The sun poured in through the blinds, golden streaks highlighting the gentle curve of Kiara's cheek as she stirred. The sheets tangled around her legs, and for a moment, all felt right with the world. Her phone buzzed on the nightstand, breaking the stillness.
She reached for it with a groggy smile, expecting a good morning text from Liam. Instead, the name that flashed on the screen sent a jolt through her spine—Rachel.
Her finger hesitated above the accept button. She hadn't spoken to Rachel in weeks—not since that night Liam had confessed his feelings. Guilt gnawed at her. Rachel had been her closest friend once, but now… things were different.
"Hello?" Kiara answered, voice laced with caution.
"Kiara," Rachel said quickly. "We need to talk. It's about Liam."
Kiara sat up, instantly alert. "What about him?"
Rachel sighed. "I shouldn't be the one telling you this, but you deserve to know. Can we meet? Please. It's important."
Fifteen minutes later, Kiara sat across from Rachel at their old coffee spot. The familiarity of the place made her stomach churn.
Rachel looked tired, her dark hair pulled back loosely, eyes rimmed with shadows. "I wasn't sure if you'd come," she said quietly.
"I almost didn't," Kiara admitted. "What is this about, Rachel?"
Rachel clasped her hands together. "Liam's not who you think he is."
Kiara's brows furrowed. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"There's a part of his life he hasn't told you about," Rachel said. "And it's not just a harmless omission. It's… serious."
Kiara leaned forward. "You're going to have to be more specific."
Rachel hesitated, then pulled a folded envelope from her bag. "I found this in my dad's office. He's been handling a legal case for someone who goes by the initials L.C.—Liam Carter. The details match him exactly."
Kiara stared at the envelope. "What kind of case?"
Rachel swallowed hard. "Fraud. Identity issues. Something about him changing his name years ago. There's more, but I didn't read everything. I thought it might be fake, until I saw his full name—Liam Constantine Carter."
Kiara's heart dropped. "Constantine?"
Rachel nodded. "Your Liam used to be someone else entirely."
Kiara sat frozen long after Rachel left. The coffee in her cup had gone cold. Thoughts swirled—memories replayed in a new, disorienting light.
Liam had been open with her about many things. But never about a past name. Never about legal trouble. Why would he hide this?
She finally stood and walked out, the weight in her chest growing heavier with each step.
That evening, she confronted him.
He stood in the kitchen, stirring pasta with a wooden spoon when she entered. His face lit up at her presence. "Hey, babe. I was just—"
"Liam," she interrupted, voice steady. "We need to talk."
He turned, instantly sensing the change in her tone. "What is it?"
She stepped closer, dropping her purse onto the counter. "Who is Liam Constantine Carter?"
The wooden spoon clattered to the floor. Silence stretched between them.
"Where did you hear that name?" he asked, eyes guarded.
"Rachel," she said. "She found legal papers in her dad's office. You were involved in a case. Something about identity fraud."
Liam's shoulders tensed. "Kiara, I can explain."
"You better," she snapped. "Because right now, I feel like I don't even know you."
Liam took a deep breath and leaned against the counter, eyes heavy with conflict.
"My real name is Liam Constantine Carter," he said slowly. "I changed it years ago—legally. I had to. My father… he was involved in a corporate scandal. I was young, but I got dragged into it because of my name."
Kiara's mind reeled. "So you changed your identity?"
"I wanted to start fresh," he said. "I wasn't hiding anything from you. I just—didn't want that part of my life to define me anymore. I've been cleared. I did everything by the book. But people… people judged me. Even when I wasn't the one at fault."
Kiara softened, but only slightly. "Why didn't you tell me this sooner?"
"Because I finally felt normal around you. Safe. Like I didn't have to explain my past to be loved."
She looked away, emotions swirling. "This changes things, Liam."
"I know," he whispered. "But it doesn't change how I feel about you."
Over the next few days, Kiara wrestled with the truth. Liam had lied by omission, yes—but he had reasons. Valid ones. Still, trust had been cracked, and cracks didn't heal overnight.
She took a step back from him, needing time. They continued texting, but the lightness between them had dimmed. It wasn't a break-up, but it felt like a quiet pause.
Meanwhile, Rachel had texted again, this time with more information. The name of a woman tied to Liam's past—Vanessa Ford—who had allegedly manipulated the case. Rachel claimed Vanessa had resurfaced.
