"What are you doing?" Julian asked, his voice laced with mild surprise, but he didn't retract his arm from her.Scarlet's expression remained cool, her eyes steady as she met his gaze. "We need to play the part of the husband and wife," she replied, her tone matter-of-fact, as though it were the most natural thing in the world.A moment later, the two of them walked deeper into the hotel, heading toward the private event space where Scarlett’s family awaited. As they moved through the lavishly decorated hallway, the sound of laughter and music grew louder. Scarlett and Julian didn’t seem to care much for the grandeur around them as they walked towards where everyone was. Scarletts arm remained loosely wrapped around Julian’s, her posture stiff, maintaining the facade of a perfect couple. But as they stood so close, she couldn’t help but notice the faint yet captivating scent of his cologne, a sharp, clean fragrance that felt entirely out of place for a pauper like him.Her gaze dart
Scarlett’s frown deepened as Nolan entered the hotel. His presence was the last thing she needed. She despised him for good reason. Despite her clear lack of interest, Nolan couldn't take a hint. His obsession with marrying her was relentless.He’d even told her family it didn’t matter if she liked him; once married, he was sure he could make her fall in love with him. It was nothing more than a delusion. Scarlett would never fall for someone like him. He was the complete opposite of what she wanted. His pressure, and that of his mother, to force this marriage made him even more unbearable.“Keep up the act, that idiot doesn’t know how to take a hint,” Scarlett said sharply, meeting his gaze briefly.Julian nodded, noticing the simmering resentment in Scarlett's eyes. It wasn’t just irritation; it was something deeper.What puzzled him was why her family would push her into a marriage with someone she so clearly disliked. Was it purely for the prestige? A move to strengthen ties with
The room fell silent. Nolan blinked in disbelief. How was this possible? Since when was Scarlett married to anyone? According to their families, they were supposed to be married, so what was going on?Nolan had known Scarlett didn’t want to marry him, but he hadn’t expected her to marry someone else just to avoid him. He looked at her, expecting her to deny Julian’s claim, but she remained silent, showing no care that Julian’s arm was around her.Just then, the entire Lancaster family happened to have arrived, they entered the suite. Clarissa greeted Nolan cheerfully, unaware of the tension between him and Scarlett. They couldn’t see Julian, who was hidden behind the crowd.As they approached, Clarissa and the rest of the family finally saw Julian, and he had his arm around Scarlett’s waist. “This is not good,” Clarissa muttered, her teeth gritting. “What is that trash doing with my daughter?”Vivienne whispered urgently, “He’s holding Scarlett in front of Nolan. What if he finds out
“Oh please, you think you can offer her something?” Clarissa sneered, her voice was filled with contempt. "What exactly, Julian? A life of poverty and mediocrity? Because that's all you're capable of offering."Julian smirked. They had no idea about him, and he couldn't wait to show them. A faint grin tugging at his lips, he replied, “Just wait, and you will see.”Scarlett’s eyes darted to Julian. Why couldn’t he just stay quiet? She had asked him to act like her husband only, not to pretend as if he had anything to offer her. Still, a small part of her couldn’t help but admire the calm confidence in his tone, he was playing the husband part to perfection, for now.Nolan’s face was red with jealousy and rage as he sized Julian up with poorly masked disdain. “And who are you, exactly? What could you possibly offer her that she doesn’t already have?”Scarlett , sensing the brewing storm, squeezed Julian’s hand lightly, hoping it would signal him to stop replying to Nolan, but he didn’t
Julian and Scarlett both turned around to face the woman.Clarissa stepped forward, her expression a mask of cold fury. “You will not take another step with this man.” Her voice was commanding, each word razor-sharp. “He’s nothing but a parasite, using you to climb the social ladder. Can’t you see that?”Scarlett let out a soft sigh, her gaze steady. “Mother, stop.” Her tone was firm but controlled. “You don’t have to like Julian, but you don’t get to control my life.”Clarissa’s eyes narrowed dangerously, but before she could reply, Alistair joined her.“Can we get some security in here? This man needs to be thrown out,” Alistair roared, his voice echoing across the suite.Nolan stepped forward, pulling out his phone with a smug grin. “No need to trouble security. I’ll call the manager.” He looked Julian over with open contempt, his words dripping with venom. “He’s a good friend of my dad’s. I’m sure he’ll be happy to teach this lowlife his place.”Scarlett’s heart skipped a beat at
Scarlett, however, felt a nervous knot in her stomach as she watched Julian's oblivious defiance. “Julian, get the fuck out of here, you don't know what you're up against,” she commanded through clenched teeth. While she didn’t know Spencer personally, his reputation was legendary. He was ruthless, with deep ties to the Blackwood empire. Julian had no idea just how deep he was stepping into trouble.But Julian, as always, ignored her, his eyes locked on Spencer.Spencer walked over to Nolan, who pointed a finger at Julian with a sneer.“This bastard refuses to leave,” Nolan spat.Vivienne added, “Mr. Spencer, this is the man who’s been causing a scene all night. He has been behaving with no respect for anyone else.”With a nod, showing that he had heard the accusations, Spencer shifted his attention to Julian. His men followed suit, stepping forward with their bats casually over their shoulders. They surrounded Julian, closing in like wolves on their prey.“He's done for now.” Landon
