He stole a glance at Liam. The man sat there, his face completely unreadable. Was he happy? Angry? There was no way to tell.
"Eat first, before the food gets cold. We'll talk later," Henry said.
Emma watched as the others began picking up their chopsticks. Carefully, she reached for her own bowl.
But with so many dishes laid out before her, what should she even try first?
She took a tentative bite of the steamed fish closest to her, and couldn't help but silently praise the Williams family's chef.
God, this was incredible. Was Liam out of his mind? He had food this amazing at home, yet he came to her place to eat every single day?
She glanced around the table. Every dish was different, each one a masterpiece of color, aroma, and flavor. Emma wanted to eat more, but since this was her first meeting with her father-in-law, she figured it was better to show some restraint.
After dinner, the whole family gathered in the living room. Henry looked Emma over carefully. She had delicate features and a sweet voice. If it weren't for all that negative press, he would have genuinely liked this girl.
He paused, then spoke. "Emma Johnson, right?"
Emma sat up straight, her bright eyes fixed seriously on him. She nodded a few times. "Yes, Dad."
"Do you love Liam?"
The question was too direct. Emma hadn't expected this to be his first question. Did she actually love Liam?
This...
Startled, Emma turned to look at Liam and swallowed hard.
Liam simply looked back at her, a thoughtful smile playing on his lips when their eyes met. "What are you looking at me for? Dad asked you a question."
Liam couldn't help but smile wryly. What good would looking at him do now?
Was the answer written on his face?
"Ah? Yes, I love Liam," Emma said, snapping back to reality. She saw the teasing smile on Liam's face and felt a flash of annoyance.
"Liam explained the newspaper reports to me. As for whether you're suitable to be the daughter-in-law of the Williams family... that depends on your future behavior." Though Henry's voice was aged, there was an unmistakable note of authority in it.
"I'll do my best, Dad. You can rest assured." Emma tried her best to control her nerves, forcing the words out as calmly as she could.
"That's all I have to say. Now that you're married, you should move in starting today. It's too hard for him to run back and forth." Henry stood up, and Oliver, the butler, helped him.
Emma also stood. "Okay, I understand, Dad."
After dinner, she watched until his figure disappeared from sight before her nervousness finally began to ease.
She covered her chest and let out a heavy breath.
"Come on, wife. Let me show you our new room."
Before she could even react, Liam scooped her up and headed upstairs.
"Put me down! I can walk by myself," Emma said, flustered by the sudden embrace. She wanted to push him away, but didn't dare speak too loudly. Instead, she raised her hand and jabbed her elbow into his stomach.
"Big brother, sister-in-law, happy wedding night! Sleep well!" Benjamin's voice drifted up from downstairs.
Liam didn't even turn around. He just waved a hand back over his shoulder.
Emma stayed in his arms all the way up to the third floor.
They turned left, and the second door was Liam's bedroom.
As soon as he opened the door, she saw a massive, off-white bed that was three meters by three meters—more than twice the size of her own bed.
The entire room was decorated in off-white. Simple, but not cheap.
Off-white bed. Off-white sofa. Off-white wardrobe and vanity. Even the curtains and ceiling were off-white.
She looked down at the cashmere carpet beneath her feet. It was also off-white, covering the entire floor. It looked so clean and comfortable that she almost felt bad stepping on it.
"Do you like it, my wife?" Liam's sexy voice whispered in her ear.
"Do you usually sleep here alone?" Emma was stunned. She couldn't help but walk further into the room to get a closer look. She pulled open the curtains and noticed a glass door next to the bed. Outside was a bright, spacious balcony. Standing there, she could see the entire sea of Phalaenopsis orchids below.
"This place is heaven on earth, Liam. Sleeping here, don't you have beautiful dreams every night?" Emma turned to look at the man behind her, surprise written all over her face.
"I don't know. I'm used to it. But I'm glad you like it." Liam wrapped his arms around her slender waist from behind, his voice full of affection.
"How big is your house anyway? You get a luxury room all to yourself?"
What?
A room for one person?
Was this girl seriously thinking about sleeping in separate rooms on her very first day in the house?
"Want to sleep separately?" Liam said flatly.
"Well... what do you think?"
"I don't think so. Motion denied." His tone was overbearing, leaving no room for negotiation.
Tch. Cheapskate.
With all these rooms, he couldn't spare one for her?
"Then you sleep on the floor, and I'll take the bed."
"No way."
"Fine, you take the bed, and I'll take the sofa. I'm not as delicate as you are, you know." Emma glanced at the sofa next to the bed. It looked comfortable enough. Besides, the sofa in Liam's house was bigger than her own bed back home.
"You'd better just sleep with me. I'm really not interested in your skinny arms and legs. If you don't feel anything, what do I have to worry about?"
Emma was speechless.
You're holding me this tight and you don't feel anything?
She pushed his wandering hands away and turned around to glare at him. "I'm going to call home. My parents will worry if they don't hear from me."
"Fine." He took off his only white shirt, grabbed a bathrobe, and headed for the shower.
"Ah! Liam, you pervert! What are you doing undressing in front of me?" Emma's earth-shattering scream echoed through the room.
Liam ignored her completely, opened the bathroom door, and walked in.
Seriously... What was all the fuss about?
How many times had he already seen her body?
Did she really have amnesia?
Fuming, Emma pushed open the glass door to the balcony and dialed her home phone number.
Emma's parents already knew their daughter was living at Liam's house. Though they were reluctant to let her go, they were still happy. Things were moving so fast that they might be holding their granddaughter soon after the wedding.
Sophia nagged her about a million things, repeatedly telling Emma to take good care of her father-in-law, to be obedient, and not to be willful.
Emma listened until she was practically falling asleep. Seriously, why did her parents seem more nervous than she was?
Thinking back, her performance in front of Henry had been pretty good. She hadn't made any major mistakes.