The heavy silence after the initial provocation seemed to freeze the air. Liam stopped in front of Alex, his green eyes dark, loaded with an implacable coldness, his presence upright and imposing.

“Since when do I tell you what I do with a woman behind closed doors?” he shot back, his voice low and cutting—like a precise blow.

Alex lifted an eyebrow. His tone remained controlled, edged with the refined irony lawyers used in courtrooms to disarm opponents.

“Wow. Someone’s in a mood…” he said wit