I'll control your life from now on

Julian was reviewing documents in his office, his fingers tapping rhythmically against the polished wood of his desk. The silence was interrupted by the buzzing of his phone. He picked it up, his brow furrowing when he saw the call was from one of the guards stationed at the gate.

“What is it?” Julian asked, his voice sharp.

“Sir,” the guard began hesitantly, “you’re not going to believe this… but Mrs. Mathersis actually climbing the gate.”

Julian froze, his eyes narrowing. “What did you just say?”

“We tried to stop her, sir, but she’s not listening to us. We even sent you a photo.”

Julian quickly opened the attached image. Sure enough, there was Selena, mid-climb, her dress bunched up awkwardly, her expression a mixture of defiance and determination. He stared at the photo for a long moment, disbelief mingling with something dangerously close to amusement.

His assistant, standing nearby, glanced at the phone and barely suppressed a laugh. “She’s persistent, I’ll give her that.”

Julian shot him a dark look but couldn’t entirely suppress the smirk tugging at his lips.

“Crazy girl,” he muttered under his breath.

His assistant cleared his throat. “What should we do, sir? She might actually make it over.”

Julian let out a long sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Let her out,” he said finally. “But make sure two guards follow her and don’t let her out of their sight. And tell her—” He paused, his voice dropping into a low growl, “—that if she tries anything this reckless again, she’ll regret it.”

The guard on the line sounded relieved. “Understood, sir.”

Julian hung up, leaning back in his chair. He stared at the photo again, shaking his head. ‘This woman is going to be the death of me,’ he thought. But as much as her actions frustrated him, there was an undeniable spark of admiration in his eyes.

“She’s not afraid of me as I was expecting,” he muttered to himself. “That’s…unexpected.”

His assistant raised an eyebrow. “Seems like you’ve got your hands full with her.”

Julian smirked, his dark eyes gleaming. “Oh, I do. But she’ll learn soon enough—there’s no escaping me.”

---

At the Gate

Selena was halfway up the gate, her fingers gripping the cold metal bars, when she heard the guards calling out to her.

“Ma’am! Sir said you can go out!”

She paused, blinking down at them. “He said what?”

The guard stepped forward cautiously. “Mr. Mathers said you’re free to leave, but we’re coming with you.”

Selena climbed down, brushing her hands off with a scowl. “He’s letting me go, but I still have to be babysat?”

The guards didn’t reply, simply opening the gate for her.

“Unbelievable,” she muttered as she stepped outside.

As she walked away, flanked by the two guards, she couldn’t help but feel both relieved and irritated. ‘At least I can see Dad,’ she thought.

But Julian’s control over her life still hung over her like a dark cloud, and she hated it more with each passing moment.

Selena stepped out of the car as the guards opened the gate to her family’s mansion. The house that once felt like a symbol of security now seemed weighed down by tension and loss. She walked inside, where her father, Harrison Frost, greeted her with a concerned look.

“Selena!” Harrison rose from the couch, his brows furrowed with worry. “Are you okay? Did Julian... hurt you?”

Selena shook her head, forcing a small smile. “I’m fine, Dad. No, he hasn’t... yet.”

Harrison let out a heavy sigh, his shoulders slumping. “I’m sorry, Selena. I hate that you’re going through this. All of this is because of me—because I couldn’t protect you.”

Selena moved closer, placing a comforting hand on his arm. “Don’t say that. None of this is your fault.”

Harrison’s eyes clouded with guilt. “I tried everything. I spoke to directors, producers, agencies—no one will cast you. They’re all afraid of Julian’s influence. If this continues, your career…” He hesitated, swallowing hard. “You’ll be forgotten, Selena. Your career will end.”

Selena looked away, her chest tightening at the thought. Acting was her life, her identity. The idea of being blacklisted, of losing everything she had worked for, felt like a knife twisting in her heart.

Harrison sighed deeply. “The only one who can fix this is Julian. If his company sponsors you, everything will change. Your career could bounce back in an instant.”

Selena laughed bitterly. “Julian? That devil? He’d rather see me rot than help me.”

Harrison’s expression hardened. “Then you’ll have to make him want to help you.”

Selena frowned, confusion and unease washing over her. “What are you saying?”

Her father hesitated before speaking, his voice low and serious. “You have to make him fall for you.”

Selena stared at him, utterly dumbfounded. “Are you serious right now? Why would Julian ever fall for me? He hates me. And even if I could... I don’t want to play games like that. That’s not who I am.”

Harrison’s jaw tightened. “Don’t think about his feelings. Think about what he’s done to us. We’ve almost lost everything because of him. This house, my company, your career—we were nearly on the streets. If you don’t act now, he’ll destroy us completely.”

Selena’s fists clenched at her sides, anger bubbling up inside her. ‘Julian… He’s already taken so much from us.’

Harrison pressed on. “You’re an award-winning actress, Selena. You can do this. You don’t have to love him; you just have to act like you do.”

Selena’s stomach churned at the thought. “This still feels wrong, Dad. I don’t want to manipulate someone, even if he deserves it.”

Her father’s expression softened slightly. “You don’t have to decide now. Just think about it, okay?”

Selena sighed deeply, her mind spinning. “I’ll... see what I can do. But you take care of yourself please. I'll come see you soon.”

They exchanged a warm hug.

As she turned to leave, Harrison called after her. “Oh, by the way, Samantha will be back soon. You should come visit when she gets here.”

At the mention of her twin sister, Selena’s face lit up with genuine happiness. “Samantha? Really? That’s great! I’ll definitely come by.”

Selena returned to the car, where the guards were waiting to escort her back to the villa. The ride was silent, her mind replaying her father’s words over and over.

‘Make him fall for me?’ she thought bitterly. ‘How could I possibly do that?’

When they arrived at Julian’s villa, Selena stepped inside, ready to retreat to her room and avoid the man altogether. But as she entered the living room, she froze.

There, sitting casually on the couch, was Julian.

He leaned back with a glass of whiskey in hand, his dark eyes locking onto hers the moment she walked in. His presence was overpowering, and the faint smirk on his lips only added to her unease.

“Welcome back,” Julian said smoothly, his voice dripping with authority.

Selena swallowed hard, her pulse quickening. “You’re here?”

Julian raised an eyebrow. “It is my house, after all. Where else would I be?”

She clenched her fists, trying to steady herself. “When did you return?”

He took a slow sip of his whiskey, never breaking eye contact. “I should be asking you that, considering you nearly gave my guards a heart attack earlier. Climbing gates and all. Are you a superwoman?”

Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, but she refused to back down. “Maybe I wouldn’t have to climb gates if you didn’t treat me like a prisoner.”

Julian chuckled darkly, setting his glass down. “Prisoner? Oh, please, you’re not a prisoner. You’re my wife. There’s a difference.”

The word “wife” rolled off his tongue with a mix of mockery and possession, making her stomach churn.

“I need to see my father,” she said firmly.

“And you did,” Julian replied, his tone calm but with an edge of finality. “But don’t think you can come and go as you please without my permission.”

Selena’s jaw tightened. “You can’t control me forever.”

Julian rose from the couch, his towering figure suddenly too close for comfort. “You’d be surprised,” he said softly, his voice a dangerous whisper.

Selena glared at him, refusing to show any fear. “Is there a point to this conversation, or are you just here to gloat?”

Julian smirked, his dark eyes gleaming. “There’s always a point, sweetheart. You’ll figure it out soon enough.”

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Selena standing there, her emotions a tangled mess of anger, frustration, and unease.