Unlawfully His✔️

43. My bonbon girl.

Liam's pov.

Sixteen years ago.

"Stop the car," I commanded, my voice firm as I directed the driver to halt. Gretchen, my maid, turned to me with a furrowed brow, her concern evident in her eyes.

"Why have we stopped, Master Liam?" she inquired, her tone laced with worry.

Ignoring her question, I peered out of the window and caught sight of the sprawling mall before us. It called to me, while I had always drived by, and never entered, I wanted to see what this mall was about.

"I want to go inside," I declared, my curiosity intrigued by the prospect of discovering what lay within those walls.

However, Gretchen's strong hold on my arm stopped me in my tracks as she whispered urgently. "Master Liam, your mother has specifically forbidden you from going to places like this," she cautioned me in a worried tone.

I paused for a while, caught between my trustworthy maid's warnings and my curiosity about what more there was in the world and my want to break my mother's stringent regulations. However, my curiosity ultimately triumphed, and I decided to have a look.

Ignoring Gretchen's protests, I opened the car door and stepped out onto the pavement, my heart pounding with as I made my way toward the entrance of the mall.

Gretchen's voice trailed after me, urging me to reconsider, but I paid her no heed as I embarked on this sudden adventure, eager to explore the forbidden realms that lay beyond the confines of my mother's control.

As I stood outside the mall, watching others laugh and enjoy themselves, a pang of unfamiliar longing stirred within me. My mother's strict upbringing had instilled in me the belief that fun was a foolish pursuit, reserved for those who lacked purpose and ambition.

I observed the carefree expressions on the faces of the people around me, their laughter echoing in the air. But try as I might, I couldn't comprehend what was so appealing about their antics.

Fun and happiness were foreign concepts to me, distant and elusive like a mirage in the desert. I struggled to grasp their meaning, to understand the allure of letting go and simply enjoying the moment as I've read online.

For as long as I could remember, my life had been governed by duty and responsibility, leaving little room for frivolity or spontaneity.

But as I stood there, a silent observer amidst the revelry, a part of me yearned to experience the fleeting ecstasy of fun, to bask in the warmth of happiness that seemed to elude me at every turn.

"Liam, your mother is expecting you home from the old lady's home on time, so we should get going," Gretchen reminded me, her tone laced with concern.

Ignoring her words, I turned to face her, a determined glint in my eyes. "Have you ever been truly happy, Gretchen?" I asked, my voice earnest as I searched her eyes for an answer.

Gretchen hesitated for a moment before nodding slowly. "Yes, Master Liam," she replied softly, her tone tinged with nostalgia. "There have been moments of happiness in my life."

"And would you give up being rich for the chance to be truly happy?" I inquired, my voice tinged with curiosity.

Gretchen's gaze softened as she considered my question. After a moment of thoughtful silence, she nodded once more, her expression conveying her agreement without the need for words.

Walking through the section of the mall filled with sweet treats, a girl bumped into me, causing her to stumble and fall to the ground. I glanced down at her my eyes widening before my expression settled into its usual composed state.