Chapter 71 A big-ass, scary, gun-wielding dog.

Liam leaned back in his chair, rubbing his stomach in satisfaction as he finished the last bite of the pie. Ann really outdid herself. The sweetness of the caramelized apples mixed with the buttery, flaky crust made it easily one of the best things he’d ever eaten. He had to admit, if she kept making food like this, having her live with him would be heavenly.

But right now, he had somewhere to be.

Glancing at the time, Liam pushed himself off the chair and headed straight for his small wardrobe. He pulled out an old money outfit—a fitted dark green blazer, a crisp white button-up shirt, and tailored black pants. Classic. Elegant. Wealthy.

He had no idea what exactly he was going to do at Ella’s place, but he figured it was best to look like he belonged in high society.

Just as he grabbed the iron and began pressing his clothes, he suddenly felt a presence behind him.

"You going somewhere?"

Liam didn’t even need to turn around. He already knew Ann was standing there, arms probably crossed, her sharp eyes studying him with curiosity.

Without looking up, he simply nodded. "Yeah."

There was a brief pause before Ann stepped closer.

"Where?"

He kept his voice casual, like it was inothing special.

"Meeting up with Ella Reece."

Silence.

Liam smirked as he continued ironing, waiting for the reaction he knew was coming.

"No way."

He could practically hear the disbelief in her voice.

Then came a short laugh before she smirked.

"Be serious, Liam. Going to meet Ella Reece? Really?" She leaned against the doorway, crossing her arms. "Do you think I’m dumb?"

Liam simply shrugged.

"I could explain everything, but you wouldn’t believe me anyway."

Ann narrowed her eyes at him. "Try me."

But Liam didn’t bother arguing. Instead, he neatly folded his ironed clothes and grabbed his watch from the bedside table, strapping it around his wrist.

Ann sighed. "Fine. Be mysterious. But when you come back, you’re telling me everything."

He only grinned in response before heading out the door.

---

As Liam walked down the street, he found himself heading toward Lana’s house.

He still remembered his promise.

Lana had asked him to look after her father in case he got thrown out again.

And knowing how dysfunctional that household was, Liam had a strong feeling that time had already come.

Sure enough, as he stepped onto the front porch, the door swung open violently.

"GET OUT, YOU USELESS DRUNK!"

Lana’s mother shoved her father out, her face twisted with anger and disgust.

The man stumbled forward, his movements sluggish, the heavy scent of cheap alcohol clinging to him like a second skin.

Liam sighed.

Again?

It was the same routine.

Every. Single. Time.

And just as she was about to slam the door shut, Liam’s hand shot forward, stopping it with ease.

No matter how much she pushed, it didn’t budge.

Her sharp gaze snapped toward him, filled with annoyance.

"Who the fuck are you?"

Liam furrowed his brows, his tone neutral but firm.

"I’m Liam. Your neighbor."

She scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"Of course, I know who you fucking are, you dumbass idiot."

Her voice was sharp and grating, her words laced with venom.

Then, with a slow smirk, she leaned forward slightly.

"Now, scram away from my door before I punch the teeth out of your mouth."

Liam’s jaw clenched.

His fingers curled into a fist at his side, and for the first time, he truly understood why Lana was always so aggressive with her mother.

This woman.

She wasn’t just rude—she was vile.

No wonder Lana had such a tough personality.

Growing up in a house like this, with a mother who cursed like a sailor and a father who drank himself half to death, she had no choice but to become fierce.

Liam took a slow breath, forcing himself to calm down.

If this woman was a man, he swore her teeth would be rolling on the ground by now.

But his mother had taught him never to raise his hand against a woman.

And as much as he wanted to make an exception, he would respect that rule.

Unless, of course, his life depended on it.

For now, though, he simply stood there, unmoving.

He wasn’t going anywhere.

And neither was her husband.

This wasn’t over.

Not even close.

He eventually let out a deep sigh, rubbing his temples as he stared at the woman blocking the doorway. This lady was something else.

