Julian nodded, a faint hint of frustration showing on his face. Still, he smiled faintly. "Alright, thank you." He turned to leave, prepared to find another hotel, though he couldn’t shake the feeling that the receptionist’s dismissive tone was meant to belittle him. He also noticed the way she rolled her eyes. But he didn't think much of it, it was nothing new. Julian continued on his way out, thinking of hailing a taxi to take him to another hotel or motel. Just then, a couple walked past him, heading toward the desk, their conversation light. When they reached the receptionist, her entire demeanour shifted. Unlike when she was speaking with Julian, she straightened, her smile suddenly genuine. "Good evening, sir, madam," she greeted them cheerfully. "How can I assist you?" Julian, busy trying to book an Uber on his phone, overheard the couple asking for a room. Within moments, the receptionist’s fingers flew over the keyboard as though she were greeting a valued guest. "Of cours
“How stupid are you? Do you think the manager is going to give you a free room?” The receptionist asked. She was furious.She had never seen anyone as shameless as him before. How dare this loser stand there in his homeless clothes and demand to see the manager?The bystanders were equally taken aback. They couldn’t believe what they were witnessing. A clearly destitute man, causing a commotion and insisting on seeing the manager. They exchanged looks of disbelief, their murmurs filling the air as they shot him judgmental glances.Julian’s face showed no emotion as he ignored the murmurs from the onlookers, stepping closer to the desk, his presence now commanding despite her mocking tone. "Call the manager, now!” he demanded again, his voice carrying authority this time.Maybe if she did what he asked, perhaps there was a small chance he was going to let her off with a warning later. Actually, no! it didn't matter now, after her disrespectful behavior towards him, she was already fire
Hudson’s eyes narrowed in disbelief, irritation crawling across his face. “My boss?” he sneered, his voice dripping with mockery. “You really think you're important enough to talk to the president of this hotel? Who the hell do you think you are?”Julian exhaled slowly, unfazed, and muttered under his breath, “Fine, I’ll call her myself.” He pulled out his phone and dialed a number.Hudson and the others exchanged skeptical glances. Who was he calling? The hotel president? To them, it was obvious, he was clearly faking it. There was no way a man like him had the hotel president's number, let alone the authority to call her directly.Julian's voice was calm, almost bored as he spoke into the phone. “Vera, I’m inside the Emarald Hotel. Could you please tell the Hotel President that I need her to come down to the lobby immediately?”He paused, listening to Vera’s response, then nodded as though she were saying exactly what he expected.The three of them exchanged another look, smirking a
"Please forgive us, Mr Blackwood," the receptionist stammered, her voice trembling. "We were wrong. We beg you to forgive our ignorance."But Julian remained unsympathetic to their desperate pleas. He glanced at them dismissively, his face still unforgiving. "Security, escort them out. They're fired," he commanded with no emotion, his tone leaving no room for negotiation. He paused, his gaze lingering on the receptionist and Hudson, however he didn't felt nothing for them. They had pissed him off so much that no matter how much they begged, he had no sympathy for them.Without another word, the security guards stepped forward, gripping the receptionist, the former manager Hudson, and Larry by the arms. They were embarrassingly dragged out of the hotel, their protests fading into the silence that followed. The room buzzed with hushed whispers from the onlookers, who had just witnessed everything. Those who had initially dismissed Julian as nothing more than a beggar were the most st
When he awoke, it was already morning. Sunlight shined through the curtains, causing a warm glow across the room. Julian blinked, disoriented for a moment, before reaching over to check his phone. The screen lit up with notifications, and his eyes immediately went to the missed calls.There were two. One from Vera, the other from Scarlett. He frowned, unsure of what Scarlet could want. Whatever, he wasn't in the mood for her.He rubbed his face with one hand, still groggy, before deciding to return Vera's call. He didn’t have to wait long before her voice filled the line, sharp and professional.“Good morning, Julian,” she began, her voice businesslike. “I trust you had a restful night. However, we still have a few matters that require your attention.”Julian leaned back against the headboard, trying to shake off the sleepiness. “What’s going on?”Vera’s voice was direct and business-like. “There’s a meeting scheduled with Harper & Co. Enterprises, one of our key business associates.
