Ch30 - gold digger

Ever since Violet had said she’d think about his offer, Edward had been visibly more animated—almost boyishly so. By the end of the event, he insisted on personally walking her downstairs.

So when Jay pulled up to pick Violet up, he immediately spotted a man trailing close behind her. His posture shifted at once; he stepped in and blocked Edward’s path with quiet firmness. “Sir, please keep some distance.”

Edward let out a soft laugh, raising his hands in mock surrender. “Ah—my apologies. Got a bit carried away chatting.” He stepped back half a pace, still smiling.

“I’ll be waiting for your answer!” he called out to Violet.

“I will,” she replied with a polite smile, giving him a small wave before getting into the car.

Edward watched her leave, his expression softening. “They really don’t let her out of their sight, do they…” he murmured under his breath, running a frustrated hand through his hair.

In the car, Violet replayed their conversation over and over in her mind. The moment Edward had mentioned taking on an apprentice, she’d nearly said yes on the spot.

It wasn’t just that it brought her closer to her dream—it was practical too. She could finally earn her own income and start paying off the debt.

The money she’d advanced for Lilia’s medical bills had all gone on credit card. And if more was needed later… at least this way, she could help cover it herself.

——

After work, Julian again out with his usual pack of degenerate friends.

He already had a pretty good idea that the woman who’d “accidentally” shown up in his hotel room last time had been part of Matt’s little stunt—but fine, he’d play along. 

These idiots still had their uses, and it wasn’t time to burn bridges just yet.

Tonight, though, was different. He only took a few drags of his cigar before excusing himself. Not a single sip of alcohol.

Matt kept sneaking glances at him all night, clearly dying to say something but too nervous to open his mouth. The sight almost made Julian laugh.

He smirked faintly, slinging his jacket over his shoulder as he left the bar, looking every bit the careless bastard people said he was.

He was halfway out the door, humming under his breath, when he noticed a commotion near the entrance. Someone was trying to get through the security line. Julian frowned.

Craig immediately stepped forward. “I’ll go see what’s going on.”

Julian gave a slight nod. Within a minute, Craig was back. “It’s that same woman from the hotel—the one who broke into your room. She insists she won’t leave unless she talks to you.”

Julian’s expression darkened. “That woman? What the hell does she want?”

Craig’s tone stayed neutral. “She says she’s here to ‘expose’ Miss Violet’s true colors. Warn you not to be fooled by her.”

Julian’s brows drew together. “Violet? She knows Violet?”

He sounded mildly curious, but not exactly alarmed.

Craig caught the look in his eyes and quickly gestured toward the side exit. “There’s another way out, sir. This way.”

Julian nodded slightly and turned to leave—but then Craig added under his breath, “That woman’s insane. She and Miss Violet do know each other. Last time she even threw water on Miss Violet, and now she’s here trying to stir up shit again. Real piece of work.”

Julian stopped dead in his tracks. His gaze swung back toward Craig, eyes sharpening. “What did you just say? Be specific.”

Craig froze for half a second. Shit. The boss didn’t know.

“Uh… at the hotel,” he began carefully. “That woman—Tiffany—and Miss Violet were both in the room. When I went in, Tiffany was being loud and arrogant, and Miss Violet was drenched from head to toe. There was an empty water bottle on the floor, so I assumed…”

“Take me to her,” Julian cut in, his voice low and lethal. The temperature around him seemed to drop ten degrees.

Craig didn’t dare stall. “Yes, sir.” He spun around and led the way.

When they arrived, they could already see the scene unfolding from a distance. Tiffany was standing near the entrance, arguing with Matt.

Matt looked like he was half begging, half commanding her to leave, but she wouldn’t budge an inch.

The moment Tiffany spotted Julian, her eyes lit up like a match. “Julian! Finally—you’re actually here!”

Matt nearly jumped out of his skin. He spun around, stammering, “I don’t know this woman! I just—I saw her blocking the door and told her to leave, that’s all—”

Julian’s jaw tightened, his expression unreadable. He stared at them both—two pathetic, noisy distractions in the middle of his night.

He didn’t recognize Tiffany at all. Maybe she’d been at some party, some dinner, one of the dozens of faceless women his friends liked to parade around—but he’d never wasted time remembering them.

Tiffany, still restrained by security, pointed at Matt furiously. “WHAT the hell are you doing pretending you don’t know me? You’re the one who told me to come that night!”

