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.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of something light blue on Liam’s wrist.

It was a hair tie.

The kind a young woman might use—completely out of place next to the luxury watch worth millions beside it.

I froze for a moment before quickly looking away, pretending not to notice.

But a quiet sigh escaped me.

So, Liam had a girlfriend.

Which meant all the plans I had before…

"How long have you been waiting?"

His slightly hoarse voice pulled me from my thoughts.

Alec walked ahead, dragging the suitcase as if he were just a stranger passing by.

I touched the tip of my nose and mumbled, "Not too long, really."

Liam studied me in silence.

A faint crease formed between his brows, his lips pressed into a firm line.

He looked… upset.

Surely, he wasn’t actually mad that I had shown up unannounced?

My heart sank.

Just as I was about to explain, a suitcase came barreling past and slammed into me.

"Careful!"

I stumbled backward, colliding into a solid, warm chest.

Liam caught me instinctively, his arm tightening around my waist.

His voice, usually calm and detached, carried an unmistakable edge of urgency.

"Are you alright?"

I didn’t answer.

Because my eyes had locked onto the hair tie now fully exposed on his wrist.

There was a delicate pink-and-white crystal flower dangled from it.

Earlier, I only caught a fleeting glimpse.

However, the longer I looked, the more familiar it felt, and the more it unsettled me.

"Did you twist your ankle?"

Noticing my silence, Liam frowned slightly, assuming I was hurt.

Without hesitation, he crouched down, his fingers carefully brushing against my ankle as he asked softly, "Does it hurt here?"

His palm was warm, almost burning, and his touch was brief and fleeting.

Yet something about it felt strangely familiar as if someone had once held my foot the same way, restraining himself as I teasingly stepped on him.

A hoarse, uncertain voice had coaxed me back then.

"I’m built solid. Don’t hurt yourself."

I stared at Liam as he kept his head down, focused on checking for any injuries.

A bold, impossible thought crept into my mind and before I could stop myself, I asked, “Mr. Reid, where were you two years ago on Christmas Eve?”

The moment the words left my lips, his body went rigid.

"Overseas."

His voice was flat and indifferent, his head still lowered as he answered.

Then, to make it sound more convincing, he added, “I was overseeing a cross-border trade deal with a biotech company."

Cross-border trade, my ass.

I stared at the small, familiar mole behind Liam’s ear and let out a sharp, incredulous laugh.

When I spoke, I couldn’t help the trace of mockery in my voice.

"Mr. Reid, you have an impressive memory. You even remembered the details from two years ago so clearly."

Liam pressed his lips together and said nothing.

…

There was one time when I lost control after drinking too much.

It happened at Nathaniel’s villa.

Back then, I still had unrestricted access to any of the properties under his name.

Sometime past midnight, someone came home.

I didn’t remember much of what kind of drunken mess I had made.

The only thing my hazy mind clung to was stopping that person from turning on the lights because I was a disaster, and I didn’t want my humiliation laid bare under the harsh glow.

"Alright."

There was a pause before the man finally agreed but he was terrible at comforting others—even compliments came out awkward and hesitant.

I had to guide him through it, bit by bit.

Still, he got better as the night went on.

"You're good enough. You're not just an accessory to someone else, and your worth isn’t something to be bartered away in a marriage.”

"Then… do you love me?"

Clutching onto his collar, my vision blurred as I whispered, "They say I have to be valuable to be worthy of love."