Chapter 209: Priya’s Hesitation! [FIXED!]

Priya sat in the passenger seat of her own car, hands folded tightly in her lap, and watched the city slide past the window.

Liam drove like he’d done it a thousand times. One hand on the wheel, eyes on the road, the radio turned low to some soft acoustic station she hadn’t even known her car could find.

She glanced at him from the corner of her eye.

He’d paid her more than double her invoice. He’d taken one look at her and refused to let her drive. He’d been kind in a way that felt almost too easy.

And that was exactly what made her nervous.

She’d been here before. Not in this exact seat, but in this exact feeling. A man was nice, generous, and patient, and she let herself believe he was just a good person. Then, somewhere between the car and the front door, the real reason came out. A hand on her knee. An invitation to "come up for a drink." A sudden, sulking coldness when she said no.

She didn’t think Liam was that kind of man.

But she’d been wrong before. More than once.

He was still a man, at the end of the day.

So she simply waited.

Liam, for his part, kept his eyes on the road. He asked her for directions twice without looking away from traffic.

"Left up here?"

"Yes. Then right at the light."

"Got it."

Then Liam cleared his throat. "So... are you Indian?"

Priya turned her head and stared at him.

"Yes," she said slowly. "I am."

Liam winced and let out a short laugh. "Wow. That was a solid icebreaker, huh? Real smooth. Five stars."

Despite herself, Priya laughed.

He had to have known. Her face alone gave it away, and if that somehow wasn’t enough, her name certainly did. It was a ridiculous question. But she could tell he’d only asked it because the silence had gotten too heavy and he wanted to fill it with something harmless.

She appreciated that more than she expected to.

"Very smooth," she agreed. "Top-tier conversation skills."

"I’m a lawyer. We’re famous for our charm."

"Is that what you’re famous for?"

"Among other things. Mostly billing by the hour."

She laughed again, and this time it came easier. Some of the tension slipped out of her shoulders. There was something oddly calming about seeing him like this, a little awkward and not quite polished, like a normal person trying to make conversation.

They stopped at a red light.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"This was your first time, wasn’t it?"

Priya froze.

"First time... what?"

"A job this size." He glanced at her briefly, then back at the light. "Handling something this big on your own."

She opened her mouth to deny it. Then closed it again.

"How did you know?"

"A few things." The light turned green, and he eased forward. "You were trying really hard to impress me. Like your whole life depended on it. People who’ve done this a dozen times don’t look at a client like that. They know the work speaks for itself."

Priya looked down at her hands.

"And the deposit," Liam added gently. "You didn’t ask me for one. You paid for everything out of your own pocket, didn’t you?"

She nodded slowly, ashamed.

"That’s a rookie mistake," he said. "A brave one. But if I’d been a different kind of client, you could have lost everything."

Priya swallowed hard.

"I know," she said quietly.

Liam smiled at the road. "Good thing I’m not a different kind of client."

Liam chuckled softly and shook his head.

"Okay. Since you’re stuck in a car with a lawyer, you’re getting some free legal advice. Consider it a bonus."

Priya raised an eyebrow. "Free? From a lawyer?"

"Don’t get used to it."

She smiled and turned slightly in her seat to face him.

"First rule," Liam said, holding up one finger without taking his other hand off the wheel. "Nothing happens without a contract. Ever. I don’t care if it’s a two-hundred-dollar job or a two-million-dollar job. A written agreement, signed by both sides, before you spend a single cent."

"What if the client says they’ll sign later?"

"Then you start later." He said it simply, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Anyone who refuses to sign is telling you exactly who they are."

Priya nodded slowly.

"Second. Always take a deposit. Thirty to fifty percent up front, especially when you’re buying materials. That money is your protection. If the client walks away halfway through, you’re not left holding a hundred and forty thousand dollars of furniture and a credit card bill."

She winced. That was exactly what could have happened to her.

"Third," he went on, "put everything in writing. Every change, every new request, every ’oh, can you also add this.’ Send a quick email confirming it. As discussed, you’ve asked me to add X, which will cost Y. It takes thirty seconds, and it can save your entire business."

"Even small things?"

"Especially small things. Small things are where people get creative later." He glanced at the GPS and switched lanes smoothly. "And keep every receipt. Every invoice, every shipping confirmation, every text message. Today, you had no witness. Nobody saw what we agreed to. If I’d turned around and said you overcharged me, or that I never approved half of this, it would’ve been your word against mine."

Priya’s stomach turned a little at the thought.

"And fourth, once you’re doing jobs this size regularly, set up an LLC and get proper business insurance. That way, if something goes wrong, it’s the company on the line. Not your house. Not your savings. Not you."

He went on, explaining payment schedules tied to milestones, late fees written into the contract, and how to word a clause so a client couldn’t wriggle out of paying. His voice had changed. It was faster now, more animated, his free hand moving through the air as he spoke.

Priya found herself watching him.

He was passionate about this. Genuinely, completely passionate. The awkward man who’d asked if she was Indian had disappeared, and in his place was someone who clearly loved what he did and knew exactly how good he was at it.

It was kind of cute, actually.

And something else struck her.

In all the time they’d been in this car, he hadn’t looked at her once. Not really. Not a sideways glance at her legs, not a lingering look when she shifted in her seat. Not a single comment about how she looked, even though she knew perfectly well she looked like a mess.

His eyes stayed on the road and the GPS, and his attention stayed on the conversation.

Something in Priya’s chest loosened.

She’d been waiting for the moment he’d show his real face.

Now she realized she was already looking at it.

"Sorry," Liam said suddenly, catching himself. "I’m lecturing you."

"No," Priya said softly. "Keep going. Please."

He grinned. "You’ll regret saying that."

"I really doubt it."

"Your destination is on the right," the GPS announced.

Liam laughed. "Saved by the robot."

-

Liam pulled into the driveway and cut the engine.

It wasn’t an apartment. It was a small standalone house on a quiet, tree-lined street, with a neat front lawn, a porch light, and a white mailbox at the curb. The neighborhood had that calm suburban feel, kids’ bikes in yards and a sprinkler ticking somewhere down the block.

"Nice place," Liam said, genuinely impressed.

"Thank you." Priya unbuckled her seatbelt. "And thank you for driving me. You really didn’t have to."

"I wasn’t about to let a zombie operate heavy machinery."

She laughed and swatted his arm lightly.

Liam handed her the car keys and glanced at the house again. An idea had already started forming in the back of his mind.

He needed to move.

Too many people knew where he lived now. Sara had walked right in with a spare key. Who knew how many others had his address written down somewhere? He wanted somewhere with real privacy, far away from his current place, but still close enough to Rachel, Sophia, and everyone else he cared about.

And Priya had just proven she could find anything.

Later, he decided. Let her sleep first.

Priya climbed out and leaned down to look at him through the open door. "Thank you, Liam. Really. For everything."

He nodded. "Get some rest. That’s an order."

"Yes, sir."

She turned toward the house.

For the first time all day, Liam’s eyes dropped, almost on their own, to the curve of her hips as she walked away. Then he looked back up just as quickly.

He stepped out of the car and waited quietly on the curb until she was safely inside and the porch light flicked off.

A minute later, his Uber pulled up.

Liam climbed in, and the car slowly drove away. The fact that he drove her car showed he went above and beyond for her, but this was a good thing for the relationship he knew they would have in the future.