Page 17 of Liam (The Valeur Billionaires #4)

Chapter Ten

ALERIA

I stumble into my apartment, kicking off my torturous heels with a groan of relief after a long day at a conference. An official-looking envelope on the floor catches my eye, but I step over it, too exhausted to deal with what's likely another bill.

My cat, Schrodinger, watches me from his perch on the couch, tail swishing.

“Well, Schrodinger, I’d say that the conference was simultaneously a disaster and a success. Much like your namesake’s famous thought experiment.”

Schrodinger blinks at me, unimpressed.

I launch into a dramatic retelling of my evening, my hands painting pictures in the air. “I’m striding toward the podium, confidence oozing from every pore. My PowerPoint is primed, my data dazzling, and I’m about to blow their minds with my groundbreaking research.”

I pause for effect, and Schrodinger’s tail twitches in what I choose to interpret as anticipation.

“But then,” I continue, my voice dropping to a staged whisper, “disaster strikes. My heel catches on a non-existent wrinkle in the carpet. Time slows down. I’m falling, Schrodinger, falling in full view of the entire scientific community.

My life flashes before my eyes. All those hours in the lab, all those missed parties, all leading to this moment of gravitational betrayal. ”

I fling myself onto the couch, arm draped over my forehead. “I land in a heap of mortification and overpriced polyester right at the feet of Dr. Harriet Weinstein. You know, the one who wrote that scathing review of my last paper. The universe has a sick sense of humor, doesn’t it?”

Schrodinger meows, which I take as agreement.

“Can you believe it?” I ask, sitting up and locking eyes with my feline confidant. “Years of education, months of preparation, and I’m undone by my own feet. If there was ever proof that the universe is chaotic and uncaring, this was it.”

Schrodinger yawns, showing off his tiny fangs.

“I know, I know. It’s hardly surprising at this point.” I sigh, leaning back into the cushions. “But here’s the kicker. Liam was there.”

At the mention of Liam’s name, Schrodinger’s ears perk up. I narrow my eyes at him. “Don’t tell me you’re on his side now. Traitor.”

My cat just blinks, so I continue my tale. “He was infuriating like always, strutting around like he owned the place. Which, okay, his company was sponsoring the event, but still! The nerve of that man, acting like a complete buffoon. Can you believe it?”

In response, Schrodinger stretches and hops off the couch, padding toward his food bowl.

“You’re right, of course I can believe it,” I mutter. “It’s Liam, after all.”

My gaze falls back to the envelope on the floor. With a resigned sigh, I bend to pick it up, the paper crisp between my fingers. The return address makes my stomach clench—it’s from the landlord.

“Great,” I mutter, tearing it open with more force than necessary. “Just what I need after today. Another?—”

My voice trails off as I scan the letter, eyes widening with each line. The paper trembles in my hand.

“Schrodinger,” I whisper, then louder, “You won’t believe this.”

My cat pauses mid-chew, looking at me with mild interest.

“The rent—they’re lowering it. All those letters I’ve been writing for months, they actually worked!”

I do a little dance in the middle of the living room, the letter clutched to my chest. Schrodinger watches, tail twitching, as I twirl past him.

“Do you know what this means?” I ask, kneeling to scratch behind his ears. “I won’t have to choose between paying the electric bill and sending money to Mom and Dad.”

Schrodinger purrs, rubbing against my hand.

“You’re right, buddy,” I say, grinning as I scoop him up for a celebratory cuddle. “Maybe the universe isn’t so chaotic and uncaring after all. Or at least, it’s chaos with a side of unexpected kindness. ”

Just then, my phone buzzes. I fish it out of my purse, smiling when I see it’s Mia.

“Hello, fellow scientist extraordinaire,” I answer.

Mia’s laughter crackles through the speaker. “So, how was the conference? Did you dazzle them with your presentation?”

I snort, kicking my feet up onto the coffee table. “Close. I think I charmed them with my ability to trip over absolutely nothing.”

“Ah, the old Aleria special. Works every time.”

“Hey,” I protest, but I’m laughing too. “I’ll have you know I recovered gracefully. Only knocked over one poster presentation. But Liam saw everything.”

“A new personal best,” Mia teases. There’s a pause, and when she speaks again, her tone has shifted. “Hey, speaking of your bet with Mr. Moneybags, I heard something strange in the halls today.”

I straighten my posture, tension creeping into my muscles. Mia’s tone set off alarm bells in my head. “What do you mean?”

“You know Lucas Valeur? Liam’s older brother?” Mia lowers her voice. “I overheard some security guys talking. Someone keyed his car pretty badly not long ago.”

