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Liam's Pov
Our food arrived, plates steaming, coffee hot. I dug into mine, the flavors instantly grounding me back to New York—crispy bacon, golden yolk spilling over toast, strong black coffee cutting through the heaviness.
Across from me, Emma delicately spread avocado across her toast, her posture as precise at a diner as it would be at a business lunch.
For a while, we just ate in comfortable silence, the kind of ease only built over years. The city moved on outside the window and my mind was going through today's agenda
Meeting with the District Attorney in just a couple of hours.
Meeting John at midnight.
I was halfway through cutting into my eggs when Emma leaned forward, fingers loosely curled around her tea cup.
"So," she began, her tone calm but with that glint of victory in her eyes, "the contract's been amended."
I looked up. "They accepted your terms?"
She smirked, faint but triumphant. "Every last one. I went over the revisions three times, just to be sure. The changes you suggested—they're solid. Ironclad." She took a slow sip of coffee, savoring it. "The deal's locked in. We're looking at around one-point-five million from this game sale."
I set my fork down, leaning back in the booth. "One-point-five?" I repeated, still a little surprised by the number.
She nodded, her expression perfectly steady, though I caught the flicker of pride in her eyes. "All profit. No overhead, no bloated expenses. Just me, a handful of fresh graduates, and a bunch of interns. They wanted to prove themselves, and… well, they did."
I smiled at her, giving her a long look. "You pulled it off, Emma. Sure, the interns and the new grads did their part—they proved themselves, no doubt but let's not sugarcoat it.
The reason it all came together wasn't luck or raw talent. It was you.
You worked harder than anyone else in that room, carrying the weight no one else could. This result—this success—it's your sleepless nights paying off."
Her lips curved, faint pride flickering in her otherwise calm face, but I didn't stop there. I leaned back with a small grin.
"Honestly, I think the real miracle is how you managed all that and still found the time to boss me around. Multitasking at its finest."
Emma narrowed her eyes, a spark dancing in them. "Boss you around? I prefer the term "manage."
I chuckled, raising my coffee in mock toast. "Call it whatever you want, but I've never seen a CEO who can both conquer the gaming market and still make sure I eat my vegetables."
She tried to hide it, but the corner of her mouth betrayed her—just the faintest smirk breaking through her icy composure
But it vanished as quickly as it appeared, replaced by her usual businesslike mask. "You'll be getting your share. Seven hundred and fifty thousand. I'll have it wired to your account."
I blinked. "What? No. That's not—"
"Yes," she interrupted, firm as steel.
"Emma," I said, shaking my head, "the money belongs to the company's future. Use it for expansion and development. I didn't invest for profits or payouts. I invested because I believed in you."
Her eyes narrowed, and she leaned closer, voice lowering, but the force of it hit just as hard.
"You were the only investor. The only one who gave me a chance and since then? You've been covering rent, groceries, every tab when we went out. You've carried us on your back, Liam. Don't stand there and tell me you don't deserve this."
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "It's fine, really. I don't need the money."
[She's right, you know] Eve's voice slid into my mind, calm but cutting. [It's Yours. Every cent]
I frowned slightly, keeping my face neutral so Emma wouldn't notice. 'Eve, don't start.'
[Don't start? Liam, you're forgetting something important. You keep thinking all this was done by the 'previous Liam.' But let's be clear—there was no such person. He never existed, not the way people thought]
I pressed my lips together. 'He existed enough. He lived here before I did.'
[No. People might have known the name Liam Harper, but it was an empty shell. You're the one who brought him alive. You're the one who made him real in this world. Everything tied to him now belongs to you.]
I exhaled slowly. Emma tilted her head at me, probably noticing the flicker of hesitation in my face.
"Fifty thousand," I said at last, forcing a smile. "I'll take fifty. Just to make you happy."
Emma's brows shot up, the faintest crack in her icy composure. "Fifty? Absolutely not. You'll be taking atleast two hundred and fifty thousand at minimum. That's final."
I glanced at my coffee, fighting the urge to laugh. She really wasn't going to let this go.
Eve chimed in again, softer this time. [She's not wrong, Liam. Stop undervaluing yourself. This isn't just about money—it's about recognizing what you've built. What you've become.]
I let out a long breath, finally looking up at Emma. Her eyes didn't waver, stubborn as always. I couldn't win this one—not against her, not against Eve.
"Fine," I muttered, cracking a small smile. "Two-fifty. You win."
Emma's serious mask broke instantly, replaced by that rare, victorious smile—the one that made her look less like a cold beauty and more like someone alive, radiant. She leaned back against the booth, satisfied, her shoulders easing for the first time that morning.
"Good," she said simply, spearing a piece of pancake with her fork. "Because I wasn't going to let you walk away with less."
I shook my head, chuckling as I picked up my bacon. "You really don't know how to lose, do you?"
She smirked faintly. "Not when it comes to you."
[She's right again] Eve murmured, her tone almost teasing. "You're just that special, golden boy."
I tried to mask the warmth rising in my chest with another sip of coffee, but both of them—Emma across from me, and Eve in my head—knew they'd won.
I pushed my plate slightly aside and pulled a folded document from my bag.
"Emma, there's something important I need you to sign," I said, keeping my tone even.
Her brows lifted, a hint of suspicion flickering in her eyes. "Sign? Here? Over breakfast?"
"It's just a disclosure," I clarified. "It states I'm only a silent partner in your company. No decisions, no involvement in operations—you're the only one running things and making decisions. With my new job at the DA's office, it's safer this way. Protects both of us if anyone tries to twist facts."
Emma stared at me, quiet for a moment, the edge of her fork resting against her plate.
Her cool, composed expression softened just slightly as she studied me. "You really think ahead, don't you?"
[Listen to Mr. Responsible] Eve's voice drawled in my head. [Most people are worried about their coffee being too hot. You? You're already writing up legal shields over breakfast]
Emma picked up the pen I slid across and signed without hesitation. "If this protects you, it protects us both. I don't mind."
I nodded "Exactly. It's for both of us. Your competition won't hesitate to play dirty if they find out I'm in your corner. This makes sure we're covered."
[Translation] Eve teased, [he's terrified someone will accuse him of using his shiny new DA job to play corporate knight-in-shining-armor for the ice queen]
I leaned back in the booth, the signed disclosure tucked safely in my folder, but another thought gnawed at me. I hated even bringing it up.
"Emma… there's one more thing." I cleared my throat, fingers drumming lightly against my coffee cup. "About the transfer. Would you… mind if you only wired fifty thousand into my account, and the rest—two hundred—came in cash?"
Her eyes flickered, surprised but not offended. I quickly added, "If you're uncomfortable with that, I understand. It's just—having liquid funds gives me a little more flexibility with the DA's work and, well… other situations. But I don't want it to sound… shady."
For a second, I felt the weight of my own words. It did sound shady.
Then Emma leaned back, crossing her arms, and smirked. "Liam, do you really think I don't trust you?"
I blinked, caught off guard by the warmth under her cold expression.
"If you need it in cash, you'll have it. I'll withdraw it under my name and hand it to you myself. Two days, no questions asked."
"I don't mind if my name comes up on the records," I said quickly. "I don't want to put you in an awkward spot."
But her smirk only grew. "You worry too much. If anyone dares point fingers, let them. I know where my trust lies—and it's with you. Always."
I just chuckled softly and nodded. "Alright. Thank you, Emma."
Her serious face softened into the faintest smile—one of those rare, genuine ones she didn't hand out freely.
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