Ch. 1921..1925

Chapter 1921

Chapter 1921 John’s study was inside another courtyard. Caprice walked to the adjacent courtyard.

Upon her arrival, she noticed that the windows of the study were open. Her eyes shone. She quickly tiptoed to the window, careful to not make any noise.

She heard voices coming from inside the study.

“It's a very new project. If you’re planning to expand its scope, why don’t we work on it together? | just happen to be planning to expand into the Glanchester market.”

It was Liam's voice. There was a gravitas in his voice that one usually would not expect coming from a person in his mid- twenties.

She could not resist the urge to poke her head through the window and steal a peek inside. Liam and her father were seated on separate armchairs.

Her father was in the middle of taking a sip from a teacup. He started shifting some documents around on the table, and that was when he suddenly directed a piercing gaze in Caprice’s direction.

She recoiled from shock and quickly ducked away from his sight.

In the middle of her sudden jerk of movement, she accidentally bumped into the wall. Caught off-guard by the pain, she groaned out loud.

Inside the study, Liam stirred with alert, then he quickly rose and walked out of the study.

Caprice was squatting on the ground, massaging a spot on her head with her fingers. The pain started to fade away as she applied pressure to the spot.

She stopped massaging it and prepared to get up, and that was when she noticed someone offering a hand to her from the corner of her eyes.

She looked up with a blank and confused expression.

Liam wad doubled over her. He started to massage the slightly swollen part of her head while casting a displeased look into her eyes.

She whimpered, “I didn’t mean to intrude.”

He continued massaging her forehead before asking. “Does it still hurt?”

“No, it doesn’t hurt anymore,” Caprice answered with a childlike grin.

He pretended to scowl at her and proceeded to pinch her fleshy cheeks.

She followed suit and brushed her fingers over his face which was cool with composure, appearing handsome like a prince. This was something she had always wanted to do, and now she finally had a chance to.

Liam was briefly startled.

Caprice started to pinch his cheeks.

He suppressed a smile and began to pinch her cheeks harder as well while uttering a threat, “Let go.” She reacted by putting her other hand out and placing her fingers on his other cheek. She was not going to let up. “You let go first.”

He gave him a look.

She cocked her chin upward to show that she was not going to back down.

This was her turf. She was not afraid of him!

After a prolonged standoff, Liam suddenly smirked, and an idea came to him. Without warning, he began to draw close toward Caprice.

She felt her cheeks beginning to heat up. She leaned away while asking nervously. “This is my house, you... What are you doing?”

Liam began to chuckle, seeming like he had some dark intentions.

Caprice continued to back away to the point where she nearly lost her balance. Just as his lips were about to touch hers, a voice suddenly interjected, “Ahem!”

 

Chapter 1922

Liam stopped.

Caprice jerked away and fell over, landing on the ground with a soft thud.

She saw her father standing in front of the window.

Her cheeks were burning. She covered her face with her hands and did not even bother to pick herself off the ground. For the first time, she could spot a hint of nerves in Liam’s usually cool and composed expression.

It went away as quickly as it came. After he recomposed himself, he went to Caprice and carried her in

his arms.

He turned to John and spoke solemnly, “Uncle Stockton, Caprice hit her head. I'll carry her back to her room.”

John cast a sharp look at him with a grunt, “Hm.”

With that, Liam carried Caprice in his arms and started to walk away.

Once they were out of the courtyard, she removed her hands from her face. She instantly met Liam’s eyes.

He was looking down at her. He must have seen how rattled she had become, but he wore a faint smile. It looked like he was holding back laughter.

Caprice shot a look at him, then she burrowed her face in his chest so he would not keep staring at her Her courtyard was directly diagonal across the courtyard of her parents.

After a while, Liam brought her into her room.

Her small courtyard was slightly smaller but very neat, and her room was well-decorated and homely. Upon stepping inside, Liam settled her on the couch.

She tried to pull herself up, then she felt a palm gripping her chin.

He hunched over and brought his face within inches of hers.

