"Uncle Theo, Aunt Rose."
Seeing the kind, middle-aged couple emerge from the house, Liam Williams's usually icy expression melted away, replaced by the warmth of a nephew greeting his beloved relatives. Emma Johnson watched in surprise, wondering when Liam had even learned the meaning of the word "humble."
"Well, well! Isn't this Colonel Williams? It's been years!"
Uncle Theo's face broke into a warm smile as he spotted Liam, welcoming him with open arms. Just then, Aunt Rose noticed Emma standing beside him.
"Is this pretty girl your girlfriend? You two make a perfect couple."
Aunt Rose took Emma's hand gently, her eyes full of admiration as she looked her over. Emma felt a little shy under such scrutiny, but she smiled politely, playing the part of the demure young woman.
"Uncle Theo, Aunt Rose, this is my wife, Emma Johnson. Please, just call her Emma," Liam explained to the elderly couple.
Aunt Rose took an instant liking to Emma, pulling her aside to chat. Uncle Theo headed into the kitchen to prepare a meal for them. When it came time to cook a dish that only Aunt Rose knew how to make, she finally released Emma's hand and joined her husband in the kitchen.
Liam picked a few ginkgo nuts from the yard and placed them on the table for Emma.
"They're delicious, but don't eat too many," he warned.
Emma popped one into her mouth, then looked at him curiously. "This isn't your first time here, is it? They seem to know you well. And she called you 'Colonel.' Were you a soldier the last time you visited?"
Liam paused, peeling another ginkgo nut before answering slowly.
"Their youngest son used to be my subordinate. He was shot in the heart during a mission four years ago and died. Now they only have their eldest son left, but he works in another city and doesn't come home often."
"I see."
Emma hadn't expected such kind-hearted people to have endured the tragedy of outliving their own child. If Liam hadn't told her, she never would have guessed. No wonder they treated him like family—he had been their son's commanding officer, and he must have looked after him well.
"It's hard to believe something like this can happen even in times of peace. I wish there were no wars or conflicts in the world," Emma said thoughtfully.
"Do you really mean that?"
Liam's dark eyes fixed on hers, not missing a single flicker of emotion.
"Of course. You can call me naive if you want. After all, there are gunfights in the news every day. But I still hope for a world without war."
Emma met his gaze with frank honesty. Liam's heart churned with complicated feelings.
Was he too paranoid, or was Emma just that good at pretending? For a moment, he almost believed her.
He wasn't sure if bringing her here had been the right decision.
Back then, his subordinate had been shot and killed by a hunter from the Fox organization. Even after leaving the military, Liam had continued working secretly for the agency—not just to serve his country, but to one day avenge his fallen soldier and give his soul peace.
After a delicious meal with the elderly couple, Emma and Liam said their goodbyes. On the drive back, Liam remained silent the whole way. Emma knew he must be thinking about his deceased subordinate, so she sat quietly, not wanting to disturb him.
Sometimes, silence was better than empty words of comfort.
When they returned to the hotel, they found Mayor Vincent Reed waiting for them in the lobby. Liam asked Emma to go back to their room first while he spoke with the mayor.
Emma opened the hotel room door and turned on the TV out of boredom. It happened to be the local Silverdale channel. The news was reporting that Director Mason Reed had been suddenly attacked the day before, resulting in multiple fractures. He was now lying in a hospital bed.
Watching Director Reed on screen, wrapped in white bandages like a mummy, Emma couldn't help recalling his arrogant and unreasonable behavior from yesterday.
She wondered how many people he had offended to end up beaten so badly he was barely recognizable. He had a long road ahead of him.
Before Liam could even teach him a lesson, he had already landed in the hospital. She wondered if, after being investigated and convicted by the Bureau of Inspection, he would shed tears of regret for his past mistakes.
Just as the news segment ended, there was a knock at the door.
Emma opened it to find Amelia White standing there, loaded down with shopping bags.
"Hey, sis-in-law! Look what I bought for my brother—lots of presents!"
Amelia was practically bouncing with excitement as she pulled out her purchases. "These are my brother's favorite tie colors. I bought three of each."
She proudly showed off her haul to Emma.
Behind her stood Benjamin Williams, also carrying several bags.
"Your brother is out on business. He probably won't be back until later. I'm afraid it'll just be the three of us for dinner," Emma said.
Amelia's expression dimmed for a moment, but she quickly put on a bright smile again.
"That's okay! Sis-in-law, help me organize all this. Oh, and I bought some clothes for you too—I hope you like them."
Amelia took several bags from Benjamin's hands, which contained outfits for Emma. Her own dress was a pure shade of purple, the only difference being the depth of the color.
Emma looked at the clothes in her hands and couldn't help but admire Amelia's taste. A celebrity was a celebrity—her fashion sense was leagues above what Emma had developed over the years.
Even though Amelia's mind was still that of an eighteen-year-old, the styles she chose were the most popular of the season. She could even remember the exact tie style Liam liked after such a short time. That kind of insight was far beyond what ordinary people could achieve.
As Emma had expected, Liam and Mayor Reed had a lot to discuss. Their meeting wouldn't end anytime soon. But the length of their conversation also meant that Liam's expectations were being met. If Mayor Reed truly wanted to make progress, he could no longer bow to Secretary Lewis's influence and continue shielding Director Reed.
Liam's project in Silverdale was a sure thing.
That evening, Emma was taking a bath in the bathroom when Liam returned. He saw the pile of shopping bags on the bed but barely gave them a second glance. He tossed them all onto the sofa, then loosened his tie and walked toward the bathroom, pulling off his shirt as he went.