Chapter 498 The Only Woman He Ever Loved

Chapter 498: Chapter 498 The Only Woman He Ever Loved

Liam had always been strict at work. Even at social events, he rarely showed anyone a warm side.

As one of the business industry’s hottest rising stars, his aloofness was hardly surprising.

But when he looked at Diana, his eyes softened. Even his voice carried a gentle, reassuring warmth.

He was patient with her in a way Sophie had never experienced.

Watching him treat Diana with such tenderness felt like a knife twisting in Sophie’s heart.

She had never seen this side of Liam when they were together. Now, she was witnessing firsthand just how deeply he cherished his wife.

His affection wasn’t an act. It came from the heart, reflected in the way he had always treated Diana over the years.

Sophie’s eyes trembled, and her hands curled into tight fists.

Diana met Liam’s gaze. The way he looked at her hadn’t changed in all these years.

He loved her. Deeply enough that anyone could see it.

Even now, standing in front of Sophie, he made no effort to hide his affection. It was as though Sophie had nothing to do with him at all. Diana was still the center of his world.

Yet the way Liam and Sophie acted like strangers spoke volumes.

They had secretly met at a hotel just yesterday.

Today, they were pretending not to know each other.

Diana suddenly smiled.

"But I still have to photograph Miss Clarke, so I’m afraid I won’t have time to have dinner with you."

"Is that so?"

Only then did Liam glance at Sophie.

"If you don’t mind, could we reschedule the shoot? My wife needs to finish her meal before she can get back to work."

Sophie’s back stiffened.

His tone was perfectly polite, but she understood the warning beneath it.

She took a deep breath, carefully keeping her displeasure off her face.

"Whatever works for you is fine with me."

"Thanks."

Liam didn’t look at her again.

Instead, he reached for Diana’s hand, frowning when he felt how cold it was.

"Why are you dressed so lightly? Your hands and feet are always freezing, but you never want to wear an extra layer."

Diana almost laughed.

To her embarrassment, tears threatened to well up in her eyes.

She fought them back and gently pulled her hand from his.

"Okay, I get it. You have work to do. Don’t distract me."

Liam frowned. Without another word, he took off his own coat and draped it around her shoulders.

Diana froze but didn’t push it away.

She couldn’t let Liam suspect that anything was wrong.

Watching them, Sophie felt her chest tighten painfully.

She turned and walked away.

The moment she returned to the dressing room, she swept every bottle and jar off the vanity, sending them crashing to the floor.

Her eyes were red, and tears streamed down her cheeks.

In her mind, Diana couldn’t compare to her in any way. So why did Liam care about Diana so much?

He was even breaking things off with her.

How could he be so heartless?

The previous day, Sophie had gone to great lengths to track down Liam’s location. She found his presidential suite—the very room where they had met before—and, knowing the access code, let herself in.

She had wanted to beg him not to abandon her, not to cut her off so ruthlessly.

She had even gone so far as to strip in front of him, hoping to use her body to change his mind.

A man like Liam rarely gave his heart to anyone. And when he did, there was nothing left for someone else.

He had gripped her chin and laughed coldly.

"Sophie, don’t put me in a difficult position. You know I’m not interested in this kind of arrangement."

Her entire body had gone cold.

He was serious about ending things. There wasn’t even the slightest trace of reluctance in him.

Of course, she knew what kind of man he was.

Back when Liam had rescued her from another powerful, terrifying man, Sophie had been a nobody in the entertainment industry. She’d had little choice but to submit to that married man’s demands and endure the industry’s unspoken rules.

By chance, she’d discovered that Liam was locked in a power struggle with him.

Desperate to escape, she had secretly approached Liam and offered to help him bring the man down by exposing his weaknesses and securing evidence of his wrongdoing. In return, she hoped Liam would help her get free.

During their first meeting, Liam had studied her face for a few seconds longer than necessary.

He had even treated her with unexpected kindness.

Sophie’s heart had raced. What woman wouldn’t be drawn to a man who was both handsome and capable? She had assumed his lingering gaze meant he was attracted to her.

Later, the man discovered that she had been gathering information about his vulnerabilities and collecting evidence against him.

Already furious over his battle with Liam, he took his anger out on Sophie. He locked her up and assaulted her.

By the time Liam found her, she was covered in bruises.

In that moment, Sophie noticed something in his expression: a flash of murderous intent, a dark and terrifying rage as he took in her battered condition.

She had thought he was worried about her.

Afterward, Liam took her to the hospital and made sure she received attentive care.

It was inevitable that she fell deeply in love with him.

