章 41: Natasha Romanoff

Liam finished his breakfast, contemplating about a plan. Once he had thought about one, he glanced at the time and smirked. "Today's going to be a big day. I can't wait for tonight," he murmured to himself, rising from his seat. "Let's see more of Los Angeles. I'll be back by midday—can't afford to miss such a beautiful hotel staff," he added, smiling slyly. "Is this what love at first sight feels like?"

He left his room, making sure the door closed loudly behind him, took the elevator to the ground floor, and stepped outside. Meanwhile, Natasha Romanoff followed after him when she finished hiding some more bugs in his room.

----

"The target took the bait. He suspects nothing," she reported to Fury. "He mentioned something about a 'big day' today, but nothing specific."

"Good work," Fury responded. "See if you can find out more."

"Understood. He's just left the building; I'll follow from a distance."

After which the call got disconnected.

'He's just a kid dominated by hormones, this will be quite easy.' Romanoff thought.

-----

Liam wandered through nearby shops and visited tourist attractions, seemingly enjoying himself. 'She's probably following me,' he thought, amused. 'She won't just stay in the hotel, but with so many people around, I can't spot her. She's smart, no hostile intent… Guess I'll stick to being more cautious.'

After a few hours of sightseeing, Liam returned to the hotel and went up to his room, where he changed into the new clothes he'd purchased earlier. Humming a tune as he adjusted his appearance, he looked in the mirror and admired his reflection. 'Perfect. Now to open up to her just enough to make this believable.'

He called room service. Minutes later, a knock sounded at the door. Liam opened it immediately, catching the server—a beautiful woman with red hair—by surprise. "Hi, please, come in," he said warmly.

She nodded, appearing 'shy' as she carried the tray in. "Here's your order, sir." She kept her gaze averted.

Noticing this, Liam turned slightly, keeping his eyes on her hands as they quickly tossed a small device somewhere in the room. 'True spy skills,' he mused.

"My name's Liam. May I know yours?" he asked, still looking away.

"Sophia," she replied, her voice soft.

'This really feels like a drama,' Liam thought, internally rolling his eyes.

He thanked her for the food, and as she prepared to leave, he called out. "Wait."

She turned, glancing up briefly before her gaze shifted to the ground.

"Do you… want to join me?" Liam asked, lowering his voice to add a hint of nervousness. 'A masterful performance,' he thought, inwardly grinning.

The woman hesitated. "I don't think my boss would like that."

"I'll talk to him if needed," Liam said hurriedly. "And if he fires you, I've got connections that can help you find a new job."

After a moment, she nodded. "Okay, then."

They sat in an awkward silence for a few minutes before Liam spoke up. "How's your day been?"

"It was good. How was yours?" she asked politely.

"It's been nice. I went sightseeing and picked up a few things. The usual," Liam answered. Noticing her expression shift slightly, he changed the subject. "You know, I'm only here for a week before I have to leave again for quite some time."

He could feel her interest at this but saw she kept her head down.

'Time to toss some bait.' Liam thought.

"There's something beautiful hidden in this world—something like magic," he began. "It was once thought to be a myth, but with all the strange things happening lately, I think it's real."

Her gaze lifted as she had a small laugh. "Magic? I wish there were things like that out there."

"It exists," Liam said quickly, "though it's kept secret by those who know."

"If it did, maybe my mom wouldn't be sick with cancer," she murmured, her smile fading.

"Although I can't help with that," he replied, "I can prove to you that magic exists. Tonight, a rare phenomenon is going to take place in this room. I'll be studying it all week, and if you come by later, I'll show you."

"But you said it was secret," she reminded him.

"For someone as beautiful as you, I'd make an exception any day."

She blushed but looked pleased. "Thank you… but I don't have a shift tonight, so I'm not sure I can come."

"I'll make it worth your while," Liam promised. "Please, come by."

She hesitated, then smiled warmly. "My full name is Sophia Vega. What time should I come?"

"Four-thirty. It should start between 4:45 and 5:15 p.m."

She nodded, then glanced at her walkie-talkie as it started making sounds. "Sophia, where are you? We've got multiple food complaints, get back down here."

"I have to go," she said, tucking the device back. "I'll see you later."

"Perfect." Liam smiled as he watched her leave. 'That's one half of the problem solved. Now, I have to keep her distracted during tonight's fight, forcefully if needed,' he thought, locking the door.

-----

"The target seems to have taken the bait fully," Romanoff reported to Fury. "He's invited me to witness some kind of 'magic event' tonight at 4:30. I request backup in case anything goes wrong."

"Permission granted. Backup's on its way," Fury said.

"Poor kid," she muttered after ending the call. 'Falling headfirst into a trap.'

Hours passed quickly as Liam prepared the room, arranging a romantic table with two glasses of wine, candles, and a fine dinner setup. Finally, at 4:30, there was a knock at the door.

Liam opened it, grinning as he saw her standing there in an nice dress. "Hello, Sophia. You look even more beautiful than before."

She gave a shy smile. "You look quite handsome yourself."

Liam gestured for her to enter. "Please, take a seat. Dinner will be here shortly."

They sat and engaged in small talk, both playing the role of shy, smitten acquaintances. Soon, hotel staff brought out appetizers, and their conversation grew more relaxed, gradually moving into stories about their lives.

After an hour, she asked, "Was this the magical event you mentioned? Or is there more?"

'Time for the cherry on top.' Liam thought, grinning internally.

"You are my magical event," Liam replied, revealing a small jewelry box with a delicate gold necklace.

She looked at it, shocked. "Stop, that's way too valuable!" she protested.

'It's a knockoff anyway.' Liam thought.

"Nothing is too valuable for you," he said, grinning.

Blushing, she accepted the necklace, slipping it around her neck just as her phone buzzed. She ignored it the first time, but when it buzzed again, she excused herself. "I have to take this really quickly," she said.

"Of course," Liam replied as she stepped away.

"It's going smoothly," Romanoff muttered, answering the call. "What do you need?"

"Emergency—backup requested at Stark Industries Headquarters immediately!" came the response.

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Very difficult part for me to write (especially since it's my first time writing something like this.) , hope you enjoy this little drama. Next chapter the fun will start. :)

(A.N): It's not difficult to maintain an act if you know the steps a person will most likely take, especially for Liam who has of course already lived a life. I will get into this more the next chapter.