Chapter 2 New house

Liam was getting out of the luxury car when the door opened for him. He stood still looking at the large house with a high white fence, but still saw the multi-storied buildings inside.

"This is the house we will live in after marriage. Come in and have a look."

Adriel looked at Liam after saying that, his expression didn't change, but Liam somehow saw the pleading in his blue eyes.

He walked in with Adriel into the gate. A man in a black suit opened the double doors of the house, ushering them in. He remembered the man, at that time he came with Adriel to his house.

Not only did it look huge from the outside, once he entered, it was even more spacious inside. There was still a faint smell of paint, as well as the smell of new furniture, all expensive furniture. Liam looked around and felt the atmosphere inside was familiar to his eyes.

"Do you like the concept of this house?" Adriel opened the window blinds that ran from ceiling to floor. The light from outside immediately spilled inside.

Liam turned to look at the painting on the wall. Even that looked familiar. "Why should I not like it? Do I have a choice not to like it?"

His hand traced a dark wilderness landscape painting, there was a lone house and a family sitting in the yard lighting a fire. Felt a bit complicated. He didn't care about anything, didn't care about a new house or anything like that. But the familiar feeling tickled his heart even more.

Right. Wasn't this the exact same painting in his house?

Liam didn't notice the bitter look on Adriel's face, but heard him say, "If you don't like it, we can change the design of this house again."

Liam turned his head. "Why should it be changed?"

"If you don't like it then it should be changed to something you like," Adriel replied.

Liam found this both funny and ironic, he said, "Whether I like it or not, doesn't it have anything to do with you?"

Adriel, "..."

Liam, "If I could just say what I don't like, I wouldn't be here now, would I?"

The tone he used wasn't harsh or demanding, but Adriel felt like his words were like thorns stabbed straight into the heart. He had heard that the young master of the Halsey family was an aloof and cold man-always saying what was on his mind no matter whether those words would become deadly poison to others.

However, behind his cold demeanor, Liam was a very generous and soft-hearted young man, at the age of fifteen he opened a charity foundation with his own money. The foundation, which has been established for five years, has been able to build several schools for orphans and children from underprivileged families. Every year the foundation will send clothes and stationery for the children and provide the best teachers in each of the schools it establishes. Maybe because of his secretive attitude, not many people know about this.

It was just that Adriel knows everything.

Liam wasn't like most young masters from the second generation either. He didn't like parties and crowds, didn't like spending time and money just having fun with other people.

This was one of the reasons that made Adriel fall in love with him.

"We're getting married in three days. Whether you like it or not, you can't regret it now," said Adriel.

Liam didn't answer, his hands stop moving from the painting, nothing changed from his expression.

"I'll show you to your room. This way please." Adriel pointed at the stairs in the corner of the room. Liam walked first up the stairs.

As before, the room he saw felt familiar and it really was like his own room at home; from the contents of the room, paint and even matching curtains. Liam felt a little strange.

"We won't be in the same room. I'll be sleeping in the guest room on the first floor."

"Why?" Liam looked at the man. "Why don't we share a room?"

He thought, 'Isn't that your goal in marrying me? Why did you marry me if we end up in separate rooms?'

Not that Liam wanted to be in the same room as Adriel, but he felt like he couldn't read this man's true intentions.

Unexpectedly, Adriel calmly replied, "There was a time when we were in the same room. That's when you started to love me."

***

"Just let me know if there's anything you'd like to change. I don't want you to be uncomfortable in the house later." Adriel stopped the car right in front of Halsey's residence.

Liam unbuckled his seatbelt without answering.

As he was about to go out, Adriel held him back. "Can I have your contact number?"

"I think you already have it seeing how you copied my room design, Mr. Kingston." Liam answered sharply.

Adriel smirked. "I could have gotten it effortlessly, but I wanted to ask you directly."

'How is it different from that?' Liam thought, this guy was so weird.

"So are you going to give it or not?" Adriel waved his phone.

Liam sighed. He took it and dialed his own number. Then he left without further ado. Before he could even close the door, Adriel held him back-again.

"Tonight ... have dinner with me."

Liam stared at him expressionlessly, then closed the door without answering.

Adriel grinned in satisfaction.

Outside, Liam didn't look back at all, he went straight into his house. Never mind that Adriel's car was still waiting for him to actually get in. In the living room, his father was having guests. It seemed they were discussing something important until they didn't even notice his presence. Liam glanced at them briefly and headed up to his room.

His mother called him. "You just arrived? Do you want something to eat?"

Liam saw his mother's weak appearance, even coughing occasionally and her hands shaking slightly. "Mom, why did you come out of the room?"

"I'm bored in the room and want to have a look." Elsa smiled weakly.

Liam guided her into the room even though she keeps refusing. After making sure his mother was sitting properly, he started to think about his mother's health which had been deteriorating recently.

"Mom, let's go to the hospital tomorrow," he said.

"Eh? I'm fine really ..." she stopped to cough and continued, "Don't you have to do a wedding suit fitting tomorrow? After all ... we can't waste money, right?"

Elsa looked down sadly.

Liam took some water from the table and gave it to her. "Fittings can wait. Your health is more important."

"But ..."

"Also ... I still have some money. Getting you to the hospital is no problem."

Elsa reached for the glass, but did not drink it. She looked hesitant as she said, "Are you really going to do this? Son, if you don't want to, you can-"

"It's fine." Liam cut her off again. He instinctively knew what his mother means. "Mr. Kingston is not a bad man."

What he said was according to what he saw. For him Adriel was not a bad person. Although his actions were very strange and arbitrary, but he knew that the help he gave his family was really effective and went well. This small sacrifice meant nothing, even with this small sacrifice he felt he couldn't afford what Adriel did.

Did he have nothing to lose just asking Liam as collateral?

Liam sighed, smoothing down his mother's blanket quietly. "You don't have to think about anything, Mom. Trust me, I'm fine."

Elsa wanted to interrupt him again, but she saw the conviction in his eyes and held it back. She had persuaded her son hundreds of times, even he didn't falter in the slightest with that decision. Liam was a quiet person and rarely said what was in his heart, Elsa was afraid that this marriage will hurt him.

"Tonight I'm going to have dinner with Mr. Kingston. I'm going to say that I can't do the fitting tomorrow because I'll take you to the hospital. Mom ... don't worry, ok?"

... to be continued ...