Emma found out about the gala by accident but it wasn’t meant to happen that way. Liam was careful with things that mattered, especially when they involved her. He planned conversations the same way he planned negotiations, deliberately, with room to breathe. If he had known she would overhear, he would have chosen a better moment. But the study door was open.Emma had been walking down the hallway, barefoot, a glass of water in her hand, when Liam’s voice drifted out. That controlled tone he used only when he was handling something important.“Yes,” he said. “Tomorrow night, black tie. Yes, she’ll attend.”Emma slowed, then stopped completely. Her fingers tightened slightly around the glass as she leaned against the wall, one hand drifting unconsciously to her stomach. She hadn’t meant to listen truly but once she heard her presence mentioned, she couldn’t make herself walk away.Liam continued speaking, his words low but clear enough to carry. The way he sounded when decisions had

Liam stood tall, shoulders relaxed, voice steady as he spoke with three investors gathered around him. They were important men with old money, global reach, the kind that didn’t waste time on small talk unless it served a purpose. Liam was in his element, calm and focused. Emma stood slightly behind him, close enough to feel anchored, far enough not to intrude. At first, everything felt fine. Then she felt it, the subtle pressure at the back of her neck. The unmistakable sensation of being watched.She shifted her weight, her fingers tightening around the clutch in her hand. Her eyes moved slowly, casually, scanning the room but nothing stood out, just guests, having conversations. Servers moving with trays of champagne and security posted discreetly at entrances. She told herself she was imagining it. Still, the feeling didn’t leave.Liam laughed softly at something one of the investors said. Emma smiled when one of them glanced her way, nodding politely. She played her role effort

Liam didn’t hesitate. The moment he realized the gala was surrounded, he straightened, towering over the crouched guests, his presence commanding. Every muscle in his body tensed, but his movements were deliberate. He was not just another man in a suit. He was Liam Clarke, powerful, strong, and with resources that could move mountains.“Stay down!” one of the masked men barked again, but Liam’s voice cut through the fear like a blade.“Not going to happen,” he said firmly, stepping forward. His tone was calm, but there was an unmistakable edge to it. “Everyone up. You’re not in charge here.”The men paused, momentarily startled by his audacity. They hadn’t expected anyone to stand, let alone someone with Liam’s presence.He glanced around at the guests. Most were frozen, some still pressed to the ground, fear painted on their faces. “Get up! All of you!” he commanded. Some hesitated, fear holding them in place, but Liam’s sharp glance, the power of the authority behind it, made them

Liam slammed his hand against the table. The sound reverberated through the small room, startling everyone around him. The investors, who had been lingering just outside, flinched. His usual calm, measured presence had shattered into a storm of barely contained rage.Emma was gone.Gone.The word repeated in his mind like a record he could not ignore. He had been so focused on keeping investors reassured, on keeping everything smooth, and now… she wasn’t just missing. She had been taken.He ran a hand through his hair, pacing the length of the room, fists clenching and unclenching. “How is this possible?” he muttered under his breath. “How does someone just… vanish?”He moved to the CCTV operations room, slamming open the door. Monitors lined the walls and dozens of screens showing every angle of the gala. Liam’s eyes scanned quickly, “Where is she?!” he barked, his voice cutting through the silence.The operator, a young man Liam had trained personally, swallowed hard. “Sir… the foo

Liam did not shout and that alone unsettled everyone around him.The gala hall was still half-chaotic with overturned chairs, shaken guests, and security shouting into earpieces but Liam stood apart from it now, still as stone. His phone rested in his palm, screen dark. He had already made the calls that mattered and his backups were moving.The police commissioner had answered on the first ring. So had two men who didn’t officially exist. What disturbed him wasn’t the invasion, it wasn’t the masked men and their precision.He turned slowly, eyes scanning the hall again. Then he saw a man standing near the pillar by the entrance of the hall, pretending to check his phone.Liam walked toward him. The man looked up, startled for half a second, a mistake on his part.Liam stopped directly in front of him. “You’re not security.”The man swallowed. “Sir, I—”“Your shoes,” Liam said quietly.“What?”“They’re too clean, gala floors scuff leather. Yours haven’t touched the hall long enough.”