“Thank you, Ms. Norah, let's keep in touch. And please do not forget to send us a copy of the contract.” One of the elderly men said as they prepared to leave the room.

“Sure. I will definitely do that once I get back to the office. Before the end of today, you will get it.” Norah replied, extending her hands to shake theirs, before they departed.

As she reached for her bag to follow, she marched to the exit and unexpectedly came into view with the last person she expected.

Norah was awestruck; she hadn't seen him since the last time she kissed him at the party after she got drunk. It's been four months since he disappeared, and today, out of the blue, the first person she bumps into turns out to be him.

Her first encounter with him rushed in like a flashback. Four months ago, she attended a party with her boyfriend and got drunk. She was roaming the place looking for him when she bumped into Liam's hard chest.

He happened to be there searching for someone when a lady grabbed him. As soon as their gaze locked, their lips were already inches away. He didn't get to utter a word before she locked lips with him.

Liam, who hasn't been with anyone since he lost his wife, felt a sparkling sensation and went ahead to deepen the kiss.

“Have you thought about my proposal? I plan to come see your father.” He said in a calm, soothing voice, bringing her back to the present.

Norah's anger surged; she was unable to stand him.

“My father won't consent to me marrying someone as horrible as you. I'm not interested, Mr. Liam.”

“As long as I can recall, that's left for me to decide. I don't mind getting rid of anyone who stands as an obstacle; I'm not excluding anyone.” Liam stated he was planning to visit her father later that day in hopes of changing her mind.

As expected, Norah felt nervous and gave him a hostile look. She turned on her heels and carried her legs as fast as she could back to her car, then drove off.

Ever since the kiss, she blamed her boyfriend for leaving her behind. This all started because he left her behind and never told her where he went.

Norah, the second daughter of Anthony, is part of one of the most influential families in New York. She studied business at Veritas University, where she bagged her degree and a master's degree. It is rumored that she takes after her father.

Their company is dominating the energy sector with investments in oil, gas, renewable energy, and mining. She's currently the vice president of the company.

Arriving at the company, Norah breathes a sigh of relief. She stepped out of her car, picked up her bag, and marched to the entrance.

“Hey, you back? Welcome, how was the meeting?” Amber asked as she sighted her coming over. Norah just raised her hands at her, without a word, from her.

Amber knew there was something; this wasn't how she had left the office hours ago.

“What's with your expression? Did something happen?” She asked, and Norah unleashed her frustration about encountering Liam.

“It's been four months already. I thought he was gone, but I met him today after my meeting. I bumped into him unknowingly; I think he knew I was there.”

Amber raised her brows with a scrunched face, processing what she just said.

“Wait, you mean the man you kissed at the party?” She asked, and Norah nodded.

Amber's mouth gaped open, and she stared at her sister in bewilderment, holding back her laughter.

“No way, I thought you said you had not seen him for months? But wait, why don't you want him? I know countless girls who can't get over him.” Amber asked, her hands resting on her waist.

“I have a boyfriend, Amber. I can't cheat on him, and you know that. I'm loyal when it comes to relationships.”

“You mean your waiter boyfriend?” Amber asked, quoting the waiter with her hands, and continued. “Just forget about him, and give this man a chance to love you. Who knows, your boyfriend might be cheating on you.”

Norah ignored her and walked to her father's office. This isn't the first time Amber has insisted she should forget about her boyfriend. Sporadically, it makes her think Amber once caught him with a girl but never told her.

She pushed into his office and came into view with her father, getting ready to leave the office.

“I apologize for keeping you waiting; I had to take care of something.” She apologized.

With a tight-lipped smile on his face, he looked in her direction. “It's okay, I'm heading home early today. I want to spend time with my wife.”

Norah giggled and high-fived her sister, who was next to her.

“Love is beautiful, honey. Both of you should handle things here; I will see you at home.”

"Alright, Father.” They chorused. Waved goodbye at him and watched him stride out the door.

Norah picked up some documents from her father's desk and marched to her office with Amber trailing behind her.

She heard her footsteps but decided to ignore her until she marched into her office and closed the door behind her.

Amber has been trying to let Norah know that her boyfriend is after their father's wealth, but she seems to be madly in love with him and won't listen to anyone.

Later that evening, Amber picked up her bag and strode to her sister's office. She knocked on the door and pushed it open without waiting for a response.