Before she could react, he had planted his soft and luscious lips onto hers. Her eyes flew wide open with shock. Liam quenched his thirst on her taste and spoke in between kisses, “Close your eyes.”

His voice was alluring and seductive.

Caprice closed her eyes submissively

They continued to kiss for a while, filling each other with passion while maneuvering their heads and lips delicately around each other.

She could feel his caress which was so gentle and yet so forceful at the same time. Then, she began to feel up his body the same way. She even grabbed the collar of his neck.

He suddenly held his breath.

Immediately after that, he wrapped his arm around her waist and lifted her from the couch as if she did not weigh anything at all. He took her into his arms.

Their breathing had become erratic at this point as he smothered her in endless kisses. She was losing her mind and moaned softly.

Her stifled voice seemed to have snapped Liam back to his senses. He suddenly let go of her. He pulled away from her and stared at her reddened cheeks, her quaint expression, and her sparkling eyes that were filled with hunger.

The excitement in his chest came surging back up again like a torrent. He pursed his lips tightly and promptly went outside.

Caprice, still drunk in passion, was confused by his sudden departure. Why did he suddenly get up and leave? She patted her restless chest to calm her beating heart. With a long sigh, she got up and went outside.

As soon as she crossed into the living room, she noticed his tall figure standing over the sink on the side of the courtyard. He was splashing cold water on his face.

After a while, he stopped his busy movements and leaned with one hand against the wall. He hung his head low and panted as if he was struggling for breath.

He had unbuttoned the collar of his shirt at one point. Loose strands of hair were clumped together after contact with water and draped over his forehead. Loose droplets of water slid down the contours of his cheeks and traced down to his chin, then his neck, passing through his prominent Adam’s apple.

Caprice asked with stark confusion, “Liam, are you okay?” Liam turned to her.

After splashing his face with cold water, all the color drained out of his complexion. Underneath his bold brows, his eyes contained a penetrating gaze, flared with red like a rabid animal.

Caprice retorted backward the moment she met his gaze and shrunk into herself.

Liam frowned, then he began splashing water over his face again. Cold water clung to every pore of his skin, dissipating the burning heat inside his body.

He sighed deeply and opened his eyes. Then, he turned around and was prepared to explain what had happened to Caprice. The moment he turned around, he met Caprice standing only inches away from him.

She looked at him with a sparkle in her eyes and handed him a set of clean towels. “Here you go.”

Chapter 1923

Liam cast a blank look at her before taking the towel and drying his face with it. Then, he gently ruffled her hair. “Did | scare you back there?”

Caprice shook her head. “No.”

She was slightly startled, but not to the point of being scared.

Liam smiled faintly. “Sit down. Let me see your head.”

Caprice did as she was told and sat down on a nearby chair.

He delicately parted her hair with his slender fingers and studiously inspected the spot where she had just bumped her head when she was lurking outside the study.

Caprice pursed her lips into a thin smile and told him, “Liam, I’m fine. It doesn’t even hurt anymore.” He seemed relieved. “Yeah.”

There was some slight redness, but there was no wound.

After watching him return to his usual demeanor, she asked, “What happened to you back there?” It looked like he wanted to devour her whole.

“Nothing.” After a pause, he added, “It’s just... a common reaction from a man.”

Acommon reaction from a man? What was that supposed to mean?

She was left more confused.

Liam was already walking away and seemed to be headed somewhere else.

Caprice decided to stop probing him for answers. She got up and followed him.

Casually taking his hand into hers, she smiled and gestured. “Here, let me show you the garden in the back. It looks very pretty now because all the flowers are in bloom.”

Liam smiled and squeezed her hand gently. “Okay.” Time passed quickly.

Caprice felt like they had only been walking around the garden for a while when one of the housemaids had shown up and told them that her father was summoning them for lunch.

They had no choice but to join them at the dining table right away. It was a fine lunch. After the meal, Liam bid farewell to John, Sherry, and Madam Stockton. With that, he took his leave.

While he was spending time in the garden with Caprice, he had to answer two urgent calls. Something had probably come up in Westchester that needed his attention.

