Naya's heart sank as Liam's voice cut through the evening air. She stiffened, feeling Adrian's quiet presence beside her. Liam's eyes flicked between them, lips curling into a half-smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"Well, well," Liam said, stepping closer, hands in his pockets but his stance sharp. "Mr.....?"
Adrian met Liam's gaze evenly. "Hale. Adrian Hale"
Liam's voice dropped, thick with sarcasm. "Mr Hale, I've been seeing you around my girlfriend a lot lately. Funny how that works, huh? And, just so you know, I don't really appreciate it."
Naya's stomach tightened. Liam's eyes shifted to her, voice softening into something dangerous. "She's taken, Mr. Hale. So you might want to whore off somewhere else."
Without waiting, Liam's hand shot out, gripping Naya's wrist tightly. A sharp sting spread through her arm. Discomfort flickered across her face, but Liam ignored it.
"Sweetheart, let's go inside," he said with a wicked smile, pulling her forward.
Naya tried to resist, but before Liam could tug her any further, a calm voice interrupted.
"You're hurting her."
Both men froze. Liam's head snapped toward the voice—Adrian's. The tension thickened like a storm about to break.
Liam's grip loosened slightly, eyes narrowing as he studied Naya. "Am I, honey?" he asked, voice low.
Naya swallowed hard and shook her head, barely audible. "No."
Liam turned sharply to Adrian, jaw clenched. "Hope you heard that. Stop poking your nose into other people's business."
Without another word, he stalked off, dragging Naya with him. Adrian's gaze stayed locked on their retreating form, his fist clenched and jaw tightened.
They barely made it through the door before Liam shoved Naya hard. She stumbled and fell to the floor, the sharp impact stealing the breath from her lungs. Liam paced the room, his anger barely contained, fists clenched tight. Then, without warning, he bent down and grabbed a fistful of her hair, forcing her head back to meet his gaze.
Naya winced, tears welling in her eyes. Her voice trembled as she whispered, "Liam... you're hurting me."
He sneered, a cruel twist to his lips. "Really? So you had the audacity to cheat on me?"
"No, Liam, I—" she tried to explain, but the words caught in her throat.
His face contorted with fury. "Do you think I'm a child? With the way you were throwing yourself at him? You whore! I always knew there was something in you."
She shook her head, voice breaking. "Liam! How can you say that to me? I've never... I would never do that."
He slammed a finger against her forehead, jabbing roughly. "You think I'm stupid? I'm sick of you. You never fail to ruin my mood."
His words hit like blows, each one digging deeper. "You know what? I'm the only one who can tolerate you. No one else. Not even your own family. So don't even think about leaving me."
Naya's sobs filled the room as he leaned close, voice cold and hard. "I own you, Naya. Get that into your thick skull."