But Nina forced a smile, her hand brushing over Jake’s chest."Jake, you were amazing!" she cooed. "I’m the luckiest woman alive to have you!"Jake puffed up like a damn peacock, soaked up every word of her praise.He planted a sloppy kiss on her cheek, then, without warning, dropped the bombshell."Nina, will you marry me?"He didn’t even wait for her answer, already convinced it was a done deal."This weekend, I’m throwing the most extravagant wedding at the Imperial Grand Garden. You’re going to be my bride there!"Nina’s heart nearly stopped.This weekend sounded too soon.But The Imperial Grand Garden? The most exclusive venue in the city?That place wasn’t just for anyone. Even a Silver Membership required a minimum deposit of over a hundred million.Even though Nova Group was successful, Nina wasn’t anywhere near that level."Oh my god!" she gasped without one more second hesitated, "Yes! Yes! A thousand times yes! I can’t wait to be your bride!"She threw her arms around him,

Jake checked his watch. He looked visibly irritated."Every minute we waste here is money lost. Can you even afford to cover that?""Just do yourself a favor. Apologize to us and the viewers. Admit you’re a fraud. Save yourself the humiliation."Liam ignored the jeers. He tilted his head slightly, as if listening for something. Then he smiled."It’s here. Cash or card?"Nina blinked. "What?"Before she could process his words, the deep, throaty roar of an engine echoed from the entrance. A sleek white supercar rolled into view. Its polished exterior gleamed under the lights like a predatory beast fresh out of a showroom.Liam took a slow lap around the car. He nodded in approval."Not bad, Jake. You’ve got decent taste."The driver’s side door swung open. A young, attractive salesgirl stepped out, clutching a purchase contract. Her face glowed with excitement."Who’s Liam? Mr. Liam?"Liam raised a hand lazily."That’s me. Payment goes through?"The salesgirl beamed. This sale alon

Inside, the villa was just as breathtaking.Every inch of it radiated quiet luxury. The high-end furniture looked like it had never been touched. The decor was understated yet elegant.Liam took his time exploring. His footsteps were the only sound breaking the stillness.After freshening up, he finally let exhaustion win. He sank onto the plush bed and let sleep take him under.He woke up with the sharp vibration of his phone.It was Emily Carter."I heard Jake got arrested. What happened?"As soon as Liam picked up the phone, Emily asked immediately. Her tone was a mix of curiosity and concern.Liam smirked and sat up."How’s your stomach? Feeling better?""It’s fine now, no big deal." Emily replied quickly, then pressed on. "But seriously, what happened? Did it have something to do with you?"Liam shrugged over the phone."News travels fast. Let me guess, Nina called you?"Emily sighed. "She was begging me to help bail him out."Liam let out a short laugh, low and unimpressed."Ins

Liam barely registered Susan’s gloating words. He let out a subtle, almost imperceptible smirk, not even pausing his stride as he walked straight toward the hotel entrance. Whatever pathetic scheme they had cooked up—it was about to blow up in their faces. As Liam drew closer to the revolving doors, Susan and Kevin’s faces lit up with anticipation. Kevin even rose onto his toes, craning his neck, eager for the show. “Mom! Look!” Kevin suddenly grabbed Susan’s arm, practically squealing, “The security guys! They stopped him! Look at that loser now—this is gonna be good!” But the excitement didn’t last long. Kevin’s triumphant expression froze. His eyes bulged like a fish out of water. His mouth hung open. “No... no way,” he muttered. “That can’t be real...” What they’d expected didn’t happen. At all. Instead of turning Liam away, the two tall, broad-shouldered security guards stepped aside. One of them even made a respectful "after you" gesture. And just like tha

Emily looked at Liam, concern clear on her face. She opened her mouth to speak again—but Jake cut her off with a cold grin.“Emily, correct me if I’m wrong,” he said smoothly, “but isn’t the Carter family struggling right now? Rumor has it your funding dried up. Not exactly a great time to make enemies… wouldn’t you say?”It was a blatant threat.And he wasn’t wrong—Emily’s family had recently signed a private partnership with TitanCorp, but it hadn’t been announced yet. No one in the room knew.Emily’s eyes narrowed.She was just about to speak up and reveal the truth—when Liam raised a hand.“That’s enough.”He turned to Emily, voice calm.“Thank you for standing up for me. But this isn’t your fight.”“I’ll handle it myself. You don’t need to put the Carter family at risk because of me.”Nina’s eyes darted back and forth between Liam and Emily, a sour look flickering in her gaze.When she finally spoke, her voice was sharp enough to cut glass.“Well, well, look at that—our little kni