She couldn’t bear the thought of losing him. She had racked her brains trying to find a way to stay by his side, but Liam gave her no real opportunity. He merely arranged for someone to look after her for a short time.

Sophie was clever. She never forgot the look on Liam’s face when he’d seen her injuries.

So, time and again, she had deliberately put herself in situations where she could appear vulnerable in front of him.

She let other people push her around and bully her.

Eventually, his heart softened enough for him to take her to his presidential suite.

She had tried everything she could think of to make something happen between them.

But Liam had been different from the man she’d imagined.

He had simply taken her chin in his hand and studied her face, his voice utterly emotionless.

"If you’re so desperate to get into my bed, understand one thing: this is all you’ll ever get. You’ll remain a secret, someone I keep hidden in the shadows."

Her heart had ached at those words.

Yet she couldn’t bring herself to ask why.

Liam had never concealed the truth from her.

"I have a woman I love."

Sophie hadn’t wanted to accept it, but she couldn’t bring herself to leave him either.

So she had settled for being his secret lover.

She had always believed that men could separate sex from love. It was only through Liam that she had truly understood how completely that could be true.

She used her intelligence to find ways to get close to him, relying on her beauty to draw out whatever scraps of sympathy she could.

She had thought she might become the exception.

Until she met Diana.

Then she finally understood.

It wasn’t Sophie’s beauty that had made Liam treat her differently.

It was her resemblance to Diana.

That was the only reason he had felt a flicker of pity for her back then, and the reason he had been willing to help her that one time.

Liam loved Diana. He loved her desperately.

He would never divorce his wife for Sophie. Now, he was even prepared to sever every tie with Sophie for Diana’s sake.

Sophie’s eyes were bloodshot, and tears continued to spill down her cheeks.

She couldn’t accept it.

She couldn’t bear the thought of handing the man she loved over to someone else.

Diana was so plain and unremarkable. What right did she have to win Liam’s heart?

*****

Diana had told Liam she was busy, and she made good on that excuse, barely paying him any attention.

Liam stayed quietly by her side.

He hadn’t slept well the night before. In fact, he rarely slept properly when Diana wasn’t beside him. Unless he was away on business, he almost never spent the night anywhere else.

Yesterday, Diana hadn’t argued with him or offered any explanation. She had simply refused to come home.

The thought had left him feeling as though all the strength had drained from his body.

Perhaps it was because she wasn’t beside him. Perhaps there was another reason he couldn’t quite put his finger on.

Whatever it was, he had been awake all night.

He’d planned to come see Diana first thing that morning.

But when he arrived, he discovered that she was the director overseeing Sophie’s work.

He hadn’t known that beforehand. The company was enormous, with countless stars, directors, and production teams. The chances of their paths crossing had seemed slim.

A flicker of coldness passed through his eyes.

The last time Sophie had called him, she’d complained that the director had refused her request for a dressing room and had deliberately made things difficult for her.

She hadn’t mentioned Diana by name, so Liam hadn’t thought much of it. He’d simply asked his assistant to contact the production company and help resolve the issue.

Sophie had some nerve.

Diana knew Liam wouldn’t leave easily once he had arrived. So she pushed her emotions aside and eventually agreed to have dinner with him.

She was an expert at pretending nothing was wrong.

She also knew Liam better than anyone and understood exactly how to behave to keep him from growing suspicious.

When it was finally time for him to leave, Liam bent toward her.

"You still owe me a good-morning kiss from today and a good-night kiss from yesterday."

Diana’s fingertips tightened slightly.

"There are too many people around. I’ll make it up to you when we get home," she said, offering an excuse.

Liam frowned, but his phone kept ringing. He had no choice but to head back to the office.

He could only reach over and ruffle her hair.

"I’ll talk to you when I’m done with work."

"Okay."

Liam got into his car and drove away.

Diana let out a slow breath, but the tightness in her chest remained.

Inside the car, Liam’s expression turned cold.

He closed his eyes.

"Cancel Sophie’s supporting brand ambassador deal. Find someone else to replace her. I don’t want her hanging around Diana anymore."

His executive assistant turned to him without asking a single question.

"Yes, Mr. Mercer."

*****

Diana used work as an excuse, saying she needed to stay late at the office. She didn’t go home.

Working late was normal for her, so Liam wouldn’t find anything suspicious about it.

She would keep her distance for as long as she could.

On the third day, she received word that Sophie had been replaced.

The decision had come suddenly, and the endorsement deal had gone to another actress.

Diana could guess why Liam had done it. He didn’t want Sophie lingering around her anymore. After all, the truth couldn’t stay hidden forever.

She simply hadn’t expected him to act so quickly.

That very afternoon, Sophie came looking for her.