A tiny ember flickered at his fingertips, flaring and dimming in turns.

After a long pause, he stubbed out his cigarette and let out a short, mocking laugh.

"Isn’t this exactly what she loves doing?

"Miss Lane has worked so hard to craft that gentle and considerate image, all to secure her place in the Reid family. You’d better stay out of it. If you ruin her plans, she might not be so grateful. Who knows? She might even come after you for it."

His words dripped with ridicule and malice.

I stood frozen.

It felt like an invisible hand had clenched around my heart, the pain so sharp it nearly stole my breath.

I even forgot about the shards of glass embedded in my palm—the injury I had gotten trying to stop Nathaniel earlier.

But he never noticed.

The only reaction he had was a brief, instinctive step in my direction when I fell before he stopped himself, frowning in irritation.

"Mind your own business."

I ignored the pain, telling myself I needed to handle things here first before finding Nathaniel to talk.

But I never expected this was how he truly saw me all along.

I forced myself to stay calm, convincing myself that this had to be a misunderstanding that should be cleared up.

But before I even had the chance to figure things out, a girl named Joanna Smith appeared by Nathaniel’s side.

He shielded her carefully as if she were something fragile and precious.

And with her, he showed a gentleness and patience I hadn’t seen from him in years.

It was the day I first saw Joanna that I had a dream.

In that dream, Nathaniel still ended up marrying me.

He shed his reckless ways and grew into an outstanding heir to the Reid family.

But toward me, his wife, he was respectful, yet distant.

I tried so hard just to get him to treat me with even the slightest warmth.

And for a moment, it seemed like I had finally made some progress.

Until one day, I accidentally touched a handcrafted photo frame he left in his study.

Nathaniel erupted in fury.

"Naomi."

He called my name, his gaze icy as he stared at me.

His voice bristled with anger. "I’m already married to you. What more do you want?"

It wasn’t until much later that I learned the truth.

That frame was a wedding gift from Joanna before she left.

Tucked behind the frame was a letter from Joanna.

What a cruel joke of a gift.

I thought it was nothing more than a nightmare until everything that happened at my birthday banquet today aligned perfectly with it.

Snapping back to reality, I forced my voice to remain steady.

"If we really need to choose a business partner from the Reid family… wouldn’t Liam be the better choice?"

Liam Reid was hailed as a near-mythical genius in business—brilliant beyond reason yet so cold and indifferent he seemed almost inhuman.

Even Nathaniel’s father had to tread carefully around him.

He was far superior to Nathaniel in every way.

But he was also someone the Lane family could never hope to reach.

My father fell into a long silence before finally responding with a cold, clipped remark.

"Come talk to me about this again when you’re certain you can pull it off."

…

The next day, Nathaniel didn’t come to apologize.

There wasn’t even a simple text to explain himself as expected.

As the youngest heir of the Reid family, he had always been indulged.

Instead, it was his mother who called, her voice filled with apologies.

Once the call ended, my father told me to forgive Nathaniel.

But it seemed my words from yesterday had stirred something in him, perhaps a hint of ambition.

So, after a moment of hesitation, he refrained from pushing me to send a message first to make amends.

I quietly let out a breath of relief.

However, throwing out bold words was one thing—following through was another.

For starters, I didn’t even have Liam’s private contact information.

Moreover, at the moment, he was still overseas.

There wasn’t even a chance for a carefully planned "coincidental" encounter.

A dull ache formed at my temples when I thought about relying solely on that dream.

But before I could come up with a proper solution, trouble found Nathaniel once again.

…

It was the second time I had ever seen Nathaniel lose control like that.

I was kidnapped once.

Nathaniel was the one who found me in an abandoned factory, leading the police straight to my location.

"Naomi…"

His eyes were red as he took in the bruises on my face. His hand lifted slightly but hesitated, as if afraid that even the slightest touch would hurt me.

Then, unable to suppress his fury any longer, he snapped.

Teeth clenched, fists tight, he threw punch after punch at the kidnappers, his rage so brutal that no one dared to step in and stop him until, through the pain, I called out to him.

"Nathaniel, it hurts."

"Nathaniel, stop!"

It was a similar scene with the same voice pleading with him.

But this time, I wasn’t the one who managed to stop him.

The ache in my chest spread slowly, but it was still bearable.

And over time, it would fade.

I watched, calm and detached, as Nathaniel delivered one last ruthless kick before turning, panic-stricken to check if Joanna was hurt.

His concern for her was unmistakable.

"You’re really just going to stand there and take this?"

The friend who brought me out to clear my mind was fuming, her voice filled with disbelief.

"Does that trash even remember he has a fiancée?"

I stopped her.

I planned to slip away quietly.

But before I could leave, one of Nathaniel’s friends spotted me.

"Well, well, looks like our future Mrs. Reid has a knack for showing up at just the right time!"

He deliberately raised his voice, blocking my path with a smug grin.

Then, turning to Nathaniel, he joked, "Alright, Nate, take Joanna and get her injuries treated. Your fiancée’s here. She’ll handle the rest."

They all assumed, without question, that I was here to clean up Nathaniel’s mess.

I had no choice but to stop.

Nathaniel looked up then and finally saw me.

For a brief second, he froze.

