Page 122 of Shattered Melodies

The vein in my father’s forehead throbbing, his face turning an alarming shade of red. But I wasn’t that scared kid anymore. I wasn’t going to let him bully me into submission. Not this time.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Liam,” he spat, his voice dripping with disdain. “You have responsibilities in New York. The company needs you.”

I let out a bitter laugh. “The company needs me? Or you need me to play the role of the perfect son?”

“This isn’t a game!” He slammed his fist on the coffee table, making my mother jump. “We’re in the middle of the biggest acquisition in the company’s history. The Tektron deal could make or break us, and you’re the lead lawyer on this!”

I felt my temper rising, matching his. “I never asked to be the lead on that deal! I never asked for any of it! You pushed me into law school, pushed me into the company.”

My mother gasped, her eyes darting between us. “Liam, please. Your father’s just trying to look out for you.”

I turned to her, feeling a pang of guilt at the distress on her face. But I couldn’t back down. Not now. “By controlling every aspect of my life?”

“We did what we had to do,” my father growled. “That boy was a distraction. He would have ruined your future.”

I felt Caleb tense beside me, but I squeezed his hand, silently asking him to let me handle this. “Caleb didn’t ruin anything. You did. You took away the one person who actually understood me, who supported my dreams.”

“Dreams?” My father laughed, but there was no humor in it. “Wake up, Liam. The music industry is brutal. One day you’re on top, the next you’re forgotten. The law, the company - that’s stability. That’s a future.”

I shook my head, feeling a strange calm settle over me. “No, Dad. That’s your future. Your dream. Not mine.”

“So what?” He threw his hands up in exasperation. “You’re just going to throw away years of education, years of hard work, for what? Some small-town fantasy with your high school sweetheart?”

I felt Caleb’s hand tighten around mine, giving me strength. “It’s not a fantasy. It’s my life. The one I choose.”

My father’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “You have obligations, Liam. A contract with the company. You can’t just walk away.”

“Watch me,” I said, my voice steady despite the anger bubbling inside me.

“And what about your identity?” He sneered. “How long do you think you can keep up this little charade? How long before someone figures out that Liam Denison and Corey King are one and the same?”

I felt a chill run down my spine. There it was. The threat I’d been waiting for. “Is that what this is about? You’re worried I’ll embarrass you? Tarnish the precious Denison name?”

“Don’t be naive,” he snapped. “If word gets out, it could jeopardize everything. The deal, the company’s reputation - everything we’ve worked for.”

“Everything you’ve worked for,” I corrected him. “I never wanted any of it.”

My mother stepped forward, her eyes pleading. “Liam, sweetie, please. Just come back to New York. We can work this out together. As a family.”

I felt a pang of guilt at the pain in her voice, but I stood my ground. “I’m sorry, Mom. But I can’t. I won’t live a lie anymore.”

“And what if you don’t have a choice?” My father’s voice had gone cold, calculated. It was the tone he used in the courtroom, when he was going for the kill. “What if I told you that if you don’t come back, if you don’t finish this deal, I’ll make sure that your life becomes a living hell.”

I felt the blood drain from my face. “You wouldn’t.”

He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Try me.”

“That’s enough!” Caleb’s voice cut through the tension like a knife. He stepped forward, placing himself between me and my father. “You don’t get to come in here and threaten Liam. This is his home, his life. You don’t control him anymore.”

My father’s eyes flicked to Caleb, filled with contempt. “This doesn’t concern you, boy. Stay out of family business.”

With that, they left, the door closing behind them with a slam that seemed to echo in the sudden silence of the room.

I felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room. My legs were shaking, and I stumbled towards the liquor cabinet, desperate for something to take the edge off. But when I yanked open the door, I found nothing but empty shelves

“What the hell?” I muttered, my hands shaking as I searched for a bottle, any bottle.

Jimmy cleared his throat behind me. “I got rid of them all, Liam.”

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