The master of the house wasn't in residence, leaving only a handful of servants to keep watch.
After confirming Liam Williams's identity, the butler quickly opened the gate for him. He was escorted into the living room.
"Mr. Williams, I don't believe your wife is here. The party ended three hours ago, and all the guests have already departed."
The servant studied Liam's expression. Though visibly intimidated, he still managed to speak.
Liam ignored him completely. He knew Emma Johnson had to be here. When he'd tried calling her again, this was exactly where the location system had pointed. Unless she'd completely abandoned her phone.
"If you don't mind, I'd like to look around the premises."
Liam didn't bother negotiating. The servants, well aware of his status, knew they couldn't afford to offend someone who could crush their employer. So they nodded and stepped aside. Liam tracked Emma's phone signal, checking room after room. When he reached the second floor, he finally heard her phone ringing from behind a closed door.
There she was. Liam knocked, but received no response from inside. He tried the doorknob—locked from within. He shot a look at the servant, who quickly produced a key and opened the door.
The moment the door swung open, Liam saw Emma and Elijah Clark lying in the room. His rage surged like a flood. He strode forward and spotted the half-empty bottle of red wine and empty glasses in front of them. A cold laugh escaped his lips.
Even though both of them were fully dressed at this moment, it was more than enough to ignite Liam's fury. Perhaps the noise roused Elijah first. He sat up from the carpet, rubbing his temples, only to feel a chill radiating from nearby.
Then he looked up and met Liam's dark, menacing gaze fixed on him. The danger flashing in those eyes was unmistakable.
"What if I told you this was all a misunderstanding? Emma and I were both drugged through the wine. Would you believe that?"
Elijah met Liam's icy stare, offering a rare explanation.
"Emma? How intimate. If someone had actually laced the wine, don't you think I'd have walked in on something far worse?"
Liam snorted coldly, stepping forward to lift the still-sleeping Emma into his arms. Then he cast a frigid glance at the remaining half bottle of wine.
"Don't worry. I'll have this tested for any foreign substances. Elijah, I don't care what feelings Emma might have for you. Let me make this clear—I will never let her go. No matter the cost."
Liam's eyes were like bottomless black pools as he stared at Elijah. His gaze seemed almost bloodshot. Despite his outwardly calm expression, that calmness only made him more dangerous.
Elijah narrowed his eyes at Liam, recognizing the seriousness in his rival's words this time. Between them, only one would walk away with Emma—peaceful resolution was no longer an option.
When Emma finally opened her eyes, she found herself lying in her own apartment bed. She blinked, her mind blank for a moment. It took her a while to process her surroundings.
If she remembered correctly, she should have been lying on the sofa in the villa's guest room. She'd been so drowsy she couldn't recall when she'd fallen asleep. How had she woken up at home?
Emma was wondering if Elijah had brought her back when the bedroom door swung open. She saw Liam standing there.
But his face was dark and stormy, clearly furious.
"Awake?"
"Yeah. How did I get home?"
Emma looked at Liam, confusion written all over her face. But he just gave her a cold, sarcastic smile.
"What? Disappointed it's not Elijah's place?"
So Elijah had brought her back after all. Emma stared at Liam, about to explain that she'd just happened to run into Elijah at the party. But Liam clearly had no intention of letting her explain.
"You seemed to enjoy chatting with Elijah quite a bit. And you ended up falling asleep in his room? How convenient. Elijah even had the nerve to claim someone drugged your wine. But I had it tested—there was nothing wrong with it. Emma, maybe you never really saw Elijah as just a brother. That was just something you told me, wasn't it?"
Liam's words hit Emma like a wave, leaving her no time to process. She hadn't fully grasped what he was saying before his last sentence confused her even more.
"What are you talking about? If I don't see him as a brother, what else would he be?"
Emma glared at Liam angrily. How many times did she have to explain? Why did Liam always insist on misunderstanding her?
"A man, of course. Sometimes I wonder—if Elijah had come back sooner back then, wouldn't he have been your marriage candidate instead of me?"
Liam stepped closer to the bed, looming over Emma. His gaze was mocking. Emma's heart turned cold under his stare. Suddenly, she didn't want to explain anything to him anymore.
"Believe whatever you want."
"Emma, don't forget. You're my wife now. I won't allow you to have any kind of relationship with another man."
Liam stared at her face, enunciating each word deliberately.
"Don't worry. I'll fulfill my duties as your wife for the one year of our agreement. But after that year, don't you dare speak to me like this again. Because by then, I won't have anything to do with you."
Emma was so enraged by Liam's words that she forgot what he'd told her just days ago. She even felt the urge to divorce him right now. This man was so overbearing she could barely breathe.
If she couldn't even have the right to contact friends, what personal freedom did she have? And she'd been so careful, always considering Liam's feelings, always treading carefully around Elijah. Now she realized how foolish she'd been. Why had she bothered? Was it even necessary?
Liam could meet with Kennedy Taylor whenever he wanted, so why couldn't she see Elijah?
Watching the stubborn, angry woman before him, Liam felt as if a knife had pierced his heart. A cold smile curled on his lips.
One year?
Emma, I won't let you be my wife for just one year.
You will never leave me.