Ch. 1851..1855
Chapter 1851
The driver and the bodyguard promptly entered the car.
The car jerked into motion.
Liam furrowed his brows into a tight frown, appearing highly irritable.
Caprice was afraid to make a sound, so she made herself as small as possible like a child in trouble.
Soon, the car stopped at the lobby of a penthouse apartment. The driver and the bodyguard stepped out of the car and quickly opened the door for the passengers.
Caprice silently stepped out of the car while observing the unfamiliar surroundings with a certain vigilance. She carefully approached Liam and asked softly, “Liam, do you live here?”
“Yeah.”
“Isn't it a little inappropriate for you to bring me to your place?” she remarked cautiously, afraid of offending him. He had a girlfriend. If Heather found out about this, she would be very upset.
Liam answered snappily, “Nowhere near as inappropriate as a university student like you sitting in a business meeting with a bunch of perverted men.”
Caprice zipped her lips into a thin line.
The elevator took them to the sixteenth floor. There was only a single unit on each floor of the penthouse apartment, each floor measured several hundred square meters.
After Caprice entered the house, she immediately directed her attention to the shoe rack and the clothes hanger by the entrance. She only saw men’s shoes and clothes.
Wasn't he living with Heather? Tap!
She suddenly felt a finger tap against her forehead. She wrinkled her nose with mild annoyance and asked perplexedly, “Why did you hit me?”
Liam peered into her eyes and asked crossly, “Why are you looking around like that?” She felt like a thief caught red-handed. “No reason, | was just curious what your house looks like.”
Liam dropped his guard after that. He grabbed a pair of slippers from the shoe cabinet and handed them to her. “Wear my shoes for now.”
She remarked, “Those are too big, aren’t they?” He quipped, “You're just going to have to deal with it. Do you want me to call your parents to pick you up and send you home?”
She sighed helplessly and accepted the oversized slippers without another word of protest. She tucked her feet into his slippers which were way too large for her. It was like a child wearing an adult’s slippers.
The idea of wearing Liam’s shoes made her smile.
Liam had already walked into the living room by now. When he noticed her still standing by the door, he called out after her, “What are you doing standing around over there?”
She quickly marched into the living room.
The place was huge. The living room alone was more than a hundred square meters large. It was minimally decorated which gave the place a quaint and soothing ambiance.
“Liam, do you live here all the time?” She let her eyes wander around the room and observed every nook and cranny.
Liam picked up a jug of water and answered her while pouring glasses of water, “I live in Tech City most of the time and only come by here sometimes.”
“Oh.” Caprice sat across from him after that.
He poured two cups of warm water.
She was quite thirsty by now and quickly finished her glass of water.
“How many days have you been working there?” he asked very suddenly.
She answered hesitantly, “One day.”
Liam frowned. “Today is your first day?”
She nodded weakly.
Liam picked up the glass and took a measured sip from it, swallowing a bile of rage that rose up his throat at the same time.
How dare they put her in a situation like that on her very first day?!
If he did not happen to be at Elysian House the same night, what would those thugs have done to her?
“Quit,” he commanded icily.
Caprice pulled a face and nodded with a soft grunt.
She had offended one of their biggest clients and had probably caused the deal to fall apart completely. Even if she did not resign, Moses was going to fire her anyway.
Chapter 1852
Grr...
After quenching her thirst, her stomach began growling.
Areddish shade immediately showed up on her face, she looked at Liam awkwardly. Liam stole a look at her and asked, “Hungry?”
She nodded. She barely had a couple of bites before President Michael started harassing her, hence she hardly had anything to eat at all.
He picked up his phone and made a call.
She overheard him giving orders on the phone, “Bring two sets over.” After that, he put away his phone.
Astiff silence fell upon them.
Liam was never a talkative person, to begin with. He wore a morose look on his face and stared at Caprice with stark indifference looming in his eyes. He still seemed to be in a poor mood.
Caprice turned away to avoid his sharp gaze. He began making some small talk, which was wholly uncharacteristic of him. “How did you manage to land this job?”
Caprice answered honestly, “After the finals, | happened to meet one of my seniors at university. He approached me because he wanted me to be his company’s ambassador but | declined, then | managed to find investors for him to help him out. It was after that that he invited me to join his company to gain some practical work experience.”