“Oh, don’t you dare start spouting nonsense,” Matt snapped, backing up with sweat beading down his neck. “I have no idea who you are—stop blocking the damn exit!”

Julian stood there watching, eyes cold, lips curling slightly.

Watching the two of them turn on each other was almost entertaining—like dogs fighting over a bone.

“FINE—pretend you don’t know me, I’m not wasting my breath on you.” Tiffany sucked in a sharp breath, turned toward Julian, and straightened her posture like she was about to deliver breaking news.

“About Violet, I’ve got something important you need to hear.”

“Oh?” Julian arched a brow, his voice lazy but laced with amusement. “Let’s hear it.”

He gave a small flick of his fingers, signaling the security guards to stop pushing her back. They eased up, though they still stayed close—ready in case she tried anything.

That wasn’t quite the reaction Tiffany had hoped for, but at least he hadn’t walked away. She licked her lips nervously.

“Violet and I went to the same high school. We were friends for years, so trust me—I know what kind of person she really is. She’s a gold digger, completely obsessed with money. Even back in school, she’d only hang around rich boys and couldn’t care less about her grades. Didn’t even make it to college.”

Julian tilted his head slightly, spinning the ring on his finger, eyes half-lidded. “That’s it?”

Tiffany froze, confused, until she saw him make a dismissive gesture—like he was about to leave.

“WAIT—wait!” she blurted out. “She—uh—she once asked me where she could sell that watch you gave her! She said she wanted to know if I knew any discreet buyers!”

Julian’s hand stopped mid-motion. His eyes narrowed slightly.

Tiffany caught it—finally, a reaction—and her confidence flared. “It’s true! Her family’s broke as hell, so of course she’d pull something like that! Just look into her background—you’ll see the kind of people she comes from—”

“So that’s why you threw water in her face?” Julian interrupted quietly.

Tiffany faltered, missing Matt’s desperate hand signals to shut up. After half a second of hesitation, she nodded quickly. “Yes. I couldn’t stand what she was doing, so I cut ties with her right then.”

A small laugh slipped past Julian’s lips—soft, almost pleasant—but somehow it made everyone nearby uneasy.

He lifted his gaze, eyes cold as ice. “So, you’re saying my wife was trying to sell the gift I gave her to make a quick buck?”

Boom. 

The words hit her like a punch to the skull. For a second, Tiffany thought she’d misheard. That couldn’t be right.

Her smile froze midair, then collapsed. Her brain went fuzzy; her pupils dilated. “Wait—WHAT? What did you just say? Violet’s your wife?”

Julian didn’t even bother looking at her. With a slight nod to the bodyguards, he turned and casually rested a hand on Matt’s shoulder. “Sorry, man. Guess I never told you guys I’m married. That night was just me and my wife having a bit of fun.”

Matt gave a weak laugh, his voice trembling. “Hah—ha—congrats, dude! We had no clue, honestly. We thought you’d just, uh, hit it off with that waitress or something.”

Julian smirked. “She’s gorgeous, though, right? Can’t really blame you for flirting with her that night, huh?”

Matt’s knees nearly gave out. He waved his hands frantically. “Flirt? Hell no! It was a joke, bro. Just a stupid joke! If I’d known she was your wife, I wouldn’t have dared even look at her.”

“Then remember to watch your mouth next time.” Julian smiled like they were sharing a joke—but the smile never reached his eyes.

The moment his hand dropped away, Matt shuddered.

“What—what’s that supposed to mean?!” Tiffany shouted, voice shaky. Her eyes darted nervously to the tall security guards flanking her. The memory of being dragged out of the hotel like a criminal just days ago came flooding back.

Her defiance melted into fear, though resentment still burned in her chest. Her voice trembled. “I—I shouldn’t have said anything bad about your wife, okay? I’m sorry! I’m sorry, alright? Just let me go!”

Julian arched a brow. “You were dying to stay a minute ago. Since you and my wife are acquainted, I figured I should return the favor—show you some attention too.”

“What, you gonna throw a drink in my face now?” Tiffany gritted her teeth.

He slipped one hand lazily into his pocket, tone calm, almost amused. “Please. I wouldn’t dirty my hands on you.”

Then his voice turned smooth, almost cruelly soft. “Since you love being the center of attention so much—why don’t you stand right here and let everyone really take a good look at you?”