Kiara tried to ignore it… until she got a call from an unknown number.
"Hello?" she said.
A smooth, unfamiliar voice answered. "Is this Kiara?"
"Yes. Who's this?"
"This is Vanessa. We need to talk about Liam."
They met in a quiet lounge bar on the edge of the city. Vanessa was striking—tall, poised, with sharp eyes that seemed to read everything.
"I'm not here to ruin him," Vanessa said as they sat. "But you deserve to know the whole truth. Liam didn't just change his name to escape scandal. He did it… because I told him to."
Kiara frowned. "Why?"
"Because back then, I was in love with him," Vanessa said with a sad smile. "And I was trying to protect him from his father's enemies. But it didn't work. We both lost everything. He chose to disappear, and I let him go."
Kiara's heart pounded. "Why come back now?"
"Because I heard he's with someone new," Vanessa said. "And he deserves a clean slate. I want to apologize to him… and to you. I was part of the mess. And if he never told you about me, it's because he wanted to leave that life buried."
Kiara nodded slowly. The pieces were starting to fit—but it only complicated her feelings more.
Later that night, Liam waited outside her apartment. Rain trickled down the window as Kiara opened the door.
"I met Vanessa," she said softly.
Liam blinked. "She called you?"
"She said you disappeared to protect yourself. That she was part of the reason."
Liam nodded. "She was. We were young and stupid. And scared."
Kiara stepped aside. "Come in. We need to talk—for real this time. No more secrets."
They sat side by side on the couch, the room lit only by a lamp in the corner. Liam took her hand.
"I was in love with her once," he said honestly. "But it wasn't real. It was built on desperation, on escape. What I feel with you… it's different. It's real."
Kiara looked into his eyes. "Then prove it. Be honest with me from now on. No matter how painful."
He nodded. "I will. Always."
A tentative peace settled between them. They talked for hours, about the past, the future, their fears.
And when the clock struck midnight, Kiara kissed him—not out of certainty, but out of hope.
But outside, someone watched from a dark car across the street.
Vanessa's driver turned to her. "Should we go?"
She didn't answer. Her eyes were fixed on the glowing window, her expression unreadable.
Because some feelings don't fade.
And some secrets… don't stay buried.The sun poured in through the blinds, golden streaks highlighting the gentle curve of Kiara's cheek as she stirred. The sheets tangled around her legs, and for a moment, all felt right with the world. Her phone buzzed on the nightstand, breaking the stillness.
She reached for it with a groggy smile, expecting a good morning text from Liam. Instead, the name that flashed on the screen sent a jolt through her spine—Rachel.
Her finger hesitated above the accept button. She hadn't spoken to Rachel in weeks—not since that night Liam had confessed his feelings. Guilt gnawed at her. Rachel had been her closest friend once, but now… things were different.
"Hello?" Kiara answered, voice laced with caution.
"Kiara," Rachel said quickly. "We need to talk. It's about Liam."
Kiara sat up, instantly alert. "What about him?"
Rachel sighed. "I shouldn't be the one telling you this, but you deserve to know. Can we meet? Please. It's important."
Fifteen minutes later, Kiara sat across from Rachel at their old coffee spot. The familiarity of the place made her stomach churn.
Rachel looked tired, her dark hair pulled back loosely, eyes rimmed with shadows. "I wasn't sure if you'd come," she said quietly.
"I almost didn't," Kiara admitted. "What is this about, Rachel?"
Rachel clasped her hands together. "Liam's not who you think he is."
Kiara's brows furrowed. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"There's a part of his life he hasn't told you about," Rachel said. "And it's not just a harmless omission. It's… serious."
Kiara leaned forward. "You're going to have to be more specific."
Rachel hesitated, then pulled a folded envelope from her bag. "I found this in my dad's office. He's been handling a legal case for someone who goes by the initials L.C.—Liam Carter. The details match him exactly."
Kiara stared at the envelope. "What kind of case?"
Rachel swallowed hard. "Fraud. Identity issues. Something about him changing his name years ago. There's more, but I didn't read everything. I thought it might be fake, until I saw his full name—Liam Constantine Carter."
Kiara's heart dropped. "Constantine?"
Rachel nodded. "Your Liam used to be someone else entirely."
Kiara sat frozen long after Rachel left. The coffee in her cup had gone cold. Thoughts swirled—memories replayed in a new, disorienting light.
