Chapter 2: Liam Carl Anderson.

"Liam Carl Anderson." 

He had a sharp jawline, and a light hazel eyes that showed a fierce gaze but looked charming when he smile tilted his head upon hearing his full name. 

The figure who is approaching him slowly, can't hide his joy were smiling from ear to ear almost throw himself for a hug.

"Bastard." Liam grinned at his friend. 

Actually, Duncan was more like a brother to him. He was his senior in high school, the only one who can stand his spiteful remark and never do anything to please him. 

Also the one who always stays beside him in silence, always tells him the truth if he was a jerk that deserves to rotten in hell but tells him that he also deserves to be happy.

Duncan hugs Liam, taps his shoulder and they sit on the leather couch. The jazz music was slowly building up the mood in the room, some women sneaked a peek at those two handsome man and there’s few openly sent signals to them. 

Liam as usual ignored all of them and Duncan already had his beloved wife. The others are only seen as a bug by him. 

“How long are you gonna stay this time? You should help your mother.” His eyes never left Liam. He continued. “These days the resort's business is struggling to keep up with the growth in numbers of new resorts and hotels.”

Liam smirks as he really didn’t care at all.  His mother loved to work, he can imagine she was in high spirits to kill all her opponents.

“My mother wouldn't die just because of that, she would rather prepare for war to kill all of them.”

Duncan nodded. He grew up watching Rowena Anderson build up her family businesses into an empire.

“I know how hard she works.” He was one of the living witnesses of how the woman was a workaholic to the bone. She even became more madness with work after Mr. Marco left her.

Liam looked away, it's a lie if he said he didn't care at all. But he couldn't do the same as her mother. To fully commit to work, to engraves his soul for the 'pride of being succesful'.

“At least you should see her.” Duncan knows that expression of the man in front of him.

He may use hateful words but he can’t hide the gentle nature he had inside. It was twenty years ago, when they were only ten years old. He saw this man cry in sorrow when his cat was bitten to death by a wild fox. He still forgives the wild animal and built a foundation to help animals in the wild, thinking that the fox must be hungry and saw the cat like a delicious chicken.

Of course he did it secretly. It was Duncan that had to run the errand for Liam and now Duncan was one of the public figures who is known as the aristocrat that loves to do charity and do business for funding people to help people.

“Liam, you should just be honest to yourself. It’s time for you to find your happiness.”

Liam’s mother changed his name to her family name after Mr. Marco left. When Liam thought about how her mother got hurt by his father, Liam only stayed silent and hoped that it could ease his mother’s pain a bit. 

Since he was also hurt by his father's choice. And not long after that, he understood why his father left, the nature of her mother’s greed was horrifying. 

Liam grew up as cold and ruthless. Duncan is there, watching him as they grow up together. He felt the pain and sympathy with him. But what he heard next, all the sympathy thought were thrown into a trash can.

“I am happy. I have money, I have time and most importantly I have my looks.” Liam leaned his back comfortably.

Duncan grinned and annoyed. “Don't go coy on me.”

“Don’t throw shit on me.” Liam pressed his chin on his knuckle, and his devilish smile made him look like a living portrait of a far away pince.

Duncan sighs. “Come to my home for dinner when you have time, the kids keep asking when you can come by. The twins said they practice hard on the basketball to beat you this time.”

Liam smiles gently, thinking of the sweet time when he visits Duncan’s house. It was exhausting to play with the ten old boy twins and watching the five years old youngest princess but it was time he felt he had family. 

“Sarah warned me to not let you buy expensive things.” 

“Why, I am a rich uncle.”

“We want to let them live as a moderate and humble... rich uncle.” Duncan pressed the last two words. “The sweet taste of money at a young age can be poisonous."

"Urgh.. Parenting is for parents. Let this uncle spoil his niece.”

Liam wonders how this couple will react when they know that two masters of “tree house” were on the way to their home.

Recently Liam was investing in a small companies that make treehouses for kids. He was bored on the plane and saw a few videos where two friends took a job building a treehouse for free.