The moment she finished relaying her story, she felt a wave of coldness seize her again. Liam spoke in a grave voice, “You went just because he asked you to?”
She lowered her head guiltily and whimpered, “Yeah.”
Liam was silent. He took a deep breath.
“What's his name? How long have you known him?” he asked again.
“Moses Stewart. | only met him for the first time after the finals.” She did not alter any details.
Liam found himself tightening his grip on the glass subconsciously.
If it was a cheap plastic cup, it would have been deformed and crushed. They only first met after the finals, which meant it had only been less than a week!
She would rather take an unimpressive internship for someone she barely knew than work for him!
Caprice carefully stole a look at him. When she noticed that he was on the verge of exploding with anger, she apologized frightfully, “I’m sorry, Liam. | won’t make such a reckless decision again, | promise.”
He tipped the glass over his lips and let its contents pour into his mouth, finishing the entire glass in one gulp.
Like an attentive waiter, she promptly reached for the jug of water to refill his glass for him.
He shot her a sideways glance.
She immediately cowered back into her seat. Her lips were puckered into a tiny shape, and it was a rather adorable sight. The atmosphere grew tense and sullen. Not only was she afraid to even look in his direction, but she also seemed afraid to even move a muscle.
While she was considering excusing herself to the bathroom as her way out of the tense situation, the doorbell rang.
It was probably the food Liam ordered just now.
“I'll get it!” She shot up from her seat and rushed to the door like a bolt of lightning.
Just as she thought, it was the food delivery. They were packaged in two large containers and were surprisingly heavy. She had to carry the bag with both hands. It took some effort for her to carry them the long distance to the dining table. “Liam, time to eat,” she beckoned in a flattering tone, hoping to appease Liam this way.
Liam rose and walked to the dining table.
The moment she opened the lid of the containers, a wave of wonderful fragrance consumed the room in an instant. She swiftly set the table.
Liam glanced at her and sat across from her. She quickly sat down as well and handed the cutlery to him. They began eating after that.
It was delicious. The grilled prawn was especially flavorful. Her only qualm was that there were only five pieces of grilled prawns.
She was the type to eat her favorites first instead of leaving them for last. The first thing she did was gobble all five pieces of prawn before moving on to the other dishes. The other dishes were remarkably tasty, but they paled in comparison to the grilled prawns.
She ate the vegetables, then she drank the soup.
Chapter 1853
While setting down the bowl of soup, she stared at the plate of grilled prawns on the opposite end of the table. Five lucent pieces of grilled prawn, their charred skin appearing immeasurably crisp. She longed to bite into them. She stared drunkenly at Liam.
When she turned to the table again, the plate of grilled prawns moved from its original spot and was now placed at her end of the table.
She looked surprised. “Liam, why are you giving them to me?”
Liam remarked, “I don’t like oily food.”
She refuted, “But they're not oily.”
“Just throw them away if you're not eating them,” he said disinterestedly.
Caprice hurriedly snatched the plate while smiling greedily. “I'll eat them, I'll eat them.” Liam took one look at her, then he continued eating.
Caprice gobbled up all five pieces of grilled prawn in no time. Then, she moved on to finishing the remaining vegetable and soup, feeling completely bloated by the end. She set aside the utensils. It was only then that she noticed Liam had finished eating long ago and was seated upright, staring
at her.
She volunteered, “Liam, why don’t you get some rest? I'll clean up.”
“No, someone else will clean this up,” he said as he rose from his seat. “Come with me.”
Caprice got up and obediently followed him into the living room.
They crossed an opening in between the glass panel adjacent to the living room and entered a hallway. Soon, they stepped into a large bedroom.
There was a dedicated dressing room and bathroom connected to the bedroom.
Alarge bed dominated the center of the bedroom, the minimalistic gray-colored bedding complimenting the ambiance of the room.
Was this Liam’s bedroom?
Caprice’s eyes gleamed when the thought came to her.
“You will sleep here tonight,” Liam announced.
“How about you?” she asked hastily.
“I'm sleeping in the next room.”
“Oh, okay.”
He cast a fleeting glance at her.
Caprice quickly brushed away the look of disappointment in her eyes and asked gingerly, “Why are you looking at me like that?” “There are clean pajamas in the closet and a fresh set of toiletries in the bathroom.” He was a very attentive host.
