Liam Williams didn't want to believe the investigation results, but every piece of evidence pointed directly at her.
What was he supposed to do now?
He thought of Emma Johnson's innocent face and those clear, honest eyes. If she really had a secret relationship with Elijah Clark...
Then her acting skills were simply too good. With that pure and straightforward appearance, she had completely fooled him.
He couldn't refute Alexander Wilson's suspicions and deductions.
Was Emma Johnson really the so-called contact person?
Had she been hiding deep all along, getting close to him with ulterior motives?
Liam's mind flooded with memories of the joy and pain he and Emma had shared. He forced himself to stop thinking about her right now.
Don't think about that woman.
Emma Johnson didn't deserve his trust at all.
But he couldn't help it. In his heart, his mind, even his eyes—every cell in his entire body was filled with Emma's smile. It was suffocating.
It was a terrible feeling. When he saw her happy expression, was it all an act?
When she pretended to be angry and trembled with fear, was that fake too?
When she worried about his hand wound not healing, those caring eyes—were those also pretend?
Was everything so special, so fake?
Liam smiled bitterly to himself. Before today, he had believed every single word Emma Johnson had ever said.
How terrifying. How ridiculous.
He was supposed to be the undercover in this operation, yet in the end, it turned out Emma was the one hiding the deepest. And what about him?
He was nothing more than a clown who had gotten too invested in his role.
Liam raised his hand slowly and touched his nose. "Alexander, how long have you been with me?"
"Almost six years now, Colonel."
"Good. You know my temper. I never give up until I catch the fox. What does the organization say? Are they putting me in charge of this case?" The coldness in Liam's dark eyes matched the firm resolve in his low voice.
Never give up until you catch the fox.
And as for Emma Johnson...
From now on, he couldn't be so kind and unconditional with her anymore.
"Colonel, aside from the connection between Emma Johnson and the fox, there's something I need to say. I think your hand injury has healed, so I privately applied to the organization. I wanted you back as soon as possible." Alexander said this with lingering worry because he had acted without permission.
It was precisely because he had been with Liam for so many years that he understood Liam's true thoughts better than anyone else. After their last phone call, he had submitted the application.
Liam's brow furrowed slightly when he heard this. What was Alexander thinking?
Why didn't he discuss it with him before submitting the application?
Alexander swallowed hard. "Colonel, I didn't receive a reply from the organization until yesterday. And what they sent... it belongs to you."
He pulled two items from his pocket. One was the rank insignia Liam had worn when he was a colonel. The other was a deployment order.
Alexander placed the items on the table and continued, "The organization has issued an order. You are now officially reinstated as Colonel of Unit 8753. You are the sole person in charge of the fox hunting case. Several subordinates and I will unconditionally follow your arrangements. As for the deployment order, under special circumstances, if necessary, you can mobilize all armed police, judicial police, and criminal police in any city. They will also unconditionally cooperate with our arrest operation."
To be honest, this was everything Liam had dreamed of since he got injured and returned home to recover.
He didn't want to be the president of Pinnacle Corporation, admired by thousands. He didn't want to be the heir to the Williams family's vast empire. He just wanted to be a dedicated special forces soldier—catch the bad guys, protect national property, and protect the people he loved.
That was all.
But now that he had all of this again, he began to feel uneasy.
Liam's uneasiness was entirely because of one woman around him—Emma Johnson.
At first, he thought he was the smartest person. He approached her to achieve his goal.
But after all this time together, Liam's heart had become more and more confused. Sometimes he even thought, if only Emma Johnson didn't know Elijah Clark at all?
Liam even fantasized that all of this was just his imagination. For the first time, he hoped that every rumor he had heard about her was false.
Reality was so cruel. It gave him new hope again and again, only to shatter it again and again.
"Alexander, do you really believe in me so much? That I can complete the task the organization assigned us?" His mind was a little confused now. The mission was too arduous, and he was already exhausted before it even began.
"I believe in you, Colonel. Don't worry. No matter what happens, I believe in you." Alexander had always been Liam's subordinate. He admired him from the bottom of his heart. This time, he had made up his mind to follow Liam to the death, until the fox hunting gang was arrested.
"Alright. Keep watching Elijah Clark... and Emma Johnson. Let me know as soon as you have news. But don't act rashly without my orders." Liam stood up and planned to leave.
After two steps, Alexander's strong voice rang out behind him. "Colonel, you forgot something."
Alexander caught up and carefully handed Liam a pistol. "This has always been yours. I kept it safe for you. Colonel, you must be more careful when you're with Emma Johnson. She could threaten your life and safety before you confirm her identity. Besides, don't completely believe everything she says. Take care."
Liam let out a heavy sigh. He didn't speak. He took the gun, patted Alexander on the shoulder, turned to open the door handle, and left the Park Hotel without looking back.
On the way back to the city, their conversation echoed in his ears.
Was Emma Johnson really Elijah Clark's only contact?
According to Alexander, that day at the restaurant, Elijah Clark had never seen anyone else except Emma Johnson.
There was no doubt. Emma Johnson was the contact person. The suspicion was more than eighty percent.
Eighty percent.
Liam thought of this and laughed at himself. Women?
From the very beginning, he should never have trusted any woman.
At the Paris Cafe.
Emma Johnson sat across from Daniel Taylor, her face full of barely contained anger. "Come on, why did you stand me up in the first place? Do you know how badly you screwed me over?"
"You mean the day of the blind date? I happened to have something urgent. I had to go abroad. Didn't I just come back today?" Daniel Taylor's face was full of innocence.