Amanda's breath was still caught in her throat as she watched the scene unfold. She had never seen Liam fight before—never even imagined him in a situation like this—but something about the way he carried himself felt different.
His expression, his posture, his voice—everything about him radiated an eerie kind of calm confidence.
Then Liam spoke, his voice smooth but laced with an undeniable authority. "Move back."
Amanda had no idea why, but her body reacted before her mind could even process his words. It was almost instinctual, like something inside her compelled her to obey. Without thinking, she stepped behind him, clutching the edge of her oversized shirt as she swallowed hard.
The five thugs sneered, their faces twisted with amusement.
Liam, standing tall before them, let out a sigh. "I don't know who you guys are," he began, his tone casual, "and honestly, I don't care why you're here. But interrupting my meal?" His lips curled into a smirk. "Now that's something I can't forgive."
Amanda's eyes widened slightly. Even in the face of clear danger, Liam still had the audacity to act cocky.
The thug with the cigarette—the one who had spoken earlier—raised a brow before chuckling. "Oh? And what exactly are you gonna do about it, kid?"
Liam's smirk didn't fade. "That depends." He tilted his head slightly, his golden eyes gleaming under the dim hallway light. "If you scram now, maybe—just maybe—I'll consider forgiving you."
For a brief moment, there was silence.
Then—
Laughter.
The men burst into laughter, loud and mocking.
Amanda clenched her fists. She knew these types of people—they weren't the kind to back down just because someone told them to.
One of the thugs slapped his knee as he laughed. "This kid is hilarious!"
The leader—the one with the cigarette—sighed, shaking his head. Then he turned to his crew and said something unexpected.
"Let's go."
Amanda's breath caught in her throat. They were leaving?
Liam, too, was caught off guard by how easy that was. His eyes narrowed slightly, trying to figure out if they were playing some kind of trick.
And he was right.
Because in the very next second, before Liam could react—
The thug whipped back around, his fist already in motion.
CRACK!
A powerful punch slammed into Liam's face, hitting him straight in the nose.
The impact sent a sharp, stinging pain through his skull as he stumbled backward. His vision blurred for a split second, and the metallic taste of blood filled his mouth.
Amanda gasped, her eyes widening in horror. "Liam!"
She took a step forward, ready to rush to his side, but then—
She saw his expression.
And it made her freeze.
Liam slowly lifted his hand to his nose, touching the warm liquid that was trickling down his face.
When he pulled his hand away, he saw red.
For a moment, there was silence.
Then he looked up—
And Amanda's heart dropped.
Liam's eyes, usually filled with mischief and playfulness, were now dark, cold, and filled with pure, unfiltered bloodlust.
The thug who had punched him let out a short laugh. "What, you still standing? You wanna go again?"
Liam didn't say anything.
He just moved.
Fast.
Too fast.
The thug barely had time to process what was happening before Liam was already in front of him.
The man grinned, lifting his fist again. "Coming back for mor—"
Liam caught his fist.
The entire room fell silent.
The thug's eyes widened in shock. He tried to pull his fist away, but he couldn't move it.
It was locked in Liam's grip.
One of the other thugs muttered under his breath, his voice barely above a whisper. "H-how...?"
Liam didn't give the man a chance to recover.
His fingers tightened.
CRACK!
A sickening snap echoed in the hallway as Liam twisted the man's wrist at an unnatural angle.
"AHHHHHHH!"
The thug let out a piercing scream, his knees buckling as he fell forward.
Liam didn't stop there.
Before the man could even process the pain, Liam swung his knee up, slamming it into the thug's jaw.
BAM!
The force was enough to lift the thug off the ground.
His body jerked violently before he crashed onto the floor, unmoving.
The other thugs stared in shock.
Amanda, standing just a few feet away, felt her breath catch in her throat.
The man wasn't getting up.
Seconds passed.
Still, he didn't move.
Amanda's heart pounded in her chest. She had expected Liam to fight back—but not like this.
Not with this much strength.
Not with this much precision.
The air in the hallway grew tense.
The remaining four thugs took a step back.
They weren't laughing anymore.
They weren't sneering.
They were afraid.
Liam exhaled slowly, his golden eyes flicking to the remaining men. Then, with an eerie calmness, he rolled his shoulders back, cracking his neck.
"Who's next?"