Chapter 72: The Game Isn’t Over yet
Liam’s POV
The morning interview had ended, but the damage was done. I sat in the dim living room, the empty tumbler dangling from my fingertips, my ribs throbbing in painful synchrony with my heartbeat. The room felt too large, too empty, the shadows in the corners growing longer as afternoon settled in.
Pregnant. With twins. My twins.
The revelation should have flooded me with something—joy, perhaps, or at least a sense of responsibility. Instead, all I felt was the cold, hard weight of another complication in an already catastrophic situation.
I reached for my phone, grimacing as the movement sent fresh pain lancing through my side. After a moment’s hesitation, I dialed Holbrook’s number. This couldn’t wait any longer. The fallout from Diane’s morning interview would be immediate and merciless.
He answered on the fourth ring, his voice clipped and professional. "Liam? I was about to call you."
"Did you see it?" I demanded, not bothering with pleasantries.
A pause, followed by a weary sigh. "The interview? Yes, I saw it. Half the city saw it."
"She blindsided me, Richard." My voice sounded strange to my own ears—strained, almost desperate. "Twins. She’s having twins, and she went public before telling me."
"I know," Holbrook replied, and I could hear rustling of papers in the background. "It’s... not ideal from a legal standpoint."
"Not ideal?" I laughed, a harsh, bitter sound that sent another spike of pain through my ribs. "She’s painted me as some kind of monster who would use his own children as pawns. Who would harm her. She’s turned public opinion against me before I even knew I was going to be a father, If truly they are mine."