---- Chapter 160 Wendy froze for a second, then gave a slight, dazed nod. By the time she fully came to, she was already washed up and sitting at the dining table, completely stunned at a full spread of all her favorite dishes. "You made all this?" she asked, eyes widening as she looked at Liam. "Yeah," he said, handing her a plate of mashed potatoes. " I followed a bunch of recipes I found online. Try it. If it's not good, don't force yourself." Still, it didn't look like it would taste bad.

Wendy picked up her cutlery and tried a bite of some chipotle chicken. Her eyes widened instantly as she turned to him. "Well?" Liam asked, a little nervous. That normally cool, unreadable expression now carried a spark of anxious anticipation. Wendy smiled and nodded. "It's really good! You have to try some too!" Liam tasted it and raised a brow. "Hmm... feels like it's missing something." ---- "You did great for your first time -don't be too hard on. yourself," Wendy said.

With a small smile, she added, "Come on, let's eat." Given how good everything looked and smelled, she could hardly believe it was Liam's first time cooking. But Liam had no reason to lie about it, so Wendy could only chalk it up to talent. It felt like anything Liam set his mind to, he'd somehow always pull it off flawlessly. After lunch, Wendy insisted on doing the dishes. Liam tried to stop her, reaching for the plates first. "Take a break.

I want to take you somewhere this afternoon ." "Where?" she asked curiously. "I thought you didn't really know your way around here?" While talking , Liam carried the dishes to the sink, gave them a quick rinse, and loaded them into the dishwasher in one smooth motion. Still, Wendy could tell from how he moved that this wasn't exactly second nature to him. "T grew up here in Jazonia," he said, taking off his apron and washing his hands.

"I'm just not familiar with the rest of the country." He walked into the living room. "Let me make a quick ---- call, then we'll head out." Just then, his phone buzzed on the table. Liam glanced at the screen, and a small crease formed between his brows. He stepped out onto the balcony, closing the glass door behind him to muffle the conversation. Wendy didn't want to pry, so she headed to the bedroom to change.

When she came back out, Liam had finished the call but was still standing on the balcony, staring down at his phone with a frown. She hadn't seen him look this bothered since he returned. When Liam came back in, she asked gently, "Is something wrong?" "It's nothing," he said, shaking his head and slipping his phone into his pocket. "I'm going to change real quick." He clearly didn't want to talk about it, and Wendy didn't push.

But as she watched him disappear down the hallway, she couldn't shake the faint feeling of worry. At 2:00 pm, Liam pulled up in front of a quiet riverbank just outside the city. Awide river ran through Jazonia, and the banks had been ---- developed into scenic spots over the years. Wendy had never gotten the chance to visit, though. The spot Liam brought her to was quiet, almost deserted -but the view was stunning. Asoft breeze swept over her as soon as she stepped out of the car.

Her whole body seemed to relax. "How did you even find this place?" she asked, her eyes lighting up as she took in the view under the clear blue sky. Something about this place made it impossible not to be drawn to it.