From the way Julian had always watched , it was obvious he carried so twisted kind of affection. With how I looked, maybe it wasn’t shocking. But the boldness he showed just now?That stunned .
Honestly, he and Camilla were alike two people wrapped in arrogance, blind to anything but themselves.
The anger inside snapped. I shoved the door open hard, storming in with heat crawling up my neck.
"Are you completely out of your mind?" I snapped. "Marry you? What kind of joke is that? I’m already "
Before the words could slip out, Lewis moved between us, calm and controlled.
"You heard everything?" he asked quietly.
My stomach dropped. I had been seconds away from saying too much. My pulse raced, my hands trembling with leftover fury.
"I’ve never t anyone as shaless as you," I said, glaring straight at Julian.
His eyes widened, guilt flickering through them. He didn’t expect to et him head-on.
He straightened his shoulders. "Ms. Ashbourne... since you heard everything, I’ll be honest. If I ever bond again, I want it to be with you. You remind so much of my ex-wife. I made mistakes, but I truly loved her and "
"Stop," I cut in, my tone sharp enough to slice. "So I’m supposed to be Elena’s replacent now? Is that what this is? That’s pathetic. You’re like a toad hoping soone will call it a prince. Do you think all good n have disappeared and I should settle for a coward like you?"
I didn’t hold back. And I didn’t regret it.
"Easy," Lewis murmured, placing a steadying hand on my back. The touch softened my temper just enough to breathe.
But when he turned to Julian, his voice hardened, sharp with dominance.
"Riley is my mate," Lewis said. "Not soone you can lay claim to like a prize. Don’t ever bring this up again."
"Uncle Lewis, I’m serious "
"Enough," Lewis said, cold and final. "Leave."
Julian froze, face pale, humiliation twisting his features. With no other choice, he walked out. Bitterness trailed behind him like smoke.
Once he was gone, I crossed my arms, still fuming. "And what if he asks again? Are you going to hand over like so offering?"
The words slipped out before I could stop them.Part of had started to wonder. He always went easy on Julian. Julian bragged about it often enough.
I stepped closer, grabbed Lewis by the collar, and glared into his eyes. "Tell the truth. What exactly did you let him get away with before?"
Lewis’s eyes darkened, shadows settling deep. He didn’t look away. "The worst mistake of my life," he said quietly. "One I regret every day. And one I will never repeat."
Before I could ask, he spoke again.
"If one day you find soone else... soone you love... and you want to leave , I won’t stop you."
"There’s no need for that," I said quickly.
He shook his head, cutting off my words. "The woman I love is standing right here."
I froze.
For a mont, I couldn’t breathe.So he had been holding that in all this ti?
Trying to steer away from the weight of it, I cleared my throat. "Okay enough. I want so fruit. Can you cut it for ?"
His lips curved into a small, warm smile. "Of course."
"I’ll change first," I added.
"I’ll be waiting," he said gently.
I hurried to the changing room, flipping through my clothes, trying to calm the faint tremor running through .Still... I couldn’t shake the feeling of eyes on . A burning stare sliding across my skin, making my instincts bristle.
After changing, I headed downstairs. As soon as I rounded the corner, an arm shot out and yanked into a storage room.
I stumbled, almost yelling until I realized where I was. The Hale residence. Safe territory.
Still, the scene felt too close to the night everything went wrong. My heart hamred.
Under the dim light, Julian’s face appeared.
He clamped a hand over my mouth. I tore it off instantly, disgust rolling through .
"Are you insane, Julian?" I hissed.
"Lower your voice," he said with a smirk. "Unless you want the staff to hear us and spread rumors. My na’s already ruined. I’ve got nothing to lose."
"You really have no sha," I said, anger shaking in my voice.
The charm he always faked gone.What stood before was a man with no restraints left.
"I just want to talk," he murmured, as if we were discussing the weather. "So stop fighting ."
Julian kept talking like I hadn’t said a single word.
"Everything I said earlier I ant it," he insisted. "I know your marriage to Uncle Lewis isn’t real. Everyone knows your ex left you for Lincy. Everyone knows you tried to get out of that marriage the hard way. And now suddenly you’re Lewis’s wife? It’s obvious you’re doing this out of revenge."
I stayed quiet, wanting to see how far he’d drag this fantasy.
"Let’s be honest," he said, stepping closer. "Uncle Lewis might be married, but he already cares for soone else. Whoever he chose wouldn’t matter. You were just the most convenient option because of your family na."
"And?" I asked lightly, folding my arms.
He took that as encouragent idiot.
"I know we don’t feel anything for each other," he went on, "but you look so much like my ex-wife. Being with you would feel like getting a second chance. I want to fix what I ruined."
"So you think," I said slowly, "that because my marriage is based on status, I should pick you instead?"
His smile turned smug. "Exactly. Between us, I’m the better choice. I’m younger, stronger. I can offer you things Lewis can’t." He leaned in a little. "He can’t hold you or take care of you. But I can."
I scoffed. "Is that the sa excuse you used to crawl into Camilla’s bed?"
"She tricked !" he snapped. "But if you bond with , I swear I’ll treat you right. I’ll love you. I’ll protect you. I’ll give you everything I failed to give her."
"You’re delusional," I muttered.
He suddenly stepped in. Too close.
"Do you really want to live like a widow?" he murmured. "He’s been like this for years. Do you honestly think he can give you a child?"
My mind flashed back to that morning when my knee brushed Lewis by accident, and the sudden heat that answered.He was far from incapable.Very far.
I paused for a second one second too long.
Julian took it as an invitation and leaned closer. His lips skimd the top of my ear.
"But I can," he whispered. "I can make you feel like a woman aga "
"You filthy creep!"
I shoved him so hard he stumbled. I threw the door open and stord out, skin crawling.
Disgusting. Every part of rejected him.Did he really think a working body made him so kind of prize?
And even if Lewis wasn’t capable which he absolutely was I would still never lower myself to choose soone like Julian.If physical attention was all I wanted, I could stand outside for five minutes and have better options lining up.
Furious, I headed straight for the kitchen, grabbed a tray of fruit, and went upstairs.
Passing through the living room, I saw Julian again.I shot him a glare cold enough to crack stone.
He had no idea how deeply I despised him in that mont.
When I reached the room, I decided not to tell Lewis anything.He didn’t need Julian’s filth in his head.
I smiled gently and held out the tray. "Mr. Hale, I wasn’t sure what fruit you like, so I brought a mix."
"I like grapes," he said with a soft smile.
I picked one up and held it toward him, expecting him to take it with his fingers.
Instead, he leaned forward and closed his lips around my fingertips along with the grape.
"M-Mr. Hale..."
"Sweet," he murmured, chewing the grape, eyes fixed on mine. His voice dropped low, warm, carrying sothing deeper than words.
He held my gaze.
"Want to try one?"
Reviews
All reviews (0)