Chapter 29: The Assault
Eliana stepped forward to refill their water, her gaze fixed on the table to avoid eye contact. She felt the heavy, predatory stare of the older man, and it made her skin crawl. As she leaned in to reach the carafe, Otunba didn't just look. His hand shot out, his thick fingers gripping Eliana's thigh with a proprietary squeeze that made her gasp.
"Tell me, my dear," Otunba sneered, his voice loud enough for the neighboring tables to hear. "How much for a girl like you to forget she has a shift this afternoon? I have a suite at the Eko, and I'm feeling generous."
Eliana froze, her face turning a deep shade of mortified red. She tried to pull away, but his grip tightened. "Please, sir... I'm just serving your lunch," she whispered, her voice trembling. The manager was watching from across the room, but he turned his head, unwilling to offend a man of Otunba's status. Eliana felt the familiar weight of helplessness—the same weight that had driven her to the Night Rose. But before she could speak again, a hand like an iron shackle clamped down on Otunba's wrist.
"Let her go, Otunba." Liam's voice wasn't loud, but it had the vibration of a low-frequency hum before an earthquake. The temperature at the table seemed to drop twenty degrees.
Otunba looked at Liam, his expression shifting from amusement to shock. "Liam? It's just a waitress. Don't tell me the Sterling heir is a moralist now."
"I said, let her go," Liam repeated, his grip on Otunba's wrist tightening until the older man's face twisted in pain. "The deal is off. My company does not partner with animals who can't keep their hands to themselves. Get out of my restaurant before I have my security drag you out through the front door."
Otunba sputtered, his ego bruised as much as his wrist. He stood up, knocking his chair back, and stormed out without a word. The restaurant fell into a stunned silence. Eliana stood there, trembling, the water carafe still clutched in her hand. She looked at Liam, her eyes wide with a mixture of shock and a strange, dawning recognition. She didn't know he was the CEO of Sterling Holdings; she only saw the man who had seen her as a human being when the world saw her as a target.
"Are you alright?" Liam asked, his voice softening in a way that would have shocked his board of directors. Eliana tried to find her voice, but her throat was tight. She nodded once, frantically. By the time she managed to swallow the lump in her throat and whisper a "Thank you," Liam had already stood up, tossed a heavy stack of bills on the table to cover the untouched lunch, and walked out. He didn't look back. He didn't want a thank you. He felt a sudden, inexplicable urge to be alone. . And Eliana, watching him disappear through the glass doors, felt a spark of hope she hadn't felt in years.