Liam walked casually through the dimly lit hallways, his hands tucked into his pockets as he made his way toward Mrs. Amanda's office. The day had been eventful, and the momentary peace of an isolated test seemed almost like a break compared to everything else that had happened. His mind still lingered on the fight with Kyle, the unexpected strength he had displayed, and the lingering eyes of those who had witnessed it. He didn't know what caused his change in personality, but one thing was certain—he was enjoying it.
As he approached the door of Amanda's office, he slowed his pace slightly when he heard raised voices coming from inside. One voice belonged to Amanda, sharp and slightly irritated, while the other was a deep, rough male voice laced with an unmistakable edge of dominance. Liam furrowed his brows. Who the hell was she arguing with?
Curiosity got the better of him. He knocked once out of habit but didn't wait for a response before pushing the door open and stepping inside.
The first thing he noticed was the man standing across from Amanda's desk. The guy was tall, broad-shouldered, and dressed in a fitted black dress shirt that did nothing to hide the lean, muscular build underneath. His sleeves were rolled up slightly, revealing forearms decorated with intricate tattoos that stretched down to his knuckles. His hair was styled wildly, giving him a rebellious yet strangely charismatic look. The only thing indecent about him wasn't his attire but rather the sheer aura of danger he carried.
The moment Liam stepped in, the man turned around sharply, his cold gaze locking onto him like a predator sizing up an intruder. For a second, there was something menacing in his eyes, as if he was ready to pounce on whoever dared to interrupt him. But as soon as he registered that it was just a kid, the hostility in his stare faded slightly, only to be replaced by something equally chilling—disdain.
"Scram."
The word was spoken with such authority that it almost sounded like an unbreakable command, as if he expected Liam to turn around and leave without a second thought.
Liam simply blinked at him, unimpressed. He had no idea who this guy was or what his business with Amanda entailed, but one thing was clear—the guy had a serious attitude problem. Normally, the old Liam would have lowered his gaze, muttered an apology, and backed out of the room. But that Liam didn't exist anymore.
Instead, Liam tilted his head slightly, regarding the man with curiosity before speaking in a polite yet firm tone.
"Mr., I have no idea what's going on between you and her, and I don't wanna be disrespectful, but the thing is, I have a test now, and you're kinda interrupting me... I have a place to be after the test."
For a moment, there was complete silence.
Amanda's eyes widened slightly in panic, but it was nothing compared to the shift in the man's expression. His cold, disdainful gaze darkened instantly, twisting into something lethal. The temperature in the room seemed to drop as the air grew thick with an almost tangible tension.
Who the fuck is this kid?
The man took a step forward, his body language radiating nothing but intimidation as he locked eyes with Liam. His voice, when he finally spoke, was laced with quiet fury.
"Who the fuck are you?"
Liam didn't flinch. He held the man's gaze, unbothered by the waves of hostility pouring from him.
Before he could respond, Amanda suddenly stepped between them, her hands raised slightly as if trying to de-escalate the situation.
"Forgive him," she said quickly, her voice steady but firm. "He's just a student here."
The man's jaw tensed, his eyes flicking between Amanda and Liam before narrowing once more. He let out a quiet exhale through his nose, clearly irritated, but after a moment, he took a step back. He wasn't the kind of man to waste his time on a kid, no matter how annoyingly defiant that kid was.
But before he turned to leave, he sent Liam one last glance, his tone filled with warning.
"Next time, keep your mouth shut when your elders are speaking."
Liam's entire body went still. A slow, simmering irritation bubbled within him. This guy... was talking down to him?
His lips parted, ready to retort, but before he could say anything, Amanda's hand shot out and covered his mouth, muffling whatever words were about to come out.
She felt his body tense beneath her grip, and she knew—she knew that if she let him speak, he was going to say something that would push this situation into dangerous territory.
The man gave one last glance at the two of them before finally turning and walking out of the office, the tension in the room lingering even after he was gone.
The moment the door clicked shut behind him, Amanda let out a heavy breath before slowly removing her hand from Liam's mouth. She turned to face him, pinching the bridge of her nose as she exhaled in exasperation.
"What was that for?" she demanded, her voice carrying both relief and frustration. "Do you have any idea what could've happened if you had said one wrong thing to him? You could get killed if you speak more than you're supposed to!"
Liam, instead of looking even remotely apologetic, simply grinned.
"I don't care who he is," he said, his voice casual but firm. "He was being disrespectful, and he needs to know his place."
Amanda's lips parted slightly, stunned by his response. For a moment, she could only stare at him, trying to process what had changed in him so drastically. The Liam she knew had always been quiet, reserved, and almost painfully obedient. But the boy standing before her now? There was a confidence, a fearlessness in his gaze that sent a shiver of unease down her spine.
She let out a sigh, shaking her head.
"Liam," she said, rubbing her temples, "I appreciate you standing up for me, but I can handle myself. You don't have to—"
"I wasn't talking about you."
Amanda paused, her brows furrowing slightly.
Liam's expression hardened, his voice dropping slightly as he continued, "He was being disrespectful toward me."
Silence settled between them once more. Amanda studied him for a long moment, realization slowly dawning on her.
Liam wasn't just standing up for her. He was standing up for himself. And from the way he spoke, from the unshaken confidence in his eyes, it was clear—he was definitely on drugs.