Chapter Three: When Masks Fall

Ava handed Liam a burger, and as he took a bite, he nodded in satisfaction. "Wow, that's very nice!" he exclaimed.

"I told you it's good," Ava replied with a smile. "We might have to, you know, not be eating out as much. We have to tighten our purse strings."

Liam's eyes narrowed.

"Are you running out of money?"

Ava hesitated before answering.

"The wedding with Noah kind of drained my savings."

Liam raised an eyebrow.

"You could've married him and lived a luxury life. Why didn't you?"

Ava's expression turned somber.

"He used to be different, but now all he cares about is money. I think money can change people, I don't know, maybe money is the root of all evil."

" There's no such thing as a good hearted billionaire." She added.

Liam disagreed.

"Not all rich people are bad. Take Hamilton Holdings, for example. I've heard their heir is a great guy, and he's very handsome too."

Ava rolled her eyes.

"Handsome? Who cares?"

Liam almost choked on his burger, and Ava quickly asked, "Are you worried I won't be able to take care of you?" She placed her hand on top of his, which was resting on the table.

Liam relaxed, and Ava continued, "Don't worry, I'm starting a big job tomorrow, and it's going to be a really big paycheck, so I don't want you to worry. I'll do my best to give you the best living condition." She said her voice filled with reassurance and determination.

Liam's gaze drifted back to the burger, and he said, "Mrs. Ava Miller, I'm one lucky guy to have married you."

Ava's face lit up with a smile as she gazed at Liam, still holding his hand.

As they left the burger shop, Liam chuckled.

"You really did a number on that burger. I bet you're stuffed."

Ava grinned.

"You can't waste good food."

They strolled through the hallway, admiring the mall's opulence.

"This place is so fancy," Ava said, gazing around.

"No wonder it's owned by Hamilton Holdings,"

Liam followed her, his hands tucked into his pockets.

Ava's eyes widened as she spotted a clothing store.

"Oh, I gotta check this out."

Liam raised an eyebrow.

"I thought you were tightening the belt. I mean it's kind of a fancy store."

Ava shrugged.

"Window shopping is free. Plus, I get my paycheck soon, and I'll buy you something."

Liam smiled, and Ava took his hand, dragging him into the store.

Just then, Ava's eyes locked onto a familiar face – her fellow orphan from the orphanage, Rebecca. But the woman's expression was far from friendly.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Ava Miller," the woman said, her voice dripping with malice. "You're broke, aren't you, Ava? You don't belong in a place like this."

Ava's face fell, but she tried to stand her ground. Rebecca's eyes seemed to bore into her, making her feel small and insignificant.

"Do you even know who this store belongs to?" Rebecca sneered, her eyes glinting with amusement.

"Oh my God. Who's she?" Liam asked Ava

"A gold-digging bitch" she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

Rebecca's face twisted in anger.

"Who are you calling a bitch?" Rebecca questioned, looking at her boyfriend who stood beside her to intervene, but he did nothing.

"How dare you call me a gold digger?" Rebecca added, her voice venomous.

"Baby, don't get angry," her boyfriend said, his voice patronizing. "These losers aren't worth it."

Rebecca sneered, her lip curling in disdain.

"Look at you. I heard Noah dumped you on your wedding day. I guess Noah thinks you're nothing but a whore."

Ava's eyes flashed with anger.

"I think you got that wrong. It was Ava who dumped him," Liam said, his voice calm and collected.

"So, this is your security boyfriend, or rather, husband?"

" You both are so pathetic. Noah dumped you and you settled for this loser?" Rebecca mocked, her voice dripping with contempt.

"I mean, are you both here to steal from the store?" Rebecca asked with a smirk on her face.

Ava cut her off, her voice rising.

"Rebecca, you have no right to judge me. I mean, we literally came from the same orphanage. You're just as poor as I am."

Rebecca's face turned red with rage, her eyes flashing with anger.

"How dare you compare yourself to me? We're nothing alike. For one, my boyfriend is an executive at Hamilton Holdings, making millions." She crossed her arms around her boyfriend's shoulder trying to boast.

"Dior dress, Channel purse, and the gemstone rings all gifts from him." She touched her Channel purse and gemstone rings, showcasing her wealth with a flourish.

"What do you have?" Rebecca asked, sneering, her voice dripping with disdain.

Rebecca's boyfriend smirked.

"An executive at Hamilton Holdings?" Liam said, his voice laced with sarcasm, "I really hope nothing bad happens to your job."

Rebecca's boyfriend sneered, "What a joke, a low-life like you talking about my job?"

Liam chuckled, bending his head to his body, his eyes gleaming with amusement.

"You really think you know who I am?" he asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Rebecca's boyfriend, Mike, looked taken aback.

"Why should I know who you are?" he asked, his tone defensive.

Liam's eyes sparkled with amusement.

"You claim to be an executive at Hamilton Holdings, yet you've never seen me before."

As he spoke, Ava looked at him, her expression unreadable. Mike and Rebecca stared at him, their faces frozen in shock.

The diamonds on Rebecca's fingers glinted in the light, but Liam's gaze was unimpressed.