It was not a surprise to Julian that his life might be in danger now that he had stepped into the scene as the heir of his family's old legacy. His life had always been on the line, even before he inherited everything.It was only because he had stayed hidden for so long that he hadn’t been found by the people hunting his bloodline.“It’s a precaution,” Celeste replied quickly, her voice reassuring him, “Vera believes it’s better to be prepared. These men are highly trained and will ensure no harm comes to you.”Julian glanced at the guards again, their watchful eyes scanning the lobby with precision. He sighed, feeling like his life was getting dangerous by the moment, but strangely he didn't mind it. He was coming to terms with it, plus he would rather live this life than his old one where he was looked at as a nobody.“Fine,” he said, his tone resigned. “Let’s just get moving.” He made his way towards the exit, Celeste following behind.Julian stepped outside the hotel and was poin
Gary’s insults made Julian want to punch him. His fists clenched at his sides, but he kept a cool and composed expression, because he didn't want to cause a scene.Stil, he couldn't stop the old animosity from bubbling under his calm exterior. He had never forgotten how Gary and his cronies had treated him, how they had used their position to make his life unbearable when he was nothing more than a janitor. Now, standing in front of him with that same smug face, Julian had no intention of letting Gary get under his skin again. In Fact it was time for revenge.“Funny,” Julian finally responded, his voice sharp but calm. “I wasn’t planning on working as a janitor here, but I’m honestly impressed you managed to land a job at all. I didn’t think places like this hired people whose IQ barely outpaces room temperature.” He smirked, raising an eyebrow as he let the words hang in the air. “Guess miracles really do happen.”Gary’s face reddened, his expression shifting from smug superiority
Gary’s sneer widened as a mocking realization seemed to dawn on him. His voice was filled with sarcasm. “Ah, I see how it works now. You don’t need hard work or respect, do you, Julian? You just latch onto the next wealthy woman who feels sorry for you. Typical.”His gaze shifted back to Celeste, his eyes roaming over her from head to toe. Her sharp features, confident demeanor, and perfectly tailored outfit all screamed sophistication. Her slender, elegant figure and natural beauty could put most models to shame. Gary’s eyes lit up with a flash of envy. How on earth did this loser always manage to snag women like her? Every time Gary wanted to get attention from a woman like that, he had to spend a fortune. Meanwhile, Julian just seemed to use his face and some unexplained charm. It wasn’t fair.But then, a spiteful thought gave Gary a sense of satisfaction. Whatever. This idiot will get dumped soon enough. Won’t be long until she realizes what a waste of time he is.The mental imag
The shooter had a fearful look for half a second after he heard Julian’s words, but then he chuckled dryly, shaking his head. “Yeah? And what are you gonna do, tough guy? Older you lackeys to beat me until I pass out again?” He tilted his chin up, his smirk resembling that of someone filled with arrogance, despite the fact that he had no control here,“You’re wasting your time. I’m not saying a damn thing. So do what you gotta do.”Julian exhaled audibly, a hint of irritation flashing across his face. He was already getting fed up with this person. He was playing tough, but that wouldn’t last, not with what Julian had planned out for him. One way or another, Julian had to make him speak, and so he needed to shift tactics. Julian’s expression darkened as he shot a look at Nyx. No words were needed from Julian, Nyx already understood the assignment.Without hesitation, she stepped forward and grabbed the man’s hand, twisting it at an unnatural angle. A loud crack echoed through the holdi
Julian laid down on his bed, thinking about his and Scarlett’s relationship, eventually sleep overtook him before he even knew it.The following day in the morning, Julian arrived at a warehouse where he was keeping the person who had shot the mayor. He walked through the warehouse entrance with Nyx and a bunch of armed security personnel following behind him.He made his way into the holding area with Nyx, while the armed men remained outside, securing the perimeter for any danger. If the shooter’s associates, or anyone else, tried to interfere, they’d be ready. Inside there were about five guys dressed in tactical gear, watching over the shooter to make sure he didn't escape.Julian gave a small signal with his fingers, and one of the guards yanked the blindfold off the captives head. The man blinked rapidly, his eyes adjusting to the dim light, before they shifted slowly to stare at Julian and Nyx who stood before him. His eyes lingered longer on Nyx, remembering that she was the
After leaving the hotel, Julian returned home. In the evening around 10 pm as he lay on his bed, scrolling through his phone, trying to find some public Information about his enemies . His eyebrows arched when it suddenly vibrated. Seeing that Scarlett was calling, he paused for a moment.He had forgotten that Scarlett was in the hotel ballroom during the shooting. He wondered if she had made it out safely amidst all the chaos and panic.He answered the call and pressed the phone to his ear.“Hey, Julian,” Scarlett’s voice came through, soft but concerned.“Are you okay?” she asked. “How are you feeling?”Julian couldn’t help but grin, leaning back on his bed. She asked how he was doing. Was she worried about him now? He didn’t expect that. Honestly, Scarlett had always been aloof and cold toward him at first. It was hard to believe that now she could tolerate him like this. It was almost as if… she cared about him all of a sudden.“Aw, look at that,” he couldn’t stop himself from te
