The moment the words left my mouth, a sharp clatter echoed through the room. Sophia’s fruit tray hit the floor, apples rolling in every direction. James’s forehead was beaded with sweat.
“Husband?” the old couple gasped in unison.
They exchanged a bewildered glance before repeating, “You’re married?”
Emma pressed a hand to her forehead, shooting Liam a helpless look.
But Liam didn’t seem bothered at all. He pulled a steaming marriage certificate from his trouser pocket and handed it respectfully to James. “Hello, Father and Mother. My name is Liam Williams. I’m Emma’s husband. We just got the certificate today. Forgive me if I’ve been rude—this is our first meeting.”
“No… no, not at all. You’re married, right?” Sophia sat down beside James, took a quick look at the certificate, and broke into a smile.
This was good, wasn’t it? Her son-in-law was tall, handsome, and looked decent enough. A perfect match for her daughter.
“You, child, this is your fault. How could you get married without telling your father and me first? We wouldn’t have objected. Besides, he’s such a fine, modest young man.” Sophia scolded Emma lightly. After all, marriage was a big deal—you couldn’t just keep it a secret.
“Oh, Mom, I know I was wrong. Actually, Liam and I have known each other for a long time. Getting the license was a spur-of-the-moment decision. It was too late to tell you, right, honey?” Emma smiled at Liam, her left hand gently holding his—though in reality, she was pinching his arm hard.
Liam winced in pain but quickly caught on. “Yes, Auntie. I love your daughter. She’s the most adorable girl I’ve ever met!” He retaliated by pinching Emma’s soft cheek, not to be outdone.
Emma frowned in pain, and Liam finally let go.
Sophia was delighted to see their affection, though a hint of dissatisfaction lingered. “You girl, you had a boyfriend and didn’t tell me. Do you think it was easy for me to arrange blind dates for you every day?”
She gently poked Emma’s forehead. “Why can’t you let me worry less? If you do this again, don’t bother coming home.”
“Don’t worry, Auntie. I’ll discipline Emma well from now on. If she does something wrong, you can punish me. After all, I’m her husband.”
Blind dates? How many times?
That was a bit much. Good thing he’d shown up in time. Otherwise, who knows who might have taken the girl away.
Hearing Sophia mention multiple blind dates, Liam felt a pang of irritation. He shot Emma a meaningful glance.
“My son-in-law sure knows how to talk. No wonder my daughter married you.” After just a few minutes, Sophia was already charmed by Liam.
It seemed her prayers had finally been answered. Her daughter was married off.
And to such a handsome man, no less.
Sophia was almost moved to tears.
Meanwhile, James, who had been silent, kept staring at Liam. The man looked familiar, as if he’d seen him somewhere before.
He couldn’t place it immediately, but he was sure he’d seen that face—more than once.
After a long pause, a flash of recognition hit him. James stood up, walked to the TV cabinet, and picked up a newspaper. After a single glance, he gasped. “Did you say your name is Liam Williams?”
“Yes, that’s right, Uncle.” Liam replied respectfully.
It seemed James already knew who he was.
Liam’s handsome face remained calm, his steady eyes unreadable.
“Are you the eldest son of the Williams family? Liam Williams?” James’s jaw nearly dropped.
“Yes, that’s me. But no matter what, I won’t let Emma suffer even the slightest injustice. Dad, you can rest assured.” Liam answered firmly.
James frowned slightly, clearly worried, but hearing Liam’s promise put him at ease. A smile crept back onto his face.
It had to be a good thing that his daughter married Liam Williams, a man of power in the capital!
Sophia felt like she was dreaming. Her daughter had married someone as famous as Liam Williams.
After a long moment, she couldn’t help but say happily, “I always said our Emma is gentle, kind, and capable. She was bound to find a man better than Noah Taylor. Hmph! Isabella stole our Emma’s boyfriend, so what? Our Emma found someone even better! It’s a blessing in disguise.”
“Yes, yes!” James nodded in agreement.
Sophia moved closer to Liam, laughing and crying at the same time. She grabbed his hand, tears streaming down her face. “Mom is relieved. With you by Emma’s side, Mom can finally rest easy…”
But Emma didn’t hear the rest. Only three words echoed in her mind: Noah Taylor.
It had been so long since she’d heard that name. Over the past two years, Sophia and James had been careful every day, afraid they might accidentally mention it and make their daughter sad.
So the old couple had restrained themselves, never bringing it up.
But now, Sophia had finally let it slip, touching the softest, most vulnerable part of Emma’s heart.
Two years ago, if it hadn’t been for that man’s cruel betrayal, Emma might have been a mother by now.
Emma felt a little dazed, her face pale, her eyes dim. “Mom, can we stop talking about the past? Let it go.”
As she spoke, she nervously picked up a cup from the table and turned to pour herself a glass of water.
“Alright, Mom won’t say any more. It’s getting late. Son-in-law, this is your first time home—how can we just serve noodles? Your father and I will cook something delicious. Let’s have dinner at home tonight.” Sophia said, pulling James toward the kitchen.
Emma set the water down on the coffee table without a word and retreated to her room. Just as she was about to close the door, hoping for some alone time, Liam followed her in. He reached out and blocked the door. “Who is Noah Taylor?”
Those three words again. Emma felt like she was going crazy. She thought two years had been enough to forget, but now, hearing them still cut deep.