Almost an hour passed , and Julian was still sitting at the bar, holding a half empty bottle of beer. He had to figure out who could be responsible for his kidnapping and why, and he had no answers. After she had given Julian all the answers he was asking for, Jasmine had excused herself and returned to her job. The world around Julian buzzed quietly, murmured conversations, the occasional clink of glass, and the soft hum of music playing in the background but he couldn't hear any of that because his mind was a whirlwind of confusion. It wasn’t until his phone buzzed in his pocket that he snapped back to the present. He hesitated, wondering who could be calling him. No one would be calling his phone as far as he knew, so he was intrigued. With a sigh, he pulled his cellphone from his pockets. To his dismay when he opened his phone, he saw that it was a text from an unknown number. Who did it belong to? He wondered as he pressed on the message, his eyes widening slightly in in
As she looked at him, there was something in Scarlett's eyes, hatred for him. Scarlett’s resentment for Julian was immense, rooted deep in her heart. He hadn’t just ruined her life when he did nothing to stop the wedding; he’d shattered her dreams of becoming the CEO, stripping away the future she’d worked tirelessly to build. Every glance at him reminded her of everything she’d lost, and she didn't want to forgive him. Julian could almost feel the contempt and hatred she felt for him. She didn’t say anything at first, just surveyed him with a cold look. Her cold expression could freeze someone in place. Julian stood there for a moment, unsure if he should say something first or wait for her to speak. Either way, he knew it wasn’t going to be pleasant. Finally he decided to speak. “So…, I'm here, and, where are we going?” He asked politely. “You’re late,” she replied finally, her tone clipped and cold. “Or did you forget how to read a clock?” She folded her arms, letting out a
Nonetheless, Julian knew he didn’t have much of a choice but to be here; he was, after all, Scarlet’s driver for the day. Reluctantly, he followed her to the entrance, where a sharply dressed man was checking each guest's invitation. When Scarlet’s turn came, she presented her invitation with a casual flick of her wrist, and the man nodded respectfully, stepping aside to let her through. Julian also was allowed inside since he was with her. The art gallery buzzed with life, an air of sophistication that Julian couldn’t quite fit into. The walls were decorated with impressive paintings, sculptures, and abstract pieces each one more expensive than anything he had ever touched. At least this time, Julian didn’t have to worry about looking out of place in a shabby outfit. He was still dressed in the tailored suit he’d worn for his wedding to Scarlet earlier that day. As he walked in behind her, keeping a respectful distance, he couldn’t help but notice how much attention she drew. He
He turned, somewhat reluctantly, and found himself facing a well dressed older man. The man’s suit was immaculately tailored, his silver hair was combed back with class. Everything about the man showed that he was someone wealthy “Do I know you?” Julian asked, guardedly looking the man in the eyes. The man gave a small nod, unfazed by Julian’s guarded tone, he stretched out his hand eagerly, almost so eargery which caught Julian off guard, “My name is Alfred Bannerman.” “Oh...kay. Well, Mr. Bannerman, you still haven't answered my question. Do I know you?" Julian asked again, still keeping a guarded stance. It was very usual that someone who looked wealthy would approach him, and that too, know him. Unless they were from the firm, then it was usual. Mr. Bannerman paused, looking at him with an almost calculating expression. “I knew your parents,” he said, his voice a bit softer now. “I worked with them closely, and well, their passing left some… loose ends. And I’m afraid, Ju
"Oh…hey, I'm Julian. I was just saying, this barely looks like art," Julian replied, taken aback by her hostility. The woman's frown deepened. "What would you know about art?" she retorted, her voice laced with sarcasm.”I highly doubt someone as classless as you would understand." She scrutinized him more closely. And she noticed a few things about him; although his suit looked good on him, it was very cheap for someone who would be able to attend this event. Plus he lacked the subtle markers of wealth and influence that she was accustomed to. No expensive watch, no custom-tailored shirt, no air of effortless superiority. Even his hair screamed ‘commoner.’ "You don't belong here," she declared, her voice now ice-cold. "This is an exclusive event, not a place for… your kind to sneak into." She gave him a dirty look. "How did you even get in? Did you slip past security with the caterers?" "I didn't sneak in," Julian replied, angry at her insinuation. "Then do show me your invit
After receiving the apology from Gretta, Julian stood alone, feeling countless eyes looking at him. Well, the people were intrigued, trying to understand how he came to be associated with Scarlet. “Wow, lucky guy,” someone remarked enviously. “Having Scarlett in your corner must feel amazing.” “Loser,” another voice muttered bitterly. “Couldn't even defend himself, had to rely on Ms. Scarlett to fight his battles.” The comments, especially from the men who secretly desired Scarlet, carried a mix of envy and disdain. Scarlett was known to keep her distance, a fortress impossible to breach for most. The idea that someone like Julian dressed modestly, with no apparent influence, had managed to get so close to her stirred jealousy among the onlookers. To them, it was baffling and infuriating. “Look at him, standing there all smug. Does he really think he’s something special just because she stepped in?” a woman murmured, her voice conveying disrespect. “Must be nice,” one envious voic
