CHAPTER 305: CHAPTER 305 YOU TWO ARE HAVING SEX

The sound of tires crunching over gravel echoed softly as Liam drove the Cullinan into the factory compound. Dickson had been dropped off at his place earlier, and Liam had taken the wheel for the rest of the way.

He pulled the car into the side lot and killed the engine. Silence reclaimed the air as he stepped out. The cold was biting, but he ignored it, walking calmly through the rusted side entrance into the factory.

Inside, everything was still and dimly lit. His eyes scanned the wide space and landed on the couch. Vanessa lay there, curled up, sleeping peacefully beneath the blanket he had covered her with. Her long hair was spread across the pillow.

Liam walked quietly to her side, adjusted the blanket gently to cover her more properly, then pulled a nearby chair and sat down. His eyes stayed on her for a long while, his mind racing with thoughts he couldn’t quite articulate. Eventually, fatigue weighed his eyes down. He leaned back slowly and drifted off into a light sleep.

——

Hours later, the weak rays of morning light bled through the broken factory windows, casting long lines across the concrete floor. Vanessa stirred. Her eyes blinked open and she stared blankly at the rusty ceiling above her.

Her head felt a little heavy but nothing she couldn’t handle. As her senses came back, she slowly sat up, adjusting the wrinkled gown. Her eyes fell on Liam, who was still asleep in the chair, his arms crossed and his head tilted slightly to the side.

Then the memories hit her like a flood.

Her eyes widened. "Gasp—" She quickly covered her mouth, her face turning bright red.

She remembered everything—the strange heat that took over her body, the madness in the bathroom, the way she clung to him, the kiss. She shut her eyes for a second and whispered, "How am I going to face him when he wakes up?"

She looked at him again. Despite the pounding in her chest, she didn’t look away this time. Instead, her heart softened as the other memory resurfaced. The one where Liam showed up right when she needed him. When she was vulnerable and about to be—

She shut her eyes tightly again, shaking her head.

If he hadn’t come... she didn’t even want to imagine.

Her heart thumped hard in her chest. She looked at him with a kind of warmth and gratefulness she couldn’t explain, but the moment it felt too strong, she looked away again, trying to gather herself.

She stood up quietly, her steps light on the cold floor. She tiptoed away to the bathroom area. Inside, she removed the gown carefully, took a long shower, brushed her teeth, and freshened up.

The water helped clear her head, and by the time she stepped out, she felt like herself again. Her hair was towel-dried and tied back into a loose bun. She changed into a more casual, comfortable outfit: a pair of tight cotton shorts and a slightly oversized t-shirt that stopped just above her thighs. It was the kind of thing she only wore when she was alone in her private space.

She stood in front of the mirror, inspecting herself.

Her porcelain skin had a faint flush to it, her eyes looked clear now, and her lips still had that natural plumpness. Even without trying, she looked hot—effortlessly sexy, in the kind of way that couldn’t be faked. Her figure was perfect, the t-shirt hugging her curves just enough, and her legs toned and bare.

She nodded at her reflection and turned to head back.

But just as she was a few steps away from her computer setup, the silence was shattered.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

She froze.

Her brows tightened as she quickly rushed to the console and tapped into the security feed. The camera zoomed in on the door.

It was Dickson.

She rolled her eyes with a sharp sigh, then hit the button to open the door remotely.

"Jesus," she muttered.

Dickson practically flew in like a gust of excited energy, eyes wide, bouncing on his feet like a kid who had just discovered treasure.

"Hey!" he shouted. "You! Where were you yesterday? You didn’t leave the party with us."

Vanessa’s expression was unimpressed. She folded her arms beneath her chest and narrowed her eyes.

"Didn’t Liam tell you what happened to me?" she asked.

Dickson scratched the back of his neck, looking awkward.

"I-I mean... I didn’t ask," he mumbled.

"Unbelievable," Vanessa muttered, turning away.

"Ahem," Dickson cleared his throat with a loud, deliberate cough. "So... wow," he said as his eyes slowly scanned Vanessa from head to toe. "You look like someone Netflix would cancel for being too damn hot."

Vanessa rolled her eyes. "Why did you jump in like a five-year-old just discovering sugar?"

Dickson grinned. "Because I’m that excited. And because I made a discovery."

He reached for his phone from his back pocket, but as he glanced up, his cheerful expression dropped. His gaze locked on Liam, still asleep in the chair.

