Liam’s eyes darkened in anger as he rested his sight on his cousin, Max standing in front of his door. “What do you want, Max?” He asked with a threatening tone in his voice.
“Chill bro. I just wanted to say hi”Max responded with a playful smirk on his lips. “I also heard what happened at the company and came to apologize for my absence. I had something very urgent to attend to” he explained as a hideous glint flashed through his eyes.
“You shouldn’t have” Liam retorted but this time, with a usual calmness instead of the anger he had always displayed. “And as for the company matter, you should bring that up at the required place, not my house, am I clear?”Liam reprimanded his cousin with a disdainful tone in his voice.
“Crystal, bro” Max replied acting unaffected by his cousin’s words but deep down inside of him, he seethed in anger. “Can I come in?” He asked Liam who walked away leaving the door ajar, without giving a response.
Max took his cousin’s silence as a cue to go in. His eyes wandered round the huge house, searching for the main reason he had come here- Isabelle. He was curious to know how she was faring and the person responsible for her escape. Unknown to him, Liam had sensed his motive.
“Are you here to see my fiancee?” He queried with a piercing gaze shot at him. “You won’t get the chance, if that’s why you’re here”
“Of course not. Like I said, I came regarding the company’s affair” Max replied as she chuckled nervously at being caught red-handed. “I have no business with your fiancee”
“The new agreement signed and stamped by other directors will be referred to your office first thing tomorrow morning” Liam announced with a dismissive wave of his hand. “You should leave”
“But…..”
“Good day to everyone in the house” a lousy greeting interrupted Max, followed by the loud entrance of a middle-aged woman dressed in expensive clothes, the strong scent of her perfume suffocating the air.
“Gina…”Liam called out, the instant he recognized the flashy woman. “To what pleasure, do I owe the visit?” He asked as he flashed a cold smile at her. He hadn’t forgotten the strange incident he had encountered at her house the last time he visited. His instincts had grown a bit cautious of her.
“My precious daughter is in your care, Liam,” Gina remarked with a smirk on her red lips. “Am I not allowed to see her again?”
“Of course, you are allowed to see your daughter but informing us of your arrival is the most polite thing to do” Liam retorted with his tone laced with a hint of mockery.
Gina felt the hostile feeling emitting from him, “so, you are referring to me as impolite” she scoffed with gritted teeth.
“Why would I?” A wide grin morphed on Liam’s face, not reaching his eyes. “Just letting you know, in case of a next time”
“Where’s Isabelle?” Gina asked curtly as she tried to avoid any more verbal exchanges between herself and Liam. “I need to see her”
“She upstairs, in her room” Liam replied distantly as he averted his gaze to Max and furrowed his eyebrow.” Why haven’t you left yet?”
Liam’s words finally drew Gina’s attention to the young handsome man standing in the same room with her. Her gaze pierced deeply into his soul as a wave of suspicions hit her hard.
Max took the opportunity to introduce himself after realizing that the woman in front of him was the real mother of Isabelle. “Hi, ma’am… My name is Max. It’s an honor to meet you. I’ve heard good things about you from Isabelle” he uttered with his signature smile curved on his face.
Gina lifted an eyebrow at Max’s words”Nice to meet you, Max. Call me Gina” she responded equally with a smile on her heavily painted face. “I never knew my daughter had friends” she fawned, feigning ignorance at the fact that she knew who he was, though she hadn’t met him in person.
“Oh! Well, we’ve been friends for a long time” Max replied, ignoring the sharp gaze shooting at him from his cousin who was becoming irritated and apprehensive about their conversation.
“Max, leave this instant” Liam ordered with an authority that couldn’t be resisted, in his tone. “And as for you, Gina. Your daughter is presently down with fever”
Max’s ears perked up at the information. He marveled at Liam’s ignorance, knowing fully well that Isabelle’s fever was a result of the aphrodisiac he had secretly fed to her against her will. “Oh! Liam. You never cease to amaze him” he chuckled heartily as he strolled out of his cousin’s penthouse. His eyes also showed a new light as he recalled the face of the woman he had just met. The woman bore a striking resemblance to her daughter, Isabelle. He felt a bond pulling himself to her, a bond shared between people of similar interests. He made up his mind to look for her shortly.
Meanwhile, Liam stared at Gina with a meaningful gaze. He had noticed the slight change in her expression during the short conversation with Max. It felt like a double wave had plunged at him at the same time. He needed to watch them closely.
“Liam.. aren’t you taking care of your beloved daughter well enough? How could she have caught a fever under your care?” Gina berated with a scolding tone as she gazed her Liam who chose not to refute her claims because he felt that his fiance’s sickness was a result of his carelessness and indifference.
“I’m sorry, Gina”Liam tightened his eyelids as he apologized with a hint of hesitation, oblivious to the smile of satisfaction on Gina’s face.
Gina climbed majestically up the stairs like an empress in a castle as she walked toward Isabelle’s room. She pushed the door slightly without Knocking, startlingly the feverish person on the bed.
“Mom…..”Isabelle cried out in surprise.