3

The sun finally disappeared, and the crowded neighborhood outside their window grew even noisier. Dogs were barking, loud music was playing from a neighbor's broken radio, and the heavy, humid air inside the small apartment made Cass feel sticky and exhausted. She sat alone on the edge of the thin cot, hugging her knees to her chest.

Her stomach let out a loud, embarrassing growl. She pressed her hands against her belly, realizing she had not eaten a single thing since breakfast back at the Laurel mansion. The hunger was starting to make her head spin.

Just as she was wondering if she was going to starve to death on her very first night of marriage, she heard the heavy sound of footsteps outside. The rusty doorknob turned with a loud squeak, and the wooden door was pushed open.

Liam walked inside. He looked completely worn out, his hair messier than before. In his hands, he carried two cheap plastic bags.

He closed the door with his foot and walked over to the small, shaky table. He noticed Cass staring at him from the bed.

"What are you looking at?" Liam asked, raising an eyebrow as he placed the bags down on the table.

Cass didn't answer his question. Instead, she quickly stood up and walked over to the table, her eyes totally focused on the plastic bags. She eagerly peeked inside, hoping to see some real food.

Her face immediately fell. Inside the bags were only a few simple items: one box of cheap instant noodles, a small clear plastic bag containing two eggs, and two pieces of plain, dry bread.

Cass twisted her face in total disappointment. "Is this it? This is all you bought?"

Liam turned his head to look at her, rolling his eyes as he took the items out of the bags. "What did you expect? A fancy steak dinner? We are not in a five-star restaurant, miss."

Cass gasped loudly, crossing her arms over her chest. "Ugh! This is completely unbelievable! I have not eaten a single thing for the entire day! I am starving, and you are seriously just going to serve me instant noodles?!"

Liam didn't even look bothered by her yelling. He casually grabbed a small aluminum pot and walked over to the tiny sink to fill it with tap water. "If you do not want it, then do not eat. It is that simple. You can just go to sleep hungry," he answered in a totally careless tone.

Cass frowned deeply. She wanted to yell at him again, to demand that he go out and buy her a proper meal, but another loud growl from her stomach stopped her. Honestly, she was far too hungry to be picky right now. Her pride was strong, but her hunger was much stronger.

Defeated, she pulled out a rickety wooden chair and sat down at the table. She rested her chin on her hands, quietly watching Liam as he turned on the rusty gas stove.

The water in the pot started to boil. Liam reached out his hand to open the plastic packaging of the instant noodles. As he stretched his arm forward, the long sleeve of his old, faded jacket pulled back slightly.

The dim, yellow light of the apartment's single lightbulb suddenly caught something shiny on his wrist.

Cass narrowed her eyes, leaning forward in her chair.

"What is that?" she asked, pointing a perfectly manicured finger straight at his wrist.

Liam froze. His eyes widened for a split second, and he quickly pulled his hand back, hiding it under the table. He turned his body slightly away from her. "It is nothing. You don't have any business looking at it."

But Cass was not going to give up that easily. Her curiosity was already sparked. She stood up from her chair, marched right up to him, and forcefully grabbed his arm. She pulled his hand out from under the table, pushing his sleeve up higher.

Her eyes went completely wide. She gasped, letting go of his arm and taking a step backward.

"Wait a minute..." Cass whispered, her voice full of absolute shock. "Is that... is that a Rolex watch?!"

She stared at the silver and gold metal shining on his wrist. It looked completely out of place in this dirty, broken-down apartment.

"Why do you have a watch like that?!" she demanded, her voice getting louder. "That specific brand is incredibly expensive! My father has one just like it, and it costs millions!"

Liam quickly pulled his sleeve back down, covering the watch completely. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and looked at her with a bored expression.

"Have you never heard of fake items?" Liam said flatly. "I guess fake things are not popular in your world. Oh well, you are rich. You probably don't know that people sell cheap copies of these things on the streets."

Cass stepped closer to him again, crossing her arms. She observed his face closely before speaking. "Even if I am rich, I know exactly how to tell a fake item from a real one. The glass, the weight, the way the metal shines... and your watch seems very real."

Liam looked away from her, staring at the boiling pot of water. He remained completely silent, refusing to defend himself anymore.

Seeing his silence, a sudden, terrible thought flashed inside Cass's mind. She covered her mouth with both of her hands, her eyes filled with panic.

"Oh my gosh..." Cass breathed out. "Don't tell me... did you steal that watch?!"

Liam finally turned his head to look at her, but she was too panicked to stop talking.

"Gosh, Liam! You really don't have to do things like that, you know?!" she cried out, waving her hands in the air. "I know you are desperate for money, but stealing is wrong! What if the rich owner comes looking for it? Or worse, what if the police catch you and put you in jail?! I don't want to be married to a criminal!"

The moment the word 'criminal' left her mouth, Liam's eyes turned sharp and incredibly dark. He stared at her, and the look on his face made Cass stop talking instantly.

"No matter how poor I am, I will never, ever be a thief," Liam said. His voice was very low, very cold, and completely serious.

Cass stood frozen in place. The heavy anger in his voice hit her straight in the chest. A sudden, deep feeling of regret washed over her. She realized she had jumped to conclusions because she looked down on his poverty. She didn't mean to accuse her own husband of being a bad person, but she knew she had definitely crossed the line this time.

She looked down at her feet, playing with her fingers nervously. Her shoulders dropped, and she pouted her lips in guilt.

"I'm... I'm sorry," she whispered softly, her voice barely loud enough to hear. "I didn't mean it like that."

Liam didn't reply. He just turned back to the stove, dumped the noodles into the boiling water, and cracked the two eggs into the pot.

A few minutes later, he placed two small bowls of hot noodles on the table, dividing the food equally. He handed her a spoon and a fork, then sat down across from her and started to eat in complete silence.

Cass slowly began to eat. The noodles were cheap and salty, but to her hungry stomach, they tasted incredibly good. However, she couldn't fully focus on the food.

While taking small bites, she couldn't stop herself from stealing quick glances at Liam. Specifically, she kept looking at the wrist hidden beneath his long sleeve. She tried her very best to erase her bad suspicions, telling herself that it was probably just a very good fake watch he found in the trash.

But no matter how hard she tried, it felt like a tiny voice inside her head was whispering that something was very wrong. Something about Liam Lucas Javier just didn't match. The way he spoke, the way he carried himself, and now the expensive watch—none of it fit the picture of a poor beggar from the slums.

Who is this guy, really? she thought to herself, chewing slowly.

But as she looked at his tired face across the table, she decided to swallow her questions along with her noodles. She would not ask anything else. At least, not yet.