Suzy paused mid-motion as she slipped on her shoes, glancing back at Liam, clearly surprised that he had offered to walk her out.

Before she could respond, Liam had already stepped beside her, taking his own shoes from the cabinet.

"I’ll walk you," he repeated.

"Alright," Suzy agreed.

That he took the initiative was a good sign. There was no reason to refuse.

But the moment they finished changing and opened the door, they ran straight into Wendy in the hallway.

Suzy and Wendy stared at each other, eyes sharp.

Wendy clearly hadn’t expected to see Suzy coming out of Liam’s apartment. The shock on her face was impossible to miss.

For a brief moment, the air froze.

At first, Liam hadn’t noticed her. Then he looked up and saw Wendy.

His reaction was calm. He only glanced at her briefly before looking away again.

"Let’s go," he said to Suzy.

That near-complete disregard twisted Wendy’s expression instantly.

"Liam!" she called out sharply.

She hurried forward, stepping in front of them, her gaze flicking back and forth between their faces, anger burning in her eyes.

A surge of jealousy, stronger than ever before, threatened to consume her.

Only then did Liam turn his attention to her. "What is it?"

Wendy didn’t answer him. Instead, she looked straight at Suzy and demanded, "What are you doing in Liam’s apartment?"

Her voice sounded calm on the surface, but there was something warped beneath it.

"Is there a problem with that?" Suzy replied coolly.

Wendy’s lips twitched before she forced out a stiff smile. "Of course not. I was just asking..."

In reality, she was grinding her teeth so hard they nearly cracked.

What kind of joke was this?

Why could Suzy go into Liam’s home?

Wendy was on the verge of exploding.

She had known Liam for so long. She had even helped him. In a way, she was practically his savior.

And yet she had never once stepped inside his apartment.

So why could Suzy?

What kind of tricks had this woman used to charm every man around her?

Seeing the person she despised most standing beside the man she wanted, jealousy and malice coiled around her heart like suffocating vines.

In Wendy’s mind, Liam was her future man. By her own logic, that already made him hers.

And right now, she wanted nothing more than to tear Suzy apart.

Standing so close, Wendy’s attempt at composure was flimsy at best. The flash of distortion and malice in her eyes didn’t escape Suzy.

A chill ran through Suzy.

Wendy was truly furious this time. Furious enough that she could barely keep up the act.

"What kind of expression is that?" Suzy asked, watching her.

Was it really that unbearable for her to see Suzy coming out of Liam’s apartment? 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Wendy let out a dry laugh. "Nothing. I was just curious, that’s all."

She lowered her head, suppressing the venom in her gaze.

When she looked up again, her expression had returned to normal.

"By the way, where are you two going?" she asked gently.

Only then did Liam look at her, his tone flat and unreadable. "It’s personal."

The smile on Wendy’s lips nearly cracked. "You can’t even tell me? That’s a bit much, don’t you think..."

"I’m walking her back to her place." His answer was brief, offering no further explanation.

It would have been better if he hadn’t said anything at all. The words hit Wendy like a blow.

"We’re leaving now," Liam added, glancing at Suzy.

She caught the look and nodded.

The two of them stepped around Wendy and headed upstairs.

One step. Two steps.

Wendy stood frozen in place, watching Liam’s figure grow more distant.

He didn’t even spare her another glance.

That complete disregard hurt more than any harsh words ever could.

She stared at their retreating backs, walking side by side, the malice in her eyes nearly spilling over.

Liam, you bastard. Unfaithful bastard.

He was supposed to be hers, yet he was so close to Suzy. If that wasn’t betrayal, what was?

And Suzy, seducing her man... They both deserved to die.

"I won’t let them get away with this!"

Wendy drew in a sharp breath, fury burning through her chest as she spun on her heel and stormed off. Her footsteps slammed against the stairs, loud and violent.

A cheating man deserved punishment.

And Suzy, the shameless third party, wouldn’t get away with it either.

Wendy left.

The safety door slammed shut with a deafening bang. The noise echoed through the stairwell, impossible to ignore.

Suzy glanced at Liam and found that he was already looking at her.

Their eyes met. Both of them paused mid-step.

"...She seems angry," Suzy said.

"Mm."

"And what are you going to do about it?" she asked, her tone casual, but probing.

Liam blinked slightly, clearly caught off guard. "What do you mean?"

"Wendy is angry," Suzy repeated.

"I know."

They held each other’s gaze for a few seconds. Suzy blinked, waiting for him to continue.

He didn’t.

Instead, he simply looked at her, as if weighing something in his mind.

Suzy couldn’t hold back anymore. "Aren’t you going to go comfort her?"

The moment the words left her mouth, even she could hear the testing edge in them. Too late to take it back now.

Liam’s brows knit faintly, confusion flickering across his face. Then, as if something clicked, his expression settled.

"I have nothing to do with her," he said.

His voice was calm, but firm.

Suzy arched a brow. "Really? She seems to care about you a lot."

Liam fell silent for a brief moment, choosing his words carefully.

"She...comes to find me often," he said at last. There was a trace of fatigue in his voice. "Brings things. Asks if I need help. Says we can go out together to look for supplies."

Suzy listened, already piecing things together.

"I refused," Liam continued. "I told her it wasn’t necessary. But she keeps coming anyway."

As he spoke, Liam’s brows drew tighter, as though recalling something distinctly unpleasant.

"I don’t like it," he said after a pause. "The way she looks at me... it feels like she’s looking at something that belongs to her."

More than once, he had felt it.

The way Wendy looked at him wasn’t the way you looked at another person. It was the way someone looked at an object they owned.

As if he weren’t Liam at all, but something that already belonged to her.

Suzy’s gaze shifted slightly.

That description... was painfully accurate.

There was always a subtle possessiveness in Wendy’s eyes when she looked at him. As though he were something she had already claimed, just waiting for the moment she decided to take him.