He pictures the faces of the twins and the little girl laughing while saying they love their uncle more than their father, and Duncan will cry over due to jealousy. 

Liam makes a phone call, his personal assistant could do all the hard work he just needs to give a word. Easy life. 

Seeing Liam keep silent, Duncan finally says the thing that has bothered him.

“Have you met Brenda yet? She said you were now moving in with her. And you are getting married soon.”

Liam looks confused.

“I haven’t met her since the engagement party last year, it’s been half a year now.” Liam scoffs and thinks about her mother's favorite toys, Brenda Hudson. The celebrity daughter that caught world attention when she inherited billions of her grandfather's money.

“She only saw you for an hour that day, I don't understand how she can be so obsessed with you that she can’t even think straight.”

Duncan admits that the man in front of him was more than good looking. He was like one of the characters in a movie about a charming CEO who was wounded and needed love to cure him.

But thinking back, he is one of the characters. He sighed but Liam kept his eyes on his phone. Feeling Duncan's eyes bore into him, Liam then speaks.

“She's just a spoiled brat that couldn't help to have everything gorgeous in her grasp. She was a psycho.”

Duncan tries to say something but soon closes his mouth as Liam has standing up from his seat, loosening his few buttons. 

“High-end party.” Liam shrugged and continued. “I will come to see the kids this weekend.”

They both chuckle lightly, Duncan nodded and Liam walks towards the lift, going up to the highest part of the building. The sky bar where the party was held.

***

The sound of a buzzing alarm woke Casandra. 

Minutes ticked by before she realized where she was. Casandra rolled over, covering her head with a soft pillow that was covered by soft silk linen.

It was unbelievable. She groaned into the pillow silently, afraid that she would wake the unknown gorgeous human being who was sleeping soundly beside her.

She moved the pillow from her face and took a peek at the man and stared at his hand. The hand that looked soft and gentle yet was rough every time it touched her skin.

He was lying flat on his belly exposing his bare back to her eyes. He had the smooth, tight muscle of someone who was athletic but didn’t spend his days as an athlete.

“Beautiful…” She whispered. She closed her eyes and her cold palm touched her flushed cheek.

She moved her hand and wanted to touch it but she clenched her fist stopped mid air. 

It was an amazing and satisfying night. The warm sun awakened her from the sweet dream and she looked at the stranger beside her. A sweet mistake, getting drunk and sex with a stranger.

Last night she finally free from her dead father's debt, the five years seems not too long but it felt ten times longer since the first time she shouldered the responsibility.

George let her wild self indulge with the feeling of freedom. They drink, laugh, drink again and dance, and drink while flirting with handsome men. But no one is as attractive as him. 

The man that sat besides Rachel, his hand was stroking his silky hair. His lips smack lightly before smile. His hazel eyes look at you when you are talking but he politely declines the affectionate with gentle rejection. 

A blondie tries to seduce him, Rachel almost smacks the woman with her leather purse. George tries to stop Rachel who almost lost her temper. Carol sneakily kissed the man, but he just avoided it by putting a cold glass of beer to her mouth.

He looked quite annoyed and uncomfortable but stayed calm, fixing his hair again and he caught Cassandra's eyes.

Cassandra moved her right eyebrow towards Rachel, he just stared at her and slowly showed a charming smile. His jaw moving a bit, he cares his thumb on his lips lightly, his elbow on his knees.

The wine must have messed up Cassandra mind, she swallowed her saliva wondering how his lips taste when it touches her lips. Letting out a heavy sigh, clearing her throat she got up.

Without a word she held Rachel's arm, dragged her gently but her grip was firm and strong. Rachel realized it was Cassandra and she immediately shut her mouth. No one messed up with Cassandra, no matter how drunk you are.

Cassandra put Rachel to sit beside her man. That man raises her glass to Cassandra.

“Something was off.” She talked to herself. The sour scent of the alcohol let her see her own memories clearly. 

Now the soft bed and comfortable sheet felt like a sin and guilty towards herself.

"Urgh."

For the second time reality slapped her hard. He was Rachel's boyfriend.