Liam Williams lifted his gaze, studying them with a serious expression, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Mom, Dad, it's fine. Emma and I just had a small argument, nothing more."
"That's a relief. Liam, you've always been more mature than Emma. You know how to take care of people. I hope you can be patient with her. Emma has a sharp tongue but a soft heart." Sophia Johnson felt a wave of relief wash over her when she heard Liam say it was nothing serious. "Since it's not a big deal, your father and I will head out first. Are you boiling eggs? You didn't have dinner, did you? Mom can make you some noodles. How can two eggs be enough?"
Seeing the two eggs in the pot, Sophia couldn't help but frown. Two eggs for dinner? That was hardly a meal.
Liam quickly stood up, gently guiding Sophia and James Johnson out of the kitchen. "Mom, Dad, I can handle this myself. It's late, you should rest. Go to bed early."
"Are you sure you don't need my help?" Sophia still looked a bit worried.
"No, Mom. It's just a small thing. I've got it covered. Don't worry." Liam waved at them and closed the kitchen door behind him.
These eggs weren't really for eating.
He had overheard somewhere that boiled eggs could help reduce swelling.
So he decided to give it a try. After a while, Liam walked into the bedroom carrying two eggs.
He peeled off the shells, then gently rolled the warm eggs over Emma Johnson's pale face. It seemed to have a slight effect.
After kneading for a while, he felt drowsy. He set the bowl on the floor, took off his shoes, and lay down beside Emma.
There was a small scratch on her face. Fortunately, the wound wasn't deep and wouldn't leave a scar.
Liam gently held Emma's hand in his left hand, then drifted off to sleep.
...
At the same time, a woman's voice echoed in a dimly lit room. "What happened to you?"
The leader, trembling at the sound of that cold voice, spoke weakly, "I'm sorry. We were just about to start when a young man suddenly showed up. So... we didn't get it done."
"A young man? The three of you couldn't handle one person? What a waste..." The icy tone sent a chill down their spines.
"He's skilled. He must have had professional training. Otherwise, most people wouldn't stand a chance against our third brother."
"Don't blame others for your own incompetence. Now everything's a mess. You won't get a single cent from me." The woman in the shadows stood up, ready to leave.
Seeing this, the boss quickly got up and blocked her path. "Miss, give us another chance. It's not easy for us to make a living. Could you at least give us something? Otherwise, there's no such thing as a secret in this world. I heard the girl we kidnapped today is the wife of Liam Williams, the president of Pinnacle Corporation. If we accidentally let your name slip... I'm afraid that wouldn't be good for anyone, would it?"
The woman turned around, a disdainful sneer on her face. "Are you threatening me? Go ahead. In the end, it's you who will have to deal with Liam, not me. I'd love to see who Liam hates the most."
With that, she clicked her high heels and left the room, leaving the three brothers sitting on the sofa, staring at each other, unsure of what to do next.
The second brother stood up, his rough voice echoing in the empty room. "Brother, this job is a bust. We can find another one. But I heard Liam has a military background and a straightforward way of doing things. We can't afford to provoke him anymore, or we might lose our lives..."
The boss raised his hand and smacked him hard on the forehead. "You idiot! Don't you know that fortune favors the bold? The more dangerous Liam is, the more we can get out of this. If you're this timid, you'll be a second-rate nobody for the rest of your life."
With that, he walked away, lost in thought.
Hmph. As long as he had enough patience, he believed that one day, he would get what he wanted.
Did Liam have a woman? As long as he truly cared about that girl, no matter how strong he was, she would become his greatest weakness.
...
"Please... don't hurt me... don't come near me..."
Early in the morning, Liam was jolted awake by Emma's voice. Thinking something was wrong, he sat up and looked at her, still talking in her sleep.
A nightmare?
Just as Liam was about to reach out and touch her hand, he froze, his hand hanging in the air before clenching into a fist.
What had those kidnappers done to her?
"Let me go. Don't scratch my face..." Emma screamed, her eyes snapping open. Tears streamed down from the corners of her eyes.
Hearing this, Liam's heart tightened. They wanted to disfigure her?
What a sinister plan.
Seeing her like this, Liam felt a deep ache in his chest. "It's okay, Emma. It was just a dream. It's not real."
Hearing his voice, Emma relaxed a little. She bit her lip, trying to control her sobbing. "It's okay. I'll protect you from now on. What happened yesterday won't happen again..." Liam gently pulled her into his arms, his heart heavy.
"Do my parents know?" Emma buried her face in his chest, her voice barely a whisper.
"I didn't tell them. I didn't want them to worry."
"Good. My dad has high blood pressure. If he heard about something like this, he'd be terrified." Emma lifted her forehead slightly, then brushed against Liam's chin. She felt the prickling of his stubble.
She pulled back, covering her forehead, a hint of a smile in her eyes. She pretended to be angry. "Liam, you're so sloppy. I see your beard has grown out. Why don't you shave?"
Sloppy? It was because he had been up all night taking care of her, with worries weighing on his mind, that his beard had grown so fast.
"Oh? Really? Don't women find bearded men particularly sexy? Let me give you a taste..." Liam pulled Emma closer, rubbing his stubbly chin against her forehead.
"Ah, you're disgusting, Liam. Stay away from me." Emma said, pinching his chin with her hand. A lovely smile curled at the corners of her mouth.
Their playful banter drifted outside, catching the attention of Sophia and James.
"What was all that noise about last night? And now in the morning?" Sophia poked her husband's back, a puzzled look on her face.
"Even if you don't trust our daughter, don't you know what your son-in-law is like? He's gentle, considerate, mature, and magnanimous."
"You're right. Our son-in-law is so excellent. Even Emma, with her fiery temper, couldn't set him off."
Inside the room.
Emma squinted her eyes, still happily playing with his beard. Her pink lips parted slightly, revealing her white teeth.
At that moment, Liam was lost in a daze.
Emma was naturally stunned. When she saw Liam looking at her like that, she wondered what he was thinking. She was about to speak when she suddenly realized...
At this moment, their posture was far too close.
Emma's right hand was still tightly gripping Liam's chin, and her leg was casually resting near his knee.
His hand was also inadvertently on her waist.
It was ambiguous, on the verge of something explosive.