Julian Ovenden Bridgerton Novels & Stories

"Oh, please, Julian. You are making so much noise. I am an a-d-u-l-t. I don't need to give you an itinerary of my every move." ​"Oh, really? An adult?" Julian stepped into her space, his breath smelling of stale coffee and resentment. "An adult who loses a multi-million-dollar heirloom? An adult who can’t stay loyal for twenty-four hours after an engagement? And an adult... with these? What is this, Vivienne?" ​Before she could pull away, Julian reached out, his hand rough as he gripped the side of her neck, pulling her collar down. His thumb pressed harshly against the dark, purple marks Roman had left in the heat of the night.

Her eyes, cool hazel with a ring of gold around the center, rested on Elara for a beat too long. Elara braced herself, ready for the subtle venom cloaked in class that so many society women wielded like silk gloves over knives. But instead, Vivienne’s lips curved. “Aren’t you just a tall glass of grace,” she said with a faint smile. “I thought he was making you up. Julian tends to embellish. Especially when he’s smitten.” Julian groaned under his breath. “Mother, please.” Vivienne held out a hand. “Vivienne Cross. It’s truly lovely to finally meet the woman behind all the whispers in the design halls.”

Every sentence peeled back another layer, revealing nerves Julian had long buried under pricey suits, boardroom negotiations, and empty nights in silk sheets. Ove had lost his wife. The only person who'd ever truly looked at him. Now he was angry. Alone. Strutting around the globe with fists balled and unspoken grief. Julian's throat tightened. He closed the book halfway through a chapter, his hand trembling. What the devil had she given him?

“That’s Mr. Albert. The host.” “Oh…” I nodded and smiled when he reached us. “Mr. Blackwood, I’m grateful you came to my humble party!” The man said warmly, shaking Julian’s hand. “Congratulations on the Sweden branch.” Julian replied calmly. Mr. Albert smiled, then looked at me. “Is she your wife?” Julian hummed. “Elnoear Vance. My wife.” Mr. Albert extended his hand to me. I let go of Julian’s hand and shook his. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Albert.”

Honestly, can you blame me? But right now, that didn’t matter. Not when I was being sent off to Raven & Co. owned by Julian Salvatore Julian Salvator had to be the most obnoxious human I’d ever met. Every time I saw him at a board meeting, he looked like he was silently ranking everyone in the room and somehow, I was always last. And let’s not even get started on his background. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Austin Salvator, were practically royalty in this country. Rumor had it Julian left home young and built his company from the ground up.

he said I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until it hurt. Edris pushed the envelope slightly toward me. It slid slowly across the desk, as though it weighed more than paper should. My hands didn’t move. I couldn’t reach it, so I just stared at it for a while. My name was written on the front. My name was on it with Julian’s handwriting. “For Juliana.” “No,” I whispered again. My voice cracked this time. “That’s not possible.” Edris didn’t respond.

Outside the glass walls, dark sea waves crashed hard against the rocks below. Inside, sitting around a large dark marble table, were five men and one woman. They were all dressed in dark fancy clothes, their faces cold and quiet. At the head of the table sat Lord Julian. He was an older man with gray hair, sharp blue eyes, and a posture that showed years of rich living. He held a glass of red wine, watching Victoria and Alexander walk toward the center of the room with a cold smile. "Alexander Vance," Lord Julian said, his voice smooth and cold as ice. "And the miraculous Miss Victoria Sterling. Welcome. You have made a big mess of my business."

After all, this was equivalent to indirectly breaking the hearts of many women who adored him. Nora stared at Julian, who was on the television screen. He was wearing a black suit and a pure white shirt. His face was as handsome as an ancient Greek sculpture, and he looked extremely perfect and profound. Was he really giving up the entire forest for a single tree? Mrs. Maton later confided in Ophelia that Julian had announced that he had a girlfriend but refused to tell her the woman’s identity. Ophelia comforted Mrs. Maton, “Since Julian already took the initiative to disclose that there is a person he wishes to marry this time, this shows that he really wants to win her over. Even outsider