"You have a point. No matter what's wrong with the other side, at least we've got someone who belongs to them, right?"
Captain David Reed drew his conclusion based on Liam Williams's speculation.
"That's correct."
"But right now, we don't even know who they are. And why was your wife lying on that bench? Who sent her back is still a mystery we can't solve."
"So your priority now is to find that masked man. He's a crucial lead."
Liam emphasized this to Captain Reed repeatedly.
After they finished their conversation, they hung up. When Liam left his study and returned to his bedroom, the sharp glint in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by a gentle warmth.
He didn't turn on the bedside lamp. He simply pulled back the covers and slipped into bed. The woman beside him stirred slightly, letting out a soft murmur as she instinctively curled into his arms. It seemed to have become a habit.
Liam naturally wrapped his arms around her, pressed a deep kiss to her hair, and drifted off to sleep with her in his embrace.
The next morning, when Emma woke up, she had regained much of her strength. She was still a little weak, but she could manage to eat on her own.
So she refused Liam's offer to feed her, insisting she could handle it herself. She asked to go downstairs and eat at the dining table.
Compared to Emma's relief, Liam looked visibly disappointed. The previous day, even though feeding her porridge hadn't gone smoothly, it had still brought him a great deal of joy.
Emma looked at the table filled with her favorite dishes and felt a little overwhelmed.
"You were frightened yesterday. But thankfully, it wasn't too serious. I asked Oliver to prepare all your favorites. Eat up, so your body can recover faster."
Henry Williams looked at Emma with a kind expression. Emma gazed back at her father-in-law, feeling a swell of emotion. For the first time, she truly felt like she belonged to this family.
So she nodded firmly and obediently ate a large breakfast.
The only thing that dampened Emma's spirits was that she couldn't go to work with Liam. She wasn't the kind of woman who enjoyed staying at home. But her physical condition simply wouldn't allow it. As she walked Liam to the door, she looked up at him with pitiful eyes, as if he were about to be gone for a very long time. It tugged at Liam's heart.
Seeing her big, watery eyes, Liam couldn't help but raise his arm and gently run his slender hand through her long, black hair.
"Rest at home. I can't let you go to work until you're fully recovered."
Liam said this, and Emma could only nod obediently. After all, her physical condition left her no choice.
Not long after Liam left, Dr. Julian Moore arrived to examine Emma.
"You really scared the young master yesterday. I've been the private physician for the Williams family for over twenty years, and I've never seen the young master show such emotion for anyone. When he was staring at me while I examined you, it made me nervous. Luckily, he didn't have a gun in his hand. Otherwise, I might have been too nervous to even give you a proper check-up."
Dr. Moore said this to Emma as he set up her IV drip.
"How could that be?"
Emma smiled. She thought Dr. Moore was exaggerating. But Dr. Moore insisted it was true.
"Maybe it wasn't entirely because of me. Liam isn't a saint. He probably shows his emotions because of other things too."
Even though she believed Dr. Moore's words, Emma still thought Liam couldn't have been that worked up just because of her.
"It's true. Do you know how old the young master was when I first met him?"
Dr. Moore looked at Emma with a serious expression.
"How old was he?"
Although Emma didn't know what Dr. Moore was about to tell her, she knew it was about Liam. So she showed some curiosity, eager to hear Dr. Moore talk about Liam's childhood.
This was a rare opportunity. After all, Liam would never take the initiative to tell her about his past.
Had he done anything embarrassing as a child? Emma's clear eyes sparkled with gossipy curiosity.
However, when Dr. Moore spoke, she realized it was something entirely different.
"The young master was only eight years old. The reason I was called to the Williams residence was to treat his injuries. You know, the old master was a soldier when he was young. He arrested many criminals, most of them guilty of serious crimes. So naturally, he made a lot of enemies. Once, the young master's school organized a summer camp, but when it was time to gather, he had disappeared. Later, we found out he had been kidnapped. The kidnapper was the brother of a prisoner the old master had captured, and that prisoner had been sentenced to death and executed. So the kidnapper demanded that the old master exchange his life for his son's—his own life for his son's."
"I never imagined Liam had such a dangerous past as a child."
Emma was a little surprised. Her eyes widened as she continued to listen to Dr. Moore.
"Later, the old master went in person. Of course, there were special police officers hiding nearby. After all, he couldn't guarantee that even if he gave up his own life, the kidnapper would release his son. So for his son's safety, the old master made sure to be prepared. I heard from the police officers who brought the young master back that the situation was still very dangerous. But in the end, no one expected what happened. Just at the critical moment, when the kidnapper was about to shoot the old master, the young boy, who was only eight years old, dared to throw himself at the kidnapper. As a result, the gunshot missed. And the old master took advantage of the kidnapper's mistake to subdue him and save the young master. During the three days he was held captive, no one knows how much the young master suffered at the kidnapper's hands. But judging from the scars on his body, the kidnapper never treated him well."
Dr. Moore seemed to recall the first time he met Liam, and spoke with emotion.
"He must have cried when he saw my father-in-law. He was only eight years old, had suffered so much, and finally survived. When he finally saw his father, he would have cried out of relief and fear."
Emma thought that was the reaction of any child. After all, it was such a dangerous situation. So she guessed.
Unexpectedly, Dr. Moore shook his head.