He opened the door and found Scarlett already there, standing by the wardrobe as she was picking out something to wear. She turned at the sound of the door opening, her gaze turning cold as she saw him in the doorway. Her eyebrow raised in clear displeasure. “What exactly do you think you’re doing?” she asked, her voice cold. The fact that he just pushed the door opening without knocking was enough to send a wave of irritation through her. Julian, taken aback, hesitated. He hadn’t expected her to be here yet. The last he checked, she was having a conversation outside. “Sorry, didn’t know you were already here,” he replied, his tone apologetic. Her glare sharpened, clearly not buying his excuse. What a poor excuse he had, “Of course I’m here. What do you mean? This is my room, and you’re not allowed in it.” “Well, we are married, so…” Julian trailed off, his words faltering slightly, but he tried again. “Can’t I share the same room with you?” A flash of disgust crossed her face. Sh
There were also other two voices, which Julian was quick to tell that it was Tessa and her boyfriend Damien. He had hoped to avoid running into anyone from work, especially Brandon or Claire, but fate had other plans. Keeping his back to them, he tried to pay quickly and slip out unnoticed. His plan failed; however, he was instantly spotted by Claire. “Well, well, look who we have here,” she said mockingly. With a resigned sigh, Julian turned around. Standing before him was Claire, his ex, with her new boyfriend, Brandon, her arm looped around his. Next to them was Tessa, an old colleague of Julian’s and Claire’s friend, holding hands with a tall, confident-looking man whom Julian recognized as one of Brandon’s former employees. He had recently left the company for a better-paying job. "Didn’t expect to see you here," Claire said, her eyes scanning Julian from head to toe with a smug look. She noticed a shopping bag in his hands, a clear indication he was here to buy clothes
“What?” Claudia was taken aback. He barged into her room, and it was somehow her fault? How was being walked in on like that supposed to be a compliment? She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.”Mom….”Isadora ignored her daughter as she turned back to Julian. “Anyway, it’s so nice to meet you,” she added with a smile.Julian, however, couldn’t shake the feeling that it was all an act. And the fact that she so easily blamed her daughter, when it was clearly his fault for walking into a room without knocking, only made him more uneasy.Julian wasn’t fooled. He already knew why Isadora’s attitude had flipped so quickly, his last name. People like her were always eager to befriend someone like him. After all, he was the richest young man now, even if most people didn’t know it yet. So, her sudden shift didn’t surprise him at all, she was trying to befriend him for the benefits.“Nice to meet you too,” Julian replied casually, though his focus quickly shifted to Claudia, who was yelling
His heartbeat quickened, and he instinctively averted his gaze away from the woman, internally scolding himself.‘Stupid. What did you think? Why the hell did you just walk into her room without knocking?’Julian was about to explain himself and apologize, but before he could even get a word out, the woman’s scream pierced through the room.“Help! Help! There’s a man in my room!”Great. Now she was calling for help and accusing him of having bad intentions. A frown tugged on Julian's lips as heard her. But could he blame her? He was the one who had walked into her room, without knocking.Her voice was sharp and panic striken, echoing off the walls. She quickly grabbed the nearest thing to her that she could find: a decorative vase, and held it up defensively, her hands shaking as she pointed it at him.Julian immediately raised his hands in surrender, taking a step back to show her that he had no bad intentions towards her, “Wait….stop, I'm….” He tried to explain to her but before he
“I’m Elysia by the way,” the woman finally introduced herself as she led Julian towards the grand living room, its high ceilings and tall windows giving it an open, airy feel.Julian stopped looking around as he swiveled her gaze to meet her eyes, and then he replied, “Nice to meet you. I’m Julian.”Elysia gave him a slight nod. She continued leading him further into the house, her heels clicking softly against the shiny marble floors. Julian’s eyes darted around, taking in the familiar yet unfamiliar surroundings. He looked up at the luxurious chandelier still hanging from the ceiling, its crystals shining under the light, but the walls had been repainted, and the furniture seemed to have been replaced. He hadn't been here in more than a decade, and he never thought he would be back at all.“It must be strange being back after all these years,” Elysia said, her voice disturbing the silence“You could say that.” He replied without looking at her.Elysia gave him a thoughtful and em