"Only a complete fool would fall for that," he said, his voice dripping with disdain.

Mike's face reddened with anger. "Shut up!" he snapped, trying to cover up his mistakes.

Rebecca's eyes narrowed.

"What do you mean?" she asked, her voice icy.

Liam's smile was merciless.

"Get it appraised, and you'll find out that everything you're wearing is fake… just like your boyfriend's identity."

"Is this true?" Rebecca asked, looking at Mike while folding her arms under her breasts.

"Babe"

"What the hell is he talking about?" she demanded, her voice rising.

Mike hesitated.

"Let me explain…" he began.

But Rebecca cut him off.

"What is he talking about?" she asked again, her eyes blazing with anger.

Mike shook his head.

"Nothing, it's just…" he trailed off.

Rebecca's face twisted in anger.

"Just what?" she spat.

But before Mike could respond, Liam intervened, holding Ava's hand as they left the store.

"Baby, listen to me," Mike called after Rebecca, but she ignored him.

As they walked away, Ava turned to Liam with a smile.

"Was Rebecca's outfit really fake?" she asked.

Liam nodded.

"Absolutely," he replied, his eyes glinting with amusement.

Ava laughed.

"You've got a sharp eye," she said. "I had no idea you could spot fake so easily."

Liam chuckled.

"Rebecca's always so full of herself," Ava added, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"It was really hilarious to see her embarrassed."

Just then, Ava's expression changed.

"Oh shit, I forgot my bag," she exclaimed, turning to leave.

"I'll be right back," she called out to Liam as she hurried back to the store.

Liam waited patiently in the garage, watching as Mike and Rebecca approached, still arguing.

"Rebecca, let me explain…" Mike began, but Rebecca cut him off.

"There's nothing to explain, Mike. You lied to me and made me look like a fool today."

Mike's face reddened with anger.

"Rebecca, listen to me…" he started.

But before he could continue, they collided with Liam, who stood calmly, watching them with an amused expression.

"Oh, it's him again," Mike spat, his eyes flashing with anger.

As Mike approached Liam, Rebecca sneered, "Is that your little ride?" She glanced at Liam's car, her nose wrinkled in disdain.

"My boyfriend may not be perfect, but at least he can afford a decent car."

Liam nodded, a hint of amusement dancing on his lips.

"I guess a low-life like you could never get to ride a car like this," he said, holding up his car key and pressing it, making the car's lights blink.

Rebecca's eyes widened, and Mike's face reddened with anger.

"Wow," Liam exclaimed, "is that what you call decent?"

Mike's anger boiled over.

"Who do you think you are?" he demanded, closing in on Liam, who stood calmly beside his car.

"Acting all high and mighty, thinking you can handle a car like that?"

Mike pointed to a sleek, flashy car behind Liam.

"Maybe you can impress someone with a ride like that."

Liam chuckled.

"I think you're right," he said, his eyes glinting with amusement.

As he spoke, he pulled out a car key from his pocket and pressed it, unlocking the flashy car Mike had pointed out. The car's doors swung open, and Liam walked over to it, pulling out a bottle of water from the car.

As he sipped his water, Mike and Rebecca stood in stunned silence, their eyes fixed on Liam.

"You don't remember me, though," Liam said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Mike's face scrunched up in confusion.

"You say you're an executive at Hamilton Holdings…?"

Suddenly, Mike's eyes widened, and he exclaimed, "Wait, you look familiar!"

Mike frantically searched for his phone and brought it out, going through it his eyes were filled with bewilderment.

"Ohhh… Ahhh… You're the C…" Just as he was about to complete his sentence, Ava interrupted from behind them.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice firm.

Liam hastily pocketed his car key, trying to avoid Ava's notice.

"What are you doing here?" Ava repeated.

"What's that in your hand?" Ava asked, moving towards Liam to know what he was holding.

Liam's eyes narrowed.

"Oh, I just bought that over here," Liam said, holding up the water bottle.

Ava raised an eyebrow.

"Really? I could have sworn it was something else."

Liam shrugged.

"These two came over here and started bullying me," he said, pointing to Mike and Rebecca.

Ava's expression turned stern.

"Back off, okay?" she warned Mike and Rebecca.

Liam nodded. "Let's not waste any more time with them. Let's get out of here."

As Liam turned to leave, he spun back around, his eyes locked on Mike and Rebecca.

"Before I forget," he said, his voice low and menacing, "stay away from Ava from now on. Else, you'll be out of Hamilton Holdings before you know it."

Mike's eyes widened, and he stumbled over his words.

"S-sir, I promise," he stuttered.

Rebecca looked at Mike, confusion etched on her face.

"What's happening?" she asked, her voice laced with concern.

Mike didn't respond, his eyes fixed on Liam as he slid into the car beside Ava.

As they drove away, Mike bent down, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Have a good day, sir."

Rebecca tugged on his arm, her eyes wide with worry.

"What's going on, Mike?" she asked again.

Mike's face contorted in despair.

"Shut up, Rebecca. I'm screwed," he muttered, running his hands through his hair in frustration.