The first rays of dawn streamed through the wide glass panels of the penthouse, soft and golden, spilling warmth across the silk sheets. Liam stirred from sleep, his gaze immediately drawn to the woman beside him.
Alicia lay with her face half-buried in the pillow, strands of her dark hair fanned across her cheek, her breathing soft and rhythmic. The night had left its mark on her, on both of them. Her skin still glowed faintly where his hands had traced her, where his lips had whispered silent promises against her neck.
Liam watched her in stillness, his expression unreadable, but inside him something fragile and fierce stirred. It was a feeling he had not known in years, one he had long believed was buried beneath the ruins of his past, a quiet, unspoken love that did not need words or declarations to exist.
He reached out and brushed a loose strand of hair from her face, careful not to wake her. She shifted slightly, sighing, and nestled deeper into the sheets. That tiny sound, innocent, trusting, made his chest ache with a strange tenderness.
He rose quietly from the bed, his bare feet silent against the polished floor. Taking his phone from the nightstand, he slipped into the adjoining office beside his bedroom. The glass doors whispered shut behind him.
There, the man who ruled empires returned.
He scrolled through his secure contact list and pressed a number. A voice answered almost instantly.
"Sir."
"How are they?" Liam asked, his voice low, controlled, yet edged with concern.
"They are doing well, Mr. Knight," the man replied. "Mrs. Blake's surgery was a success. She is now in a private recovery room as you instructed. Her son is staying with her."
Liam exhaled softly. Relief flickered across his face like a shadow moving through light. "Good. And the bills?"
"All cleared, sir. Every balance has been paid in full. I told them what you instructed, that Alicia had been sent on an urgent business trip, so she asked the company to handle everything. Mrs. Blake believed it. She expressed her gratitude and said to thank you on her behalf."
A faint smile touched Liam's lips. "And the boy?"
There was a pause. "Danny seems suspicious. He does not believe his sister went on a business trip. But he said nothing to his mother. He plans to visit KnightCorp soon, though he hasn't told her that."
Liam nodded slowly, his mind already considering every detail. "Let him come. But make sure they are treated well in the hospital. If he ask you about Alicia, tell him she is safe and well."
"Yes, sir."
"Good. Continue to check on them every day. Quietly."
When he ended the call, Liam sat still for a moment, the phone resting loosely in his hand. He had built his world on power, precision and control, but this…. this quiet act of care, was something he did not fully understand, he has lost care when his mother died, but now, he doesn't know where is coming from.
He had promised himself he would not interfere in Alicia's personal life, yet he could not stop. Not when it came to her. Not when he had seen the exhaustion in her eyes and the way her voice cracked every time she spoke of her family.
Now her mother was safe, her brother was not alone, and none of them would ever know who had saved them.
That was how he loved her, silently, without expectation, without demand.
He leaned back in his chair, gazing toward the doorway that led to the bedroom. The faint light spilling under the door reminded him she was there, asleep, fragile and real.
A thought crossed his mind, quiet but certain. One day, I will give her everything she lost. The house, her peace, her name.
He made a mental note to speak with his legal team. The Blake family house had been sold years ago after debts swallowed it. But money could undo what time had broken. He would buy it back, quietly, through a third party. When her mother was strong enough, he would let them move back there.
A home, returned without a name attached. That would be his gift.
He rose from the chair and set his phone down. The world could wait. For now, he only wanted a few more minutes of peace.
When he stepped back into the bedroom, steam was already rising from the bathroom. Alicia had woken up.
She stood by the vanity in a loose satin robe, tying her hair into a bun. She turned when she saw him, and color instantly bloomed across her cheeks. "Good morning," she whispered, shyly, as though last night's passion had never happened.
"Morning," he said, his voice low and dangerous in its calm.
Her gaze dropped to the floor. The memory of his hands, his voice, his control, all of it returned in an instant, stealing her breath.
