Chapter 6

The clock had only just struck nine in the morning when the taxi dropped Vivienne off in the integrated business district. There was still one hour left before her appointment with Alistair Vance. Her stomach growled loudly, blending with the lingering ache and anger from what had happened with Tristan earlier.

Whenever she felt upset, heartbroken, or humiliated, Vivienne’s main escape was food. She stepped into a European classic-style café on the corner of the street. Without caring about the waiters’ stares, Vivienne ordered recklessly: a large portion of warm butter croissants, Eggs Benedict drenched in thick hollandaise sauce, and a full plate of French toast covered in maple syrup and berries.

As soon as the food arrived, Vivienne immediately ate voraciously, ignoring all the socialite etiquette that had tortured her for so long. For her, every bite of sweet and savory food was the only remedy for her shattered soul.

Scrape.

The empty chair in front of her was suddenly pulled out. Vivienne looked up with her mouth still full of croissant. A man in a gray suit without a tie was already sitting there. Julian Vance. The twenty-eight-year-old man, one of Alistair’s nephews as well as a top-tier Casanova whose face often filled financial gossip columns, looked at her with one eyebrow raised.

Before Vivienne could protest, Julian’s hand moved forward. His clean and fragrant thumb gently wiped away the crumbs and maple syrup from the corner of Vivienne’s lips.

Thump.

That sudden and intimate gesture made Vivienne freeze. Her heart fluttered strangely. This was the first time in Vivienne’s life that a man had treated her so sweetly and gently. Even Dominic had never bothered to look at her from this close.

However, the warmth vanished in an instant when Julian pulled back his hand and smiled cynically.

“No wonder your husband insults you as a pig and a pufferfish, Vivienne. You eat this greedily,” Julian mocked, his voice flat yet stabbing straight into her chest.

Vivienne’s expression instantly changed drastically. The flicker of happiness that had briefly appeared in her eyes disappeared, replaced by dark clouds of anger. Annoying. This man was truly a devil with an angel’s face.

Instead of stopping and crying because of the insult, Vivienne glared at Julian fiercely. She deliberately picked up a large piece of French toast, shoved it into her mouth, and chewed on purpose right in front of his face. To hell with this cold man’s judgment.

Seeing the challenging response from the woman before him, Julian hid the faint smile that almost appeared at the corner of his lips. In their social circle, the names of the four heirs of the Vance Clan—including Julian—were always hot topics of conversation. Vivienne often heard how cruel and cynical Julian was toward women.

Julian rested his chin on one hand, staring intensely at Vivienne’s cleavage that was slightly exposed beneath her cream blouse because of the way she was sitting.

“I have a good offer for you,” Julian said casually, as though he were talking about the weather. “Do you want to become my mistress? I’ll pay ten thousand Euros for one round with me. What do you think?”

Cough! Pfffttt!

Spontaneously, Vivienne, who had been drinking her iced Americano, sprayed the dark liquid straight onto Julian’s chest. The expensive white shirt beneath the billionaire’s gray suit was instantly stained with dark brown splatters.

“How dare you!” Vivienne snapped after managing to calm her coughing. She wiped her mouth roughly with a tissue. “Do you even know who I am, huh?!”

Julian let out a short breath, glaring irritably at his ruined shirt, yet his eyes remained locked sharply on Vivienne. “Of course I know very well. You are Mr. Dominic Thorne’s lonely wife. The pufferfish who danced so confidently in the banquet hall last night just to attract attention.”

Vivienne’s eyes widened perfectly. Julian’s mouth was truly sharp and poisonous.

“Come on, don’t play hard to get. Just become my mistress,” Julian continued, now leaning across the table, whispering in a sensual and intimidating tone. “I guarantee that under my control, you’ll keep screaming for more and more. Your curvy body... must be incredibly delicious to tame.”

“Bastard!” Vivienne slammed her hand onto the café table, drawing the attention of several other customers. “You think I would want that? Hey, honorable Young Master Vance... sorry, okay? Your offer might sound very tempting for a street prostitute. But I’m not interested, especially not with the cheap rate you’re offering! Do you think I’m some cheap woman who can be bought with a few sheets of currency?!”

Vivienne immediately stood up. She grabbed her handbag with a rough motion. However, before walking away, Vivienne deliberately leaned back slightly, giving him a languid yet challenging gaze, complete with a crooked smile full of mystery. She intentionally played a push-and-pull game, making Julian feel as though he had the upper hand when in reality he was the one being trapped. Vivienne knew very well that arrogant men like Julian and the other three Vance heirs would never take rejection easily.

Vivienne walked out of the café with her chin raised high, leaving Julian frozen in his seat.

Julian clenched his fist on the table, staring at Vivienne’s plump figure swaying sexily farther away from his sight. Anger and desire clashed violently inside his chest.

“Damn you, you little pufferfish!” Julian growled in a low voice filled with furious curiosity. “How dare you reject me! Just wait and see, you’ll eventually beg beneath my feet.”

(To Be Continued)