She nodded. “Okay.”
“Don't stay up. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.”
With that, he left and shut the door with a gentle thud.
She stretched lazily.
After that, she went into the bathroom.
There was only a single set of toiletries. It seemed like Heather had never lived here.
Still, it did not change the fact that she was Liam’s girlfriend.
She let out an exhausted sigh before turning on the shower head and jumping into the shower. After the shower, she went to the dresser and found the fresh set of pajamas Liam mentioned. The pajama pants were too large for her. They would slide down her waist the moment she put them on.
‘Oh, well,’ she figured. She was only going to sleep here for a night, so she could do without the pants. With that in mind, she crawled into bed wearing the top and her underwear.
There was a faint scent on the quilt that reminded her of Liam. She sniffed at it, then shut her eyes, feeling at ease.
Ding!
Suddenly, her phone rang.
She quickly sat up.
It was Freya calling. She hurriedly answered the call.
Freya’s anxious voice immediately blared through the speakers, “Caprice, where have you been? Why aren’t you home yet?” Caprice apologized frantically, “I’m sorry, Frey, | forgot to text you. Something happened, so | won't be coming home tonight.” “What happened? Are you okay?”
Since they were close friends, Caprice saw no need to keep secrets from her. She relayed the events of the night to her, starting from her arrival at Elysian House with Jonathan, then to the harassment by President Michael. Then, she spoke about how they chased her down before Liam showed up and saved her.
Chapter 1854
Freya listened to the story in stark disbelief and shock.
“Caprice, did that old fart do anything else to you?” she asked worriedly.
Caprice scowled, still feeling grossed out by what happened. “He felt up my waist, that's all.”
“What a disgusting pervert!” Freya cussed out loud and reverted to her soothing voice, “Is everything okay now?” “Yeah.” Caprice smiled and told her, “I’m at Liam’s place now. It’s fine.”
“Liam? That guy we saw at the nightclub on your birthday?” Freya had a strong impression of Liam.
“Yeah, that’s him.”
Still holding the phone, Freya jerked her lips into a foxy smile. She knew that Caprice had feelings for Liam. If Liam did not have a girlfriend, this would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for them to spend time together.
There was not much that could be done about it. With that, she told Caprice, “Well, make sure you get a good rest.” “Uh-huh.” After hanging up, Caprice threw the phone aside and flicked off the lights. She slumped into the bed and closed her eyes.
There was something about having the presence of Liam in the same house as her that filled her with an indescribable sense of comfort and security. The terror of being chased down by President Michael and the other scary men was slowly nullified.
Shortly after that, she fell asleep.
Meanwhile, outside, Liam stood quietly by the door. He waited for some time until he was sure that Caprice had fallen asleep before he strode back to his bedroom.
There was a gloomy, even vicious look underneath his eyes. He picked up his phone and called his assistant. When Caprice opened her eyes the next morning, sunlight filled the room.
She sat up and her mind immediately evoked the memories of the events of the last night. She yawned and stretched lazily before she crawled out of the bed.
Her throat was parched.
There was no drinking water available in the room. She shifted toward the door and opened it. She passed through the hallway and went into the living room.
During the daytime, the curtains were opened to allow natural light to engulf the room. She noticed the silhouette of Liam with his back facing her. He was wearing a dark purple shirt and a
pair of black trousers. Just like when they were children, he was reading a book with a cup of tea.
When he heard footsteps shuffling toward him, he turned around and looked at her.
Caprice greeted her, “Liam, good morning.”
Liam suddenly coughed. He seemed to have suddenly choked on the tea he was drinking.
Why was he acting so strange out of nowhere? It looked as if he was embarrassed just by facing Caprice at all.
Caprice was confused by his behavior because it was a departure from his usual coolness. Then, she suddenly realized something and looked down at her feet.
She was wearing the pajama top given to her that only barely covered her thighs. Although she was wearing underwear, her legs were completely exposed!
She suddenly felt a bout of dizziness. Her cheeks blossomed into a deep red shade, and she instantly spun around and bolted into the bedroom.
Her heart was beating violently.
She quickly changed into the clothes she wore yesterday before going to the bathroom to wash her face.
She splashed cold water on her face countless times, then stood in silence staring at her reflection before she finally stepped outside.
