Lust Meter System: Conquering Beauties-Chapter 57: The chase

Liam pushed himself off the bed, his legs still leg landing and moving faster than it has for years

He grabbed his pants from the floor and dug his phone out of the pocket.

The screen lit up.

**Bank Notification: Deposit received - $50,000.00**

’Fifty fucking grand.’

His eyes widened, his mouth dropping open.

He slapped his hand over it immediately, spinning around to check on Elena.

She was still sprawled out on the bed, her chest rising and falling slowly, her eyes closed.

The sheet had slipped down to her waist, leaving her bare from the waist up, but she didn’t even seem to notice.

’I’m going to celebrate later. First, I need to survive.’

He turned back to his phone, his mind racing. Fifty thousand dollars. Just sitting in his account now. The system had actually paid him.

Then he remembered what he was supposed to do.

He walked back to the bed, standing over Elena’s sleeping form.

Her red dress was crumpled on the floor beside the nightstand.

Her hair was a mess, strands sticking to her damp forehead and neck.

She looked completely wrecked—exhausted, spent, defeated.

Liam pulled up his camera and snapped a photo. Just one. Her face mostly out of frame, just enough to show she was passed out on the bed, the motel room visible in the background.

Then he leaned over and carefully picked up her phone from the nightstand. It was a sleek black iPhone with a thin gold case, the screen still unlocked from earlier.

He held it up to her face. The phone buzzed softly as Face ID recognized her, and the lock screen disappeared.

’Perfect.’

He opened her contacts, scrolling through the names.

Most of them were saved with first names only—Margaret, Vincent, Esther. But near the top, there was one labeled with a heart emoji.

*Honey*

’That’s gotta be him.’

Liam tapped the contact and copied the number.

He set her phone back on the nightstand, making sure it was exactly where he’d found it, then opened his own messages.

He pasted the number into a new conversation and then sent the photo he’d just taken.

Liam~ Now you know how it feels to see someone you love being wrecked.

He stared at the message for a second, his thumb hovering over the send button. Then he pressed it.

The message went through immediately, the little "Delivered" notification appearing beneath it.

Liam sat down on the edge of the bed, his phone clutched in his hand, his heart pounding. He waited.

One minute.

Two.

Then his phone buzzed.

Unknown~ Wow!... You must be the young man Elena told me about?**

Liam blinked. ’What?’

He typed back quickly.

Liam~ Yes, I am.

Another buzz.

Liam~ I know you must be pissed right now.**

The response came almost immediately.

Unknown~ Of course I am.

Liam’s chest tightened. ’Here it comes.’

But the next message wasn’t what he expected.

Unknown~ She had sex again and didn’t wait for me to come back to the state so I can watch.**

Liam stared at the screen, his brain refusing to process what he’d just read.

’What the fuck?’

He read it again. Then a third time.

’He’s... mad that he didn’t get to watch?’

This wasn’t a threat. It wasn’t even anger—not the kind Liam had been bracing for.

This man wasn’t sending goons to beat him up. He wasn’t even upset that his wife was sleeping with someone else.

He was upset that he *missed it.*

’Are they really married?’

Liam shoved his phone back into his pocket, his hands shaking slightly. He stood up, running both hands through his hair.

’At least now I know he’s not the one who sent those guys.’

That was a relief. A huge relief. But it also meant he still had no idea who *was* sending them.

He grabbed his shirt from the floor and pulled it on, buttoning it quickly.

His tie was somewhere under the bed, but he didn’t bother looking for it. He just tucked the shirt into his pants, zipped up, and grabbed his jacket.

Before leaving, he glanced back at Elena one more time. She was still out cold, her body completely limp, one arm hanging off the side of the bed.

He walked over and pulled the thin motel blanket up over her, covering her from the chest down. She didn’t stir.

’For some reason, I’m really glad it isn’t her husband. Because I wasn’t sure how I would’ve fought back.’

Liam turned and walked out of the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

The hallway was dim, lit by a single flickering fluorescent bulb near the stairwell.