As the warm water cascaded over Alicia's curves, she couldn't help but feel a shiver of excitement run through her body. Liam's strong arms were wrapped around her, holding her close as he gently lathered her skin with the soft sponge. His touch was electric, sending jolts of pleasure throughout every inch of her being.
Alicia let out a soft moan, her eyes fluttering closed as Liam's hands roamed over her sensitive flesh. She could feel his hardness pressing against her back, his desire for her evident in the way he caressed her body.
"Mmm, that feels so good," Alicia purred, arching her back to press herself further into Liam's embrace. "You're so good with your hands."
Liam chuckled, his breath hot against her ear. "You have no idea, baby. I can make you feel things you've never even dreamed of."
With that, he spun Alicia around to face him, his blue eyes blazing with lust. He cupped her breasts in his large hands, kneading the soft mounds and rolling her nipples between his fingers. Alicia gasped, her head falling back in ecstasy as Liam's mouth descended on her neck, his teeth grazing her sensitive skin.
"Oh God, Liam," Alicia moaned, her hands tangling in his wet hair. "You're driving me crazy."
Liam smirked against her skin, his hands trailing down her sides to grip her hips. "That's the plan, baby. I want you so wound up that you forget your own name."
Alicia could only whimper in response, lost in a haze of desire. She reached down to wrap her hand around Liam's thick shaft, stroking him slowly as he continued his assault on her body. His cock throbbed in her grip, growing harder with each pass of her fingers.
"I need you inside me," Alicia gasped, her voice ragged with need. "Please, Liam."
Liam growled, lifting Alicia's leg to hook it around his waist. He guided himself to her entrance, teasing her with the head of his cock. Alicia squirmed, trying to pull him deeper, but Liam held firm, his eyes locked on hers.
"Beg for it, baby," he demanded, his voice low and commanding. "Tell me how much you want my cock."
Alicia didn't hesitate. "Please, Liam. I need your cock so badly. I want you to fill me up and fuck me hard. Please, I'm begging you."
With a satisfied smirk, Liam thrust forward, burying himself deep inside Alicia's tight heat. She cried out, her walls clenching around him as he began to move. His strokes were slow and deep at first, letting Alicia feel every inch of him as he stretched her wide.
"Fuck, you feel amazing," Liam groaned, his hips snapping forward faster and harder with each thrust. "So tight and wet for me."
Alicia could only hold on for dear life as Liam pounded into her, his cock hitting depths she didn't even know she had. Her moans echoed off the tile walls, mixing with the sound of Liam's grunts and the slapping of skin against skin.
"Yes, yes, yes!" Alicia chanted, her nails digging into Liam's shoulders as she bucked against him.
Liam obliged, his pace becoming almost brutal as he drove into Alicia again and again. She could feel her orgasm building, the pressure coiling tighter and tighter in her core. With one final thrust, Liam buried himself to the hilt inside her, his cock pulsing as he filled her with his seed.
Alicia came with a scream, her body shaking and convulsing as wave after wave of pleasure crashed over her. She clung to Liam, her breath coming in ragged gasps as he slowly lowered her leg to the floor.
"That was...incredible," Alicia panted, leaning her forehead against Liam's chest.
Liam smiled, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. "You're amazing, Alicia. I could get used to mornings like this."
Alicia giggled, nuzzling into his neck. "Me too."
Liam laughed, giving Alicia's ass a playful smack. Alicia couldn't help but smile to herself, feeling truly content for the first time in a long time. Maybe things were finally looking up for her after all.
"You should rest," he said, his voice softer now. "Take a few hours. I will tell Delacroix you will arrive later."
Alicia shook her head immediately. "If I stay, I won't go at all. You will find a way to keep me here."
Liam chuckled. "You make that sound like a bad thing."
She looked at him, her eyes bright with teasing defiance. "It is."
Before he could respond, she darted into the dressing room. A few minutes later, she emerged in her office clothes, hair damp and face flushed with quiet determination.
He leaned against the doorway, watching her fasten her earrings. "You are stubborn," he said.
She smiled faintly. "You already knew that when you hired me."