Chapter 4

The beating was methodical and brutal. Olivia' s men were professionals, inflicting maximum pain without causing permanent, debilitating injury. They threw him to the floor and kicked him in the ribs, the stomach, the back. Each impact sent a starburst of agony through his body.

One of the men, the same one who had laughed at him in the hallway, tried to offer some advice. "Just apologize to the boss, kid. She' ll go easy on you if you just say you' re sorry."

Olivia, who stood watching from the doorway with her arms crossed, added her own cold command. "He' s right, Liam. Apologize to Daniel. Swear you' ll never plot against him again, and I' ll tell them to stop."

Liam coughed, a spray of blood speckling the concrete floor. He looked up at her, and through the haze of pain, he felt a strange sense of pity for her. She was so blind.

He remembered a time, years ago, when he had first joined her organization. He was just a boy, infatuated with this powerful, beautiful woman. He had trained relentlessly, pushed himself harder than anyone else, all for her. He remembered the first time she had praised him, a rare, small smile that had felt like the sun. He remembered building a security system for her headquarters, a masterpiece of architecture and engineering that everyone said was impenetrable. He had done it all for her.

He had become an accomplished architect in the outside world, but he had always kept one foot in her shadow, ready to answer her call. He had given her his youth, his talent, his devotion. And for what? To be beaten on a cold floor while she defended the man who wanted him dead.

The pain sharpened, bringing him back to the present. The memories weren't sweet anymore. They were poison.

The beating finally stopped. They left him crumpled on the floor, every inch of his body screaming in protest. He lay there for a long time, listening to his own ragged breathing. The physical pain was immense, but it was a clean pain. It was washing away the last dregs of his old life, the last remnants of the boy who had loved Olivia.

Daniel appeared in the doorway, a glass of water in his hand. He knelt, offering it to Liam with a look of mock pity. "You look terrible. Here, you must be thirsty."

Liam turned his head away, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the floor near Daniel' s expensive shoes.

Daniel' s face tightened. "Still stubborn. You never learn." He stood up and looked at Olivia. "He' s hopeless."

Olivia looked down at Liam, her expression unreadable. "Get him cleaned up," she ordered one of the guards.

Another man, one who had shown a sliver of kindness in the past, helped Liam to his feet. He supported Liam' s weight as they walked towards the small bathroom.

"You should have just said sorry," the man muttered.

"It wouldn' t have mattered," Liam rasped, his voice hoarse. "I' m done asking her for anything."

The man looked at him, surprised by the finality in his tone. For the first time, he seemed to see that the man he was holding was not the same one who had followed Olivia around like a lost puppy. This was someone else entirely.