Chapter 474 Alternative Solution III

Liam leaned slightly closer, his voice low enough to stay between them, steady and direct.

"What I want... is your help."

The lady turned her head fully this time, her eyes meeting his again, but now there was something different in them. The irritation had faded, replaced by something more cautious, more observant. She studied him properly, not just his face but the way he held himself, the way he spoke, the way his gaze stayed locked on her eyes and nowhere else.

That was what caught her.

He wasn’t looking at her the way men usually did.

Not at her chest, not at her body, not even at her lips. His focus had always been her eyes, like he was trying to read something deeper, something beyond the surface. It threw her off balance more than she expected.

A small breath escaped her as realization settled in.

She had misjudged him.

And she had done it fast.

Her grip on the glass loosened slightly as she looked away for a moment, almost embarrassed now, before she spoke again, her tone softer.

"Listen... I’m sorry for the way I acted earlier," she said, her voice carrying a hint of regret. "And I don’t have any money too, so I doubt I can help you with anything."

Liam blinked once, genuinely caught off guard.

An apology.

That wasn’t what he expected.

For a brief second, all the tension he had built up toward her earlier just faded. Just like that. He let out a quiet breath and shook his head slightly.

"I don’t need your money," he said calmly.

Her brows pulled together just a little as she turned back to him.

"I need you to help me with something else."

She stared at him for a moment, then let out a small sigh, her shoulders relaxing just a bit as she glanced down at her wine glass again. Her fingers traced the rim slowly, like she was thinking it through.

"If it’s something I can help you with," she said after a short pause, "then I’m all ears."

That was enough.

A faint smile touched Liam’s lips, not wide, not playful, just a quiet acknowledgment before he leaned in slightly and spoke again.

"I don’t know if you’ve noticed," he said softly, "but Draco has been looking at you."

Her reaction was instant.

Not surprise.

Not curiosity.

Bitterness.

"I know," she said, her voice dropping, a tight edge slipping into it. "There’s no escape for me."

Liam’s eyes narrowed slightly as he watched her.

No escape?

He didn’t fully understand what she meant by that, but he didn’t ask. Whatever she had going on with Draco or this place, it wasn’t his concern right now.

He had a mission.

She exhaled slowly, then looked back at him again.

"What about him?"

Liam didn’t hesitate.

"I need you to go meet him," he said, his tone steady, direct. "Then you remove his phone from his right pocket... and bring it to me."

Silence.

For a second, the noise of the club felt distant between them.

Her expression changed again, this time sharper, more alert. She turned fully toward him now, studying his face like she was trying to figure out if he was serious.

"And why should I risk my life over a phone?" she asked, her voice firm. "What do you stand to give me?"

Liam didn’t answer immediately.

He just looked at her.

Then a small smile appeared, calm, confident, like he already knew the weight of what he was about to say.

"If you find a way to get that phone to me," he said slowly, "I just need to touch it. That’s all. You’ll return it right after."

He paused for half a second, letting that settle.

Then he added,

"I’ll give you a hundred thousand dollars."

She looked at him for a second, then a small smile crept onto her lips, the kind people gave when they thought someone had just said something ridiculous.

"$100k?" she repeated, her tone light but filled with disbelief.

Liam didn’t flinch. He simply nodded once, calm as ever.

Her smile widened a little, almost amused now. "One hundred thousand dollars... just to bring his phone to you, let you touch it, and return it before he even notices it’s gone?"

Liam nodded again, lifting his glass and taking a slow sip like they were discussing something completely normal.

That made her chuckle under her breath. She shook her head lightly, her fingers brushing against the counter as she leaned back a little.

"You can’t be serious," she said.

There was no way.

No one threw that kind of money around for something like this. Not in a place like this. Not for a stranger. It didn’t add up.

She was already shifting her weight, about to stand up and walk away from what she had already decided was a waste of time, when Liam spoke again.

"I’ll give you 50k now," he said calmly, his voice cutting through her movement just enough to make her pause. "And the remaining 50k when you’re done."

That stopped her.

Completely.

She turned back slowly, her eyes narrowing slightly as she looked at him again, this time with more attention, more caution. The confidence in his voice hadn’t changed. That was what made it unsettling.

Still, she didn’t believe him.

Not yet.

Without saying much, she reached into her bag and pulled out her phone, unlocking it quickly before glancing at him.

"You want to send money?" she said, almost mockingly. "Fine."

She took a small breath, then read out her crypto wallet address clearly, each character precise, almost like she was testing him.

"0xA7f3C91b8D2E4F5a6c9B0e12F3d8a7E6b4C1D9F2."

She finished and slipped her phone slightly back into her hand, her lips curving again with that same disbelief.

Of course she didn’t expect anything.

It was sarcasm.

Nothing more.

But Liam had already taken his phone out.

He didn’t rush. He didn’t react to her tone. He just started typing calmly, his fingers moving across the screen with quiet precision.

She watched him for a second, then frowned slightly.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

Liam didn’t even look up. "What does it look like I’m doing?"

A small pause.

"Sending the money."

That made her smile again, this time a little wider, a little more amused.

"You’re just a fluke," she said, shaking her head. "There’s no way you even got my wallet address correctly."

Liam finally looked up at her.

And then, in the exact same tone she had used moments ago, he repeated it.

"0xA7f3C91b8D2E4F5a6c9B0e12F3d8a7E6b4C1D9F2."

Every single character.

Perfect.

Her smile froze.

That wasn’t something you just picked up like that. Not that fast. Not with that level of accuracy. It had taken her weeks to memorize it herself, repeating it over and over until it stuck.

And he just... said it.

Like it was nothing.

Before she could even respond, Liam slipped his phone back into his pocket casually, like the action meant nothing to him.

At that exact moment, her phone buzzed.

She blinked.

Slowly.

Then she pulled it out again, her fingers moving a little quicker now as she opened the notification, her brows pulling together in suspicion.

And then her face changed.

Completely.

The disbelief didn’t come out as a loud reaction. It showed in the way her eyes widened slightly, in the way her lips parted just a little before she pressed them back together. The tension in her neck became visible, the faint lines tightening as she tried to keep herself composed.

But it was there.

Shock.

Real, undeniable shock.

Her eyes scanned the screen again, just to be sure she wasn’t seeing things.

50,000 USD.

Confirmed.

Her grip on the phone tightened slightly as she lowered it slowly, lifting her head to look at Liam again. This time, there was no sarcasm left. No dismissal. Just confusion and something close to disbelief.

"I don’t get it..." she said softly, her voice lower now, almost cautious. "Why are you paying me this much for something so simple?"

Liam didn’t answer immediately.

He just picked up his glass again, swirling what was left inside slowly, watching the liquid move as if he was more interested in that than her question.

Then he shrugged lightly.

"I don’t know," he said, his tone casual, almost indifferent. "Must be your lucky day or something."

But his eyes, when they lifted to meet hers again, didn’t carry that same casual energy.