Chapter 81 Anger (I)

In the study of the luxurious Sterling Penthouse in Lorehaven, the wooden floor was littered with cigarette butts, papers and documents strewn about, and anything breakable had been smashed to pieces. Julian Sterling stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, a half-smoked cigarette between his slender fingers. His eyes, colder and deeper than ancient wells, were fixated on a thought that revolved in his mind like a relentless wheel – Isabella de Valois's mocking words from earlier that day, "Julian, how could you not even keep a woman?"

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. His jaws clenched tightly, and in a fit of rage, he kicked a large, unopened picture frame leaning against the wall. The frame crashed to the floor, and he squinted at it, seemingly unable to recall why it was there. When he recognized the face in the photo, his anger surged from his feet to his chest, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked, veins on his arms bulging. His usual proud self-control was