Chapter 81

Emma was being childish; there was nothing to see. Liam tucked her into bed. Suddenly, a hand grabbed him. "Liam…" Emma woke, her large eyes fixed on him.

"You're very naughty. How much did you drink?" Liam asked.

"Not much… Hug?" she replied.

Naughty people didn't deserve hugs, Liam thought, swallowing his retort. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her. She smelled nice.

"And a kiss." Uncaring of his expression, Emma looped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

Their lips met in a deep kiss, desire flaring. Emma kissed him until he felt suffocated. She opened her eyes, gazing at him. "I still want to…"

"What else do you want?" Liam asked.

Emma looked at him obediently. "I still want to… I won't tell you."

"You're not going to tell me?" Liam leaned over, subduing her. Confused, Emma didn't react as the wheelchair-bound Liam pulled her onto the bed. A masculine aura enveloped her, impossible to resist.

He murmured, "What else do you want?" kissing the back of her neck.

An itch consumed Emma. "I still want to have a baby… I don't want a baby, but I want to make one…" she mumbled in a daze, swept away by passion before fully registering her words.

Waking the next day, Emma's body ached; she couldn't remember anything. 'What happened? Did I get drunk and mess up?' she wondered. Yet, it seemed impossible. 'Is Liam finally abandoning his pretense of being unable to walk?'

Astoma looked puzzled, the phone by the bed vibrating. Lanchas helped her charge it; Emma's face flushed.

Picking up the phone, she tried to sound calm. "Hello?"

"Madam, you're awake?" a voice said.

"Levi?" Overjoyed, Emma heard his voice. His call signified his recovery from the Watery Garden explosion and subsequent coma. "Madam, thanks to your quick thinking, I saved Mr. Hall. I've recovered and returned to work for him."

Emma nodded. "That's good. Liam has taken over Halls Group and needs your help."

Levi replied, "Yes, I will assist Mr. Hall. He said the driver will bring you to headquarters after you wake up. He has a surprise for you."

"Oh? Really?" Anticipation surged. However, rising, Emma felt unbelievably weak. 'What exactly happened last night?' she mused.

At Halls Group headquarters, Emma was ushered into the directors' lounge, separated from the conference room by glass.

"Mr. Liam, it's not that we don't want to cooperate. We've been working with Mr. Brad; we need time to adapt," Brad's trusted aide stated, clearly dismissing Liam. The shareholders were waiting to see how things played out; the CEO change remained unconfirmed. Factions hesitated, hindering operations.

Liam remained calm. Levi, beside him, said, "You're all shareholders. A falling share price won't benefit you."

"But that's not what Mr. Brad told us," a shareholder retorted.

"Construction's started on several projects; stopping them is unrealistic," another added.

"This is a major decision; we must wait for Mr. Brad," a third chimed in.

Liam cut through their excuses. "Brad won't be coming back."

The board exchanged glances.

"This… can't be, right?" someone asked.

"Didn't Mr. Simon give Mr. Brad the Vark College project recently?" another questioned.

Liam's resolve subtly shifted their attitudes.

"Mr. Liam… did Mr. Simon tell you something privately?" one inquired.

"Nothing," Liam replied. "But Brad won't return. The Vark College project will be handled by headquarters."

His words held weight. Silence fell.

One shareholder rose angrily. "Mr. Liam, you can't distort the truth. Mr. Brad has overseen many Halls Group projects. He's only temporarily transferred. If you want his position, heal your legs first."

Overhearing from the other side of the glass, Emma frowned. "Who is he?"

"Ivan Foster, Mr. Brad's right hand man," the secretary replied. 'Ivan Foster. He attacked Liam personally. How annoying,' Emma noted mentally.

Emboldened by Ivan, the shareholders began to leave.

"Mr. Liam, I have a meeting," one said.

"I'll leave first," another added.

"I must supervise the West Ocean project," a third interjected.

Before the meeting concluded, they departed, clearly disdaining Liam.

As they opened the door, Liam, in a suit and leather shoes, stood. His voice, deep and laced with threat and anger, boomed, "Who gave you permission to leave?"

Everyone turned, dumbfounded. Liam stood. All eyes fell on his legs. It was true.

He walked over, cold expression fixed. "My legs are fine. So? Do you need me to fire you personally, or will you resign?"

Stunned silence filled the room. Only Levi gave Emma a silent thumbs-up, indicating Liam's surprise. She returned the gesture. She knew, but seeing it with her own eyes was still shocking. His long ordeal was finally over.

"Your legs… recovered?" someone stammered.

Liam sneered. "What do you think?" He paused. "Not only have I recovered, but I have two pieces of news. The Supreme Court sentenced Elsie to five years. I also have evidence of Elsie and Brad's plot regarding the plane crash. Elsie, and the Mr. Brad you're so loyal to, will both go to jail."