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Chapter 67: Chapter 67 Vanessa
Liam let out a sigh as he slumped against the counter, staring at Lilith with an expression that made it very clear he wasn’t going to play any of her games tonight. He had done his job, and now he wanted his payment—in a way that didn’t involve him digging through a bag of drug money.
"I ain’t taking drug money," Liam said flatly, crossing his arms. "I want you to transfer it."
Lilith arched an eyebrow, a slow, amused smile playing on her lips. For a brief moment, she simply studied him, as if trying to figure out whether he was being serious or if this was some kind of test. But when Liam didn’t waver, she finally let out a small chuckle and shook her head.
"You’re such a pain."
She reached into her pocket, pulled out her sleek black phone, tapped on the screen a few times, then slid it across the counter toward him.
"Fine. Type your account number."
Liam grabbed the phone without hesitation, quickly inputting his details before passing it back. Lilith barely spared the screen a glance before tapping a few more times, then with a final press of her thumb—
Ding!
Liam’s phone buzzed.
His heart leapt as he quickly pulled it out, his eyes scanning the notification on his screen. And there it was—
$1,000 deposited into your account.
For a brief second, he just stared at it.
Then, slowly, a wide grin stretched across his face.
A thousand dollars.
A thousand dollars sitting in his account.
It wasn’t much compared to the kind of money that circulated in places like this, but to him—
It was everything.
He had been broke for so long that seeing four digits in his account felt almost unreal.
Lilith, who had been watching him this entire time, blinked in genuine surprise.
"Wait... Don’t tell me..." She tilted her head, resting her chin on her hand. "Is this the first time you’ve ever had a thousand dollars in your account?"
Liam, who had been too busy grinning at his screen like a kid who just got his first paycheck, immediately cleared his throat, his expression quickly shifting into one of forced nonchalance.
"None of your concern," he muttered, stuffing his phone back into his pocket.
Lilith smirked, clearly entertained by his reaction, but she didn’t press further.
Liam pushed off the counter, stretching his arms as he turned toward the elevator. Even as he walked away, he kept sneaking glances at his phone, still in disbelief at how easy that money had come. Not just because it was a thousand dollars, but because he had made it in one night.
His first night.
And if he could make this much in just one job—
He couldn’t help but feel excited about what the future held for him in this world.
The elevator doors slid shut behind him, leaving Lilith alone once again.
A few seconds later, a door to one of the private rooms quietly swung open, and Leo casually strolled out, his hands tucked into the pockets of his black suit pants.
"So?" he said as he walked toward Lilith. "What do you think?"
Lilith exhaled through her nose, clicking her tongue as she lazily spun the empty wine glass in her hand.
"He’s a gem," she admitted. "A rough one, but still a gem."
Leo hummed in agreement, his sharp eyes lingering on the elevator doors.
"Let’s see how far he goes, then."
---
Liam made it back to his apartment safely, stepping inside with a tired groan. His body ached all over, the aftermath of the earlier fight finally catching up to him now that the adrenaline had worn off.
The moment he closed the door behind him, he leaned against it for a second, exhaling before dragging himself forward. The first thing he did was kick off his shoes, sighing in relief as his sore feet finally got some air.
Then, he shrugged off his suit jacket, carefully hanging it up in his small, barely-filled wardrobe. As he looked at the clothes inside, he frowned slightly.
He needed new clothes.
If he was going to start rolling with the high-class crowd, he needed to start dressing like them.
No more cheap, worn-out outfits.
No more looking like someone who had just crawled out of a struggling neighborhood.
It was time for an upgrade.
But that was a problem for another day.
Right now—he needed sleep.
He collapsed onto his bed without bothering to change out of his undershirt and pants, sinking into the mattress as exhaustion wrapped around him like a heavy blanket.
Within minutes, he was out cold.
---
The next time he opened his eyes—
It was 11 a.m.
The bright daylight filtered through the cracks of his curtains, casting long streaks of light across his small, barely-decorated apartment.
For a moment, he just lay there, blinking groggily at the ceiling, his body still heavy with sleep.
Then—
Knock, knock, knock.
A loud banging on his front door snapped him fully awake.
Liam groaned, rolling onto his stomach as he buried his face into his pillow.
"Who the hell is disturbing me this early?"
He stayed still for a moment, hoping whoever it was would just go away.
But the knocking came again—this time, louder.
With a grumble, he pushed himself up, rubbing his face as he swung his legs over the side of the bed.
Whoever it was, they better have a damn good reason for waking him up.
Dragging himself toward the door, he yawned, stretching his arms above his head before finally unlocking it and swinging it open.
As Liam pulled the door open, irritation bubbled in his chest, ready to explode at whoever had the audacity to disturb him so early in the morning. But the words died in his throat the moment his eyes landed on the person standing before him.
A policewoman. And not just any policewoman.
She was stunning. Her blonde hair was tied neatly into a ponytail, revealing a sharp, defined jawline and piercing blue eyes that held a glint of authority. Her skin was flawless, smooth with a natural glow that only added to her beauty. Her uniform hugged her curvaceous body in all the right places, the tight fabric straining slightly at her chest, as if the buttons might pop open at any moment. Her toned legs, wrapped in fitted police pants, accentuated her commanding presence, making it impossible for Liam to look away. His gaze briefly flickered to the name tag pinned to her chest, which read Officer Vanessa Carter.
Vanessa crossed her arms, watching him with an unimpressed expression. "You gonna invite me in or just keep staring?"
Liam cleared his throat, quickly regaining his composure. "Sorry about that, officer. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"
She rolled her eyes. "I came by yesterday, but you weren’t home. Same for the day before that."
Liam suddenly remembered Amanda mentioning that a police officer had been dispatched to check on him after his disappearance. But by the time she arrived, he was already gone, taken by Dickson.
Vanessa took out a small notepad and flipped through the pages. "I have a few questions about your kidnapping."
Liam leaned against the doorway. "Shoot."
"Do you know who took you?"
He shook his head. "No idea."
"Did they torture you in any way?"
"Nope."
Vanessa narrowed her eyes. "Then why did they release you?"
Liam shrugged. "I don’t know. One moment I was unconscious, the next, I woke up in my bed like nothing ever happened."
Vanessa studied him for a few more seconds, as if trying to decide whether he was lying. Then, with a sigh, she closed her notepad. "One last thing..." She tilted her head slightly. "I watched the security footage of your kidnapping. You’re a pretty good fighter."
A smirk tugged at Liam’s lips. "I do my best."
Vanessa chuckled before turning on her heel and walking toward her patrol car. Liam’s gaze automatically followed her, his eyes lingering on her back and the way her hips swayed subtly with every step. Without thinking, he murmured under his breath, "Damn, she’s so gifted."
Meanwhile, as Vanessa reached her car, she let out a quiet breath, her fingers tapping lightly against the door. "Damn... he’s hot," she muttered unconsciously before shaking her head.
Luckily, neither of them heard each other.
As she drove away, Liam closed the door and leaned against it, running a hand through his messy hair. His life had taken a sharp turn ever since his suspension from school, but for once, he wasn’t complaining. Things were finally looking up.
That was until—
Knock. Knock.
Liam groaned in frustration. "What the hell?!"
Vanessa had already driven away, so it couldn’t be her. Who the hell was disturbing his morning now?
With an exasperated sigh, he toward the door, ready to unleash hell on whoever was on the other side.
****
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