“Hey sis, I'm leaving; I have to see a friend before it gets late.” Amber sounded excited, and it made Norah ponder what the occasion was.

“It's still early to leave; I'm sure you are still working on those papers I gave you. Finish up before you leave.”

Amber gulped; she might be older than Norah, but if she insists that she stay back and finish up, she has to obey as the vice president of the company.

She had been working with their father before Norah decided to come work for the company. But he never found her worthy of being a vice president; instead, he gave it to Norah just when she joined the company, claiming she knew how the company worked better.

“I will do that first thing tomorrow when I get to the office. I have to run along; see you at home.” She responded and rushed out.

Norah buried her head back into work without a word while sipping from a glass of juice on her desk. She just had to let her leave to avoid getting into an argument with her.

Norah spent the next hour still going through the documents when a call came through on her phone. It rang for the first time, but she didn't pick up until the call came in for the second time. She paused and checked the caller; it was from an unknown number.

“I don't recall giving anyone my number; who could it be?” She queried; all her thoughts were on Liam, but she proceeded to pick up the call.

“Hello Norah, it's Mrs. Kate, your next-door neighbor. Where are you at? Come to the house immediately; your house is on fire.”

Norah jerked up and abruptly ended the call. She dashed out of the office without turning off her computer. As soon as she headed to the roadside, she hailed a cab and hopped inside.

The cab came to a halt, and Norah jumped out without waiting for the driver to turn off his car engine. She tried to reach the burning house, but the area was crowded with passersby and firefighters running helter-skelter, attempting to extinguish the blaze.

She maneuvered her way through the crowd as gently as she could until she managed to break free. Norah hurried towards her house, lucky to encounter her neighbor waiting outside. She was the one who alerted the firefighters when the fire started.

“My parents, where are my parents? Please, don't tell me they are inside.” Norah struggled to speak, her sanity slipping away as she witnessed the chaos. She wished it were all just a bad dream that her house wasn't engulfed in flames.

“I don't know; I'm not certain, but your parents weren't outside when the fire started. I was about to leave when I heard screams coming from inside.” The lady replied, holding Norah back as she attempted to run towards the burning house.

“No! No! Please let me go. I have to get my parents out. We can't lose them both; they are all we have gotten. We have to save them.” Norah cried bitterly. This was her worst nightmare; she never imagined a day like this would come where she had to watch her parents cry for help, but there was nothing she could do.

As she tried to break free from the lady's grasp, her sister appeared out of the blue and held her closely, shaking her to bring her back to her senses.

“Where are Mother and Father? Please tell me they weren't inside when the fire started?” Amber's eyes welled up, but she fought to hold back the tears. This isn't the time to be crying.

“Amber, we have to save our parents. Please, let's do something. Father is in there; we can't let them die.” Norah pleaded profusely, clinging to her sister's shirt.

Amber quickly released her grip from Norah and grabbed one of the firefighters, stopping him in his tracks. He looked in her direction with a perplexed expression marred on his face.

“Where are my parents? What happened to them?”

“They are inside, and if you don't let me go, we won't be able to bring them out alive.” He responded, and she quickly let go of him. Amber sank to the ground, while Norah burst into even louder sobs.

“Your parents will be fine; you don't have to keep crying. They will bring them out.” The lady consoled them, tears streaming down her cheeks. She was coercing herself to stay strong for them.

Ten more agonizing minutes passed, and the firefighters continued their efforts. Amber struggled to stay strong for her sister, but she was slowly crumbling. A single tear escaped her eye, and she hastily wiped it away.

She slowly rose from the floor and turned to her left, scrutinizing the precinct when her gaze fell on a figure she recognized that minute. She approached Norah and whispered something in her ear.

“Did you call him?” Amber asked, still staring in his direction. Norah went mute, followed her gaze, and just then, she locked eyes with Liam.

Memories of the earlier threats crept into her mind. The chilling words about harming anyone just to be with her played on repeat.

Norah's legs felt heavy as she approached him, tears streaming down her face. She stopped in front of him, staring at him with fury.

Liam stared back, unsure of what to say to her. This wasn't what he had expected when he received a text message from an unknown number. He was pleased coming over to her house, only for him to get here to witness something agonizing.

“Is this how you planned to marry me after killing my parents? What do you want from my family? I turned you down months back; why are you back?” Norah's voice trembled with rage and sorrow.

