"Hello...?"
She mumbled, her voice still thick and lazy with sleep. His voice ca through the line.
"What are you doing?"
"Sleeping..."
The thought instantly chased all the sleep away, her face flushing with embarrassnt. ’How could my mind have gone there?’
"Say my na!" his voice suddenly commanded from the other end, leaving her utterly bewildered.
’Why would he suddenly call just to have say his na? It’s so weird.’
"I told you to say my na!"
"This isn’t right!"
Just as the words left her mouth, she heard a satisfied growl from his end, followed by a long sigh. Then ca the sound of his heavy, ragged breathing. She instantly understood what he had been doing, and her face turned completely red. Gripping her phone, she cursed him, flustered and exasperated.
"Julian Donovan, you... you... you... you’re a giant pervert!"
’He was just... just...’
"I sleep with my right hand every night!"
Outside the door, Juliet Jennings listened as he called that woman and then used his hand to finish. She seethed, nearly grinding her teeth to dust. Julian Donovan. She would never, ever let him go. He was hers once, and he would be hers now and forever. Since he hadn’t fully realized his feelings for that woman yet, she had to crush this budding affection before it could bloom.
For days after that phone call, Naomi Shaw would blush furiously just thinking about it. She didn’t dare answer his calls anymore. Whenever the phone rang, she would just toss it to Dylan. Didn’t Julian want nightly reports on his son? Well, she delegated that task to Mrs. Somrs. It just so happened that she had recently enrolled in an evening nursing training course. Class didn’t end until after nine, so she wouldn’t get ho until ten.
One evening after class, Arnold picked her up but didn’t take her back to the Shaw Residence. Instead, he drove toward a hotel, leaving her quite puzzled.
"Arnold, what’s going on?"
Arnold gave her a mysterious smile.
"Miss Naomi, don’t ask . I won’t say a thing. I’m just following orders!"
’Donovan’s finally starting to realize who has his heart. Miss Naomi’s spring is coming!’
Arnold had been her driver for a while, so Naomi Shaw wasn’t worried he’d harm her or anything. But why were they going to such a fancy hotel for no reason? ’Is soone treating to dinner? No, that can’t be right. It’s the middle of the night. Who eats dinner this late?’
The car stopped in front of a magnificent hotel. She followed Arnold into the lobby in a daze. Arnold said sothing to the front desk clerk, who then handed him a key card. He walked back over to her, handing her the card with a smile.
"This is Julian’s key card. He’s still at a social engagent and wants you to go up and wait for him."
"He’s back?"
Naomi Shaw was very surprised.
"Then why isn’t he staying at ho?"
Arnold gave her a suggestive smile.
"I’m not sure about that. I guess the house isn’t... convenient enough! Anyway, my mission is complete now that I’ve brought you here. You go on up. I’m leaving."
Naomi Shaw grew anxious. She stepped forward to block Arnold, trying to shove the key card back into his hand.
"Why should I go up and wait for him? This is ridiculous! Take ho!"
Rembering his phone call from the other day gave her a bad feeling. Besides, in a suggestive place like a hotel, she couldn’t be blad for letting her imagination run wild. She wasn’t naive enough to think he’d called her here just to have a nice, platonic chat.
Arnold’s face scrunched up in a frown.
"Please, Miss Naomi, I’m just following orders. If you want to know what Julian wants, just call him and ask. Don’t make things hard for , boo-hoo!"
Naomi Shaw had a soft heart. Seeing Arnold in such a bind, she took back the key card.
"I get it. I’ll call him in a bit. You can go on back."
She could always just get a taxi ho later anyway. Arnold left, overjoyed.
She found a seat in the lobby’s lounge area, took out her phone, and dialed his number. Her face still burned when she thought about that call from the other day.
"Wh-what do you want from ?"
He didn’t answer her directly.
"Go upstairs and wait for first. My reception here will be over in about half an hour."
Alarm bells went off in her head.
"Tell what you want first. If it’s not important, I’ll wait for you in the lobby. I have to get ho to take care of Dylan after we talk!"
He seed to be in a good mood.
"It’s nothing much, really. I just wanted to talk about my son’s future developnt."
The mont Dylan was ntioned, Naomi Shaw’s guard went up instantly.
"What do you an?"
His tone was lazy.
"Personally, I think... it would be better for him to grow up in ridia."
"Absolutely not!"
Naomi Shaw shot up from her seat, her voice rising to a shout. Ever since Dylan was born, he had been her everything. She could live without Julian’s love, but she absolutely could not live without Dylan!
He chuckled in satisfaction on the other end.
"Then be a good girl and wait for in the room. We’ll have a good talk when I get back. Otherwise, the discussion is off the table!"
"Julian Donovan, how could you do this! Hello? Hello?"
After a mont, she clutched the key card and rushed to the elevator. If she had to wait upstairs, then she would wait upstairs. ’He shouldn’t think he can bully ti and again just because I’m good-tempered. I may not have the strength to truss a chicken, but when it cos to Dylan, I will absolutely beco fierce! I will never allow him to take Dylan to ridia to live with him and that Juliet Jennings! I’ll keep Dylan by my side even if it costs my life!’
Huffing with anger, she swiped the card and entered the room. She imdiately began searching for a weapon to fight him with. There was an ashtray on the table by the window. She walked over, picked it up, and tested its weight. ’Hmm, this ashtray is good. Heavy enough. That vase last ti wasn’t sturdy enough; it only grazed his skin. This ashtray will definitely be enough to give him a bloody concussion!’
’That is, if he dares to take Dylan to ridia!’
Clutching the ashtray, she sat on the sofa to wait for him.
While waiting, she called Mrs. Somrs. She asked again and again about Dylan and if anything unusual was happening at ho. She was afraid Julian Donovan was just keeping her stalled here while he sent people to take Dylan away. Mrs. Somrs didn’t understand her anxiety and just said,
"Everything’s normal at ho. Dylan is already asleep."
She scratched her head. ’Am I just overreacting?’
"Oh, um... I might not be back tonight. You don’t have to wait up for , just go to bed early."
’I might end up in a police station tonight after a huge fight with him, after all.’
Mrs. Somrs laughed.
"I already know. Julian called and told . It’s rare for you two to have ti like this, so just enjoy your reunion. Don’t worry about things at ho!"
Naomi Shaw was mortified. She knew exactly what Mrs. Somrs ant by "reunion." Mrs. Somrs didn’t say anything more before hanging up.
She sat on the sofa, waiting anxiously. ’What am I going to do? I feel like I’m going to lose my mind every ti I think about him taking Dylan to ridia. Why isn’t he back yet? Didn’t he say half an hour? It’s been almost an hour already.’
In the end, she waited so long that she fell asleep curled up on the sofa, and still, he hadn’t returned.
The first thing Julian Donovan saw when he entered the room was her small fra curled up asleep on the sofa. He had run into so clients at the reception who wouldn’t let him leave, so he had to stay and chat with them for a while longer.
In truth, his threat had just been an excuse he’d improvised on the spot. He knew she wouldn’t agree to co upstairs and wait for him, so he used it to trick her. What he really wanted to do... was this...
"Julian Donovan, don’t you even think about taking Dylan to ridia!"
"Let go of ..."
’From now on, I’m never wearing a skirt again,’ she thought. ’It just makes it far too convenient for him to assault .’
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