The Cheater [JenLisa]

Chapter 22

I sat in my sleek office, the city skyline stretching out like a glittering promise. Blake was across the room, casually reviewing a contract, but my mind wasn't on work.

Seeing Liam again, his cautious eyes. The way he held onto that sketchbook like it was his lifeline—it tore something open inside me. Not pain. Not regret. Something quieter. Hope. Fear. A desperate wish to fix the parts of myself I'd left broken.

Blake glanced up, catching my distant stare. "You've been checked out all morning," he said, voice calm but curious.

I forced a smile. "Just tired."

He raised an eyebrow but didn't push.

Blake wasn't the controlling type. No, if anything, he was... pragmatic.

Calculated. The kind of man who held power not through force but through presence. The CEO of one of the biggest companies in the country—no one got that far without knowing exactly how to play the game.

And I was one of his top models. His star. But that didn't mean I was happy.

Because the thing is, I never stopped loving Lisa. Never stopped wanting Liam. And yet, I'd betrayed them both. With Kai. With secrets I thought would stay hidden.

I closed my eyes, trying to breathe past the tightness in my chest. Blake's charity event was in two weeks—a perfect opportunity to introduce Liam, just like I'd told Lisa. A step toward healing... or at least toward something resembling it.

But the thought of seeing Liam in a crowd filled me with dread. What if I ruined it? What if I lost him again?
The door opened, and my assistant stepped in, clipboard in hand.

"Blake's asking when you'll finalize your speech for the event," she said softly.

I nodded, grateful for the interruption.

"Right," I said, standing and smoothing my dress. "Time to put on the mask again."

Later, alone in my dressing room, I stared at myself in the mirror. The woman staring back was polished, poised, but she wasn't the real me.

Not anymore.

I thought of Liam's eyes, searching mine for a mother he knew.

That image haunted me.

And then there was Lisa—stronger than I ever imagined. With Somi by her side, the woman who'd helped rebuild what I'd broken.

Part of me wanted to hate them both, to push away the reminders of what I lost. But deep down, I knew better.

They were the reason I had to try.

Kai had been a mistake. A betrayal fueled by fear and loneliness. But Blake... Blake was something different. He was the future I'd chosen, the stability I craved—but at what cost?

I wasn't sure anymore.

The night of the charity event arrived in a blur of flashing cameras and polite applause. I stayed close to Blake's side, smiling for the crowd, making small talk with donors and press alike.

But my eyes kept drifting toward the side entrance, where Lisa had promised Liam would be waiting—just five minutes, no cameras.

He finally arrived.

He was older now—taller, more confident, but still that same guarded boy.

Lisa stood beside him, arms crossed protectively.

I took a slow breath and stepped forward.

"Liam," I said softly. "Thank you for coming."

He nodded, eyes wide but steady.

Lisa gave me a quick, assessing glance before letting me lead Liam to a quiet corner away from the crowd.

I knelt down to his level. "I want to show you something," I said, pulling out a small photo album.

Inside were pictures from when he was a baby—when the world was simpler, and I was still his mom.

He flipped through the pages slowly, touching each photo like it was a secret treasure.

"I'm sorry I left," I whispered, voice trembling. "And I'm sorry for everything that came after."

He looked up, eyes searching mine.

"I don't know if you can forgive me," I said. "But I want to try."

For a long moment, Liam said nothing.

Then, quietly, he said, "I want to know you."

Tears blurred my vision.

Later that night, back at the hotel Blake had booked for me, I stared out at the city lights, phone in hand.

Lisa's number blinked on the screen.

I wanted to call. To say more. To explain. To ask for a chance.

But instead, I typed a message:
Thank you for today. For Liam. For trying.

I hit send and felt a small flicker of hope.

Maybe this was the beginning.