Liam had been open with her about many things. But never about a past name. Never about legal trouble. Why would he hide this?
She finally stood and walked out, the weight in her chest growing heavier with each step.
That evening, she confronted him.
He stood in the kitchen, stirring pasta with a wooden spoon when she entered. His face lit up at her presence. "Hey, babe. I was just—"
"Liam," she interrupted, voice steady. "We need to talk."
He turned, instantly sensing the change in her tone. "What is it?"
She stepped closer, dropping her purse onto the counter. "Who is Liam Constantine Carter?"
The wooden spoon clattered to the floor. Silence stretched between them.
"Where did you hear that name?" he asked, eyes guarded.
"Rachel," she said. "She found legal papers in her dad's office. You were involved in a case. Something about identity fraud."
Liam's shoulders tensed. "Kiara, I can explain."
"You better," she snapped. "Because right now, I feel like I don't even know you."
Liam took a deep breath and leaned against the counter, eyes heavy with conflict.
"My real name is Liam Constantine Carter," he said slowly. "I changed it years ago—legally. I had to. My father… he was involved in a corporate scandal. I was young, but I got dragged into it because of my name."
Kiara's mind reeled. "So you changed your identity?"
"I wanted to start fresh," he said. "I wasn't hiding anything from you. I just—didn't want that part of my life to define me anymore. I've been cleared. I did everything by the book. But people… people judged me. Even when I wasn't the one at fault."
Kiara softened, but only slightly. "Why didn't you tell me this sooner?"
"Because I finally felt normal around you. Safe. Like I didn't have to explain my past to be loved."
She looked away, emotions swirling. "This changes things, Liam."
"I know," he whispered. "But it doesn't change how I feel about you."
Over the next few days, Kiara wrestled with the truth. Liam had lied by omission, yes—but he had reasons. Valid ones. Still, trust had been cracked, and cracks didn't heal overnight.
She took a step back from him, needing time. They continued texting, but the lightness between them had dimmed. It wasn't a break-up, but it felt like a quiet pause.
Meanwhile, Rachel had texted again, this time with more information. The name of a woman tied to Liam's past—Vanessa Ford—who had allegedly manipulated the case. Rachel claimed Vanessa had resurfaced.
Kiara tried to ignore it… until she got a call from an unknown number.
"Hello?" she said.
A smooth, unfamiliar voice answered. "Is this Kiara?"
"Yes. Who's this?"
"This is Vanessa. We need to talk about Liam."
They met in a quiet lounge bar on the edge of the city. Vanessa was striking—tall, poised, with sharp eyes that seemed to read everything.
"I'm not here to ruin him," Vanessa said as they sat. "But you deserve to know the whole truth. Liam didn't just change his name to escape scandal. He did it… because I told him to."
Kiara frowned. "Why?"
"Because back then, I was in love with him," Vanessa said with a sad smile. "And I was trying to protect him from his father's enemies. But it didn't work. We both lost everything. He chose to disappear, and I let him go."
Kiara's heart pounded. "Why come back now?"
"Because I heard he's with someone new," Vanessa said. "And he deserves a clean slate. I want to apologize to him… and to you. I was part of the mess. And if he never told you about me, it's because he wanted to leave that life buried."
Kiara nodded slowly. The pieces were starting to fit—but it only complicated her feelings more.
Later that night, Liam waited outside her apartment. Rain trickled down the window as Kiara opened the door.
"I met Vanessa," she said softly.
Liam blinked. "She called you?"
"She said you disappeared to protect yourself. That she was part of the reason."
Liam nodded. "She was. We were young and stupid. And scared."
Kiara stepped aside. "Come in. We need to talk—for real this time. No more secrets."
They sat side by side on the couch, the room lit only by a lamp in the corner. Liam took her hand.
"I was in love with her once," he said honestly. "But it wasn't real. It was built on desperation, on escape. What I feel with you… it's different. It's real."
Kiara looked into his eyes. "Then prove it. Be honest with me from now on. No matter how painful."
He nodded. "I will. Always."
A tentative peace settled between them. They talked for hours, about the past, the future, their fears.
And when the clock struck midnight, Kiara kissed him—not out of certainty, but out of hope.
But outside, someone watched from a dark car across the street.
Vanessa's driver turned to her. "Should we go?"
She didn't answer. Her eyes were fixed on the glowing window, her expression unreadable.
Because some feelings don't fade.
And some secrets… don't stay buried.