Part 1Ex to Relative

Liam Thorne and I once had a brief, whirlwind romance.

We met when I was studying abroad, and I thought he was just another ordinary international student. He was handsome, with a great body, and on a whim, I decided to pursue him.

After six months of a shameless, passionate affair, I discovered he was from a wealthy, powerful family. Not only that, he was notoriously commitment-phobic, a well-known bachelor in his social circle.

So, I hid the truth about my pregnancy and broke up with him.

After making me confirm my decision three times, he lowered his eyes and nodded. “Fine. From now on, we’re strangers.”

But we couldn’t stay strangers.

Four years later, we met again. He was the celebrated heir to the Thorne fortune.

And I… was his cousin’s fiancée.

* * *

I met Liam Thorne while I was studying in Melbourne. He was on a trip to the Great Ocean Road with his friends, and I was just sitting on the beach, bored out of my mind, when I saw him. My eyes were instantly glued to him.

Liam was ridiculously good-looking. The line of his jaw was clean and sharp, and the curve of his long eyelashes was utterly captivating. The sea breeze lifted the hem of his shirt, revealing a glimpse of his waistline that was so tantalizing I couldn’t look away.

This, I thought, must be love at first sight.

On a sudden impulse, I jogged up to him and blocked his path. “Interested in making a new friend?”

Liam turned, a slight arch to his eyebrow, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

“What for?” he asked.

There’s a certain boldness that comes with being a stranger in a strange land. I answered him directly. “To see if we can become something more.”

His friends started catcalling and whistling. A faint blush crept up Liam’s neck, and he cleared his throat. He hesitated for a moment when I held out my phone with my contact QR code, but then he scanned it.

“Alright,” he said. “Let’s start with getting to know each other.”