He remained silent, knowing she wouldn't believe him even if he denied it. There was no point in defending himself.

“I'm talking to you, murderer. What did you do to my parents? Why are you so cruel?” She roared, drawing the attention of strangers nearby.

They began to murmur, pointing fingers at him. A lot of them recognized him that instant; he had been out of New York but had to return years back. He is rumored to be an ex-convict who murdered his wife in Spain. Liam is the son of the late,late prestigious Walter, another top influential and powerful family in the entire New York.

They are into finance and investment, handling diverse portfolios, including stocks, bonds, real estate, and private equity. They are known as the top three most influential families in New York, known as Empire Capital Group.Liam quickly turned to his car to leave. He hopped inside and drove off without a word from him.

Norah collapsed to the ground, crying uncontrollably, uncaring of who might be watching her. Amber felt a pang of pain in her heart as she approached her sister and helped her up from the floor.

“We won't rest until we get our revenge. If anything happens to them, he will pay for it.” Amber mumbled in a shaky voice.

Norah slowly raised her head up, guilty of what is happening to her parents. If only she had not gotten wasted and kissed him that night, they would never have had to cross paths, she thought. But unbeknownst to her, this was their fate.

“Are you saying he's involved? He threatened me earlier, but I never thought he would go this far.” Norah said, her voice trembling with disbelief." She just couldn't comprehend how much he loves her to go to such an extent just to be with her. Or perhaps this was his way of dealing with her after what she did to him.

Regret was all Amber could feel; this was the same man she asked her sister to give a chance to love her better. The same man who had to threaten her with her parents, the same man their father would probably not consent to her being with.

Amber cupped her sister's face in her hands. “Listen, father and mother will be fine; let's wait until they put out the fire.” Norah just nodded and pulled her into a hug.

Mrs. Kate, who has been standing watching the both of them, marched forward and pulled them in for a hug.

“They will be fine.” She muttered.

FIVE HOURS EARLIER BEFORE THE FIRE INCIDENT

As soon as Norah walked out on him and headed to her car. Liam followed her with his gaze, and stood there for the next ten minutes until she was out of sight. He then entered his car and asked his assistant to follow her to the company.

While his assistant followed her, heading towards the company, they eventually arrived, and at that moment, Liam spotted her father exiting the parking lot.

“Wait, isn't that Ms. Norah's father?” He inquired, watching him drive his way out.

“I believe so; that's one of his frequently used cars,” Jerry responded with a nod.

“I should introduce myself and express my intentions regarding his daughter.” He sounded like this is the first time he is meeting her father. They have met a couple of times at events and even exchanged pleasantries.

“He must be heading home; should I go after him?” Jerry was sure he wouldn't decline. He has been wanting to meet Mr. Anthony, but because Norah has refused to accept him, after the kiss, he kept postponing it.

“I don't think…” He paused momentarily and continued. “Be cautious.” He added, and the figure followed him home.

Fifteen minutes into their journey, they arrived at his mansion, but Liam instructed his assistant not to park closer to his gate.

As soon as her father drove into the house, it didn't take long; they drove to the gate, and his assistant honked. The security guard emerged, looking at the tinted car. He walked to the driver's seat and locked eyes with Jerry.

“Whom do you seek, sir?” He inquired.

“Please inform your employer Mr. Liam is here to see him. We don't have an appointment with him, but convey that it's vital.”

The security guard hesitated at first, but then spun around to leave, presuming whoever is in the car must be someone prominent.

“Boss what if he doesn't return?” Jerry questioned, receiving no immediate response.

Liam was convinced he would return, and just then the gate to the mansion flung open, inviting them inside.

The security figure guided Liam to the living room and offered him a seat in the room. He took a moment to admire the opulence, observing the picture frames on the wall.

“Good day, Mr. Liam.” He heard a lady's voice and turned to behold a beautiful woman in her mid-forties. She looks exactly like Norah, from her long brownish hair to her full, plump lips and hazel eyes. This marks the first time he is seeing her.

“Hello! Good day, ma'am!” He greeted politely, rising from the couch. Just then, Norah's father marched into the living room.

“Mr. Liam, good day. Please have a seat.” Norah's father, who's familiar with him, acted like they hadn't crossed paths before.

