OBSESSIVE LUST

CHAPTER 13

"Mom."

My entire body became immobile where I stood. I was shocked, speechless, and planted in the spot. I can't move like I'm a statue.

My eyes automatically looked over at Liam. He was so relaxed especially his face like he knew mom would appear. As if he had something to do with this.

And then I heard her voice. She was furious, "Don't you dare set your foot on her direction, young woman!" she shouted that made the room keep in silence.

She wagged a finger under Jessica's nose, . "Yes, I left her....but not because I had a choice! That's no justification for you to hurt my daughter! You don't have any right to shame her!" Her voice was cracking with the intensity of her feelings.

Tears streamed from her eyes and running down to her face. I hadn't seen her cry that way in so long. I wanted to run to her, embrace her, but I was fixed in shock.

"Mom," I whispered softly, and my own tears were beginning to fog my eyes. My throat tightened, and my brain switched back and forth between holding in my crying and crying harder. Watching her like that made me realize that I was right for letting her choose her own happiness......because she deserves it

Liam moved closer and his very presence was almost calming and so tender. He put his hand gently on her back, comforting her silently. His silent comforting made my heart pound in a good manner. Even today, with all of this happening, he was the nicest person in the room.

Then suddenly, without warning, Jessica in the rear lost her grip, did not wait a moment longer. Her face twisted into one of fury. "You old crone—!" she shrieked, then slapped mom.

SLAP.

My mother's head jerked to the side. Her face flushed immediately with the blow.

A slap rattled my world like an earthquake. She had slapped my mother. Someone had had the nerve to put a hand on her, and in front of me. Rage burned in me.

I acted before I knew I was doing so.crueelly and swiftly. I slapped my hand across Jessica's face, both cheeks squarely with all the force I could muster. The slap was as loud, as brutal. Her head jerked back from the blow, hair flying, eyes wide with shock. And then I kicked her hard on the knee, and she fell and crumpled to the floor, with a shocked grunt. Her face was a look of agony, her eyes open wide in horror and loathing in equal measure. I struck her repeatedly and repeatedly and repeatedly. My hand throbbed, my arm throbbed, but I didn't care.

The room disintegrated around us. There were individuals yelling—some at me to get me, some simply standing there in shock. But I couldn't hear any of that. I didn't even possess the capacity to hear yelling, the sounds whizzing past me.

Then all of a sudden, I was enveloped by Liam's arms across my shoulders tightly. His voice cut through the pandemonium. "Stop it. Quiet down," he ordered, his own voice flat and dead level.

I gasped, my voice trembling, with tears mixed with my anger. "No! Nobody—nobody hurts my mom!" I cried, my breathing in ragged puffs through my sobs.

Liam held my face in his hands, bracing me against a stare. His hands were warm and loamy. His stubborn stare anchored me, made me stumble under the burden of it.

"Look at me," he whispered. "Scowl at me in the eye." He used a low but unavoidable voice.

I obeyed, my eyes locking with his.

"Okay, good," he breathed, his voice running slack. "Now, listen. They are going to be punished for what they did to you and to Auntie. Just calm down now, okay? Your mother would not want you standing there staring at you like that. She would not want you getting so upset about someone like her. Chill out. That is all that you need to do at this time." His words were direct but concise.

I nodded silently, like a child told to believe. And he stood eyeball to eyeball with the reporter crowd with a voice professional and biting as ice.

"You all go," he brusquely and loudly commanded.

His gaze burned with power. Even I was intimidated with fear. I stood stock still for an instant, praying that perhaps he would do something.

I had been trained for so long to be kind, quiet, biddable. But seeing him now—strong, unyielding—whether that kindness had any place anymore.

Slowly, the reporters and viewers began to disappear. The woman who slapped my mom stood rigid, her mask-like face turned pale. She was shrinking, maybe realizing what storm she had unleashed.

She couldn't make herself step forward. Her gaze flickered, torn between terror and incredulity, as if a spoilt child with stolen items stood before an angry parent. The audacity that had been etched on her features had disappeared, replaced instead with something bordering on pathetic—regret, or at least guilt at having been caught.

Then Liam turned and faced Jessica. His expression hardened. "Take her down the block," he told his bodyguards. "Let everyone see her. shame her." His tone was icy, authoritative. He wanted her shame displayed publicly for everyone to see.

Jessica froze. Her lips parted slightly in shock, the words unspoken but forming in her mouth. Her fists were clenched, as if holding her retainer honor in them. But she did not budge.

He wagged his finger under Klein's nose. "And stay away from Valerie. Or I swear to God, I'll break every bone in your body. Thank your lucky stars that your father is my business partner," he snarled with viciousness.

Klein flinched as if the threat had already landed. He blinked frantically, his own confidence eroded to nothing in the course of a few seconds.

Jessica tried to protest. "What about me?! I am your most popular model! You can't just—" She began to allow venom and contempt into her speech.

Her voice broke—not with fear, but desperation. Her reputation, her celebrity, her pride—all dissolving around her. She hurled the last of her pride in that tirade, but it just ricocheted off Liam like a rock against a stronghold.

But Liam interrupted. His tone was icy, biting. "Why would I need you?" he asked harshly. "Valerie has come to replace you. And from what I've already observed so far, she's superior to you'll ever be." His statement hurt.

Jessica's face twisted—shock, betrayal, anger. Her mouth trembled, and for a moment, she was going to scream.

I gazed at him, stunned. I didn't know what to say. Liam whipped around and hid his face in me with a gentle smile.

"Auntie has assisted me so much," he whispered. "This is the least I can do in return for her. And you… I think you will be an amazing model one day." His words began to soften me up.

My mother took deep breaths, her voice a rough whisper. "Liam is a good man, Valerie."

"I know, Mom," I whispered in response. A small, trembling smile crept onto my lips. For a moment, I was safe.

Then, out of nowhere, a tremendous explosion tore everything apart.

BOOM.

The deafening blast rang through the air. Shouts of terror shot out from the crowd. Pandemonium erupted in all directions, with everyone pushing and shoving to flee the horror. I stood paralyzed, my heart racing wildly.

Amidst the commotion, some arms came around me from behind and hugged me tightly. I was spun around so fast that I could not identify who it was. Everything was spinning around me in circles.....lights, sounds, movements all running into one confused haze.

I could not focus on their face until darkness blinded me, and I fainted.