Emma Johnson was terrified. She couldn't explain why. Why was Liam Williams so defensive around Elijah Clark?
They had only just met, and Elijah's behavior was bizarre.
How could anyone laugh after being hit?
Crazy. Both of them were completely insane.
When Liam heard her words, his anger only intensified.
Was she defending him? That name...
Liam turned his head and looked at Emma. The dim yellow streetlight illuminated her delicate face, and he spotted a small wound.
A pang of pain shot through his heart. In that moment, he forgot everything about the identity behind this person.
All his attention was fixed on Emma.
Emma stood not far away, simply staring at Liam. Her eyes were filled with grievance and fear.
She still hadn't fully recovered from the kidnapping. Her body trembled in the cold wind.
Liam wore a white shirt and a black suit. His figure was strong and lean. In the night, he seemed so cold and distant, radiating an aura that pushed everyone away.
Elijah noticed Liam wasn't speaking. Instead, he turned to look at Emma and said in a light tone, "Emma, I'll come find you again when I have time. Seems like someone here doesn't welcome me much." After that, he let out a loud whistle at Liam and swaggered away in his sports car.
Emma stared at his cold back. "Liam..."
Before she could finish, Liam strode up to her. He threw his black leather jacket onto the ground, letting it fly to a distant spot. Then he quickly removed his suit jacket and wrapped it tightly around her.
Before she could react, Liam grabbed Emma's hand and dragged her along until they entered the elevator.
Her wrist ached from the tight grip, but by now, Emma had no strength left to resist.
Her voice was hoarse, filled with coldness and despair. "Liam, please... it hurts..."
When Liam heard her voice, he didn't loosen his hold. Instead, he became even rougher. Without a word, he pulled her into his arms. God only knew how tangled, angry, and agitated he felt.
But all he could express was fury.
When they arrived at Emma's house, his expression remained fierce. He dragged Emma straight into her room, ignoring the greetings from Sophia and James Johnson.
Emma wanted to say something to her parents, but Liam gave her no chance.
With a loud slam, the door shut heavily. He didn't even bother turning on the lights. He couldn't wait to kiss Emma's lips.
Liam just wanted to vent his anger, his unease, his complicated emotions.
He didn't tell Emma that when he learned she had been kidnapped, he used every ounce of his strength to find her.
He didn't tell Emma what kind of torment and madness he felt when, after rushing to her side, he saw her smiling and appearing with another man.
The only thing he could give her was a kiss—a kiss filled with revenge, heartbreak, and despair.
It seemed like only this way could he feel that Emma truly existed beside him.
But Emma...
When she saw the news in the newspaper, the first person she worried about wasn't herself—it was Liam.
When she was in danger and kidnapped, her heart and mind were filled with Liam.
When she was rescued, the only person she could think of was Liam.
Yet in the end, she had to endure Liam's unreasonable treatment, his fierce kisses, and his irrational temper.
In the dark room, Emma's strength drained away little by little. She slowly slid down against the door.
Liam still didn't let go. It felt like several centuries passed before he finally softened the force of his mouth and became gentle.
His cold lips, groping in the darkness, kissed her chin, her cheek, the tip of her nose, and her forehead.
Finally, with a long sigh, Liam reached out and turned on the light switch.
The light was too dazzling. Emma raised her hand to shield her eyes. She still kept her head down, refusing to meet Liam's gaze.
"Tell me, why didn't you answer the phone?" A low, magnetic voice sounded in her ear.
Emma could barely stand. She could only grip Liam's collar tightly with her hands, trying not to slide down.
Her voice trembled weakly. "I couldn't find my phone. Liam, I didn't mean to. I'm sorry..."
"Sorry! Do you think that makes everything okay? Do you know..." He wanted to say more.
Do you know how worried I was?
Do you know I searched until I was about to turn the whole city upside down?
In his heart, the words he wanted to say were different. "What did I tell you this morning? Take a taxi when you go home. Did you hear me? From start to finish, which one of the things you promised me have you actually kept in mind?"
"Yes, I didn't listen to you. I didn't do things the way you wanted. So I deserve this now... Liam, have you ever thought that if I hadn't met you in the first place, none of this would have happened today? The kidnapping, the threats, the headlines, being called a third party... I'm tired of you pushing me into such a terrible situation. I don't expect you to protect me, but please don't set me up." Tears streamed down Emma's face as she finished speaking. The bitterness in her heart—how could he ever understand?
With a loud bang, Liam's fist slammed into the wall near Emma's ear. The violent noise startled Sophia in the living room. She was about to get up and say something, but James stopped her. "Forget it. They're adults now. Let the children handle it themselves."
With that, he led Sophia to their room.
Emma was also frightened by the sound. She looked up and saw Liam's bloodshot eyes. She couldn't see any change in his expression, but she felt more fear than anger. She was afraid that beneath this calm exterior, a storm was brewing.
"Emma Johnson, I think you're tired of living..." Liam said, then punched the wall again, in the same spot, still with his right hand. For a long time, he just spat out those words, enough to leave Emma speechless.
Liam's right hand was already badly injured. His knuckles were scraped raw, and bright red blood was flowing out. But he felt no pain at all.
Compared to the pain in his right hand, his heart seemed to be suffering even more.