“Thank you, Mr. Anthony.” They shook hands and proceeded to take a seat.

“I will go get you something to drink.” She offered, and excused herself out of the room.

“To what do I owe this visit? The security man said it was something urgent, and I know it's not business-related.” Anthony sounded stern, but that didn't move Liam. Though, he was certain things wouldn't end well.

“Yes. I came regarding your daughter, Norah. I'm in love with her, and I want to make her my wife.” Anthony instantly stared at him in disbelief; that wasn't what he was expecting to hear. He doubted it was business, but still anticipated it could be business-related.

“Norah?” He queried with raised brows and continued. “Are you saying you want my consent before you go ahead and date my daughter?”

“She's aware I'm coming over to the house. I spoke to her first before coming over.”

Anthony stayed quiet at first; he was at the office, and Norah did not tell him they would be having a guest, and besides, she had a boyfriend.

'Is there a reason behind why he wants to make her his wife? Is he here to marry her, just to maltreat her? We all know what happened to his wife in Spain' Anthony thought inwardly.

“Mr. Liam, my daughter must have told you she has a boyfriend. There's no way she would ask you to come see me unless she's in love with you.”

“She never agreed to it..." He was cut off even before he finished.

“Then I'm sorry, I can't consent to you coming to see her. We should respects the decision she's made. I want my daughters to be happy, even when I'm not here.”

“Your daughter never said she.....” He was swiftly interrupted again.

“Mr. Liam, please, you should leave; I wouldn't want her to come home and find you here.”

Liam rose as soon as he said the word leave. He is the type of man that respects people's decisions.

“I will take my leave, but I promise I will be back. Have a wonderful evening.” He turned on his heels, exiting the room.

Norah's mother walked into the room, and frozen, her eyes widened. She looked from left to right but didn't see him.

“Where is he? And why is your face like that?”

“It's nothing serious; I will take my bath and come downstairs.” He responded and turned on his heels.

“It's nothing? You expect me to believe that?” He didn't respond to her, and just walked off.

PRESENT

Liam arrived home and stormed into the living room. He discarded his car keys, not caring where they fell, and began to pace profusely, staring at the screen in front of him.

He struggled to comprehend the event that transpired an hour earlier on his way back home. Liam had remained at the office to finalize his tasks. He had a lot of papers to review and needed to get them done before the new day.

After taking his time to finish up, he left the office heading home when he got a message from an unknown number, and he thought it must have been her father since they never exchanged contact.

He was perplexed because the text asked him to come over to the mansion, stating he changed his mind and needs to talk about his intentions towards his daughter.

It was strange that her father told him, but instead of pondering, his determination to make her his didn't make him think much about it.

Upon arriving at the mansion, he found it ablaze. He was in the middle of his thoughts when his stepmother strode into the living room with a questioning look on her face. He seems to be devastated, and it made her ponder if something had happened.

“Did something happen? Why are you pacing profusely?” She queried but got no response.

She looked at the screen, his eyes were glued to it, and back to his disheveled state.

“Liam, I'm talking to you. What happened? Why are you pacing in such a state?” She thundered.

He snapped back to reality and turned to look at her. She knitted her brows while staring at him, waiting to hear why he's agitated.

“I told you about the girl from the party, the lady who mistook me for her boyfriend.”

“Yes, the lady who turned you down months back. I thought you said you were meeting her parents. Have you?”

“Yes I did earlier today, but her father was pissed about it and asked me to leave. And just this evening on my way back home, I got a message from him asking me to come, only for me to get there, and the house was on fire.”

“What? Someone wants to defraud you. I will advise you forget about her and get someone else. You know what happened in Spain.”

“That's in the past mother. I want her, and I will stop at nothing to have her, even if I have.....”

She looked at him, knowing his determination; she realized he would pursue his objectives regardless. He had wanted her before, and despite her rejection, Liam would stop at nothing to claim her. He doesn't take no for an answer.

“Excuse me, mother.” He said, and marched out of the room. As soon as he stepped outside, he called his assistant and placed it to his ear.

“Where are you? Come over to the house; there's something you have to do.”

“I'm almost at the house; I will be there in the next five minutes.” He responded, and Liam hung up.

'Was I not careful? With all this discretion, what happened this time?' He mumbled.

Liam has always been secretive about his move, but this time, they caught him using the girl he was determined to make his.