"Really? I think a little extra weight suits you better."
Liam said it casually, without a hint of concern.
"No way. Aren't you afraid I'll go out and embarrass you?"
Emma stared at him with her dark eyes, looking incredibly cute. Liam's smile deepened as his gaze darkened.
"Face? Who cares about that? It's what's inside that counts."
At first, Emma didn't catch his meaning. But then he leaned in, capturing her lips, teasing and sucking, his tongue tangling with hers possessively. That's when she finally understood what he meant.
Her face flushed crimson instantly. She wanted to push the shameless man away, but the strength difference was too great. He'd been in the special forces—with just a flick of his fingers, she was completely at his mercy.
In almost no time, Liam had stripped her bare. Her skin gleamed like freshly peeled boiled egg whites. He pressed her against him, rubbing slowly, until her entire body went limp. Every spot his fingers touched felt like it was on fire, burning uncontrollably, leaving her breathless.
In the end, she was too weak to resist his torment. By the time he lifted her onto his body, her mind had turned to mush, barely functioning.
Even in the bathroom while he showered, Liam washed her like a doll. She was so drowsy she didn't even remember when he carried her to bed.
The next morning, when Emma groggily woke up, Liam was already gone. She rolled over and glanced at the window. Even through the thick curtains, she could see sunlight streaming in, which meant she'd definitely overslept.
As she sat up, her lower back ached terribly. She couldn't help but curse Liam under her breath. It had only been a week, but he acted like a starving wolf who hadn't seen food in ages. He practically wanted to devour her whole, leaving her barely able to get out of bed.
"Sister-in-law, you're up!"
When Emma came downstairs, Amelia greeted her with a sweet smile. Emma's cheeks flushed slightly as she mumbled a reply.
"Oh, by the way, sister-in-law, your cousin Isabella just called me. She said she has a runway show this afternoon—a fashion show by an international designer. I really want to go. What about you?"
Amelia looked at Emma expectantly. Emma had been feeling bored at home these past few days anyway. Although she was a bit reluctant to go out with Amelia, it was just a fashion show. She nodded and agreed happily.
"Great! I'll go upstairs and change."
Amelia looked thrilled. She lifted the blanket off her legs and practically skipped upstairs. Emma shook her head speechlessly, watching her go. There were still two hours until the show started—did she really need to change clothes this early? Emma hadn't even eaten breakfast yet.
Besides, seeing Amelia like this, she didn't seem sick at all.
Emma secretly shook her head, thinking that sometimes it was better to play dumb. It was rare to have a harmonious family, and she didn't want to be the one to ruin it.
Last night, Liam had tossed her around for hours, and now it was almost noon. Emma had been woken up by hunger. Otherwise, she could have fallen asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.
After downing three bowls of porridge in a row, Emma finally felt full. She went upstairs to change and then headed to Isabella's show with Amelia.
One was the wife of the CEO of Pinnacle Corporation, and the other was the eldest daughter of the same company. Even the organizers didn't dare to ignore them. In fact, they were thrilled that they were coming—it would attract media attention and boost exposure.
Thanks to their status, Emma and Amelia easily entered Isabella's backstage green room. Isabella had already changed into her outfit, and a makeup artist was working on her face.
Looking at Isabella's tall, almost flawless figure, Emma thought that maybe she really was meant for this career. No wonder she was becoming more and more popular in the modeling world.
"Cousin, Miss Amelia, you're finally here! I was wondering if I'd see you on the runway. When I called Miss Amelia, she said you were still sleeping. I thought you might not make it."
Isabella's face lit up when she saw them. Emma blushed, but she couldn't blame Amelia—what she'd said was true.
After chatting for a while, Emma and Amelia left the green room and headed to the main hall to find their seats.
Two female staff members passed by them, both looking worried.
"I'm so nervous. The snake was locked in its cage—how did it get out? I don't know who went too far, but they used it during the show. I heard that snake is dangerous and venomous. What if someone gets bitten before we find it? Won't our boss be held responsible?"
Another worried voice chimed in.
"I don't think so. I heard the snake was already poisoned when it was put into the cage."
"Are you sure? Just thinking about that snake suddenly popping out from some corner makes my skin crawl."
"That's what I heard."
A skeptical voice came from the companion. But their voices gradually faded away. Emma didn't catch the rest and didn't pay much attention. She just left the corridor with Amelia.
Today's fashion theme was mainly forest-inspired, so during the show, Emma spotted a few birds, a monkey, and even a tiger in a cage.
But the tiger didn't look very fierce. It was quite docile, lying quietly in its cage.
She vaguely remembered hearing those two female staff members talking about a snake in the corridor, but she didn't see one during the show.
The fashion show ended with thunderous applause. Emma and Amelia went to Isabella's green room to see her. They planned to have dinner together at a restaurant later that evening.
This had been agreed upon earlier in the green room, and Emma had said yes.
When Emma arrived at Isabella's green room, a girl wearing a work badge came over to talk to Isabella about something. Her movements were quite casual.