Chapter 8
Julian had been stan ding there for who knows how long. He held a sandwich in his hands, looking utterly devastated
“Breakfast,” he said softly.
For some reason, that moment made my heart race wildly, leaving me strangely flustered.
We ate in silence. Occasionally, Rhys’s leg would press firmly against mine under the table.
Each time I moved away in disgust, his advances only grew holder.
Julian ate his sandwich without a word, his brow perpetually furrowed.
After breakfast, Julian went to his study to organize some papers.
When the door closed, Rhys and I were left alone in the living room.
I casually switched to a reality dating show where a female contestant’s ex was questioning her after seeing her on a date with
another man.
“I don’t believe you could fall for someone else so quickly.”
I bit into a blueberry, its tartness bursting on my tongue.
Rhys watched the woman on screen and commented, “Her eyes clearly show she still loves him. Why else would she keep track of who her ex chooses?”
Looking at the persistent man on screen, I replied flatly, “Isn’t this guy just pathetic? He’s the one who broke up with her, yet he’s upset when she moves on. What a joke!”
Rhys fell silent, his Adam’s apple bobbing several times before he finally responded, “He’s just concerned his ex might make poor
choices in men.”
I laughed coldly. “That concern is unnecessary, since he himself isn’t…” I enunciated each word clearly, “…any kind of prize.”
With that, I stood to leave, while Rhys persistently followed me.
From some pocket, he pulled out the silver bracelet I’d thrown away.
Under the light, it gleamed blindingly bright.
“Camden, can’t you leave me with some memento?” he pleaded. “Would I ever do anything to hurt you?”
He furrowed his brow in what appeared to be genuine distress.
I was momentarily speechless.
Do men only develop feelings for their ex after a breakup?
I stepped forward, intending to grab the bracelet and throw it away again.
Suddenly, a phone rang.
It was Lily calling–she’d disappeared earlier that morning.
Rhys hesitated but answered.
70.5%
Her fragile sobbing was heart wrenching.
“Rhys, I’m so scared,” she cried. “Can you come find me? There’s a group of men following me–1 think they re the same ore. cornered you last time.”
“They have guns…”
Rhys clenched his fist.
“Stay calm, find somewhere safe and wait for me. I’m coming right now.”
As Rhys rushed out, a suspicion formed in my mind.
I looked up to the second floor–and met Julian’s ice–cold gaze.
Was it my imagination, or did Lily’s timing always seem too convenient?
I knocked on the study door to find Julian wearing frameless glasses on the bridge of his nose.
His gentle façade had fallen away, revealing an unapproachable sharpness.
After studying him for a few seconds, I suddenly realized that my perception of Julian as gentle, rigid, and rule following might have been completely wrong.
“Julian, let me see your phone,” I demanded.
He paused, then handed it over without protest.
It unlocked instantly with my fingerprint.
As I handled the phone, I caught a faint scent of cigarettes.
Julian had meticulously erased all traces of his habits, except for one photo in his gallery–a picture of me.
It was from the early days when Rhys and I were both dirt poor.
Rhys had been beaten, his leg broken. I was carrying him, staggering step by step to the hospital.
My once–white canvas shoes were yellowed and soaked. My jeans were baggy, my hair in a simple ponytail.
One look at that photo could break anyone’s heart. It looked remarkably similar to how Lily appeared the day she entered my life.
Before leaving Westlake, I’d investigated why Rhys had become involved with Lily.
He’d gone to Northbrook on business and encountered rivals.
His enemies were armed–Lily had saved him by draping her oversized school uniform over him, pretending they were a couple, helping him to escape.
Apparently, Rhys had stood outside Lily’s school afterward, smoking until cigarette butts littered the ground at his feet.
After that day, he returned to plan to leave his dangerous lifestyle behind.
Lily was from Northbrook, wore a blue and white school uniform similar to mine, and even had the same worn shoe tips.
When I saw that photo, everything became clear–Rhys’s affair wasn’t coincidental–someone had orchestrated the entire scenario.
Julian pushed his glasses up slightly.
Dal
Chapter 8
“She works for me,” he stated simply. “A girl specifically sent to seduce Rhys away.
I curled my fingers, eyes widening in shock.
“Do you hate me again, my lady?” Julian asked.
Though phrased as a question, it sounded like self–loathing.
