Liam ignored him and strode straight to the front desk. "Did a girl come in here twenty minutes ago?"
"I believe so, sir. She said she was here to meet a friend, so she didn't register. Is there something I can help you with, Mr. Williams?" the front desk clerk said politely.
"Which way did she go?"
"I'm not sure. Since she didn't check in, we have no way of knowing which room she went to."
"Where's your security control room? I need to see the surveillance footage. Now." Liam's voice was icy, laced with a danger that made the young clerk tremble. She pointed nervously toward a door on the left side of the lobby.
Liam pushed open the door to the monitoring room. Two young security guards were on duty, and they both jumped when he barged in.
One of them recognized him and nodded quickly. "Mr. Williams, please—"
Before he could finish, Liam was already in front of them. "I need to see the lobby footage from twenty minutes ago. Pull it up now."
"Yes, sir. Just a moment. Are you looking for someone?"
"My wife is missing. She's in this hotel. Hurry up." Liam's face darkened, his cold voice filling the room with a heavy, oppressive atmosphere.
The two guards exchanged a glance and said nothing more, immediately pulling up the surveillance feed.
Two minutes later, Emma's figure appeared on the screen.
Liam's eyes locked onto her. "That's her. Which floor did she go to? Which room?"
Emma stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the ninth floor. The footage followed her until, five minutes later, a man's face appeared. They exchanged a few words and then entered a room together.
Liam's fist tightened in his pocket, his expression turning to stone. His mind was consumed by the image of Noah Taylor's face on the screen.
Emma... you came here to meet your old flame?
Ridiculous. Half an hour ago, Liam had been running through every possible reason why Emma had insisted on coming here today to drop off her coat. But he never imagined she would do something like this. Maybe they had planned it all along?
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Emma, even if you wanted to see your ex, did you have to challenge me like this, right under my nose?
Did you not stop to think what would happen when I found out?
His head felt like it was about to explode. He tried to calm himself, but the fury surged through him like a tidal wave, burning in his chest while a cold chill spread through the rest of his body.
He stormed back to the front desk, his voice low and sharp. "Give me the key card for room 918." He didn't bother with a single extra word.
The young clerk knew who Liam was, and his demeanor terrified her. But she managed to stammer, "Mr. Williams, hotel policy prevents us from disclosing guest information. We can't do this without the guest's consent. I'm sorry."
"I'll say it one more time. Give me the key card. Otherwise, I can promise you that by tomorrow morning, this hotel will be bankrupt. How much is your monthly salary? Can you afford the consequences?" Liam's voice wasn't loud, but his tone was deadly calm. Even a fool could understand the threat.
"Mr. Williams, would you like me to call our manager? Can you wait just two minutes?" The clerk was on the verge of tears.
"Sure. And in those two minutes, you can pack your things and leave."
It seemed he had exhausted every ounce of his patience. Liam's sharp eyes and cutting words terrified everyone nearby.
After a brief pause, the clerk realized the gravity of the situation. She lowered her head, then immediately handed the key card to Liam with trembling hands. She didn't dare say another word, afraid of provoking the man who could bring down an entire city.
Ethan and his female companion saw Liam step into the elevator and followed him. "What's going on, Liam? What happened?" Ethan asked.
Liam remained silent, his face cold.
Ethan knew him better than anyone. When Liam was like this, it meant he was on the verge of exploding. Just one small spark would be enough to turn him into a raging lion.
Room 918.
Inside, Emma's lace shoulder dress had been torn by Noah. Her pink bra strap was exposed, and her shoes had fallen off during the violent struggle.
Noah seemed to have lost his mind. He pressed down on her roughly, biting at her neck and shoulder, completely ignoring her resistance. "Noah, let me go! Have you no shame? I don't love you anymore. What more do you want?" Emma grabbed his hair, pulling hard, trying to keep him away from her as she screamed.
"Emma, I was with you for seven years. What did you ever give me? Don't I even deserve to be a normal man?" Noah stopped his movements, gripping her chin tightly and forcing her to look at him. "Seven years. You said you loved me, but you never gave yourself to me completely. Today, I don't care anymore. Even if I can't have your heart, I'll have your body." With that, he lowered his head and bit down hard on her shoulder.
"Hiss... Ah!" Emma cried out in pain, tears nearly spilling from her eyes. Her pale face was twisted in agony, her brows furrowed like dark clouds. Her eyes shot cold fury, but she couldn't find the words to speak.
Emma suddenly regretted everything. Why had she walked into Noah's room?
She had been so angry at Liam for having another woman, so determined to confront him, that she had walked right into this trap. Now, not only had she failed to find Liam, but she had landed herself in this nightmare.
She was furious with herself. She wanted to slap her own face. But what could she do now?
Pain shot through her shoulder. Emma gritted her teeth and flailed her arm wildly, scratching at Noah's neck and cheek. But he showed no sign of stopping. Instead, he continued biting her, moving from her shoulder down her slender arm.