Chapter 1 Rebirth

"Is it so painful to be with me?"

A low, raspy voice reached her ears, and Olivia struggled to raise her eyelids.

The tall figure in front of him was in a trance.

On the ceiling, a flurry of crystal lamps and pendants glowed somewhat harshly under the light source.

The blurred vision gradually cleared, and the man's deep, delicate silhouette came into view.

"Liam, stay back!"

Olivia's pupils constricted, and she shoved Liam violently.

The tray of food and coffee was instantly knocked over, spilling everywhere on Liam's expensive, stiff suit, and the hand holding the tray was red with coffee burns.

Liam·Smith stood there, his deep, dark eyes fixed on her.

The stoicism, the loss, the heartache.

It was a long time before he spoke in a self-deprecating, astringent voice, "Fine, I'll go."

The loud slamming of the door startled Olivia into sudden sobriety.

She ... Isn't she dead?

Died in an abandoned warehouse on the day Emma and Lucas were married.

With the SOUND OF GUN SALUTE that resonated through the city of Cedarburg at the wedding venue, she was corpsed by a bomb strapped to her body.

The man she loves with all her heart and the sister she treats with all her heart, after using her to bring down the Smith family, keeps her in a cold, cramped basement, where she is humiliated and abused.

Beatings, choking, ...

Emma uses a dagger, picking off her hamstrings and feet, slashing her face, and telling her one shocking truth after another.

"Why do you think Lucas chased after you, but it was just for the shares of the Garcia family in your hand? Who knew that you were able to get on Liam's good side later on and use you to steal the Smith family's trade secrets was a real surprise as well."

"In fact, you should be thanking God that you're alive, once you should have died in the womb of your mistress's mother back then."

"What do you think Liam likes about you? This face? If you hadn't come along, Liam would have been mine. "

"Oh, by the way, this dagger you've been pining for, it's not Lucas', it's Liam's!"

...

On the day of the wedding, Emma said she would use Olivia and Liam's lives to light the loudest salute for the wedding.

So, she was taken as bait to the abandoned warehouse.

She herself didn't believe Liam would come, but he really just did.

His black suit and white shirt were covered in blood, and his body had many wounds, but the figure of him standing in the doorway was tall and tall.

Olivia doesn't understand why Liam went out of his way to save her even though she hurt him so much. She feels like she owes Liam so much, and she doesn't want to owe him another life.

She cried out for him to go, but Liam didn't stop; he walked over to her and embraced her in his arms.

Over and over again, "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you."

Until a huge explosion went off.

...

There was a knock on the door, and Ellie brought the meal to the bed.

Looking at Olivia as she was about to say something, she finally didn't hold back but opened her mouth, "Olivia, why don't you eat something? It'll be good for you and Liam."

A familiar room, a friendly voice.

She was reborn!

Liam... Liam!

Olivia lifted the covers and rolled out of bed, collapsing to the floor just as her toes touched the floor before she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen, and her entire body went limp without any strength.

But she couldn't care less; she stood up and ran for the door.

Looking at the familiar pearwood door of Liam's room, Olivia's mind still can't believe what's in front of her.

She took a deep breath before pushing open the door to her room.

Liam stood looking out of the window, which was open, the wind blowing in and the white sash swaying slightly.

He just stood there quietly watching the light in her room, his tailored suit pants framing his long, slender legs.

Three or five cigarette butts lay in the ashtray on the windowsill, his Elegant Fingers still holding a dying cigarette butt, the scarlet shimmering light flickering on and off.

Olivia couldn't hold back any longer; she rushed over and hugged Liam, resting her head against his back and instantly reddening, "Thankfully, you're still here."

Liam's body stalled, and a ghostly glint swept across the bottom of his eyes.

"Olivia?" said Liam with a hint of uncertainty in his low voice.

Olivia's grip on Liam tightened again, her voice quivering a little with sobs, "It's me, it's me."

Liam's eyes darkened as he braced himself against Olivia's arm and turned around.

Olivia wore a light nightgown, a waterfall of vertical, raven hair that cascaded over her shoulders, her seductive collarbone hidden.

A strange emotion suddenly wells up in Liam's heart, and he takes off his jacket and puts it on Olivia.

"Clothes on." Liam clenched his fists, his voice eerily rasping.

Olivia raised her teary eyes and bit her vermilion lip lightly, "I'm sorry."

"Liam, I'm sorry." Olivia wrapped her arms around Liam's waist and buried her head into his chest.

Liam's deep eyes twitched slightly, flashing full of disbelief.

What did she call him?

Liam was in a trance for a moment but quickly suppressed the emotions that were churning inside him, but his strained voice still revealed how much he was holding back at the moment.

"Olivia, I did make an appointment with you, but if you keep this up, there's no way I can guarantee I'll be able to stay so restrained."

As the president of the Smith family, the most wealthy and powerful family in Cedarburg, Liam was surrounded by too many women: innocent and lovely, flirtatious and alluring, and noble and elegant.

Even so, no one can get into his eyes; in the upper-class circle, Liam is not close to women, and almost everyone knows things.

Unlike Olivia, Liam had spent the last two years holding back and restraining himself, working extra hours and living in his office for no other reason than that ridiculous deal.

"You don't have to commit yourself to anything you want." Olivia's scallion-white fingers climbed to the nape of his neck and clumsily undid his tie.

Where had Liam been subjected to such temptation from Olivia? His body tensed; the blood in his body felt like it was boiling, a rush of heat surging upwards, his head buzzing.

He held Olivia's hand with the last vestiges of sanity and spoke with a little heat in his voice, "Olivia, do you realize what you're doing!"

"I know ..."

With that said, Olivia tugged on Liam's tie, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed him softly with her cherry-red lips.

Her scent hit his face, and Liam's heart skipped a beat, his breath lagging.

No sooner had Olivia's tantalizingly thin lips left than Liam clasped a hand to the back of her head and kissed her heavily, the finely sculpted silhouette slowly enlarging in front of her eyes, the strong taste of tobacco spreading between her lips and teeth.

Olivia reached up and wrapped her arms around Liam's neck, making the kiss deeper. The air inside her chest thins as a blush creeps up Olivia's cheeks.

Liam leaned down and put his arm through the crook of Olivia's leg, picking her up as he did so.

By the time Olivia reacted, she had been thrown by Liam onto the soft goose-down comforter of the vintage solid wood king-size bed.