Chapter 13

Liam walked away from the scene, uninterested in the attention they had acquired due to the accident. At the same time, he felt annoyed that he kept bumping into her.

Whether it was coincidence or intentional, he was staying away from her. Besides, if she was friends with Cole, he doubted he would want anything to do with her. She was probably one of his bimbos.

"Can you give me a scotch, neat?" He asked the man behind the bar, attending to the drinks inside the house. He needed a stiffer drink to relax.

It had been a long day in this new place. He still felt that he had not been able to rest since he had arrived in this city. Fortunately, he only needed to scoop her from the edge of the pool and did not need to dive in. Or, he would be going home wet.

Looking at his watch, Liam decided to finish his drink and go home. Nothing in this party interested him anymore. He could always schedule a meeting with their other clients at another time since most of them seemed drunk.

"Thanks." He took the glass and placed it on his lips, turning around to look for his friend. But he must still be outside, entertaining most of his guests.

Suddenly, Cole came rushing inside the house, dragging that girl with him up the stairs. He could not help but stare at them. His eyes fixed on the girl. She did not seem reluctant to go with his friend as they climbed the stairs.

His gaze remained on the girl as they stopped to argue at the top of the landing. Suddenly, instinct told him that Cole might be forcing the girl, so he intended to butt in, not that he was concerned with that particular girl.

He did not like the idea of anyone pressed to do anything against their will. But when the girl willingly walked with him toward the hallway, he knew he had no right to meddle with them.

He backed away. Anyway.

If not for his grandfather, he would not have sought that girl. He still questioned his grandfather's reasoning for wanting to see her. Why was she so valuable to him?

"Hey, there you are." Liam turned to the source of the voice and smiled, glad to see a friend. "I have been looking all over for you."

He quickly pulled her into a gentle hug and then kissed her on the cheeks before letting her go. "Just grabbing some drink. Do you want one?" He quickly offered, returning to the bar to get her one when she nodded.

"Another two of this." He asked the bartender, raising his almost empty glass, knowing how she liked her drink. "When did you arrive?" He assisted her to the other seat next to his.

"Just an hour ago. I would have come sooner, but I had to deal with some issues first." She answered him as they took their drinks.

"It would have been easier if you were here earlier, Eli," Liam admitted as he took another drink, finally emptying his first glass.

"I think you did just fine without me. I even heard that you became a local hero." She teased him, but he looked at her, confused. "Saving a drowning girl." She added to clarify.

Then, he remembered the incident earlier. He had already buried it in his mind, not thinking of it as anything significant. But, to others, it would seem to be a big deal.

"Where did you hear that?" He finally asked, just for conversation, as he started drinking his second glass.

He never thought that anyone would be interested in that little accident. But who was he kidding? Anything he did was news to the masses.

"Well, girls are starting to whisper about the Prince who saves the day." Eli continued to tease him.

He did not even notice that many girls were looking his way, trying to catch his attention. But tonight, he only had eyes for one girl, his friend, sitting next to him.

Then, his eyes caught the vision of Cole and that girl going down the stairs. Cole ushered the girl in another direction. He could only assume that he was not done with her yet.

But the girl looked different, wearing a beautiful dress compared to her shabby clothes. No wonder Cole was interested in her. She was beautiful indeed.

"That was just some fairy tale. In this scenario, I am no prince who saves the day. I destroy dreams, remember." He smirked at his friend, gulping the remaining liquid in his glass.

His eyes returned to the disappearing figure of the girl as it turned the corner, deciding that nothing good would come out of associating with her. His grandfather would be better off not finding her.

Besides, the girl did not seem interested in his offer. Or else she should have contacted him about it by now. But it would seem she was more interested in associating herself with his playboy friend.

"Would you like to get out of here?" Eli asked him as she finished her drink, placing the empty glass on the table.

He turned his head, slightly scanning the place. He had no idea what he was looking for, but there was nothing else he needed from this place.

"Sure." He stood up from his seat, placing his hand on the back of her dress. Then, he guided her out of the party.

He could feel eyes following them, but he could not care less about them. He was through with this party. All he wanted was to get out of there.

Once outside the house, his driver parked the car at the entrance and immediately opened the door for them. Soon, they were both seated in the backseat of his car.

"Where to?" He finally asked her. "Yours or mine."

"I suggest yours. Mine is still under renovation." Eli answered him as her hands circled his shoulders, pulling him closer to him. "I miss you." She whispered near his ears.

"I also miss you," Liam answered, pulling her body closer to his. He just wanted to find a semblance of normalcy.

Since he had arrived in this place, he seemed to be on edge every day. He wondered if the new business venture was getting into him. But that was not likely since he had been doing this for a long time.

But what could be the reason for his stress that made him seem to lack focus?