Madeline's POV.
I expected the place Liam was staying to be a mansion but it was not, he stayed in an apartment, it was minimalistic, grey and dull.
Dad dropped me here and the housekeeper Mr Jones guided me through the house none of the Fernades members were present, not even Liam, which made me feel at ease somehow.
Mr Jones told me that he had been working for the Fernades family for the past ten years and he came every day in the morning to clean the house and would leave as soon as he was done.
I had no idea where Liam was, would he be terrified when he saw me here?
Does he know I am here?
Is that why he was not here?
Numerous questions flooded my head but I soon realized that I was just wasting my time over such thoughts, I will meet these situations when they come at me.
The apartment had two bedrooms and Mr Jones led me to this undisturbed neat bedroom with a desk, closet and of course a bed.
I started arranging my clothes, my books and all the stuff I hurriedly grabbed before I left home.
After I was done arranging I checked my phone to see texts and messages from Evan and Victoria, warmth spread through my chest as I read their texts which expressed their concerns.
''I am doing absolutely fine, you worrywarts.'' I sent them a voice message in the group chat.
Soon the group chat was filled with messages as Victoria and Evan kept messaging asking me if I was doing fine, I didn't want to tell them the truth yet so I brushed it off by saying that there was some company-related issue but it's all good now.
I hated lying to the people I loved but I couldn't help it, I wondered if I should tell them about this at all.
By 9 p.m. I was hungry and like any hungry individual, I headed to the kitchen, surprisingly Liam's kitchen was stocked, any ingredient that you look for would be found here.
I quickly made scrambled eggs and mashed potatoes for myself and headed to study with my headphones plugged on with sound waves that would help with concentration.
I didn't realise how many hours passed by till I heard noises outside my room.
Scared I unplugged my headset only to hear noises that I was unfamiliar with and somewhat familiar with at the same time.
I hesitated, my fingers trembling as they hovered over the doorknob.
But my curiosity wouldn't let go of me, maybe it was one of Liam's stalkers who thought he was at home, or maybe a robber or a murderer or worse a psychopath who enjoyed killing people slowly but nothing could prepare me for what I saw and whom I saw.
Liam.
Not just him though.
Liam, pressed against the sofa, lips tangled with a woman dressed in red or rather, barely dressed at all. The thin fabric of her dress clung to her body in ways that left little to the imagination and her manicured nails were tangled in his hair.
I froze.
I shouldn't have been surprised. Liam Fernandes, the infamous playboy, the man who had women falling at his feet.
And I had witnessed one of his scandalous endeavours again, fate surely did like playing with me.
Even though I have seen it before, the present sight of it, the intimacy of the moment still sent a dull, unexpected ache through my chest.
Before I could react, the woman's head snapped in my direction, her blue eyes widening as she noticed me.
"What the hell!" she screamed, shoving Liam off her as if my presence had somehow tainted the moment.
Liam almost fell off the sofa, caught off guard, and it was then that his gaze met mine.
His entire body tensed.
His lips, slightly swollen from the kiss, parted in shock, his shirt buttons undone, his brows furrowing as realisation dawned on him.
"Get out," he ordered, his voice cold and detached.
I swallowed hard, my hands turning ice-cold. My feet refused to move, my body rooted to the spot. I didn't know if I should get out of the house or the hall.
I barely managed to take a shaky step backwards before his voice cut through the air again.
"Not you."
My breath hitched.
"Alexandra," he continued, turning his gaze to the woman who was still on the sofa. "You get out."
For a moment, no one moved.
Alexandra's expression twisted her face twisting in anger and disbelief. "Excuse me?" she scoffed, arms crossing over her chest which was filled with hickeys. "Are you seriously-"
"Now," Liam interrupted, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Alexandra let out a bitter laugh, her sharp gaze glaring at me as if I killed her pet.
She snatched her purse off the floor and fixed her dress. "Unbelievable," she muttered under her breath, before glaring at me and murmuring 'f*ck you' before she stormed off, her heels clicking as she left.
The sound of the door slamming echoed through the apartment.
And then, silence.
Heavy. Unbearable. Uncomfortable.
Then he moved suddenly, and my breath hitched but he moved to the other side to the other door, to his room and suddenly I relaxed.