"Have you ever been in a street race before?"
As they drove toward the Land Rover dealership, Emma Johnson asked Liam Williams nervously. She couldn't help but feel that his car wasn't exactly built for racing. It was nowhere near as impressive as that young man's professional sports car.
"No. I've never raced."
Liam's answer was calm and steady. Emma's head throbbed at his honesty. How could he possibly win if he'd never done this before?
"Don't worry. I'll beat that kid."
Faced with Mr. Williams's unshakable confidence, Emma found herself speechless. It seemed he was so used to having everything go his way that he genuinely believed he could conquer any challenge—even in areas where he had zero experience. Emma could already picture the moment he lost.
She figured she'd have to find another way to handle Uncle Theo's situation. Whatever it took, she couldn't let the old man get hurt or upset.
Emma had already mapped out a backup plan. But when the car roared to life, she couldn't help staring in disbelief.
Didn't you just say you'd never raced? Then why are you leaving that young guy in the dust? Your driving skills are seriously impressive.
When they reached their destination, Liam finally stopped the car. Emma sat there for a long moment, completely stunned.
"We're here."
Liam's deep, velvety voice pulled her back to reality. She turned to look at him.
"You're amazing. Didn't you say you'd never raced before?"
As she spoke, Emma felt a strange mix of annoyance and amusement at being fooled by him.
"I've never been in a race. But I never said I wasn't a good driver."
Liam looked completely innocent, which only made Emma want to scream. But in the end, he had won.
The purple-haired kid wasn't happy about it. But he couldn't back out now—not with all his friends watching. He'd lose face completely.
Finally, he muttered an apology to Uncle Theo.
"Don't forget to go to the police station."
As the young man turned to leave, Liam reminded him coolly. The kid's body stiffened, then he mumbled that he would go. After that, he sped off with his friends.
"He won't go."
Emma had already read the young man's reaction.
"I know."
Liam's voice was clear and certain.
"Then why bother reminding him? It's pointless."
"I just want him to know—when he looks back later—how heavy the price of irresponsibility really is."
A faint smile curved Liam's lips. Emma studied his face and knew there was more to his words.
"Are you going to take it out on his parents?"
"If the son isn't taught properly, the father is to blame. Someone has to pay for this punishment."
Emma listened to his cold, sharp words and realized that the young man's father was probably about to lose his place on Liam's cooperation list.
"Well, I never expected something like this to happen on a nice walk. I've heard there are a few arrogant kids in this area. I didn't believe it until I saw it myself. Now I know. It's a real headache. When they grow up and enter society, won't they become a disaster?"
Uncle Theo, always an upright man, let out a heavy sigh.
"Don't worry, Uncle Theo. They'll get the lesson they deserve. They won't have the capital to be arrogant anymore."
Liam personally helped Uncle Theo into the car, then spoke to him gently.
After they dropped Uncle Theo back at the restaurant, they called a doctor to tend to his injured foot. It was already dark by then, so they said goodbye to Uncle Theo and Aunt Rose and headed back to the villa.
As soon as they stepped inside, Liam's phone rang.
Emma couldn't make out the voice on the other end, but the way Liam addressed the caller quickly gave it away.
"Mr. Hanson, I have something to take care of later. We'll talk about your son tomorrow."
Without waiting for a reply, Liam hung up.
"Is that a good idea? They say a strong dragon can't crush a local snake. The kid already apologized to Uncle Theo. That should be enough of a lesson. Don't let this affect your project."
If Emma remembered correctly, the young man's mother worked in the prosecutor's office. If she decided to make things difficult for Liam, the project wouldn't go smoothly.
"An apology isn't enough. Hanson has been using his wife's position to do shady things behind the scenes. It's not easy to get evidence on him. But a strong dragon might not be able to crush a local snake—it's better to replace the snake with someone loyal to you."
Liam's words surprised Emma. But since he was saying this, it meant he already had a plan for dealing with the couple. She suspected Liam had been unhappy with Hanson for a while.
Now that Uncle Theo's incident had happened, it would be easier to resolve things.
Emma decided not to comment further. She'd let Liam handle it himself.
Even though she had worked as his assistant, she didn't know how to handle every situation perfectly. Liam had his own way of solving problems to his satisfaction.
"This is the first time I've seen a spoiled rich kid in action."
Emma said with a sigh.
"Don't worry. Our children won't be like that."
Liam smiled and suddenly lifted Emma into his arms. Then, his voice low and seductive, he whispered in her ear, leaving her completely stunned. But Liam didn't give her time to think. He carried her straight into the bedroom.
It was another night of passion. Emma's strength slowly drained away under Liam's relentless attention. Finally, unable to bear it anymore, she bit his shoulder. She didn't realize that this only fueled his desire. By the end, she had no idea how she fell asleep.
When Liam got up the next morning, Emma didn't open her eyes. He couldn't help leaning down to gently kiss her forehead, then lifted the covers and got out of bed. Instead of waking her, he left for his meeting.
It wasn't until noon that Emma finally opened her eyes.
She blinked groggily, staring at the sunlight filtering through the thick curtains. What time was it now?
A faint sound of machinery came from outside. It wasn't loud, but the villa was so quiet that it felt almost empty.