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1The sounds of moans could be heard coming from it. He quickly adjusted the volume and continued watching. The man's eyes were fixated on the screen, and he watched the scene unfold with interest. The woman on the screen was moaning loudly, and the man was grunting. The sounds of their pleasure filled the room, making the atmosphere even more intense.

As the scene continued, the man's breathing became heavy, and he shifted in his seat, clearly affected by what he was watching. His eyes were still glued to the screen, and he seemed to be completely lost in the moment.

His eyes remained glued to the screen, his breathing becoming more labored as he watched. His hands moved from his face and down to his pants where they began to fiddle with the zipper. He felt a fire rising within him, an intense arousal that was quickly becoming too much for him to bear.

With one swift movement, he unzipped his pants and slid them down just enough so that he could reach in and begin stroking himself. As he did this, a low grunt escaped from between his lips as pleasure coursed through every inch of his body. His movements became increasingly faster until finally with one final thrust of pleasure, he reached orgasmic bliss.

The man lay back in the chair, panting heavily as he tried to catch his breath. His eyes were still glued to the screen and though it had been some time since the video finished playing, he couldn’t tear himself away from its allure. He felt a strange satisfaction within him; one that was both exhilarating and terrifying at the same time.

Julian quietly pushed open the door and stepped into the dimly lit room. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the darkness after coming in from the bright hallway. He blinked a few times and rubbed his eyes with his fingers, trying to speed up the process. Once his vision cleared, he scanned the room and saw a Yusuf sitting on a chair with his eyes still glued to the laptop screen.

The room was small and cramped, cluttered with various items scattered around. A desk was pushed up against the wall, littered with papers, empty food containers, and an ashtray filled with cigarette butts. The air was thick with the smell of smoke, and Julian could barely make out the outline of a window covered with a thick layer of dust and grime.

The man finally noticed Julian's presence and casually paused the movie he was watching. He turned his head and looked over his shoulder, giving Julian a quick glance before turning his attention back to the laptop. Julian could tell the man was uninterested in the conversation to come, but he knew he had no other choice.

"Look into this for me," Julian said, dropping a magazine on the table next to Yusuf.

"I need every info I can get….and when I mean every info, I mean stuff that's not on the internet or public knowledge."

Yusuf let out a sigh and rolled his eyes.

"You can't keep making me do these illegal things, you know. When I'm desperately trying to be a changed man, then you come for me."

Julian pleaded,

"You know you're the only one I can come to. If I had another option, would I be here?"

The man grunted and picked up the magazine.

"Fiona Vanderbilt…” he casually read. "...ain't this one a hottie… wait, Fiona Vanderbilt? The tycoon's daughter?" He raised an eyebrow and looked back at Julian.

"Why are you digging into her? Your new catch? Juanita ain't it anymore?" Yusuf riddled cackling with ridiculousness.

“Shut up, man,"

"I need everything you can find. And I need it fast."

Yusuf shrugged and tossed the magazine back onto the table.

"Fine. I'll see what I can do. But don't come back here for a while. I don't want to get caught up in any more of your messes." He resumed his movie, effectively ending the conversation.

****

The sounds of honking cars and chatter from the people around her were drowned out by the unease in her head as she fumbled for the call log, her eyes glued to the screen. She didn't notice the speeding bike cutting through the normal lane and heading straight towards her.

By the she raised her face, it was almost too late.

In a swift motion, a hand reached out and grabbed her by the arm, yanking her out of harm's way just as the bike whizzed past her. Fiona's heart was raced with adrenaline rush.

Fiona stumbled a few steps backward, catching her breath and looking around in confusion.

Her eyes darted towards the man who had pulled her away from the bike. Her eyes met his, and there was an unexplainable intensity in the air. It was as if everything around them had paused and the only two people in the world were them.

His caramel eyes were piercing, and Fiona couldn't help but feel a tinge of familiarity.

"Thank you," she breathed out, still slightly in shock.

Julian's grip on her wrist loosened, and he stepped back, giving Fiona some space.

"Are you okay?" he asked, genuine concern in his voice.

Fiona nodded, "Yes, I think so," she replied, "Thank you, I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't been there."

Julian's lips curved into a slight smile,

"It's no problem," he replied, "Just be careful next time."

Fiona's heart skipped a beat as she watched him turn to leave. Then be turned back again,

“Ah...wait," he said,

"You dropped this," Julian held out her phone, which had fallen out of her hand when she was almost hit by the bike.

"Thank you," Fiona said, taking her phone from Julian,

"I'm Fiona, by the way," she said, extending her hand.

Julian took her hand and shook it, "Julian," he replied, "Nice to meet you, Fiona."

As they let go of each other's hands, Mary rushed over,

"Fiona! Are you alright?" she asked, concern etched on her face.

Fiona nodded, "I'm okay, thanks to him," she gestured towards Julian.

Mary turned towards Julian and thanked him profusely, "We really appreciate what you did. Thank you so much."

Julian nodded, "It's no problem, I'm just glad she's okay," he replied.

As Fiona and her personal assistant turned to leave, Julian watched them go, his eyes following Fiona until she reached her car.

Fiona walked briskly to her car, relieved to be away from the chaos of the accident. As she approached her car, her Mary caught up with her and held her back.

"Wait, are you just going to leave like that?" Mary asked, her tone laced with concern.

Fiona turned her head towards the restaurant, her mind wandering back to David who was still waiting for her.

She scoffed tiredly, "Well, he's not going to get past this stage with me."

Mary grunted, deciding not to argue further.

Before Fiona could open the car door, she turned her head in the direction Julian had walked away. She caught a faint glimpse of him walking down the street, his tall figure disappearing into the distance.

She smiled.

******

Julian walked through the narrow alley, his footsteps echoing against the concrete walls. The musty scent of garbage and dampness hung in the air. Graffiti covered the walls, displaying a range of colors and designs. Julian brushed past a dumpster, holding his breath against the stench, and continued on his way. As he neared the end of the alley, a grin spread across his face as he quickened his pace.

"You owe me five for that one, Jules,” Yusuf said, smiling.

Julian playfully slapped Yusuf's back.

"You're lucky I didn't let her get hit, or you'd owe me more than five."

Yusuf chuckled, handing Julian a helmet.

Julian hopped onto the bike behind Yusuf and strapped on his helmet, feeling the rush of excitement coursing through his veins. The engine revved up, and the bike shot off down the road, leaving a trail of smoke exhaust behind them.

The wind whipped Julian's hair back, as Yusuf weaved in and out of traffic.