Se connecterKen bluntly nudged Julian with his elbow, a huge, knowing grin spreading across his face. He leaned closer, lowering his voice so the passing guests wouldn't hear their conversation. "Don't tell me the mighty Ice King is looking for a certain beautiful reporter. Are you waiting for Valeria?" At this point, Julian couldn't help it anymore. The heavy, serious, and icy look on his face completely melted away. His sharp jaw relaxed, and his lips burst into a small, genuine smile just at the mere mention of her name. It was the first real, heartwarming smile that had touched his handsome face all evening, completely changing his dangerous aura into something soft and vulnerable. Ken, seeing that sudden reaction, knew instantly that he had gotten his guess absolutely right. He immediately burst out laughing, shaking his head in disbelief as he looked at his teammate. "I knew it! I knew you weren't looking at the hockey cameras or the foreign players. You've got it bad, man. Five long year
Two days later, the evening finally arrived. The sky was a deep, velvety blue, and the entire area outside the grandest hotel in the city was buzzing with intense excitement. This hotel was a massive, ultra luxury skyscraper, famous for its grand architecture. Its open courtyard and entrance space were so vast and wide that it felt large enough to contain a million people without anyone feeling crowded. One after another, flash cars, sleek sports vehicles, and long luxury limousines began to pack into the massive parking lot. The bright headlights reflected off the polished glass of the hotel’s grand entrance, creating a glittering sea of lights. International hockey players from different parts of the world, rich foreigners with heavy accents, and powerful business men and women from in and out of the country were all arriving in large groups. Everyone was coming together for this grand celebration. The highly anticipated championship finals were scheduled to begin the very next
To Valeria's complete surprise, the two grey checkmarks under her message instantly turned blue. A small bubble appeared at the bottom of the screen showing that he was already typing back. Julian didn't make her wait at all. His reply popped up on her screen just a few seconds later. Julian: I will do just that, Val. I will click the unfollow button right now. But I will do it only on one condition. Valeria’s eyes narrowed as she read the words. She quickly typed back, her fingers hitting the screen aggressively. Valeria: You are in no position to give me conditions, Julian! Unfollow me now! Julian: My condition is simple, Val. The big festival event is happening in two days to commemorate the starting of the championship finals. Everyone will be there. You are a sports writer, so I know your media house is sending you to cover it. All I want is for you to give us a real chance to discuss. Just twenty minutes of your time to talk things over in private. Do we have a deal? Valer
The next morning, the bright sun streamed through the windows of the small apartment Valeria shared with her best friend, Tara. Valeria sat on the cozy sofa, a warm mug of tea between her hands, but she wasn't drinking it. She was just staring blankly at the wall, her mind totally exhausted from all the chaos with Julian, his mother, and Ariel.Tara walked out of the kitchen, holding her own mug. She took one look at her best friend's pale face and heavy sighs, and her heart ached with pity. Tara sat down right next to Valeria, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder."Val, you can't keep doing this to yourself," Tara said softly, her voice filled with care. "You are letting Julian Vane destroy your peace of mind over and over again. Look at how much you've cried because of him and his toxic family."Valeria looked down at her tea, a single tear slipping down her cheek. "I just wanted to do my job, Tara. But every time he comes near me, everything breaks into pieces.""That is exact
Vanessa leaned in a little closer to Julian, her eyes sparkling with excitement. She could feel the expensive perfume he was wearing, and it made her head spin. She knew this was her biggest chance, and she couldn't let it slip away. "Julian," Vanessa said, her voice dropping into a soft, sweet whisper. "It is really so wonderful catching up with you tonight. But this place is too crowded and loud. Can I please get your personal phone number? That way, we could probably link up some other time, just the two of us, away from all these flashing cameras." Julian looked down at her and smirked. He wasn't a fool. He was a grown man, a billionaire athlete who had traveled the world, and he knew fully well what that "link up" meant. He knew she didn't just want to talk about the old neighborhood. Five years ago, she wouldn't even look at him, but now that he had a fat bank account and a famous name, she was begging for his attention. It was amusing to him, but nevertheless, he didn't car
The next day, the Tuesday evening sky was filled with a beautiful orange glow. The city's high society was gathering at an ultra luxury hall for an elite dinner party. Julian Vane arrived at the venue, looking incredibly handsome and dressed in an expensive, custom made dark suit that showed off his athletic frame. Every single detail of his clothes screamed wealth and power. Walking closely beside him were his mother, Mrs. Clara, Ariel O’Brian, and Ariel’s wealthy billionaire father, Mr. Romanus. The hall was filled with the sounds of classical music and the clinking of crystal glasses. The most powerful people in the country were there, moving around in a sea of luxury. Throughout the evening, Ariel kept an extremely close watch on Julian. After the horrific shock of seeing him kiss Valeria in his office yesterday, she was terrified of losing him. Her eyes constantly scanned the crowd like a hawk. Every time she saw any lady wearing a white blazer or anyone who even remotely loo