“Where is he?” the mayor demanded as Julian approached him and Helen. He rose from the stretcher, his face was a mask of anger and determination. “Where is the son of a bitch who dared to shoot me? Bring him to me.”Julian was taken aback by the mayors sudden behavior. All of a sudden he was acting like this? Julian expression remained calm, almost indifferent. “He’s in my custody,” he replied, his voice showing how much he couldn’t care less about the mayor's outburst, “I’ll interrogate him and let you know what I find out.”But Mayor Sullivan frowned after hearing Julian’s words. He glared deep into Julian’s eyes as if trying to scare him into giving up custody of the shooter. The mayor didn’t agree with Julian because he wanted to do the interrogation himself. Actually, he didn’t need to interrogate the shooter because he already knew who had sent him and why. But that wasn’t the point. He wanted to use the shooter to send a message to the organization, letting them know that the
The room froze, it was like everything happened in slow motion. Some couldn’t believe what they had just witnessed; had the mayor been shot right in front of them? Others, too terrified to think beyond their own survival, scrambled for safety.Panic erupted in the ballroom. Screams filled the air as chaos took hold. Guests scrambled for cover, tables overturned, and a stampede surged toward the exits. Julian’s heart beat rapidly, worrying for the mayor's life, but his focus never got affected by this. His eyes were still locked on the shooter, who was already making his escape.But Julian wasn’t going to let him get away, he walked through the terrified crowd chasing after the shooter. It wasn’t easy because bodies pressed against him, some ducking behind overturned tables, others panicking as they rushed for the exits. But he still pushed forward relentlessly. By the time Julian burst out of the ballroom and into the narrow corridor beyond, the assassin had gained significant groun
The man was unconscious, stripped down to his boxers and vest. Julian’s eyes narrowed in surprise. But, it didn’t take long for Julian to put together what was happening; the man who had left the room wasn’t a real waiter. He had overpowered the actual staff member and taken his uniform as a disguise.Julian crouched beside the unconscious man, checking his pulse. It was faint but still beating . Letting out a sigh of relief, he quickly activated his earpiece. “Celeste, the situation is worse than I thought. The suspect has incapacitated a real staff member and is disguised as a waiter. He just left the room heading toward the gala.”Celeste’s voice came through, calm but urgent as usual. “Understood. I’ll alert the team to keep an eye out for anyone acting suspicious. We’ll tighten security immediately.”Julian returned downstairs where the gala was taking place. His eyes scanned the crowd, searching for the suspect. The waiter’s disguise should have made him easier to spot, but ther
Julian? Her mind raced. What was he doing here… with Helen? Did the two of them know each other already? She watched how close Helen was standing to him, as if they were very familiar with one another, and it didn’t sit well with her. Perhaps it was jealousy she was feeling. After all, who would be happy to see their friend acting so close to their husband?Deep down, Scarlett knew it herself: the reason she was this uncomfortable seeing Julian so close to Helen was because she had started to develop a soft spot for Julian…. And maybe even feelings for him. She wouldn’t admit it to his face, though.Her expression shifted briefly, but she quickly masked her surprise,or the jealousy. “Hi,” she said, her tone smooth, her lips curving into a controlled smile. “What are you doing here?” she asked, directing her question at Julian.Julian smiled slightly. “I’m here on business.” he said casually.Helen didn’t pay that much attention to their exchange as she was eager to introduce them. Sh
The mayor sighed, his voice heavy with regret as he continued,“At first, they seemed harmless. Backroom deals, a little influence here and there, some people to help me push policies. But as time went on, the favors got… darker. They wanted things that went against everything I believe in: dirty money, shady deals.” He paused, taking a shaky breath. “I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t be controlled like that.”Julian’s eyes narrowed, understanding dawning on him. “And they couldn’t have that. They needed someone they could control.” It was easy for juliam to understand what the mayor was saying and what the organization was hoping for in return for helping the mayor. After all these were tactics Julian was all too familiar with. Growing in a powerful family he had witnessed firsthand how the same practices the organization was using were used by his grandfather and father to control people in key positions.In fact, Julian vividly remembered one of the lessons his father had imparted about
The mayor’s eyes widened in alarm. “What… what are you talking about?” His eyes darkened slightly as he gritted his teeth. “The Sterlings again…they’ve been relentless. But they won’t win. Not this time.” His tone hardened, as though trying to convince himself as much as anyone else. The Sterling family had long been fierce rivals of the Sullivans in both business and politics. When Wendell Sterling had lost the mayoral election, he had apparently stooped to drastic measures, resorting to attempts on his opponent’s life. Julian couldn’t help but wonder if the same Sterlings the mayor was talking about had any connections to this organization. And if they were connected—and it also turned out that the old woman, Elizabeth Sterling, whom he had met at Harper & Co. Headquarters had ties to them, then Julian would need to be wary of her intentions. Helen sighed, exasperation evident in her words. “Don’t worry, Master Julian. We’ve set up enough security to handle the Sterlings. There’s