“We need to talk,” Scarlett said, her tone sharp and demanding as she watched Julian scroll through his phone. After watching him invest so much money on a bet, too many questions were in her mind, questions that needed answers. Julian glanced up briefly, unfazed, then returned his attention to his phone. “Later,” he muttered, his voice dismissive, too occupied with something.Scarlett’s eyes narrowed in annoyance. She didn't like it when people dismissed her. To her it sounded like he was trying to avoid the conversation about where he got the money from.“No, Julian. We’re talking now….”She tried to command him as usual, but before she could finish, Julian was already walking away, completely ignoring her. She gritted her teeth, thinking of going after him, but ultimately she chose not to.Once Julian was outside the building, he hailed a taxi and instructed the driver to taken him to his old home, the one he had lived in before his family passed. He knew it was a bad idea, but hi
Amara and Victor didn't answer Julian. It wasn't like they had anything to say to him. The room was envelope in silence.Victor’s hand hovered over Scarlett’s computer screen, his jaw tightening as his eyes widened in shock. Neither he, Amara, nor Scarlett said a word, but the disbelief on their faces spoke more than their words could.Everyone was still trying to wrap their heads around what had just happened. They had expected Julian to fail, to back out at the last second, but he didn’t. He proved them wrong, and he did it in a way.It was now clear as day to them, that Julian Blackwood wasn’t the loser they thought he was. If he could toss around five hundred million dollars without breaking a sweat, then he wasn’t just some nobody. Victor and Amara no longer acted smug. Now that they knew who Julian really was, their confidence was gone, replaced by humiliation. They had mocked and ridiculed him, and now, they were the fools. Victor fidgeted, his hands clenched, while Amara’s g
Scarlett couldn't help but question Julian's intelligence at this point. It was one thing to bluff, but to claim something so outrageous as having a hundred million dollars was beyond absurd. Her eyes lingered on him, silently telling him to stop embarrassing himself, however he wasn't paying attention to her. ‘Fucking idiot! Does he even realize how stupid he sounds right now?’ Scarlet thought. She gritted her teeth, she wanted to scream at Julian in anger. She feared that Julian was going to embarrass himself, and in extension her too, since she was his wife. “Julian, stop making a fool out of yourself.” She couldn't take it anymore, and she had to tell him right then and there in front of everyone, “We all know you don’t have that kind of money, so just drop it.” She had on, her usual no nonsense stare, the one that usually got people to shut up and listen.But not Julian, he ignored her without a second thought, turning to Victor and Amara. “You know what?I changed my mind, ma
Him and Scarlett were just putting on a facade of husband and wife and none of them would care what the other did, but still, Amara's words weren't just insulting, they were also disgusting. She was suggesting that even if they were real husband and wife, Scarlett should go out and cheat on him for business.His eyes narrowed, dangerous and cold, but he stayed seated, his gaze fixed on Amara and Victor, like they were one wrong word away from regret. “Careful, both of you. I think you should watch your words!” he said quietly, his voice dead calm, though every word carried a threat.Amara snorted, tossing her hair over her shoulder like his words were nothing but background noise. “What? Did I hit a nerve Julian?” Her smirk widened, her eyes showing a hint of malice. “You’re nothing but a joke, Julian. No matter how much you pretend, that won't change. If you were even half the man Nolan is, maybe you’d be able to help your wife's company. Hell, maybe we wouldn’t have to beg for inves
Scarlett looked up at her brother and cousin, who had barged into her office, screaming at her about Mr Seth’s decision to withdraw his investments from their company.But honestly, she couldn’t care less. She was glad that the creep had decided to withdraw his investments. It wasn’t like he was the only investor in the world.“Are you two done?” Her voice was calm and controlled, but a sharp edge of annoyance lay just beneath the surface. “Because if all you came here to do was panic, you’re wasting my time.”Amara scoffed at Scarlet's response, folding her arms. Although she wasn't surprised by her attitude. Scarlett was like this, prideful, stubborn, and always acting like she was untouchable. It got on Amara's nerves more than she cared to admit. ‘Freaking bitch.’ she thought to herself, however she wouldn't dare say that out loud.Victor stepped forward, irritation sharp in his gaze. And he had every right to be upset. Scarlett hadn’t just driven away a major investor,she did it
Scarlet's expression hardened after she heard Seth's words. The audacity of this old man to threaten her, and trying to take advantage of the fact that he was an investor in the company, was infuriating. He was even more disgusting than she had thought.“If you’re done embarrassing yourself, Mr. Seth, I suggest you leave. My husband and I have more important things to do.” Her tone was like ice, sharp and cold. Seth’s face reddened his nostrils flaring. This wasn't the reaction he expected from Scarlett. He thought by threatening her she would reconsider the situation and give in, however he was wrong for thinking that. He shot one last venomous and hateful look at Julian, his fists clenched tight, but he didn’t say a word to Julian, instead he turned to Scarlett and said. "Fine. Since you seem so confident, I’ll withdraw all my investments. Let’s see how long you can last without me.” With that, he turned to leave but paused, eyes locking onto Julian with an icy sneer. Slowly,