The carpet was threadbare, stained in places Liam didn’t want to think about. He walked quickly, his shoes making soft thuds against the floor.

When he stepped outside, the cool night air hit him immediately.

The neon sign above the entrance buzzed faintly, casting everything in a pale blue glow.

And standing beside the Rolls-Royce, arms folded, was Elena’s driver.

The old man straightened up when he saw Liam, his expression neutral but alert.

"Where’s Miss Elena, sir?" he asked.

Liam gestured back toward the building. "I left her to sleep on the bed. She’s fine."

The driver’s eyes narrowed slightly, and he hesitated.

Then he cleared his throat. "I’m sorry, sir. Pardon my request, but do you mind walking with me back to the room so I can make sure she’s okay?"

Liam stopped, turning to look at him. ’Smart. He doesn’t want to go to jail if something happened to his boss.’

"Alright," Liam said. "That’s cool. I’m fine with it."

They walked back inside together, their footsteps echoing in the quiet hallway.

Liam led the driver to Room 12 and unlocked the door, pushing it open just enough for the man to see inside.

Elena was still on the bed, covered by the blanket, her chest rising and falling slowly.

The driver stepped inside cautiously, moving to the side of the bed. He pressed two fingers gently against her wrist, checking her pulse. After a few seconds, he nodded, satisfied.

He walked back to the doorway where Liam was waiting and gave him a small, respectful nod.

"Thank you, sir. Have a good night."

"You too," Liam said.

The driver walked back toward the car, and Liam turned in the opposite direction, heading down the street.

’Can’t he offer to give me a ride?’ Liam thought as he started walking.

The sidewalk was empty, the streetlights casting long shadows across the cracked pavement.

Liam shoved his hands into his pockets, his mind still racing.

’Who the hell did I offend?’

It wasn’t Elena’s husband.

That much was clear now. So who was sending guys to beat him up? Who had the resources to track him down, to know where he’d be?

’Someone with money. Someone with connections.’

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps behind him.

Liam slowed, glancing over his shoulder.

A figure was walking behind him—about twenty feet back, moving at the same pace.

Whoever it was, they were trying to match his steps, but they were failing. Their footfalls were slightly off, just out of sync.

Liam’s stomach dropped.

Without a word, he broke into a run. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

His shoes slapped hard against the pavement, his breath coming fast. He glanced back over his shoulder.

The figure was running too.

’Shit.’

Liam picked up speed, his legs pumping harder.

The street blurred around him, the buildings and parked cars streaking past.

He could hear the figure behind him, their footsteps getting louder, faster.

He looked back again—and his blood turned to ice.

The figure had a gun in their hand. Black, compact, held low at their side as they ran.

’Oh, fuck.’

Liam’s mind raced. ’If I keep running, they might shoot. And there’s no way I can fight someone with a gun.’

He spotted an alley up ahead—narrow, dark, littered with dumpsters and trash bags. He veered sharply to the right, cutting into it without slowing down.

The alley was tight, maybe six feet wide, with brick walls on either side. Old wooden pallets were stacked near the entrance, and a rusted shopping cart sat halfway down, one wheel missing.

Liam ducked behind a dumpster, pressing his back against the cold metal. His chest heaved, his heart pounding so hard he could hear it in his ears.

He held his breath, listening.

Footsteps.

Slow. Deliberate.

They echoed off the brick walls, getting closer. Each step measured, careful. Whoever this was, they weren’t in a hurry anymore. They knew he was cornered.

Liam’s hands were shaking. He pressed them flat against the dumpster, trying to steady himself. His mind raced through options.

’Run? No. They’ll shoot me in the back.’

’Fight? With what? My fists against a gun?’

’Hide? I’m already hiding.’

The footsteps stopped.

Silence.

Liam’s hands were shaking. He pressed them flat against the dumpster, trying to steady himself.

Then the footsteps started again. Closer. Right beside the dumpster.

A shadow stretched across the ground.

"I’m fucked"