"That’s... weird," Dickson muttered, voice dropping. "Shouldn’t he be awake by now?"

Vanessa turned to look at Liam. "You’re right. With the way we’ve been tal.... You’ve being shouting, he should’ve woken up."

Dickson took slow steps toward Liam, his curiosity getting the better of him. He leaned in and poked Liam’s cheek. "Hey. Wake up, sleeping beauty."

Liam’s eyes snapped open like a switch had been flipped. His cold, sharp gaze hit Dickson like a brick.

"What are you doing?" Liam’s voice was dry and low, but firm.

Dickson jerked back a little. "What does it look like I’m doing?" he snapped back, trying to mask the brief flash of surprise on his face.

Liam groaned and rubbed his forehead. He sat upright and let out a slow breath.

"You okay?" Vanessa asked, stepping a little closer.

Liam turned toward her, his face slightly pale, his eyes duller than usual. "Yeah... I’m just sick. That’s all."

Dickson raised an eyebrow, smirking a little. "Sick? That’s rare for someone like you."

Liam didn’t reply.

Dickson’s smug grin widened. "Okay, now seriously... why is Vanessa avoiding eye contact with you?"

Vanessa’s eyes widened instantly. "I’m not avoiding eye contact!"

Dickson pointed at her. "Ha! You answered too fast. Guilty behavior."

Vanessa frowned, her arms crossed, clearly annoyed. Liam just shook his head.

"Dickson, quit messing around. Waking up to see your face first thing in the morning? It’s borderline psychological torture."

Dickson placed a hand over his heart and dramatically staggered backward. "Ouch. My feelings."

Then he turned to Vanessa again. "Come on. Look him in the eyes. Let’s prove you’re not hiding anything."

Vanessa sighed, knowing if she didn’t, Dickson would keep dragging it out. She turned her face and locked eyes with Liam.

But that was a mistake.

The intensity in his gaze hit her instantly. It was sharp, quiet, focused. Her stomach tensed. Her heartbeat sped up. Ten seconds hadn’t even passed when she broke the contact and looked away.

Dickson gasped. "YES! I knew it!"

Both Liam and Vanessa froze.

"What?" Liam asked, narrowing his eyes.

Dickson pointed at them with dramatic flair. "You two are definitely banging."

"What?!" Vanessa almost screamed. "S-sex?!"

Liam blinked. It was as if time paused for him. The word echoed in his head like a broken record.

Dickson nodded confidently. "Yup. That’s the only explanation for that kind of tension."

Vanessa turned toward Liam, trying to say something, anything. But Liam wasn’t listening. He was in his own world, staring at the wall like a man possessed.

Dickson noticed and waved a hand in front of Liam’s face. "Hello? Earth to Liam?"

Liam slowly turned his head to him. "What is wrong with you?"

Dickson shrugged. "Plenty. But don’t change the subject."

"We’re not sleeping together," Vanessa said flatly, arms crossed, face flushed.

"Yet," Dickson added, smirking.

Vanessa turned to glare at him.

Liam finally sat back down, rubbing his temple again. "Can we just move past your nonsense?"

Dickson folded his arms, still grinning. "Sure. But I’m just saying, I’ve been in a lot of rooms with tension before... and this?" He motioned between Liam and Vanessa. "This is some high-voltage stuff."

"Dickson—"

"Alright, alright," he held up his hands. "I’ll shut up. For now."

Liam leaned back into the chair. "Good."

Dickson glanced at Vanessa. "You sure he’s okay?"

Vanessa nodded. "It’s one of those moments when the system messes with him. Makes him sick so he doesn’t get cocky."

Dickson frowned. "His system messes with him? That’s messed up."

"It’s happened before," Liam said quietly. "Doesn’t last long. It’s like a reset switch."

Dickson walked over to the nearby couch and dropped into it. "Still, I don’t get how you’re handling all this. You’ve got people trying to kill you. A system that reminds you you’re not God. And now you’ve got people thinking you and Vanessa are—"

"Shut up," both Liam and Vanessa said in unison.

Dickson just laughed.

Vanessa finally walked over to her desk and pulled up a chair beside it. She needed to focus on something other than the conversation. Anything else.

Liam noticed and asked, "You working on something?"

She nodded. "Trying to scan the area. There might be a few Crimson Hand movements nearby."

Dickson leaned his head back and muttered, "Finally. Back to actual work. As I was saying.... I made a discovery."