Inside the living room, Liam was sitting in the same spot. He was reading the same book with a quiet and calm expression on his face.
Caprice felt less nervous, she went up to him and stammered jerkily, “Liam, |...1 didn’t mean to... you know.” He had a girlfriend.
As if staying the night at his place was not enough, she had gone and exposed herself brazenly in front of him! Anyone who was not in the know would assume that she was trying to seduce him.
She was deeply ashamed of herself. “I'm shortsighted so | couldn’t see clearly,” he stated in an unnaturally formal tone.
His voice rang with a still calmness as usual. His eyes remained fixed on the book the entire time as if he was too afraid to look directly at Caprice.
It seemed to Caprice that he was telling the truth.
Chapter 1855
Upon knowing that, she heaved a sigh of relief.
She took a step forward and said softly, “I don’t want to disturb you, so I'll be leaving now.” Liam darted a glance at her. “Where are you going?”
“I'm making a quick trip to the office first, then I'll head back to the dorm.” She had to explain. everything that happened to Moses, at the very least.
Liam glanced at the time on his watch before suggesting, “It’s going to be lunchtime soon. You can leave after we eat.”
It turned out that he had already ordered their food, therefore she could not refuse the offer. She nodded briskly and put her purse down before sitting on the couch next to Liarn.
Apart from Liam’s tea, there were several plates of snacks and drinks set on the table, all of which were Caprice’s favorites. She grabbed a glass of freshly squeezed fruit juice and took a couple of sips before moving on to the snacks.
Liam sat stoically nearby. He had been holding the book on the same page for a while now.
The book was merely a facade. The entire time, he was regarding Caprice from the corner of his eyes. He observed the pair of jeans she wore that outlined the shape of her legs and the way she sat comfortably on the couch like it was her home.
Lunch was delivered shortly after. After the meal, Caprice thanked Liam and left the penthouse. After half an hour, a cab dropped her off at Moses’ office.
She wagered that Jonathan had already told him about the dramatic events involving President Michael last night. It was already halfway through the workday by now, yet she had not received so much as a message from either Jonathan or Moses. She assumed that they had already fired
her.
The only reason she bothered to go to the office at all was so that she could narrate her version of the events to Moses before leaving.
She took a deep breath and walked into the building.
Soon, she arrived at the office unit. She pushed the door and stepped in boldly.
It was one in the afternoon, and everyone was hard at work.
Jonathan was seated in his office and was browsing something on his phone.
Caprice continued stepping inside.
“Caprice?” Someone noticed her and called out after her. This immediately drew the collective attention of everyone present at the office, including Jonathan.
Contrary to her expectation, they all looked at her without the least bit of hostility. It did not seem like they harbored any sort of grudge toward her for chasing away their client.
Not even Jonathan.
His hands suddenly jerked when he noticed Caprice, which almost made him drop his phone. It was such a comedic scene that she cracked a smile when she saw it.
She felt weirded out by the situation. That was when Moses came out of his office.
When he saw her, something glinted in his eyes. He hurriedly walked up to her and asked in a sympathetic voice, “Caprice, are you okay?”
“I'm fine. About last night...”
He cut her off immediately, “Both myself and Jonathan were equally to blame for the situation. We shouldn't have made you attend such an inappropriate dinner. I’m sorry for the traumatic experience.”
Caprice was baffled.
It was evident from the look in her eyes.
“| thought you wouldn’t come to the office today. It’s a surprise you showed up at all,” Moses remarked with a friendly smile before continuing, “I promise that we will never put you in a situation like that again going forward. | want you to feel safe working here.”
Caprice was still at a loss for words. Why hadn't they fired her? Moses seemed like he had more to say, but his phone suddenly rang.
It was an important call from a notable client. He quickly excused himself. “I'll talk to you later. Why don’t you finish up with your tasks for now?”
With that, he answered the call and walked away. The office was quiet again. Caprice felt awkward standing idly and quickly scuttled to her seat.
Immediately after she sat down, Jonathan apologized to her, completely uninitiated, “About last night...it was my fault. | shouldn't have brought you there. Again, let me apologize.”
He was not even facing her when he said this but it was clear that those words were meant for her.
It was hardly a sincere apology. It seemed more like he was forced to apologize and was too afraid to disobey.