After a pregnant pause, Mariana braced herself and exined.


    “I started liking Liam a few years back. I remember the first time I realized my feelings for him when I had to kiss him while ying truth and dare. We had yed such games before, and a simple peck was not a big deal amongst friends. But that time, I felt butterflies on my stomach and all the jazz.”


    “I never said anything because we were friends, and I did not want to change our dynamics. I was scared of ruining our friendship and making things awkward for our friends.”


    “Around six months ago, James Miller, a close friend of ours, started to pursue me as he thought I was single and unattached. I did not deal with it very well. It’s ame excuse, but I wasn’t sure about my feelings and strung him along.”


    “His ex became jealous and created trouble for me. During that time, Liam and I made drunk confessions and got together. However, we were still unsure of the depth of our feelings, so we kept it a secret.”


    “I ryed the same to James, and he was supportive. However, it was a secret, and others did not know. Alice Moss, James’s ex, intentionally pushed me and caused my miscarriage.”


    “I wasn’t aware that I was pregnant. I was upset and wanted to send off my child well. So, Liam and I secretly married in the church and buried the remains of our child.”


    “We never intended to tell anyone or even have a Military marriage because we understand the gravity of it. Besides, we haven’t spent time alone in a calm environment. We haven’t casually dated without something or the other hanging over our heads.”


    “And now, my mother passed out, and his grandmother had a panic attack. We had to reveal the truth. But it has put a strain on our budding rtionship. I am worried about how it will end up. Whatever hopes and dreams I had seemed unattainable now.”


    “Besides, we have to think about others as well. It’s been very stressful and not at all as insanely joyous as I had envisioned it would be. It feels like it’s about other people and not us.”


    “I love Liam from the bottom of my heart. I am attracted to him and want to see where it leads. I care about Kyle as if he was my own. But now, we have all this pressure, and I don’t know if I can deal with it.”Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    “As friends, I know Liam would take a bullet for me. As partners, as a married couple, I don’t know how things would end up. If we live together, will we still like each other? He is always absent, and I have apany to run. I am still trying to get a firm hold on mypany, so my father can retire easily.”


    “We never got the chance to deal with any of this. We never discussed any of this. We haven’t lived together. I am so nervous and scared that I will mess it up, and we will both end up hurt. Worse still, we would hurt other people and set a bad example for the kids.”


    Liam was stunned. So were his supervisors.


    They finally understood the reasons behind Liam’s secret marriage.


    Investigations yield a lot of data and details. But rtionships are made of emotions – and they couldn’t uncover them by investigating.


    Mariana had ayed their suspicions but also put them on the spot.


    They couldn’t ask them to get a military marriage after she had exined so much.


    They were afraid if they asked them to apply for Military marriage – she would get a divorce instead.


    Liam felt sad for Mariana. At the same time, he wasughing on the inside. She had yed them and added a way out for herself.


    She was bing more and more like a businesswoman she did not want to be.