“That happens to rich people sometimes,” I say, though something about Mia’s tone makes my stomach clench.

“There’s more,” Mia continues. “The Valeurs have ramped up security lately. Private bodyguards everywhere. I saw Cora Valeur being escorted to her car yesterday like she was the president or something.”

I think about Liam’s bodyguard, always hovering nearby. I’d assumed it was just a rich person thing, but now.. .

“You should be careful,” Mia says. “Getting involved with the Valeurs might not be the safest choice right now.”

I chew my lip, my mind racing through a labyrinth of worst-case scenarios. Liam’s face flashes in my mind’s eye, his usual cocky grin replaced by a mask of worry. “I... I’m sure it’s fine. I mean, it’s only a bet, not like I’m dating the guy. But thanks for telling me, Mia.”

After we hang up, I can’t shake the uneasy feeling. I grab my laptop, fingers flying over the keys as I search for any information about the Valeurs.

There’s nothing. Well, nothing out of the ordinary. Just the usual business reports, stock updates, and puff pieces about the illustrious Valeur family. A few gossip columns speculating about Lucas’s love life, but nothing even hinting at threats or danger.

“This doesn’t make sense,” I mutter, frowning at the screen. If someone was targeting the Valeurs, surely there’d be some trace of it online? A buried news article, a suspicious tweet, anything. But it’s like the whole internet has been scrubbed clean of any negative press about them.

I lean back, rubbing my temples. Could Mia’s information be wrong? Or is someone going to great lengths to keep this under wraps? Either way, the lack of evidence is almost more unsettling than finding proof of the threats.

“Liam’s bodyguard,” I murmur to myself, the pieces clicking. “I always thought it was just a rich person thing. But what if it’s more than that?”

The next morning, I’m practically floating as I approach the lab, replaying last night’s call with Jake, who asked me out on a third date. I’m going to win this bet, no doubt about it.

I push open the lab door. Mia’s already there, peering into a microscope with intense concentration.

“Morning, fellow science enthusiast,” I chirp, hanging up my coat.

Mia glances up, a knowing smirk on her face. “Someone’s in a good mood. Let me guess. Jake?”

A grin spreads across my face. “Is it that obvious? We were up late planning our date for tonight. He’s taking me to the new observatory that just opened. I’m so ready.”

Mia raises an eyebrow. “You know what happens on third dates, right?”

“Believe me, I’m aware,” I reply, lowering my voice conspiratorially. “I even went for a full body wax. It’s been a while, Mia. I’m practically a new woman.”

Mia snickers, but the sound dies quickly as she lifts her gaze over my shoulder, and her eyes widen.

“Dr. James.”

I spin around to find Liam, his expression unreadable. My heart does a traitorous little flip in my chest. “Oh, I didn’t see you there.”

“I trust you’re well-rested after the conference and ready for a productive day?” he says, voice cool and professional.

I blink, thrown by his tone. “Um, yes. Just a normal night. Why?”

Liam ignores my question, striding into the lab. “Excellent. There’s a mountain of work to be done.”

Before I can process what’s happening, he’s rattling off a list of tasks that make my head spin .

“I need these reports by noon, this analysis by 3 PM, and oh, could you reorganize the entire sample database? Today.”

I gape at him, sure I must have misheard. “All of this? Today?”

“Is there a problem, Dr. James?” Liam cuts me off, his blue eyes piercing. “I thought you prided yourself on your dedication to science.”

Something in me snaps. “I don’t know what crawled into your coffee this morning, Valeur, but?—”

“My coffee is fine,” he retorts. “Your work ethic, however, seems to be slipping. Late nights affecting your performance?”

I bristle, hands clenching at my sides. “My performance is impeccable, as always. Unlike some people, I can balance my personal and professional life.”

The tension in the room crackles like static electricity before a lightning strike. Mia’s eyes ping-pong between us, her mouth agape as if watching a brutal tennis match.

“I, uh, just remembered,” Mia stammers, backing toward the door, “the mass spectrometer needs calibrating. Urgently. Very, very urgently.” She’s out the door faster than a neutrino through lead, leaving Liam and me in a standoff of glares.

“I don’t appreciate the attitude, Dr. James,” he says, voice low. “Since I’m the one funding your research, I expect my investment to be treated with respect.”

I grit my teeth, feeling the words clawing at my throat. “Respect? You’re throwing last-minute work at me to make me stay late, and we both know it.”

“Perhaps if you focused on your work instead of…waxing,” he says, pausing for effect, “you’d have no problem meeting your deadlines. ”