, I’ll disappear.

He turns to me, his jaw tight, his chest rising and falling like he’s barely holding himself together. “If something is ever not okay,” he starts, voice low but edged with anger. Then he looks at me, and the anger melts into something else—something raw. “Tell me.”

I open my mouth, but nothing comes out.

Liam shakes his head, his fingers tightening around mine. “You’re not going on this cruise alone, Emilia. I’m here. With you. So when something makes you uncomfortable, when you don’t like something—what’s the first thing you should do?”