His fingers instinctively loosened around Joanna’s hand, something unreadable flickering in his eyes.

But just as quickly, it vanished, replaced by realization, then cold fury.

"Naomi."

Nathaniel curved his lips into a smirk, though the expression never reached his eyes.

"This was your doing, wasn’t it?"

I frowned. "What?"

"You were upset that I skipped your birthday banquet, so you had someone target Joanna on purpose."

Step by step, he closed the distance between us, his expression growing sharper, colder, almost terrifying, until he stood right in front of me, looking down with a cold, condescending gaze.

"This is just like you, isn’t it? Playing the perfect act in public while scheming behind the scenes—deceptive and completely fake."

I was stunned.

Beyond Nathaniel, I caught sight of Joanna, who should have looked frightened.

Instead, she seemed uneasy, deliberately avoiding my gaze.

I see.

Understanding dawned, but I forced myself to stay calm as I explained, "I have no reason to do something like this.

"This was just a coincidence. If I had known you two would be here, I wouldn’t have even stepped out of my house."

It was the truth.

But Nathaniel didn’t believe me.

He suddenly grabbed my wrist, his voice dripping with mockery.

"You really think I’d fall for your lies again?

"Naomi, haven’t you been scheming all this time to marry into the Reid family? And now, before you’ve even secured your place as Mrs. Reid, you’re already acting high and mighty, trying to discipline me?

“Who do you think you are? What right do you have to interfere in my life?"

His grip tightened, the pain sharp enough to make me wince.

My brows furrowed as I gritted out, "Let go."

But he didn’t. His expression only grew darker, his irritation mounting.

I had no leverage with Liam yet.

For now, I couldn’t afford to completely fall out with Nathaniel or the Reid family.

But the situation was almost laughable.

The same man who once handled me with such delicate care, as if I were made of porcelain was now doing everything he could to hurt me.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

"Nathaniel, you—"

A sudden ringtone cut me off.

It also interrupted Nathaniel’s childish attempt to punish me.

Noticing the redness in my eyes from the pain, he seemed to regain some sense of reason.

His grip loosened slightly but he still didn’t let go.

Unable to break free, I kept my face cold and answered the call right in front of him.

"Miss Lane, hello."

Before I could speak, the other person greeted me first.

The voice was deep and smooth, carrying a magnetic quality like an electric current humming through the receiver.

"I’m… Liam Reid."

...

Most of what I knew about Liam came from my father’s generation and the financial news.

He was the young and accomplished head of the Reid family and a true golden child of fate.

It seemed that no amount of praise could ever feel excessive when attached to his name.

But Nathaniel had never liked his uncle.

With a cold scoff, he once said, "Do you know how the family describes him?"

"How?"

"A businessman so calculated that he even considers which foot to step out with first to maximize his advantage."

The sharp clack of billiard balls colliding echoed through the air as Nathaniel lowered his cue.

Frowning, he warned me seriously to stay away from that man.

"In his eyes, people and things are only divided into two categories—useful or worthless. Someone like that… do you really think he’s capable of sincerity?"

His tone was laced with disdain.

I stayed silent.

But I couldn’t help recalling my last encounter with Liam.

It had been purely by chance.

Wanting to escape the crowd, I stepped onto the balcony for some fresh air only to realize someone was already there.

The man, who should have been the center of attention at the banquet, stood in the shadows instead.

His neatly styled hair had fallen out of place, stray strands brushing against his sharp brow bone.

Through the haze of cigarette smoke, our eyes met.

There was an unmistakable edge of dominance in his dark gaze.

But in the next second, it faded into his usual indifference.

"Sorry."

Noticing the slight furrow of my brows, Liam stubbed out his cigarette and stepped aside, offering me his spot.

I asked politely, "Are you heading back?"

He hesitated for a moment before pulling the corner of his lips into what seemed like an unfamiliar attempt at a smile.

"It’s rare to find some peace and quiet here. I thought I’d be alone."

I smiled.

Even though Nathaniel and I grew up together, I couldn’t say I was particularly familiar with his uncle.

So, after a brief exchange of pleasantries, Liam returned to the banquet hall.

I thought that was the end of it until a waitress suddenly approached me with a glass of warm water and a packet of painkillers.

"The gentleman said that rather than an extra coat, you might need this more."

I was startled.

Looking around, I quickly realized something—I had unknowingly been standing in the only spot on the balcony shielded from the wind.

A sharp pain in my lower abdomen made it impossible to ignore the gesture.

Swallowing down the warmth creeping up my ears, I murmured a quiet thank you.

But I couldn’t help it—my gaze drifted toward the crowd, seeking out the man who stood out no matter where he was.

Instinct told me that Liam wasn’t as distant and unfeeling as people claimed.

But back then, I only had eyes for Nathaniel.

When I noticed the slight jealousy in his expression, it only made me more determined not to show Liam any extra kindness just because of his striking looks.

I almost found it amusing.

Still, I played along until I turned and locked eyes with a deep, unreadable gaze.

Liam.

I had no idea how long he had been standing there, or how much he had overheard.

A flicker of awkwardness crossed my face, followed by an inexplicable sense of guilt.

Nathaniel, on the other hand, looked completely unbothered as he raised an eyebrow.