chapter 12

As Mark carried Liam to their room, he couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia wash over him. The room had always been a sanctuary for the two of them, a place where they could escape the stresses of everyday life and just be together. But since Liam's departure, the room had felt cold and empty, a constant reminder of what Mark had lost.

But now, with Liam back in his arms, Mark could feel the warmth and love that had once filled the room beginning to seep back in. He gently laid Liam down on the bed, pulling the covers up over him and smiling softly as he watched him sleep.

Downstairs, Mark pulled out his phone and dialed Damien's number. When his friend answered, Mark's voice was filled with gratitude. "Hey, man, I'm really happy, and I'm in debt to you," he said, his words sincere.

Damien, who was on the other end of the line, felt a flush rise to his cheeks. He had always been happy to help his friends, and he didn't like being thanked too much. But he knew that Mark was genuinely grateful, and he was happy to have been able to play a part in reuniting the two men.

Damien had known Mark and Liam from the early days of their relationship, and he had watched as they had grown and evolved together. He had been there to listen to Mark's enthusiastic talks about Liam's beauty and greatness, and he had been there to offer a shoulder to cry on when things had started to go wrong.

He had seen the way Mark had struggled to cope with Liam's departure, and he had been instrumental in helping Mark to track Liam down. Damien had hired private investigators to find Liam, and he had been the one to break the news to Mark that Liam had been found.

Now, as Mark thanked him profusely, Damien felt a sense of pride and satisfaction. He was happy to have been able to help his friends, and he knew that Mark and Liam's love was strong enough to overcome any obstacle.

Mark's mother, Martha, answered the phone with a mixture of curiosity and annoyance. She had thought she had finally gotten rid of Liam, the person she deemed unworthy of her son's love. But Mark's words hit her like a ton of bricks, shattering her illusions and sending her into a rage.

"What do you mean Liam is back?" Martha spat, her voice venomous. "After everything I did to get rid of him, he still managed to get pregnant? This is a disaster!"

Mark tried to reason with his mother, warning her to stay away from Liam and respect their relationship. But Martha was beyond reason. She was furious, and her anger only intensified as Mark spoke.

Martha's eyes blazed with hatred as she looked at the phone in her hand. She couldn't believe her son was still defending that...that...person. She felt a surge of anger and resentment towards Mark, towards Liam, and towards the whole situation.

With a newfound sense of determination, Martha dialed Rachel's number. Rachel, the woman Martha had handpicked for Mark to marry, answered on the first ring. She was at a club, surrounded by the thumping music and laughter of her friends. But as soon as Martha told her the news, Rachel's expression changed. Her eyes narrowed, and her voice took on a cold, calculating tone.

"This time, we need to be more aggressive," Rachel said, her words dripping with malice. "We can't let Liam just waltz back into Mark's life. We need to take action."

Martha's voice was a low, menacing whisper. "I agree. We need to make sure Liam knows he's not welcome. Maybe it's time we took more...drastic measures."

The two women's conversation was laced with an undercurrent of hostility and menace, their words dripping with a toxic hatred for Liam. As they spoke, the shadows around them seemed to grow longer and darker, as if the very darkness itself was coalescing into a malevolent force, driven by their anger and resentment.