Although Caprice was reluctant to let him go, she knew better than to get in the way of his work. She walked him to the gate. His car was parked in its original spot.

He walked over to his car and turned around to look at her.

Since there was nobody around, she plunged into his arms.

Liam ruffled her hair. “I'll be going now.”

Caprice hugged him longingly, then she raised herself on her tiptoes and pecked the corner of his lips. She said affectionally, “See you, Liam.”

Liam returned a radiant smile. “Take care at home.”

“Yeap.”

He gently brushed her cheeks, then he got into the car.

Caprice watched the car pull out of the driveway before heading back into the house.

There was a hop to her step; perhaps the fine weather attributed to her good mood.

Two days later, at night, after dinner, Caprice lay on the couch and scrolled mindlessly on her phone. Midway through a brief chat with her friends, she went to check out Liam’s profile again.

There were no new posts from him today-he must be quite busy.

She turned over on the couch and continued chatting with her friends. Freya and Piper were busy, and Lana was the only one keeping her company.

After some mindless chatter, Lana suddenly told her, “Hey, Caprice, | need to clear an in-game mission. Talk to you later.” With that, she was gone. Caprice sighed and tapped on Liam’s profile again and went to the message section.

It had only been two days since they were separated, but it felt like two years had passed. She missed him like the desert missed the rain, but she did not want to distract him from his work.

She turned the idea in her head for a while before texting him, “Hey, Liam, are you finished with work yet?”

 

Chapter 1924

After a while, she received a response from Liam.

Instead of sending her a text, he gave her a video call.

Her eyes shone with joy as she promptly accepted the video call.

His charming and handsome face, which she had been missing for so long, showed up on the display.

She greeted him with a brilliant smile, “Hey, Liam, finished with work already?”

“Almost.” Liam leaned against his chair and asked with a sparkle in his eyes, “What have you been up to today?” “Same old, same old,” she remarked, then added shyly, “And I’ve been thinking about you.”

It was true-she had been thinking about him.

Something stirred in Liam’s eyes, and a shadow of a smile surfaced on his lips. “I'll visit you in a few days” Caprice was glad to hear this. “Sure!”

She could fairly hear the voice of his assistant in the background. It sounded like the assistant was relaying a report. She said mindfully, “I'll let you get back to work.”

“Alright, make sure you don’t stay up late.” He hung up after that.

Caprice put away her phone and hopped off the couch.

She tucked her hands in her pockets and walked around outside without any purpose. Her parents went to attend a certain event and were not home yet. Only Madam Stockton was at home.

She found herself wandering over to Madam Stockton’s.

Madam Stockton was ecstatic to see her, especially at such a late hour. She waved her over. “Caprice. come over here and chat with your grandma.”

Caprice obliged and went to her. Madam Stockton began to ramble about all sorts of things. She talked about her recent interests, mixed with some candid gossip as well as recollections from the past.

Caprice had heard some of these stories several times.

The stories pretty much went in from one ear and out the other, and she would nod and grunt from time to time to pretend she was listening.

Madam Stockton soon noticed that her mind was elsewhere. She pinched her cheeks and asked, “You're bored at home, aren't you?”

Caprice was honest and nodded.

Madam Stockton pinched her cheeks again. “If you’re so bored, go to your parents and ask them to find something for you to do. You're not a child anymore. It’s time for you to learn something practical.”

She was the only daughter of John and Sherry, which made her the only successor in line to their business empire. She scowled almost instinctively. She would much rather laze around at home rather than work at her parents’ place.

Regardless, she made a show of taking her grandmother’s advice lest she got subjected to more nagging. “I got it, Grandma. I'll talk to them when I have the time.”

Madam Stockton smiled gladly and moved on to another subject.

Meanwhile, at Carter Tech City, after Mitch finished relaying his report, he took the documents that Liam had signed and excused himself from the office.

Liam turned off his computer and prepared to wrap up his work for the day. He looked at the time, it was already ten.

Judging by Caprice’s usual schedule, she was probably asleep by this hour.

