He acted as if he hadn't noticed Clara standing next to him. He threw himself at Vanessa and her son, one hand protecting the back of Vanessa's head, the other holding Noah tightly in his arms, using his back to block the falling ceramic shards. With a "bang", the clock hit his back, shattering the dial. The glass shards splashed on the back of Clara's hand, leaving a thin streak of blood.
Clara stumbled backwards, her back slamming against the cold wall. Her sprained ankle instantly sent a sharp pain through her, and she gasped in pain, barely able to stand, holding onto the wall. But she ignored her own injuries, her gaze fixed on Liam—he was bending down to check Vanessa's hair, his voice filled with panic: "Vanessa, are you okay? Are you hurt? Did the debris touch you?"
Vanessa shook her head, her eyes red, but with a hint of hidden pride: "I'm fine, I just scared Noah. Liam, thank goodness I have you..."
"It's okay, it's okay." Liam breathed a sigh of relief, turned to Noah in his arms, and gently wiped the tears from his face. "Don't be afraid, Noah, Daddy will protect you. Stay away from that guy from now on, okay?"
Noah nodded, but suddenly pointed at Clara and cried, "It's all her fault! She just had an argument with Mom and that's why the shelf fell! Dad, look at my hand, and Mom almost got hit!"
Liam followed the child's finger to look at Clara, his eyes instantly cold. He didn't notice the blood on the back of her hand, nor did he see her leaning against the wall, her face pale. He only saw her standing next to the pile of debris, like the "culprit." "Clara," his voice was full of disappointment, even with a hint of rebuke, "I told you not to lose your temper, why are you still holding it against Vanessa? Now you almost hit them and their child, are you satisfied?"
Clara looked at him, at his back as he protected Vanessa, at the disgust in his eyes for her, and suddenly found it ridiculous. She had clearly wanted to warn them, had nearly fallen down after being bumped by him, and her hand was bleeding, but in his eyes, she had become the one who was "deliberately causing trouble."