His smile was as intoxicating as a blooming mandala—beautiful, addictive, utterly mesmerizing. Yet Emma Johnson felt a knot tighten in her chest.
"Emma, lying is a bad habit."
She opened her mouth to argue that she hadn't lied at all. Before a single sound could escape her lips, the man silenced her—rudely, completely. His mouth claimed hers without warning.
Liam Williams pinned both her wrists above her head. He kissed her like a wild beast on the hunt—storming cities, plundering treasures. Emma felt her lips go numb, nearly losing all sensation. Only when she could barely breathe did he finally stop.
She slumped back against the door, gasping for air.
Before she could react, Liam scooped her up and carried her into the bedroom.
"What are you doing, Liam?"
Emma stared at him, her eyes sharp with caution. Liam looked back at her, his expression unreadable.
"Relax. I'm not interested in a wounded woman."
His words made Emma's face flush crimson. She tried to get out of bed, but he stopped her.
Liam pulled out a first-aid kit from somewhere and set it on the nightstand. Without asking, he took her hands and began tending to the cuts on her palms.
Emma watched him. His head was bowed, hair falling over his forehead. She could only see half of his face. She couldn't read the look in his eyes, but she noticed something strange—his hands, so fierce when he kissed her, were now surprisingly gentle. That sudden tenderness made her heart skip.
She kept her face cold, trying to convince herself: Since he's offering to treat my wounds, why refuse? Liam had once been a military medic. His skill made him feel like a professional doctor.
But she couldn't help remembering how gently he had treated Amelia's burned arm yesterday. She kept telling herself that Amelia was his sister—of course he would be gentle with her.
Still, the flutter in Emma's heart slowly faded. Then it cooled, piece by piece.
Finally, Emma looked at the gauze wrapped around her hands, then thought of the bandage on her forehead. She almost wanted to laugh—if only she could cry.
"Can you take this off? I came here last night and this morning looking like this. I don't want people thinking I'm seriously hurt."
She tried to pull the gauze off.
"You are hurt. Just keep it on for two days. Once the wound scabs over, you can remove it."
Liam reached out and pressed her restless hand down. His voice was firm.
She saw the concern flickering in his eyes. Her hand felt like it had been burned. She quickly pulled it away from his grasp.
"What's wrong? Did I touch your wound? Does it hurt?"
A hint of tension crept into Liam's usually cold voice. Emma shook her head and got out of bed.
"Liam, I still want to go out. I need to see Mia. If it weren't for her help, I don't know what would have happened to me."
Her gaze didn't waver. Liam knew there was no stopping her. Once this woman made up her mind, ten horses couldn't drag her back.
He knew that after treating her wounds, she probably wouldn't listen to him anyway. So he gave in.
Liam wanted to drive her himself, but he had a meeting with a project partner this morning, followed by lunch. He didn't have time. In the end, he had the company driver take her to The Waterfront.
"Emma, why are you here? Elijah told me you hurt your forehead. How did you hurt your hands too?"
Mia Lewis looked at Emma in surprise.
"I burned myself making tea last night. It's nothing."
Emma brushed it off with an excuse.
"Mia, I can't believe you pretended to be Elijah's girlfriend just to help me."
Once inside Mia's office, Emma looked at her apologetically. Mia's expression was surprisingly cheerful.
"I agreed because it was Elijah."
"What do you mean?"
Emma looked at her, confused.
"Emma, you know I've always liked Elijah. But he never said anything to me. Even though we're just pretending to be lovers, he's now officially 'Mia's man.' Even if other women want to get close to him, they'll have to think twice. I'm going to take it one step at a time. Who knows? Maybe one day he'll become my real boyfriend."
Mia poured Emma a drink, her face glowing with pride.
Emma hadn't expected Mia to be so happy about playing the role of Elijah's fake girlfriend. Even if it wasn't real, she was enjoying it.
"Then I hope you get your wish soon. After all, Elijah is still single. You've got a good chance."
Emma felt a little lighter, knowing she wouldn't have to feel so guilty toward her friend.
"I hope so. You know Elijah—he seems nice to everyone, but he's the hardest to win over. It'll take some work to make him fall for me."
Mia sighed, but her attitude was positive. She had never been one to back down. Emma silently wished her well.
If her best friend and her childhood friend could end up together, she would be truly happy to see it.
At noon, Emma called Olivia Davis and asked her to come to The Waterfront for lunch. The three friends hadn't spent time together in a while, so the reunion was warm and joyful.
Mia's chef had developed several new dishes, and Emma and Olivia were lucky enough to be the first to taste them.
They were eating in a private room, but the door was left open. Just as they were laughing and chatting, a sexy woman walked in.
"What a coincidence. Isn't this Mrs. Williams?"
Emma turned around, confused. After a moment, she recognized the woman—Kennedy Taylor. What a coincidence that she was having lunch here too.
But then again, The Waterfront was one of the most famous restaurants in the city. The chefs here had won awards both at home and abroad. It wasn't surprising that Kennedy would show up.
Still, running into her today felt like fate.