AN UNANNOUNCED VISIT

Julian was inside?

How could she not have noticed?

Julian stood before her with only a towel that wrapped around his waist. Adele’s eyes widened, her gaze tracing up from his defined waist to his well-defined chest and broad shoulders. His arms were toned, and his lean, muscular frame made it hard for her to look anywhere else.

“Are you enjoying the view? If you want, I could show you more.” He smirked, making her face turn red.

What a shameless man, she thought, turning away from him.

“Please remove yourself from my sight.” She tried to make her words sound cold but only made Julian chuckle in amusement.

“Aww. How heartbreaking. Just yesterday you referred to me as your dear husband, but now you are telling me to get out of your sight.”

Adele turned to him sharply, a frown evident on her face. “Know your place, Julian Hayes. Just because I decided to play along with this little game of yours does not mean we’ve gotten any closer. Don’t you forget how much I despise you and wish to bring you down.” Then she walked past him into the bathroom and slammed the door shut.

Inside, she could barely stay on her two feet, leaning against the door for support.

She had thought this through and she was done letting Julian break down her walls. This was her decision from the beginning, and she was going to stick to it.  

By the time she came out, Julian was already seated on the bed, his back resting against the headboard and half of his body covered with the duvet. His eyes were so intently focused on a book that he hadn’t even looked up when she came out.

Adele was curious. A man like him, what could be so intriguing that he stuck his nose into that book? She stole glances at him, hoping to see the title of the book, but he had the book bent over so she could barely see a thing. She didn’t want to ask him either, because it would seem like she was interested in his affairs.

In the end, she simply dried her hair and tucked herself in, switching off her bedside lamp. Before she knew it, she was fast asleep.

Hmm. She must’ve been super exhausted, he thought.

Julian covered her properly since the duvet seemed to be slipping off. He watched her as she slept, her face softened into an expression he would never see if she were awake. A warm smile touched his lips as he gently caressed her hair.

“Oh Ronan, it seems you didn’t know your sister as well as you thought you did.”

“It’s only been a month since my darling daughter married that man. She hasn’t made much fuss since then.” Magnus Laurent sat on his couch, legs crossed and sipping his wine.

“I should pay a visit to my daughter. Who knows, her husband could be treating her terribly and threatening her to keep quiet,” he added, putting down his wine glass on the side stool.

“I don’t know Julian Hayes to be that sort of person, Magnus. You should at least have some trust in your son-in-law since you already accepted their union,” his companion spoke. Magnus’ expression hardened as he leaned back on the couch.

“Have you forgotten? That same man was the one responsible for my son’s death.”

“Ah, that’s right,” his companion said, giving him a sheepish smile. “You should certainly go and visit your daughter.”

“Yes. And in the meantime, we should lighten the mood and enjoy some good wine.” Magnus poured himself another glass, then handed the bottle over to his companion.

The sun seeped through the window, causing Julian’s eyes to flicker open. He looked over to his side. Adele was still asleep and the sunlight had now shifted onto her face.

He lifted his hand to shield her face from the sunlight, admiring the delicate expression before finally convincing himself to stand up.

After getting ready for work, he made his way downstairs, his phone clasped between his shoulder and ear while his hands were occupied with documents.

“Be sure things are put in order. I’m on my way now,” he said to Naomi, who was on the other line, before ending the call.

“Mr. Julian, your jacket,” a maid reminded him, helping him into his jacket. He was about to leave when a worker informed him of a visitor’s presence.

“Julian Hayes. My wonderful son-in-law. Good day to you.” Magnus gave a slight bow, his lips curling into a noticeable smirk.

Julian’s lips tightened, his eyes narrowing. He was clearly displeased to see this man, especially so early in the morning. “What are you doing here, Mr Laurent?”