From Desk to Altar: The CEO's Irresistible Bargain

The maid popped in again to say Liam dropped by just when Ethan was getting cozy in Vincent's lap, enjoying a story.

The moment Ethan heard Liam's name, he scrunched up his face and covered his ears.

Vincent chuckled at Ethan's antics, closed the book, and set Ethan on the floor.

"Ethan wears his heart on his sleeve, and that's not always a good thing," he told Serena.

Serena had just hit Robert, and her wrist was aching. As she was rotating her wrist, she said in a laid-back way, "He doesn't have to hide his feelings." Then, without waiting for an invite, Liam waltzed in with Daniel and Henry and made himself at home in the living room.

Vincent rolled his eyes. "Haven't seen him in ages, and now he's acting like he's a regular," he muttered. "Let's see what game he's playing."

Heading downstairs, Vincent caught the disappointment in Liam's eyes at seeing him alone, which he found amusing.

"Mr. Parker, were you hoping to bump into someone else at my place?" he teased.

"You know who I wanted to see," Liam shot back, getting straight to the point.

Vincent's face darkened a bit with irritation and he got down to business, asking what they were there for.

"We've got a business deal for Mr. Blackwood," Daniel piped up, grabbing Vincent's attention with talk of a juicy investment opportunity.

It was Liam's company's secret weapon, a deal with a huge payoff.

Vincent wasn't keen on mingling with them, but the project's potential was too enticing to ignore, and he got caught up in the conversation.

When he finally snapped out of it, only Henry and Daniel were still there-Liam had vanished.

Meanwhile, upstairs in the kids' room, the door swung open.

Ethan, halfway through building a tower of blocks, turned and saw Liam. His face wrinkled in displeasure, and he scooted over to hide behind Serena. Serena glanced back, spotted Liam, and played it cool.

"Here for business, Mr. Parker? Business talks are fine, but isn't it a bit rude to just show up in someone's personal space?"

"Rules are just shackles," Liam mumbled, sounding down.

He stayed by the door, just watching from afar. "Does Ethan not like me anymore?"

"You can't tell? He's not a fan of hypocrisy."

"I didn't..."

"Ethan thinks you did, that's all that matters," Serena interrupted him.

With a wry smile, Liam said, "That's a bit harsh, isn't it?"

Serena shrugged, "Is it harsh to protect oneself from getting hurt?"

"I never wanted to hurt him."

"Well, you did." Serena was aware that Ethan was sensitive and that her logic might seem off.

Ethan was just sulking, not really causing any harm.

"Mr. Parker, better stay away from my son in the future. And keep away from me as well. I'm married, and it's well-known how committed I am to Vincent. If my face reminds you of your ex so much, maybe your wife should consider plastic surgery to look like me."

"I'm not married," Liam said, his voice rough.

Serena dismissed his comment with a sneer, "You'd be living the family dream if it hadn't been for that accident."

"Charlotte," Liam murmured, a pained expression crossing his face.

He couldn't stand hearing these words from someone who looked so much like Charlotte.

The child, the accident, it was all a pain he didn't want to deal with.

"The child isn't mine... I've always said nothing happened that night."

"I was out cold when the car exploded again. I have no idea what happened. If I had been conscious, I wouldn't have left you in the car. I'd rather have died..." "What's the use of talking about this now? Charlotte is gone," Serena said coldly, changing the subject, "You're looking to collaborate with Vincent on a project?" After calming himself, Liam responded, "Yes."

"You've always butted heads with Vincent. Why the sudden change of heart?"

"It was just an excuse to see you and Ethan."

Surprised, Serena said, "At least you're honest."

"I can't lie when I look at you."

"Really? Then answer me this, did you love Charlotte?" Serena asked emotionlessly, her face expressionless as she waited for his response.

"I did," Liam answered without a second's hesitation.

There's a world of difference between liking and loving someone.

When he first found Charlotte, packaged like a gift in that room, he was just taken by her looks.

In the six months they spent together, Charlotte's calm and kind spirit really grew on Liam.

She was gentle, genuinely good, and just... pure-hearted. He found himself liking her more and more, not just for her looks but for who she was. When Chloe came into the picture, it was like Charlotte changed overnight. She got all prickly, her soft heart hidden beneath a layer of frost.

But even then, Liam was drawn to her - not just to her face or her personality separately, but to the whole, complex person she was.

When did he really fall in love with her, though?

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It hit him like a ton of bricks the day Charlotte heard about his engagement to Chloe and offered to quit her job. She didn't want to stand in the way of him getting married and having kids... That's when Liam realized what love was all about - wanting her close and hating the thought of her leaving.

But she left him anyway.

"I loved Charlotte," Liam confessed, the words scratching at his insides. "I just... I didn't know how to show it, you know?"

Her constant stepping back made him think he always had another shot.

Being in control all these years, he thought he had everything figured out.

"I was too full of myself," he admitted.

He didn't have the humility that a lover should have. Watching him tear himself apart, Serena felt nothing.

Charlotte was gone. What good were his words now?

"Mr. Liam Parker,"

Serena started, a half-smile on her face, "You talk a good game about loving Charlotte, but here you are treating me, of all people, like she's just a replacement. Is that what you call love?" That really got to him, you could tell by the way he stopped breathing for a sec.

He scrunched up his face, "I'm not using you as a replacement. You couldn't replace her even if you wanted to... I'm just... it's been so long since I've seen her face."

"Say I ask you to hand over the whole project's profit to Vincent," she threw out there, watching his reaction closely.

"What?" Liam was thrown off.

Serena repeated herself, cool as a cucumber, then with a teasing edge, she challenged him, "You're not using me as a stand-in, right? So, Mr. Parker, will you meet my terms?" Liam's frown deepened, and he clamped up, not saying a word.

Serena didn't let up, "You better say yes, or you won't get to see this face, the one you say reminds you of Charlotte, ever again."