Liam Williams immediately steadied himself. He slowly turned on the faucet, raised an eyebrow, and squinted at Emma Johnson. "What? Is there something wrong with me? Say that again..."
The moment those words left his mouth, Emma instantly realized her mistake. She quickly backtracked, "No, no, no... I didn't mean that, Liam. I didn't see anything just now. Go on... continue..."
Stupid mouth. Really, such a stupid mouth. Why couldn't she just keep quiet?
Emma felt like she was asking for trouble, constantly testing Liam's limits.
When Liam finally emerged from the room again, his expression was far from pleasant.
Emma's heart tightened. Was this guy going to pull some trick?
She watched nervously as Liam slowly walked toward her.
One step. Two steps. Three steps.
Emma stole glances at him from the corner of her eye. He stopped right in front of her, standing tall, staring at her without a word.
Emma forced an ugly smile onto her face. "Husband, come sit down. Why are you just standing there?"
She glanced awkwardly at her parents, hoping they wouldn't notice anything. After all, she and Liam had been putting on such a perfect act.
Just then, Liam suddenly crouched down beside her and pulled a purple velvet box from his pocket. "Wife, this is my wedding gift for you. I hope you like it."
His face had lost its usual playful, roguish expression. He handed the box to Emma with solemn sincerity.
"Oh my, how wonderful! A wedding gift? It must be worth a fortune. Our son-in-law really knows how to spend money. Emma, open it up and let me see. Just looking at this box, I can tell it's gorgeous..." Sophia Johnson's voice rang in Emma's ears.
What? Just looking at the box?
Was that an exaggeration, Mom? Emma knew her mother adored Liam, but did she have to be so over-the-top? As a dignified mother-in-law, couldn't she show some restraint?
Even Liam seemed a bit embarrassed by the praise. "Mom, if you like it, I'll buy you one tomorrow."
"Oh, my son-in-law is so thoughtful. But I'm too old for such luxuries. Don't bother." Sophia's eyes nearly disappeared into slits from smiling so hard.
Emma opened the box. Inside lay a stunning diamond necklace!
And the diamond was as big as a pigeon egg.
Emma frowned slightly. "Why are you giving me this? Liam, with a diamond this huge, do you want me to get mugged on the street?"
What?
A "huge lump"?
This was the first time Liam had ever heard anyone describe a diamond that way.
Wasn't it supposed to be "exquisite" or "magnificent"?
He was being a complete donkey—ungrateful for his kindness. Liam's face immediately fell.
His first gift to her, and it was a total failure.
Clearly, Emma didn't like this necklace at all.
Seeing the atmosphere turn sour, Sophia smacked Emma on the forehead. "You ungrateful girl! Don't you know quality when you see it? And you call yourself a fashion editor? Can't you talk properly? I think it's a beautiful necklace. Don't you agree, James?" She poked James Johnson, who was sitting beside her.
"Well, it's nice. From the look and feel, it's definitely top quality. Must have cost a fortune, son-in-law? Our Emma doesn't usually spend money recklessly. She's probably just not used to seeing such precious things. Don't mind her."
Even her father was siding with Liam now.
Emma groaned inwardly. What was happening?
"Wife, don't you like it? I picked it out especially for you. If you don't like it, we can go buy something else tomorrow."
His words carried a hidden warning.
No other reason. Really! Liam was just reminding her not to get too carried away. He'd tolerated her enough for one day.
As he spoke, Liam sat down beside Emma, wrapped his arm around her waist, and looked at her meaningfully.
The moment he touched her, Emma froze, as if suddenly realizing something was wrong. She turned to look at him. "You... what are you doing?"
"Nothing. You said you didn't like it, so I'll take you to buy whatever you want tomorrow. How about that, wife?" Liam looked at her teasingly.
How dare she criticize his gift in front of her parents?
He'd make sure she paid for that later.
"No... I didn't say I didn't like it, husband. You must have misheard me. Really, this necklace is beautiful, elegant, and precious. I think it's perfect for me. If I weren't afraid of being targeted by thieves, I'd wear it every day."
Emma quickly changed her tune, hoping it wasn't too late.
She looked at Liam with wide, innocent eyes.
"I was wrong," her gaze pleaded. "Please forgive me, husband."
For a moment, Liam was captivated by her bright, clear eyes.
Sometimes, this woman was truly infuriating.
Liam nodded. "Alright, whatever you say. If my wife is happy, then it's settled. It's getting late. Why don't we... head back to our room and rest?"
Emma's face fell.
She wasn't stupid. Agreeing to that would be a disaster.
"Well... are you tired, husband? Why don't you go to bed first? I think this TV show is really interesting. You go ahead..."
If she had to go into that room, she'd rather sleep on the sofa.
At least then she wouldn't get devoured by that bastard Liam.
"Sweetheart, that... that's a commercial now..." Sophia couldn't help but remind her.
...
Mom, you've really gone too far.
Why didn't you say that earlier? A commercial. Great.
Emma looked at Liam awkwardly and forced a smile. She hadn't offended him, had she?
Unfortunately, reality had other plans.
"Ah! Liam, what are you doing...?" Before she could react, Emma felt the world spin. He had picked her up and was carrying her toward the bedroom.
"Help! Mom, help me! This guy has lost his mind!"
Just as the bedroom door was about to close, Emma looked back at her parents with a glimmer of hope.
But Sophia just smiled secretly and made a "keep going" gesture at her.
Emma was speechless.
I'm going to cry. Liam, you big jerk, put me down!
Before she could say another word, he threw her heavily onto the bed.
Then, he climbed on top of her.
"Ah... don't! Liam, get off me..." Emma reached out to protect her chest.
Damn it. Not again!
"Do you understand now? I've been holding back for a long time..." Liam's thin lips parted slightly, his voice dangerously seductive.
He gently bit her earlobe, sending a shiver of electric pleasure through every cell in her body.
No. This was going to lead to trouble. Big trouble.