But Julian was faster. His hand shot up, catching the bat in the air. The bat was swang with so much power, so although he could it, it still sent a sharp jolt through his injured hand, pain radiating up his arm, but Julian held on. Acting purely on instinct and self defense, his other hand lashed out in a blur, delivering a hard punch to Landon’s jaw. The impact sent Landon stumbling backward, the bat slipping from his grip and clattering to the floor.Julian flexed his injured hand, wincing slightly as he adjusted his stance. ‘Shit, did I just punch him?’ he thought to himself. In truth he felt that he had acted impulsively and didn't actually want to raise his hand on anyone here, he was simply standing up to them. Still, what was done was done and he wasn't about to start apologizing, especially when Landon deserved it, and it would make him seem weaker.Landon groaned on the ground, raising his hand to his face as blood trickled from his split lip.Clarissa let out a horrified s
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
"Hello, is this Julian Blackwood?" a smooth, feminine voice inquired. Furrowing his brows, Julian Blackwood replied, "Yes, it is." Standing just outside the mansion’s front door, he paused and asked in a curious voice, "Who’s this?" The feminine and professional voice on the other end of the line, sounded relieved to hear his confirmation. "Hi, Master Julian, I'm Vera Turner. Our firm has been trying to reach you for a while now," the woman explained. "I'm calling to remind you that you don't have much time left to claim your inheritance. If you don't act soon, the government will step in and seize everything." Julian frowned, realizing who was calling him. "Oh, it's you people again. I thought I made it clear the last time that I have no interest in inheriting anything. Let the government take it." His frustration was understandable. He’d changed his number to avoid these persistent calls, yet they’d somehow managed to track him down again. "Master Blackwood," Vera continued, he
Julian froze as he saw someone who looked like Claire disappear into the corridor with a man. His heart skipped a beat. Was it her? he wondered to himself. No, it couldn’t be. But that laugh was definitely hers. And the figure? No doubt about it. But what was she doing with that man she was with, walking hand in hand, like two people in love? Curious, Julian's feet moved before his mind could catch up, and he started moving towards the corridor, ignoring Gabe and everyone He walked through the corridor, hesitating as he wondered if perhaps he was mistaken and it was not Claire and his boss. The last thing he needed was to make a fool of himself, by badging in on people having a private moment. Deciding to confirm he followed the way they went. After walking on the opulent corridor, he turned a corner, and there it was the bathroom door. The door was slightly opened, and he could hear voices coming from inside. As Julian got closer, the voices became clearer. He recognize
Julian stormed out of the building, the sound of their laughter and mocking words faded behind him. He was filled with a lot of emotions, but the feeling of being betrayed was the worst. How could she do that to him? He had trusted her with his life, thought she was different. He thought she was the only person who could see beyond his scars. But now, as he replayed her cold, indifferent expression, he wondered if any of it had ever been real. Although he had witnessed it unfold before his own eyes, he still struggled to accept the reality of it. He had been with Claire for almost two years now and she wasn't like this before, so heartless. But guess people could change. Or maybe she was always like that, and she had only shown him a different side. He wished it was all just a dream, that he could wake up from and find everything back to normal. But it wasn’t a dream. Julian’s mind drifted back to the haunting emptiness he'd carried with him ever since a boy. From the mom
Julian blinked open, for the first time since he passed out in the bar the previous night and he had no idea of what had happened after he passed out. His vision was hazy as he tried to make sense of his surroundings. To his surprise, he realized that he was lying in a large, plush bed, wrapped in crisp white sheets that felt soft against his skin. The room around him was bathed in soft morning light, streaming through the large and opulence windows. The decor was rich, with dark tones accented by elegant touches, creating a sense of luxury and comfort. Everything around this room screamed of luxury and elegance, it was nothing like his cramped apartment or anywhere he’d ever been before. Questions flooded Julian's mind: What was this place, and what was he doing here? How did he get here in the first place? “Damn, here comes the hangover, maybe drinking a dozen bottle's wasn't really a good idea.” Julian's head pained him as he tried to sit up, memories of the previous night
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
“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
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
