She admitted with a smile, "Of course, I’ve always been confident in my own abilities, but I won’t deny that Liam has done a lot for me. And I completely deserve his devotion."

Her poised and self-assured response earned the admiration of the crowd.

Someone asked, "Could you share a story about how you and Liam supported each other during tough times?"

Linda's smile suddenly froze.

A strange silence filled the air, stretching time thin.

After a long pause, Liam let out a soft chuckle and took the microphone.

"There’s nothing to talk about. Our memories are just for the two of us."

A sharp sting rose in my heart.

I tightened my grip on the pen, lowering my head in a flustered attempt to hide my emotions.

The moment I closed my eyes, the past came rushing back.

Back when we were younger, Liam’s rebellious nature made him plenty of enemies.

After he fell from grace, some of them came looking for trouble.

I tried to shield him and was shoved down the steps, landing hard, covered in scrapes and blood.

The sight must have rattled them, because they quickly scattered in a panic.

I gritted my teeth, forced myself up, and pretended nothing had happened as I walked back to him.

"Come on, let’s go home."

But Liam suddenly grabbed my hand.

"You’re hurt. We’re going to the hospital."

"I’m not…"

"I can smell blood!"

His voice suddenly rose, and tears slipped from his clouded eyes, like fallen stars covered in dust.

With arms that weren’t particularly strong, he pulled me into a tight embrace.

But the name he called out wasn’t mine.

"Linda, when I recover, I’ll give you the grandest wedding in the world."

…

By the time the interview ended, the sky had darkened.

Outside the venue, rain fell in a fine, steady curtain.

Wade patted his pocket before turning to me again.

"Chloe, I left the memory card inside. Go grab it."

I stepped onto the damp pavement and jogged back.

The elevator display counted down to the first floor and when the slid open, I came face to face with the two people inside.

Linda stood slightly turned, chatting with Liam about some trivial on-set matters.

Though his expression was indifferent, he listened patiently.

The closeness between them was undeniable.

The moment Linda saw me, her face twisted into an ugly scowl.

"Sorry."

Mumbling an apology, I turned away and headed for the stairs instead.

Liam's voice rang out behind me.

"Hold on."

I froze.

"Aren’t you taking the elevator? Go ahead."

I slowly turned back, deliberately lowering my voice. "Thank you, Mr. Hughes."

He told me to take the elevator, yet he didn’t move aside.

Instead, he just stared at me.

"You’re one of the reporters covering today’s interview? Why didn’t I hear you ask any questions?"

I lowered my gaze. "I just graduated and recently returned from studying abroad. I’m only an intern—I don’t have the qualifications to ask questions."

"I see."

His response was flat, as if he were lost in thought.

Beside him, Linda shot me a sharp glare before speaking up.

"We should go, Liam. We’re meeting with Mr. Reed tonight."

At last, Liam looked away.

"Let’s go."

…

I stood alone in the ascending elevator, staring blankly ahead.

After my parents' divorce, my father took Linda with him and married into the Dawson family, securing his place in the Dawson family through the marriage.

For as long as I could remember, I had never seen Linda until five years ago, when she suddenly came looking for me.

"I’ll give you one hundred thousand dollars. Take my place and look after someone for me."

At the time, my mother had passed away from illness, leaving behind a mountain of debt.

I had no other choice but to agree.

It wasn’t until I met him that I realized the person she wanted me to care for was Liam.

He was the Hughes family's heir and Linda’s fiancé.

They just got engaged before tragedy struck.

"Who would be willing to take care of a blind man, who was abandoned by his own family.”

She looked disgusted. "If it weren’t for my public image, I would’ve called off the engagement long ago."

At the time, Linda was just starting her career.

She had landed a decent role, and her future was on the rise.

Afraid of being labeled heartless, she handed the burden over to me instead.

Liam had lived eighteen years without a hitch, then suddenly, everything fell apart.

His temper turned awful.

In the beginning, when I first started taking care of him, he would lash out at me with cold, cutting remarks.

I was paid to do a job, so I never talked back until that one particular day when I went to visit my mother’s grave and returned a little late.

That was all it took for him to unleash his anger again.

"Linda, drop the act! Don’t think I don’t know that you’re just putting up with me because you’re afraid of what people will say. Deep down, you can’t stand—"

The rest of his words never made it out because I suddenly leaned in and kissed him.

It was my first kiss—messy, unpracticed, and fueled by frustration.

It was less like affection, but more like a reckless bite between wild animals.

Liam fell silent.

Even the tips of his ears turned bright red.

"You—!"

With a hint of mischief, I bit his lip again.

Then I pulled back just enough, bracing my hands against his shoulders, breathing hard.

"Did you feel that? Do you still think I can’t stand you?"

…

I took the memory card downstairs to find Wade.

He looked pleased. "Chloe, you’re pretty diligent. Perfect timing—there’s a dinner tonight. I’ll take you along so you can meet more people. Connections are everything in journalism."

I quickly thanked him.

But when we arrived, I spotted a familiar black Rolls-Royce in the parking lot.

I froze. "Mr. Hughes… he’s here tonight too?"

Wade glanced back at me and winked. "Of course. The dinner I’m bringing you to is with Mr. Hughes himself. Don’t underestimate my connections, Chloe."

