Liam's POVThe silence hung as the champagne still swirled in forgotten glasses. Then it shattered. Not with a bang but with a ripple of stunned laughter quickly escalating into a cacophony of disbelief. Pointed fingers jabbed at me.“Who the hell is this kid?” a woman with a severe bob and a diamond necklace the size of a small bird shrieked. “What kind of sick joke is this? Bringing a…a teenager into a room full of…us?”The room erupted. Shouts, demands and outright insults rained down. “Get him out! This is an outrage! This is a mockery!” One particularly rotund man crimson-faced bellowed “Security! Remove this…this…intruder!”I remained impassive, a faint almost imperceptible smile playing on my lips. The chaos fueled a strange and exhilarating energy coursing through me. This was exactly what I’d expected, perhaps even hoped for.“Charles.” I said my voice was calm and clear, cutting through the uproar like a knife. “The presentation.”Charles ever the unflappable clicked a remo

Liam's POVThe excitement was still rushing through my body as I walked out of the building with Sarah and Alice on either side of me. The camera flashes were nonstop bright and overwhelming so different from the quiet simple life I used to have not long ago.Charles was already by the car the engine gently running. He opened the door for me. “Liam let me drive. You've had a rough night.”I shook my head suddenly feeling like I needed to be in control. “No Charles. I'm okay. I’ll drive.”He paused his eyes showing something I couldn't read. “You sure? The reporters will be all over us.”“I’m sure.” I said firmly. “I need this drive.”Charles nodded quickly and stepped back letting me take the driver’s seat. “Alright. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He walked off toward another car looking tense. His reaction was strange but I couldn’t think about that now.I got in and unlocked the doors. Sarah and Alice climbed in sinking into the soft seats. As I drove away the pressure of the night sat

Liam's POVMy eyes went cold. Saying the name Blackwood felt like poison in my mouth. “Send him in.”The words hung in the air of my new office. It still felt strange but it was quickly turning into a battlefield. Anna my fast and sharp secretary nodded and left. I turned my leather chair around looking out the big window at the huge city below. It was so different from the small tight world I used to know. That life was gone now. This was war.A moment later the door opened and William Blackwood walked in like he owned the place. He had a smug look that made me want to punch something. His expensive suit probably cost more than all the clothes I owned before I got my inheritance. He moved like someone who never had a hard day in his life.“Liam.” he said with fake friendliness that made my skin crawl.“Blackwood.” I said my voice short and cold. I pointed to one of the chairs across from me. “Sit.”He did sinking into the soft leather like he belonged there. His dark eyes moved ar

Liam's POVThe sun hadn’t come up yet but I was already awake. My office high up in Carter Enterprises had a beautiful view of the city like a sea of tiny lights below me. But tonight the view didn’t matter. All I could think about was Alice's face and her kiss.That kiss. It kept playing in my head over and over. It was soft, sure and sweet, something I hadn’t felt in a long time. It gave me hope like a small light in all the darkness I’d felt since taking over this company.But I couldn’t think about that now. The company needed me. The fight with Blackwood needed me. Everything needed my attention.I felt guilty. Like I’d stolen something sweet while everything else was falling apart. I wanted to call her to hear her voice to know what we shared was real. But I didn’t. It felt too soon like touching something delicate that might break.I forced myself to focus on the day ahead. There were problems to solve. Carter Enterprises came first. Then Blackwood. I had to protect what was mi

Liam's POVI stared at the email on my screen. The words “SECURITY BREACH” felt like they were yelling at me and constantly hitting at my heart. Blackwood... It had to be him. I felt the worst kind of frustration that quickly turned into cold and bitter rage. I hit my fist on the wooden desk rattling some of the things that were on my table and unconsciously startling my secretary.“Damn it!” I said while wincing as my hand started to hurt.Anna's voice broke the silence and she sounded worried. “Mr Carter? Are you okay Sir?”I looked up and saw her concerned face. “Yeah I’m fine. Just… really upset. Tell me what happened.” I ordered.She paused with a serious look on her face. “It’s bad.. Mr Carter. They put in some kind of virus. A smart one. It’s messing everything up. We’ll have to do most of the work by hand until we can find and remove it from the servers.”“By hand?” I repeated. I hated the sound of it. This wasn’t just annoying… It was an attack on my business and my peop