Chapter 151: Time changes

Neil gazed into her glowing brown eyes, and he saw the kind of gentle beauty and unquenchable spirit that could almost make a man feel like crying. "Has anyone ever told you," he whispered huskily, "that you have the smile of an angel?"

Mia opened her mouth to protest, but he prevented her answer by giving her a hard, swift kiss as if knowing she would deny his compliment. When he pulled back, she looked into his amused gray eyes. "Don’t you think," she breathlessly replied as he rolled her onto her back, "that speaking is a little embarrassing, when you consider what we just did a few minutes ago?"

He muffled a laugh against her throat. "No, but it probably is when you consider what we’re about to do again now."

She tipped her head down to look at him. "What’s that?"

His shoulders began to shake with helpless mirth at her innocent remarks and the mere presence of her, even while his mouth began its slow descent to her lower part. "I’ll show you." He whispered against her skin.

Mia’s breath caught short in her lungs when his head settled between her legs and his mouth covered her entrance. She moaned with sheer pleasure and arched her hips beneath the sensual onslaught of his seeking hands and mouth. She’d never known anything as good as what he was doing to her, and she’d never experienced the joy of being one with a man until minutes ago.

Before she could stop it, a sound escaped her lips in a low, guttural, "mmmm." As she arched towards him.

The laughter faded from Neil’s mind, replaced by something much deeper.

***

Far away from the mountains in Mirage Mesa, the winter night draped the military meeting room in an icy shroud, the full moon casting ethereal light through the frosted windows and illuminating the dim room. Silence, it hung in the room like a rigid rock as the soldiers sat around a long table, the tension palpable, thickening the atmosphere.

At the head of the table, General David Wayner’s stern face loomed, his gaze piercing as he addressed Liam for the second time, his voice a low rumble cutting through the silence. "I will not repeat this again, Thompson. Are these all of the hidden estates and properties of Neil, or is there something you are not telling us?" He waved a paper listing Neil’s hidden properties, each one thoroughly searched without any trace of him in them.

Liam’s expression remained stoic yet grim, his playful visage, gone from all of the things he’d had to face in life through out the years that had passed. He held his calm as he turned to address the general. "General Wayner, with all due respect, I have no knowledge of any other properties belonging to your nephew," he replied evenly, meeting the general’s gaze head-on.

"Why does it seem like you don’t trust me enough?" Liam questioned, his tone firm but respectful. "I have been mourning the loss of my late father during the time of Neil’s escape from prison. I had numerous personal matters weighing heavily on my mind, yet I still made it a priority to attend this meeting, despite no longer being an active soldier."

Three years ago, Liam had decided to leave the military and take full responsibility of the Thompson’s business corporation due to some huge family matters he’d had to face. He’d been a part of Neil’s escape but that, he was going to take to his grave no matter what. He’d made a promise to his friend and not even the general, or anybody else would make him give away his hide out.

Jason however, who was present in the meeting room rose from his seat with an air of disdain, he shot a deadly look at Liam before he turned to David. "General, don’t believe a word from Liam," he spat, his voice dripping with contempt. "Apart from him, Neil trusted no one in this room. If anyone knows where that psychopath is hiding, it’s either Liam or that red-haired boy Kai Martinez, who’s currently unconscious in the hospital!"

Liam shot a heated glare at Jason, his jaw clenching in frustration, but before he could retort, General David intervened, his voice commanding. "That’s enough. Sit down. We don’t have time for this, it’s important we find Neil, he is not only a danger to the world but to himself, at this point, the authorities and the military had searched all the possible places he could be but we’ve got nothing but dead ends. He’s smart, tracking him down won’t be easy for any of us."

"It would be easy if we force Liam Thompson to start speaking," Jason spat out as he glared at Liam with an unhidden hate shimmering in his eyes.

"How about we start by forcing you to start speaking," Liam retorted calmly, "After all it was you who travelled all the way from Mirage Mesa to Novaria just to take him out to the City."

As the tension simmered in the room, Davina, who’d also been summoned for the meeting with her blonde hair cascading around her shoulders and piercing hazel eyes, rose from her seat, drawing the attention of the two men glaring at each other, her voice steady as she addressed General David and the gathered soldiers.

