Chapter 189
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Liam leaned slightly on Mondo’s shoulder, his steps uneven.
Meanwhile, Izzy wrapped her arm around his waist, doing her best to steady him as they led him into the house.
“He’s heavier than he looks,” Mondo muttered under his breath.
“He’s solid muscle,” Izzy replied, adjusting her grip as they made it to the living room. She never thought that one day, she would have to drag a drunk Liam back into their house.
“Right,” Mondo grunted. “Next time he gets drunk at his own launch party, I’m letting someone else carry him.”
Liam said nothing. His head lolled slightly, his eyes half–closed, but he was still conscious–just barely.
“Let’s get him to the bedroom,” Izzy said.
With Mondo’s help, they managed to guide Liam down the hall and into the master bedroom. He collapsed onto the mattress the moment they reached it, landing with a heavy thud. His shoes were still on, his shirt untucked, and his blazer crumpled beneath him.
Mondo exhaled, rolling his shoulders. “You sure you’ve got it from here?”
Izzy nodded. “Yeah. Go home. You’ve done enough.”
“Text me if you need backup,” he said, already stepping out.
“Right… that thing that I told you. Can you please find out what happened?” Izzy asked.
“Will do.”
As soon as she heard the front door close, Izzy turned to Liam, who was now fully passed out.
“Of course,” she muttered to herself, tugging his blazer off. “You sleep now after making everyone babysit you.”
She tossed the blazer aside and loosened his tie. After a few tugs, she managed to get his shoes off, then his socks. He didn’t stir. She sighed. “I should probably clean you up.”
But first, soup.
Izzy moved to the kitchen, tying her hair up as she opened the fridge. She gathered the ingredients quickly–broth, garlic, green onions, soft tofu, and a few spices Liam had sworn by the last time he told her how to cure a hangover. “Strong flavors. Low oil. Warm. No sugar.” She remembered it clearly. Liam mentioned other stuff like Jujube but she doesn’t have those so this should just do for now.
She set a pot on the stove, working through the steps as quietly as she could. It would take some time for it to simmer. That gave her a window to get him cleaned up.
When she returned to the bedroom, Liam was sprawled across the bed, one arm over his eyes.
She sat down on the edge and began unbuttoning his shirt, careful not to wake him. Once it was off, she grabbed a warm cloth and wiped him down–his neck, his arms, even his face. He didn’t stir, not once. His breathing was slow and even.
Izzy stared at him for a moment, towel still in hand. His brows were relaxed now, and the lines on his forehead softened. Vulnerable. It felt strange seeing him like this.
She cleaned him up as best she could, then pulled a blanket over his bare torso. The room was quiet except for the faint bubbling from the kitchen.
1/3
Chapter 188
Liam didn’t look away.
“I wonder,” Olivier continued. “How she’d react if she found out. About the pieces you moved. The people you paid off. The way you kept her in the dark to get exactly what you wanted.”
Liam smiled, small and sharp. “Try it. We’ll see.”
Olivier narrowed his eyes. “Is that a threat?”
“No,” Liam said simply. “Just a fact. I am wondering how you are able to prove all this allegations without looking like a fool.”
Inwardly, he wasn’t shaken. Not anymore. He wasn’t the ten–year–old boy who used to lose sleep over his father’s moods. Not the teenager who flinched at every demand. He knew better now.
Olivier hated him not because Liam had disappointed him, but because he had always resisted. Even as a kid, Liam never did what was expected just for the sake of obedience. He asked questions. He made different choices. He refused to fold under pressure. Olivier saw that as defiance.
And defiance was unforgivable.
did.” “You think you’re in control now,” Olivier said, stepping closer to the desk. “I see. Was it because you now have your company? Your name? Your marriage?” Olivier scoffed. “Let’s make this simple Liam. You either start listening to me–or I tell her what you
Liam didn’t speak.
“I tell her everything,” Olivier said. “What you did. What you covered. How you made sure she found out about Calen and Monica in the worst way possible. And when I do, she’ll leave.”
He tapped his knuckles lightly against the edge of the desk. “And then you’ll be alone. All that work, all that planning, and it’ll be gone.”
Liam said nothing. He didn’t flinch. He didn’t nod.
He simply stared at his father.
Olivier took a breath and stepped closer to the desk.
“I’ll tell her about Amalia, too,” he said. “About how you fed her debts. About how you made sure she owed more money to those backdoor lenders. You knew she would gamble. You let it happen. Then you waited. Until she pawned Isabella’s properties just to crawl out of it.”
Liam’s expression didn’t change.
“All that pressure,” Olivier continued. “You designed it. You created it. So Isabella would be forced to carry it. You wanted her desperate. You wanted her vulnerable. You wanted to be the only one who could help. You wanted to be her hero.”
He didn’t stop there.
“And that mess with the Weiss Foundation? That sudden leak about misused funds, that convenient timing right when Calen Weiss was starting to rebuild? That was you too. You exposed it. You wanted to shake the board. Undermine the man, make him look like a failure. It worked.”
Olivier’s gaze didn’t leave his son.
“You really thought no one would trace it back. You thought it was buried deep enough, shuffled through offshore filters, a few shell names here and there. And you were right. No one found out.”
He smiled, briefly.
“Except me.”
Liam remained still.
2/3
16:47 Tue, 1 Apr
Chapter 188
“I know you, Liam. You’re calculated. Methodical. Puthless when you want to be. You’re just like me. That’s why I see it. That’s why no one else does.”
He tapped the desk once more.
“So go ahead. Stay quiet. Pretend you’re the hero in this. But know this–I can ruin you with the truth. All it takes is one conversation. And she’ll leave.”
Olivier straightened his sleeves again, then let his eyes scan the office one more time before speaking.
“You’d better start answering my calls, Liam. I don’t care what excuse you think you have. When I call, you respond. You don’t ignore me. You don’t screen my number. You pick up. Understood?”
Liam didn’t reply.
“And another thing,” Olivier went on, stepping toward the desk. “It’s time you made an effort to see your mother. And your brother. You’ve been conveniently unavailable long enough. I’m done playing along with your distance. You want to cut me off? Fine. But I won’t let you isolate the rest of the family just because you’re holding a grudge.”
He stopped in front of the desk again.
When Liam maintained his silence, Olivier added. “If you keep pushing me, I will leave you with nothing. No inheritance. No name. No wife. And I will enjoy every second of watching it happen.”
Liam’s fingers curled slightly against the edge of the desk. His gaze stayed locked on Olivier, unmoved. This was the realy face of the man that he once called his father. A ruthless peace of waste that was trying to be vindictive because a woman challenged him. Pathetic!
Olivier exhaled once, then turned without waiting for a response. He walked toward the door, paused just before opening it.
“Enjoy your little launch party tonight. Smile for the cameras. Hold her hand. Pretend you’re the man she thinks you are. But remember this-”
He glanced over his shoulder.
“One word from me, and it all burns.”
Then he opened the door and left.
Liam didn’t move. Not for a long moment.
The silence that followed was deafening.
Lucky Draw
