His Smokescreen Is Now the Woman He Can’t Have Chapter 28

His Smokescreen Is Now the Woman He Can’t Have Chapter 28

His attempt to start a conversation was so direct it caught me off guard.

My body tensed by instinct. At West Point, kindness without a clear reason was often a trap. I had long since learned to be suspicious of anyone who approached me first.

“Just asking,” Liam said, seeming to notice my wariness. He scratched his head, a little embarrassed, but his smile remained sincere. “Sorry if I made you uncomfortable. It’s just… you look really familiar. I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before.”

“Familiar?” I repeated, searching his eyes.

Strangely, I felt a flicker of recognition, too—a distant echo of a time long past.

Maybe it was just the crowd and the lights playing tricks on me.

I hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

I was at MIT. In Boston. I needed friends. I needed to build a normal life, the life of an ordinary person. I couldn’t keep living in the shadow of West Point.

“Elara,” I said, giving him my name as I pulled up my Instagram QR code.

“Liam.” As he said his own name, he seemed to have a sudden realization. He looked up, clear surprise flashing in his eyes.

But I missed it.

My phone vibrated at that exact moment. A New York State number. It was Sarah, my only real friend from West Point.