Nolan's face was pale with shock, but his mouth was still running, sounding so arrogant as usuall. He was still conviced Mr Spencer was mistaken,“Mr. Spencer, you’re making a mistake. This guy is just some….”Mr Spencer’s eyes narrowed, cutting him off. "Make this fool understand what happens to those who disrespect Mr. Blackwood."Without a moment’s hesitation, Spencer’s men stepped forward, giving Nolan the beating of his life. Outnumbered and unable to fight back, Nolan crumpled to the floor, his body barely able to protect itself from the relentless blows.The room was filled with the sound of fists connecting with flesh, and the tension in the air became suffocating. Everyone in the suite, including the Lancaster family, watched in stunned silence, their eyes wide in disbelief. Not even the fact that he was a Stormbone, could save Nolan this time. Even the Lancaster's who always pretended like Nolan was their favorite person in the world, didn't want to intervene in fear of them
Julian’s gaze intensified, his voice quieter but more forceful. He heard Spencer yet, he felt like his answers were not satisfying enough, “I’m not interested in vague answers, Spencer. I want the truth. I want to know why my family was murdered.” Spencer sighed, his expression determined,“I swear to you, that’s all I know. But if you’re serious about getting to the bottom of this, you should ask Mr. Bannerman or Vera. They know more than I do.” Julian gave a stiff nod, but his eyes never left Spencer. “Alright.” Spencer’s eyes darted around nervously before he leaned in slightly. “Be careful with Vera, though.” Julian’s brow furrowed. Why did he have to be careful around Vera? He was puzzled. “What do you mean by that?” He asked. Spencer looked around cautiously, as if double-checking they were alone. His posture shifted. Suddenly he was no longer exuding his usual authority, but rather a rare unease. “Listen, Master Julian, what I’m about to tell you, this stays between us. No o
Julian had been ready to leave without sparing Sharon another thought, because why should he waste time on her. She wasn’t worth his time, and he had more important matters to attend to.But then, just as he was about to leave, her boyfriend decided to open his mouth.That didn’t sit right with Julian. He couldn’t just let something like that slide.“And who the fuck are you supposed to be?” Julian’s voice was dangerously low, however he didn't show his anger, managing to keep calm.What annoyed him was the fact that her boyfriend was a stranger to him, yet he had the guts to open his mouth. What gave this guy the right to talk to him like that? They didn’t even know each other.And the fact that Sharon could show up out of nowhere just to stir up trouble? It got on his nerves more than he cared to admit. But after this he would make sure she never even thinks of messing with him again.Sharon stepped closer, practically draping herself over her boyfriend’s arm as she smirked, clearly
In the end, Julian made his decision. He agreed to align with them. Together, they would seek revenge.After spending some time at the Crosswell residence discussing plans and exchanging details, Julian finally left. It was around noon when he returned to his hotel room.Sitting on the edge of the bed, he pulled the flash drive out of his pocket and turned it over in his hand. He looked at its small size, imagining what information he would find, or if there were any secrets it held. He wanted, no, needed to see what was inside.But there was a problem. He didn’t have a computer or anything to access the files.Annoyed at himself for not thinking ahead, Julian stood up, grabbed his keys, and headed out of his hotel suite suit. He decided that he will buy something to access the hard drive with. Something secure. After all, he wasn’t about to trust this kind of information to just any device.Fast forward half an hour later, Julian stepped into the sleek, brightly lit mall. He made his
They’re a secret society,” said Charlie, who had been silent until now. His tone was grim, his eyes locked on Julian. “A network of the rich and influential: we are talking politicians, bankers, corporate moguls.”Julian shifted his gaze to Charlie, studying him carefully. He didn't want to just believe these people. What if they were lying to him? Still, if they were telling the truth, this could be very valuable information in the future, and they could make very helpful allies. After all they were all after the same thing: Revenge.Charlie and Alaric continued to share what they knew about the people responsible for Julian’s family’s massacre. According to them, it was a secret society, one that thrived in the shadows, controlling the powerful and bending the world to its will. Julian’s grandfather, great-grandfather, and even his great-great-grandfather, they explained, had all once been part of this secret society. For generations, the Blackwood family had worked alongside them