"Look, before Lana left, she told me to watch after her father." His voice was calm but firm, his patience hanging by a thread. "But here’s the problem—I have a very important appointment coming up, and I really don’t have time to babysit this situation."

Lana’s mother raised a brow, unimpressed.

Liam exhaled sharply, crossing his arms.

"So, I’d really appreciate it if—for just one night—you two could at least try not to fight." He emphasized each word. "Just. For. Today."

For a moment, he thought she might actually listen.

Then, suddenly, she scoffed.

"So that bitch told you to watch after me?"

Liam froze.

His jaw dropped.

His brain needed a solid five seconds to process what she just said.

Did she just call her own daughter a bitch?

Liam’s fingers twitched as he clenched his fists.

This woman...

Slowly, he exhaled, trying to keep his voice steady.

"That bitch... is your daughter."

His tone was dangerously low, his patience cracking.

Then his voice rose.

"What the fuck is wrong with you? What the fuck is wrong with this entire house? Can’t you two idiots just work out your damn differences and support your daughter for once? Do you have any idea how hard she’s working? How much she’s sacrificing? And instead of helping her, you’re making her life a living hell! It’s affecting her career, her future, and all you do is fight like immature children!**"

Lana’s mother’s expression darkened.

But she didn’t seem to care about anything Liam said.

The only thing she heard was ’idiots.’

Her brows furrowed tightly as she took a slow, threatening step forward.

"Did you just call us... idiots?"

Liam didn’t hesitate.

"Yes. I did."

They were nothing more than idiots.

For the first time, silence filled the air.

Then, without a word, Lana’s mother turned around and disappeared into the house.

Liam smirked.

Oh, she’s mad? Too bad.

Did she think he was going to run away because of the way she stormed off?

Nope.

He was Liam Carter.

If she thought she could intimidate him—

Click.

The sound of a gun cocking made his entire body stiffen.

What the—

His head snapped up just in time to see Lana’s mother stepping back outside.

With a fucking hunting rifle.

Liam’s smirk instantly vanished.

His brain short-circuited.

Oh, hell no.

"Yo, yo, yo, I was just joking!" His hands shot up instantly.

"You don’t need to bring a gun!"

His heart slammed against his ribcage.

His instincts screamed at him to run.

"This bitch is actually gonna kill me!.

Liam didn’t wait for her to shoot.

His survival instincts kicked in full force.

He turned and sprinted.

Not just ran.

Sprinted.

He didn’t even bother using the stairs. Instead, he jumped clean over the porch’s fence, landing on the pavement with a loud thud before taking off down the street.

His legs moved on pure adrenaline.

He didn’t stop.

Didn’t look back.

He could hear her laughing behind him, calling him all sorts of names, but he didn’t care.

His brain had one priority.

Escape.

"I tried my best, Lana!" he muttered under his breath as he ran.

"The fate of your father is in the hands of God now!"

His lungs burned, his legs ached, but he didn’t stop until he finally reached his own house.

Safe.

Slamming the door shut, he collapsed against it, panting hard.

His chest rose and fell rapidly as he wiped the sweat off his forehead.

Holy shit.

That was way too close.

Just as he was trying to catch his breath, a face suddenly popped out from the hallway.

Liam almost jumped out of his skin.

Ann.

Her face was covered in some kind of thick, creamy face mask.

"Why are you panting?" she asked, tilting her head. "You look like you’ve seen a ghost."

Liam stared at her, still breathing heavily.

No way was he going to tell her what actually happened.

That would crush his dignity.

So instead, he forced a straight face and muttered,

"I got chased by a dog."

Ann blinked.

"...A dog?"

Liam nodded firmly.

A big-ass, scary, gun-wielding dog.

Ann just shrugged and turned away, clearly not buying it but not bothering to push further.

As she disappeared back into her room, Liam slumped against the door and closed his eyes.

Tonight was already way too much.

And he hadn’t even left for Ella’s place yet.

What the hell was his life?

****

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