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 composed, clicked a remote

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

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 again, glancing out the big window at the huge city below. It was so different from the small tight world I used to know. That life is 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 too, 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

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 below me, and I'd always stare at it so fondly whenever I was tired from work. But today the view didn’t matter. All I could think about was Alice's face as we kissed.That kiss especially... 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.Nevertheless, I couldn’t dwell on that now. The company needed me. My fight with Blackwood needed me. Everything needed my attention at the moment.I wanted to call her to hear her voice, just to affirm what we shared was real. But I didn’t. It felt too soon, like I was desperately pressurizing her.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 mine at all co

Liam's POVStaring at nothing in particular…Blackwood... I signed. It had to be him. I felt the worst kind of frustration that quickly turned into cold and bitter rage. The conference room was silent as everyone had their eyes trained on me, waiting to hear me speak.“You're all dismissed!” I waved. “Get back to work, we have an issue to deal with.”The silence immediately broke with the shuffling of chairs as everyone stood up and hurried out of the conference room, leaving me, the head tech, and Anna behind.Harding was the last to leave and I watched him go with my fists balled tightly.I hit my fist on the desk, rattling some of the things that were on the table and unconsciously startling my secretary.“Damn it!” I said while wincing as my hand started to hurt from the impact.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… upset. Tell me what happened? I thought we had ev