The room fell into stunned silence. Even Betty, who had seemed so sure of herself moments ago, suddenly looked uneasy after hearing Julian's words.Why was he taking her side? Did she already manage to make him fall in love for her? Betty was jealous.“That witch,” Betty muttered under her breath, her hatred for Athena deepening. “I won’t let her get away with this.”Athena shot Julian a quick glance, surprised that he would speak out for her. Was he defending her or what? She couldn’t tell, but either way, she was grateful.Julian stepped closer to Athena, his towering presence impossible to ignore. “For the record,” he said, his voice calm, “Athena didn’t promise me anything. I’m here because she told me, this family shares the same interests as me.” Athena seized the moment. “You heard him,” she said, her confidence growing. “So maybe instead of throwing around baseless accusations, you should focus on why we’re really here.”Betty’s lips tightened, but she didn’t respond, only be
Betty's sharp and mocking laugh didn't go unnoticed by the others. Julian couldn't help frowning slightly when he noticed this. It seemed like Athena and her mother were seen as outsiders by their only family, he felt sorry for her.“Oh, please, just shut up.” Betty sneered. “Don’t act like you actually convinced him with your so-called ‘skills.’ Everyone knows you couldn't negotiate, even if your own life was on the line. So tell us, Athena, what exactly did you promise Julian Blackwood to get him to come here?”“Or better yet,” Betty added, her lips curling into a smirk, “what did you offer him?” Julian's eyes grew colder. Was the woman accusing Athena of sleeping with him to make him agree to this meeting?Athena frowned. She knew exactly that Betty was implying that she had offered herself to Julian in exchange for him agreeing to come here. Not only her, but everyone else in the room seemed to think that now. A few murmurs erupted through the room, fueling the accusation. Some
Sometime later, after freshening up and changing into a fresh set of clothes, Julian followed Athena in silence, his mind thinking about the consequences of agreeing to this unexpected meeting. Was he making a mistake in trusting her? He wasn’t sure if he trusted her or he should trust her at all, but the idea of an ally, someone who shared his enemy, was too tempting to pass up.After getting outside the hotel, a luxurious limousine accompanied by a few cars was parked outside waiting for Athena. Her driver, a burly man dressed in a suit , opened the door for her and she entered the vehicle along with her two bodyguards.Julian didn't hesitate, and followed her, having already made up his mind. The vehicle started moving. The drive was short. On the road, Athena had attempted to start some conversations, throwing out bits of small talk, but Julian wasn’t having any of it. He answered her first few questions with short, clipped responses before falling completely silent.Athena se
Before he could speak, she stepped past him without hesitation, her heels clicking against the marble floor as if she owned the place.The two women she had with her followed suit, flanking her and with practiced steps.Julian blinked, caught off guard. His frown deepened as he watched them walk past him without a second glance. Who the hell did she think she was? Walking into his hotel just like that? Agitation creeped up his spine.He hadn’t even had the chance to ask her to stop or invite her in. What was her game?The audacity of it all rubbed him the wrong way. She was treating his space like it was hers, and that didn’t sit well with him."Excuse me?" Julian snapped, his voice cold as he turned to face her. "What the hell do you think you’re doing?"She didn’t stop. Instead, she walked further into the room, pausing only to glance around briefly before turning to meet his eyes.“Nice place,” she said casually, as though they’d known each other for years. “I hope you don’t mind.”
“Why do you suspect that?” Julian asked.Jasper replied, "We suspect that, because how did they manage to get a hold of your old family home?" Jasper added, his voice filled with suspicion.“I thought the mansion was auctioned off by someone in the Blackwood consortium?” Julian asked.He’d always assumed that’s what had happened, but now that he said it out loud, it didn't sound so convincing, even to himself. Why would the Blackwood consortium ever sell his family home? What purpose could there be? It was not like they lacked funds.“No, it wasn’t auctioned off. They made your grandfather give up the home that night.” Jasper’s words dropped like a bomb making Julian even more shocked. “And it was later given to Gabriel by the people who murdered your family as a gift....I think, according to the information I have acquired.” Julian’s mind spinned. His family’s mansion… given as a gift? To some Gabriel, Isadora's husband?“Do you know who those people are?” Julian asked, his voice ti
“I think it’s time you started explaining,” Julian said, his voice commanding and authoritative as he stepped closer. “What the hell is going on, Vera? And don’t tell me it’s complicated. I need answers.” he demanded.Vera gave a small nod, and said softly,“That’s exactly why I brought you here. There are things I know about your parents’ murder, things you need to hear.”Julian blinked, momentarily caught off guard by her sudden willingness to talk. “Okay, I'm all ears.” he said, waiting for her to start spilling everything she knew out.Just then, the old man beside Vera finally spoke, his tone serious. “But first, let’s make one thing clear, Master Julian.”Julian turned to him, his sharp gaze sizing up the stranger. Who was this man, really? He looked very familiar, especially now that Julian stood closer, but he still couldn’t quite place the face. He looked familiar, yet unfamiliar at the same time.There was something in the man’s looks that reminded him of Vera. For example t