It was too late to back out now.

I had no choice but to brace myself and follow him inside.

Thankfully, the private dining room was spacious.

People like us—small-time reporters—weren’t seated anywhere near Liam’s table.

Wade introduced me to several senior figures in the industry.

"This is our company’s newest recruit. She’s a sharp girl. Her name is Chloe Burns. Come on, introduce yourself."

As the newcomer, I had no choice but to drink my share of toasts.

By the end, my head was spinning.

I barely managed to mumble an apology before rushing to the restroom, hand over my mouth.

I threw up until my stomach was empty.

After rinsing my mouth, I splashed some cold water on my face and stepped out.

The hallway lights were dim and in the shadows by the window stood a familiar figure.

My heart pounded hard.

I wanted to pretend I hadn’t seen him and just walk away.

But as soon as I took a step, Liam spoke.

His voice was low, deliberate, and laced with emotions I couldn’t quite decipher.

"Chloe Burns."

I froze mid-step.

Swallowing hard, I heard the sound of slow, steady footsteps approaching.

I instinctively shut my eyes.

Then he stopped right in front of me, his familiar presence pressing in inch by inch.

When I opened my eyes, I met his deep, unfathomable gaze.

“Mr." Hughes.

My throat tightened with nerves, and I spoke quietly. "How do you know my name?"

He didn’t answer right away, just studied me for a long moment before straightening up.

"Your senior had you toasting at every table. By now, everyone in that room knows your name."

Thinking of Wade’s booming voice, I suddenly felt my face heat up.

"Sorry, he’s been really kind to us newcomers—maybe a little too enthusiastic. If we disturbed you, I apologize."

I carefully chose my words, worried about dragging Wade into this.

But Liam didn’t respond.

Under the warm glow of the lights, he narrowed his eyes slightly, watching me with an unreadable, almost amused expression.

"In Miss Burns' eyes, do I seem like someone who holds grudges?"

I kept my head down and mumbled, "That’s not what I meant."

The next second, a gold-embossed business card was placed in front of me.

"You're still an intern, right? There’s a job opportunity—interested?"

By the time I returned, my head was still spinning.

The moment I stepped inside, Wade grabbed my arm. "You okay, Chloe?"

I pressed a hand against my aching stomach and muttered, "Sorry, Wade. I had surgery on my stomach before, so I can’t really handle alcohol."

He frowned, about to say something, when his gaze dropped to the business card in my hand.

His eyes widened in shock. "Is that Mr. Hughes’ personal card?!"

I nodded.

The scene from earlier flashed through my mind.

It was the kind of card people would go to great lengths to get their hands on—the kind that gave direct access to him.

Something for nothing never sat well with me.

I raised my guard and lowered my voice. "Why would Mr. Hughes offer such a valuable opportunity to an unknown reporter like me?"

He smirked faintly. "Maybe… he just finds you pleasing to the eye."

That did sound like something Liam would say.

Back when I took care of him, we slowly grew familiar with each other.

He had his moments—his sharp tongue, his rebellious streak.

And at times…

I bit my lip, swallowing the quiet sound threatening to escape, and tugged at his hair.

"You can’t see, so stop moving around."

In the dim light, he tilted his head slightly.

The soft strands of his tousled hair brushed over his unfocused eyes.

He licked his lips, fingers pressing lightly against the curve of my neck, his touch firm but careful.

His voice was barely above a whisper.

"The other parts of me are still working fine. So, be louder. Let me hear you."

Snapping back to reality, I hastily made up an excuse to brush Wade off.

The next day at the office, my supervisor called me in.

With an easy smile, he said, "Chloe, there’s a spot open on that popular dating reality show. Get ready—you’ll be joining as a special guest commentator for the next episode."

I didn’t think much of it until I started preparing for the job.

The next episode’s featured guests were Linda and Liam.

After that interview, their engagement had made headlines, dominating the trending topics.

As part of the show’s pre-broadcast promotion, the comment section was already exploding with fan reactions.

"They went through hardships together and now reunite at the top. What a perfect love story."

"I heard the Dawsons’ company was barely staying afloat, but with the Hughes Group’s backing, they’ve made a full comeback."

"Power couple goals! If you don’t support them, you have no soul!"

Skimming through the comments, I quickly closed the page.

The host, Emma Young, skimmed through the script while casually chatting with me.

"If we can dig up details about those two years Liam spent with his fiancée, the show’s ratings would skyrocket."

I tightened my grip on my pen and gave a quiet nod.

No one knew those two years better than I did.

But I couldn’t say a word.

With the backing of the Hughes family, Linda rose to the top, now one of the most sought-after actresses in the industry.

By the time the show started, the live stream was already flooded with millions of viewers.

Under the bright stage lights, I heard Emma’s voice ring out.

"Liam and Linda, since you’re already discussing marriage, could you share the journey that brought you here?"

Linda turned to him, her smile soft and composed.

"I never once believed the awful rumors about him. In my eyes, Liam has always been the one I love most."

She gazed at him with an affection so deep, it practically dripped with warmth.

However, Liam simply lowered his lashes and let out a faint laugh.

"Liar."

"When I first lost my sight, have you already forgotten how much you despised me?"