He pondered for a moment before reaching for his phone and calling John.

After a few rings, the call was connected.

Liam asked politely, “Uncle Stockton, do you have time to talk?”

John grunted and spoke without any inflection in his voice, “Do you need something?”

“Do you remember the project you talked about?”

Two days ago, after he had sent Caprice home, John spoke to him about a certain project concerning a new gadget that he had taken an interest in: Seeing that it was still in its infancy, Liam had made a passing remark to John that he could collaborate with him and work on it together.

John remarked briskly, “I do, but I’ve been busy lately, so I’ll talk to you about it next time.”

Liam made sure to get his word in. “My opinion is that we should begin developing it sooner rather than later. It’s already being used in Westchester, and if we don’t make the first move in Glanchester, someone else might swoop in and make a move. I’ve already received several pending offers for collaboration recently in Glanchester.”

Chapter 1925

Chapter 1925 John suddenly fell into a pensive silence, then he said curtly, “I'll have one of my staff talk to you about it.”

“Alright.” After a momentary pause, Liam remarked, “Uncle Stockton, | have a certain candidate in mind that could handle the project for you.”

John asked suspiciously, “Who would that be?” Liam proposed, “Caprice.” John fell silent.

Meanwhile, Sherry who was seated in the car with him on their way back home noticed the queer expression on his face. She turned to him and asked perplexedly, “What happened?”

John grinned, seemingly amused by the suggestion. He gave Sherry a look to say that he would tell her about it after the call, then he answered Liam, “Sure.”

It was about time his daughter started getting involved with the family business.

He knew that Liam had certain ulterior purposes behind this suggestion, but it was a good chance for Caprice to pick up some experience nonetheless.

With that, he hung up.

Sherry cast a strange look at him. “What did Liam tell you?”

John told her about the project Liam mentioned and about the boy’s suggestion of putting Caprice on the project

Sherry chuckled heartily upon hearing this. “He must have figured that it’s a good chance for him to meet Caprice often.” John snorted, “Sneaky brat.”

He had long wanted Caprice to get involved with the family business, but the girl was too playful and had zero interest in such affairs. He did not have the heart to force her, but now that it was Liam asking, he

doubted that she would refuse.

The next day, Caprice slept until she woke up naturally.

As usual, she took her sweet time crawling out of bed.

After getting dressed, she casually strolled to Madam Stockton’s courtyard to have breakfast with her Unexpectedly, she met her parents there.

She yelped, “Mom, Dad, aren’t you two going to work today?”

They were usually not at home at this hour.

John and Sherry greeted her with a smile.

“There’s nothing important going on today,” Sherry remarked.

John waved Caprice over. “Caprice, sit with me. | have something important to tell you.” Something important?

Caprice sat down skeptically.

Not only were her parents smiling suspiciously at her, but even her grandmother also wore the same knowing look on her face, her eyes tender with affection.

This aroused her curiosity, and she began to probe nervously, “What's going on? Tell me already!”

John handed her a croissant before telling her, “There's this gadget | want to introduce into the Glanchester market with Liam, but my hands are full these days. | was wondering if you would help me take over this project instead.”

Caprice immediately asked, “A collaboration with Liam?”

It seemed like that was the only part she paid attention to.

There was a twitch in John’s voice as he replied, “Yes.”

Sherry added, “Liam will be involved with the process as well, which means you will be liaising with him if you handle the project.”

Caprice’s eyes beamed with light and she agreed without any hesitation, “Okay, I'll do it!” She had been brooding over not getting to see Liam.

Asudden stiffness formed on Sherry’s smile.

John’s face darkened by several degrees as well.

They had tried countless approaches to get their daughter to at least take a remote interest in the family business, but she would not budge no matter what they tried. Now that Liam was getting involved, she agreed without so much as a single consideration!

How were they, as her parents, not supposed to be bothered by this?

Madam Stockton was celebrating jubilantly, “That’s wonderful. Our Caprice is finally helping out with the business!” Caprice sniggered proudly, “Hehe.”

John and Sherry were utterly speechless. They grimaced.