Chapter 4

My heart clenched, and I nearly let go of his neck.

His breath was close, his voice laced with teasing. "My cousin's still out there. You could step down now and expose them both."

I hesitated for a few seconds, my mind at war.

What would exposing them do?

A slap for each might tear things open, but it wouldn't ease the suffocating anger in my chest.

Liam, as if seeing through me, didn't pause and climbed the villa's steps.

He ignored Cayden's urgent warning behind us. "Julia's still sick. Don't... don't do anything to her."

The door slammed shut, cutting off the outside noise.

Liam let go abruptly, and I barely steadied myself against the wall.

Tears had fallen without me noticing, and I wiped them away, embarrassed.

Liam's brow furrowed slightly. He looked away, loosened his tie, and walked inside.

I didn't know whether to stand or sit, unsure if I should just leave.

He came back.

Now in casual clothes, he sprawled on the sofa, legs stretched out.

His eyes met mine, a faint smile in them. "Since you're still here, sit down. Let's talk business."

I remembered his scheming with Cayden outside the hospital room.

My face hardened. "Don't even think about it. I won't agree to demolition. No amount of money will change that."

Liam's smile faded, his brow creasing again as he shook his head, almost helplessly.

When he looked back, his expression was complex. "Julia, let's not talk about your house yet. What about Cayden? Don't you want to get back at him? He and your best friend have been sneaking around behind your back for three years."

He pulled up a few videos on his phone and tossed it on the table. "See for yourself."

I walked forward, dazed. Even braced for it, the two videos left my limbs numb, my body trembling.

The footage, clearly shot from across Vivian's apartment, was high-definition, zoomed in.

She worked freelance after graduation, running a beauty account online.

The timestamps showed the videos were filmed after I left for work.

Cayden entered right on time, eagerly kissing Vivian, their hands tearing at each other's clothes as they moved from sofa to bed.

For three years, he had been restrained and gentlemanly with me. I couldn't believe this ravenous man was him.

Liam seemed unwilling to watch me unravel.

He stood up. "So, ready to talk business now?"

I stared at him, stunned that he could stab his cousin in the back and still calmly propose a deal.

Anger and frustration surged, but I grew calm. "Besides that house, I can't think of any business we have."

I dragged my feet toward the door.

His voice came from behind. "Julia, why not lean into the mistake? He thinks you've lost your memory and pushed you to me. I happen to need a wife."

Shock replaced my surprise.

But I quickly recovered, a flicker of disgust at his motives rising.

"You want to take everything? Trick me into going along so you can tear down my house?"

He rubbed his forehead, seemingly exasperated. "No. If you agree, I promise I won't touch that villa. I need to give the bored elders in my family something to settle them. A wedding first... whether we make it real later is up to you."

His sudden proposal caught me off guard. "Why me?"

He spoke slowly. "Just convenient. And you seem to hate me, so I don't have to worry about you clinging later."

I suspected I imagined it, but his tone and expression felt forced, like he didn't mean it.

As I wavered, a message from Vivian popped up. "Julia, you okay? You left some stuff at my place. I'll bring it over tomorrow."

Seeing my friend of over a decade so eager to kick me out, tears fell again.

I typed back slowly. "Sorry, I don't remember. It's probably not important. Toss it."

When I looked at Liam again, I was calmer. "I'll take the deal, but we sign a contract first."