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.

“Well, look who finally has time to join us.”

Liam shifted his gaze away, responding with a calm “Mm” before reaching for a cue stick.

“Care for a game?”

“Wouldn’t miss it.”

As he passed by, Liam gave me a slight nod, nothing more than a polite acknowledgment.

I let out a quiet breath, guessing he probably hadn’t heard anything earlier.

Not long after that, he left for an overseas expansion project, and I pushed the whole encounter to the back of my mind.

But now, hearing his slightly raspy voice over the phone brought it all back.

A flicker of unease crept in.

Still, this was an opportunity I couldn’t afford to waste.

Ignoring the fact that Nathaniel was still standing right beside me, I spoke up.

“Mr. Reid.”

A sudden blast of music drowned out my words.

At the same time, something seemed to have gone wrong on Joanna’s end.

Her anxious gaze kept darting toward Nathaniel, silently pleading for his attention.

He hesitated for a moment.

Then, with a cold “You better watch yourself,” he finally let go of my wrist and walked toward her.

I didn’t bother sparing them another glance.

Without looking back, I made my way straight for the exit.

As the music faded, the voice on the other end of the call spoke again.

"The proposal you submitted for the collaboration with the Reid Group was well done."

I blinked in confusion.

"A while ago, my secretary mentioned that you were hoping for an opportunity to seek my advice."

There was a brief pause, probably because he had run out of ways to keep up the pretense.

Then, in a quieter tone, he added, "I’ll be back the day after tomorrow."

Then, silence followed.

That proposal had been from six months ago.

And the comment Liam’s secretary referred to was nothing more than polite small talk at the end of our collaboration—both of us understood that perfectly well.

Yet, Liam chose those excuses and even called me.

I froze for a moment.

The restlessness and unease I felt earlier suddenly settled as if something had finally clicked into place.

I couldn’t hold back a smile, my eyes curving with amusement.

Then, deliberately, I changed to a more familiar form of address.

"Alright, I’ll be waiting for you, Uncle Liam."

A loud clatter came from the other end of the line as if something had been knocked over.

Feigning innocence, I asked, "What’s wrong, Uncle Liam?"

"Nothing."

His voice dropped a few notes, deeper than before.

"It’s late. Get some rest."

I picked up on the shift immediately.

Liam sounded noticeably colder than before.

I paused.

Did he not like being called that?

…

Because of what happened with Joanna, Nathaniel completely blocked me from every possible contact.

It seemed like this was his way of teaching me a lesson.

I didn’t dwell on it.

Without hesitation, I blocked and deleted him in return.

Then, I accompanied Liam’s secretary, Alec Lee, to the airport to pick him up.

The flight was delayed, and by the time it landed, it was nearly 3 a.m.

Liam must have come straight from an event—his hair was slicked back, revealing the sharp angles of his brow bone.

He wore a perfectly tailored suit, every inch of it meticulously fitted, from the collar down to the cuffs, exuding the precision of fine craftsmanship.

At first, he didn’t even notice me.

Handing his tablet to Alec, his voice was cool, edged with exhaustion.

"Go over this contract again—"

Then he stopped abruptly.

His gaze landed on me, and for once, he looked genuinely caught off guard.

"Naomi?"

"Mr. Reid, long time no see."

I greeted him with a smile.

Standing face-to-face, there was a brief moment of awkwardness, but it quickly faded.

Because, surprisingly, Liam looked even more unsure than I was.

He instinctively withdrew his hand, giving a faint, almost hesitant “Mm,” though he tried to mask his uncertainty.