Page 133 of Begin Again, Part 1

"Send Eden the details of my off-site meeting tomorrow."

"Yes, sir," Clara nodded. "Will that be all?"

"Get something for bruises and pain. Lunch, too. I don't think she has eaten yet. She likes chocolate croissants, but that's hardly nutritious. I don't know what else she likes. But I'm sure you'll figure something out."

"You mean, Ms McBride, sir?"

"Who else, Clara?"

"Right." She smiled. "I'll get on it."

Liam nodded, dismissing her.

For some reason, Clara thought it was an invitation to speak freely. "It wasn't her fault, sir. Lucy kept bitching about the office renovations. She slapped Ms McBride, and she fought back. Anyway, the point is, I don't think it's fair she got a warning."

"Thank you, Clara." Liam waved her off, trying his best to hide his smile. He wouldn't have expected anything less from Eden. If she had the balls to storm into his office and call him out on his bullshit, taking on another assistant was a piece of cake. He didn't condone violence, but he was secretly pleased she'd fought back.

"Cancel all my appointments for the afternoon after my 3:00 PM," he told her. "And make sure Ms McBride eats something healthy and takes the medication. If she wants to leave early today, tell her she can."

"I'm sure she'll appreciate that." Clara gave him a thumbs up.

Liam jerked his head at the box and painting. "Take that back to her office. I bought them for her. I have no use for them here."

"Yes, sir. I'm on it."

While Clara made a show of grabbing Eden's stuff, Liam watched his ex fume on the couch, and he didn't care.

"She brought your blazer back," his assistant said as she unfurled his jacket. "She took it for dry cleaning, but it got creased when she wrapped the vase with it. Should I get it pressed again?"

"It's okay, leave it there," Liam said, praying Eden's dry cleaning service didn't ruin his jacket. It was a limited edition Burberry piece, and there were only five in the world, including his.

Laura waited until they were alone to throw her toys out of the cart. "Really, Liam? You bought her a Ming vase and a R250K painting? Should I be worried?"

"About?" Liam leaned back in his seat, his hands behind his head.

"Us!"

"There is no us, Laura. We are over. And please don't come back here again without an appointment. In fact, don't come back at all and don't show up at my house. If you want to see your mother, meet her elsewhere."

"I know a lot about you, Li. We can never be over."

The minute the words left her mouth, Liam was instantly on his feet, towering over her on the couch. "Are you threatening me?"

"No," Laura smiled, arching her back as she brought her lips close to his in an attempt to kiss him.

He moved away, recoiling from her touch when she reached up to caress his cheek.

"I know too much about you, darling. Your weekly therapy sessions, the countless doctors you've seen over the years because of your sad problem, and how Eden's at the centre of it all," Laura said, her sultry voice belying the threat in her words. "Mom told me about her dress and underwear hidden in your closet, your mental breakdown when you wanted to rip her clothes, but couldn't. And how she broke you and you've searched for her for two years. Very explosive stuff. It would make for an award-winning exposé on Rock Castle's billionaire playboy, don't you think?"

"Do it!" Liam gritted his teeth. "Tell Scandal, sell the story to Dirt. You'll make enough money to pay off your mother's legal fees for breaching our NDA. Of course, it won't cover even a fraction of my lawsuit. But I'm sure you and your nosy mother won't mind mopping my floors for free for the rest of your lives."

"You wouldn't!" Laura whispered, but the startled look in her eyes told him she knew it wasn't an idle threat.

"Try me, darling," Liam said, the hard look in his eyes matching the warning in his words. "And just when you think the dust from the lawsuit has settled, I'll come after your license, and believe me when I say I'll make sure you never practice law again."

He moved away from the couch, strolled to the door, and held it for her.

"Why her?" She whined as she brushed past him. "What is it about her that makes you lose your mind like this?

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