But Julian was faster. His hand shot up, catching the bat in the air. The bat was swang with so much power, so although he could it, it still sent a sharp jolt through his injured hand, pain radiating up his arm, but Julian held on. Acting purely on instinct and self defense, his other hand lashed out in a blur, delivering a hard punch to Landon’s jaw. The impact sent Landon stumbling backward, the bat slipping from his grip and clattering to the floor.Julian flexed his injured hand, wincing slightly as he adjusted his stance. ‘Shit, did I just punch him?’ he thought to himself. In truth he felt that he had acted impulsively and didn't actually want to raise his hand on anyone here, he was simply standing up to them. Still, what was done was done and he wasn't about to start apologizing, especially when Landon deserved it, and it would make him seem weaker.Landon groaned on the ground, raising his hand to his face as blood trickled from his split lip.Clarissa let out a horrified s
The fact that the loser Julian, had the audacity to call him ‘father-in-law’ infuriated Alistair.Did Julian really think he could worm his way into the Lancaster family and everyone was going to be cool with it? After what he’d supposedly done to Scarlett? To them, it was obvious: Julian had planned this. He’d taken advantage of Scarlett, just so he can get into their wealthy family and leech off then. None of his actions showed what his true motives were yet. But how else were they supposed to interpret the situation? His smug confidence only fueled their disdain.Julian wasn't moved by Alistair's attitude towards him. If anything, his faint, sarcastic smile deepened as he crossed his arms, “Well, technically, you are my father-in-law. So, why can't I call you that?” His voice was light, taunting, daring Alistair to lose his composure.“You dare speak to me like that?” Alistair asked, veins throbbing on his forehead.Of course he had to speak back to the Lancaster family. If he did
Julian observed her in silence, his sharp gaze searching for answers. He couldn’t understand why she had said what she said to her family downstairs.“What the hell was that?” Julian asked, wanting an explanation. Why did she tell everyone that she wanted this, when clearly, none of them wanted it? He didn't understand what was going on in her mind. She was acting so strange, almost like a completely different person. Not long ago, she seemed eager to divorce, and now this? Was this some kind of game?Scarlett shifted uncomfortably, her posture stiff as she raised her gaze to meet his. “Don’t believe what I said to them,” she murmured, her voice lowering, almost back to its usual icy tone. “I said what I needed to make them stop. They were never going to stop pushing me toward Nolan.” She hesitated, then added awkwardly, “I… I need you to stay in this marriage a little while longer.”Julian raised an eyebrow, surprised by the request. Opening his mouth to respond, Scarlett quickly st
The entire family discussed Scarlett’s broken engagement with Nolan Stormbone, the heir of one of East Silverstone’s wealthiest families. They all agreed on one thing: Scarlett and Julian needed to get divorced quickly before Nolan or his family found out about everything.“But what if they find out?” Amara voiced her doubts, her voice dripping with fake concern. In reality, she couldn't care less about Scarlett's well-being, she loved that her cousin was trapped in this marriage with the loser Julian.She was more irritated that they were considering a divorce, especially when it meant Scarlett might escape from Julian. Julian had nothing, no wealth, no future, no standing, and the thought of her cousin being trapped with someone like him amused her.She, on the other hand, could only dream of being with Nolan. He was wealthy, powerful, and would be a much better match.“What if Nolan finds out that Scarlett slept with someone else?” Amara continued in a tone that was more calculati
Julian stepped into the villa. The conversation in the room ceased abruptly, when Scarlett's family noticed him walk in. The Lancasters were all gathered in the room, their gazes sharp and unwelcoming as they settled on him. Each glance was a sign of coldness and contempt, a silent declaration that he didn’t belong. Julian could feel it the moment he stepped inside, they didn’t want him here. But he wasn’t surprised that they didn't want him here, nor did he feel offended. He didn’t blame them. Honestly, he didn’t want to be here either. If Scarlett hadn’t called him, saying it was important, he would be somewhere else, maybe visiting one of the many companies he had just inherited. He was here for one reason: to sign the divorce papers and leave. His eyes landed on Scarlett, who stood by the staircase in a black blouse and jeans. She looked as stunning as ever, but Julian didn’t care. Her beauty didn’t matter to him. All he wanted was to get this over with. “Hi, I’m Jul
After Julian agreed with them that he should have nyx as his bodyguard, everyone looked a little relieved. They knew the moment the people who had killed his family found out that he was back they would target him.Vera let out a sigh, she clasped her hands together, her gaze fixed on Julian. “Alright, now that we’ve settled that,” she said, her voice businesslike. “Let’s move on.”Without further delay, she motioned for Julian to follow her. Nyx trailed behind them silently, her presence was like a shadow that seemed to blend with the air. Julian didn't even notice her.As they stepped out of the lobby, the sleek, modern building opened up into a large space that led to a big garage. The shiny floor sparkled under the bright lights above, reflecting rows of expensive cars neatly arranged.Julian’s eyes widened a little as he looked around. Inside the garage, there was a line of luxury cars, and not just any cars , every famous brand he could think of was there. Lamborghini, Ferrari,