"General, arguing amongst ourselves won’t solve our predicament. With Mia Harrison confirmed as an accomplice, it’s clear Neil’s network extends beyond his properties. Miss Harrison played an important role in aiding him in his escape plans, she’d gone to Novaria because she’d prepared beforehand to aid him all along, we all saw in the video footage how the truck driver had described their relationship, and how "in love" they seemed."

She paused briefly, suppressing the surge of jealousy and anger at the thought of the man she loved being with another woman. She and Neil had known each other longer than he’d known Mia. If he’d informed her of his escape plans during her visit to him in prison two years ago where he had refused to see her, she would have unquestioningly assisted him in leaving the country smoothly. However, he chose Mia Harrison instead, indicating to Davina that she was merely a past fling to him.

Had Neil escaped alone, Davina would not have intervened in his pursuit. But he chose to flee with Mia Harrison, engaging in public displays of affection in front of the truck drivers which Davina found intolerable. She was determined to ensure Neil was captured and returned to prison. She would make him so desperate to escape again that he would turn to her, not someone else.

With her gaze sweeping the room, she continued to speak. "Perhaps it’s time we broaden our investigation. Rayne Wallace, Jason’s little sister, is a friend of Miss Harrison, she could provide us with some valuable insight. Mia likely reached out to her for assistance. Bringing Rayne in for questioning could shed light on Neil’s whereabouts and further unravel his network."

"Davina is right," Jason agreed, "I will get Rayne down her for questioning tomorrow and also get her phone checked if she’d been in contact with her friend."

***

As the tense meeting concluded, Liam made his way towards the exit, his mind still swirling with the events of the day. Just as he reached for the door handle of his car, a voice called out his name from behind. He paused and turned to see Davina approaching him, her midnight blue fur coat matching the solemnity of the night.

"Long time no see, Liam," Davina greeted softly as she closed the distance between them with a smile.

Liam managed a small smile, "Same. It’s been awhile, Davina," he replied, shoving his freezing hands into the pocket of his thick coat. Ever since Neil had been sent to prison, he’d not had the chance to see nor talk to Davina, he’d almost forgotten about her existence until tonight when he saw her sitting in the meeting room. He’d had too much going on in his head for the past few years, she was his least problem to worry about.

Davina’s gaze softened as she said, "I heard about your father, I’m sorry for your loss. How are you coping?"

"I appreciate your condolences," His smile faltered slightly, replaced by a hint of discomfort. "I’m coping just fine," he replied, his tone strained.

Davina’s brow furrowed in false concern. "Are you sure? The last I heard, you are having some issues with your stepbrother. It’s been all over the entertainment news lately."

Liam’s expression darkened at the mention of the stepbrother he never knew he had until the day his father passed away, the thought of him alone made him clench his fists inside his pocket. For so long, he had believed himself to be his father’s only son, only to discover otherwise when the young man showed up ready to fight for the Thompson’s wealth. The revelation had left him grappling with a complex mix of emotions, none of which he was eager to discuss with Davina or anybody.

Changing the subject, he went straight to the point,"Why did you stop me, Davina?"

Davina’s smile faded at Liam’s bored inpatient tone. Noticing that he wasn’t as friendly as he used to be in the past with her, she decided to go straight to the point of why she’d stopped him instead of pretending she cared about his loss and his issues with his stepbrother.

"Liam, we’ve been friends for a long time, and for the sake of our friendship and Neil’s well-being, it’s best if you share any information you have on Neil’s whereabouts. He’s not well, and he shouldn’t be out there. You—"

Before Davina could finish, Liam interrupted firmly, "I’ve made it clear in meeting room, Davina. I have no knowledge of this. If that’s why you stopped me, you’re wasting both our time."

If his earlier tone hadn’t already indicated his reluctance to engage in any conversation with her, his next words, devoid of emotion, made it clear. "I have other obligations, Davina. Please don’t waste my time."

His words lingered heavily as he turned to leave, but Davina’s voice stopped him in his tracks again. "You’ve changed, Liam. What’s going on with you?"

Liam turned back to face her, a small smile playing on his lips. "Time changes, so do people," he replied cryptically, his gaze lingering on Davina for a moment before he climbed into his car and drove away, leaving her standing there with furrowed brows.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read