Three hours later, I was standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling mirror in the penthouse dressing room, staring at my reflection in complete shock.
Grace and Beatrice had outdone themselves.
I was wearing a floor-length, deep red velvet gown with a daring side slit that exposed one five-inch metallic heel.
The neckline was structured, bold, and framed by a heavy diamond choker that Julian had casually handed me from a velvet box ten minutes ago like it was a pack of gum.
My silver-blonde hair was styled into an intricate, regal updo, and my lips were painted a dangerous, blood-red shade.
“Lawd,” I whispered to my reflection.
“If my landlord saw me right now, he’d drop my rent to zero out of pure instinct.” The dressing room door opened.
Julian walked in, wearing a pitch-black tuxedo that looked like it had been molded directly onto his body by a team of elite Italian craftsmen.
He stopped dead in his tracks the second his eyes hit me.
And for three long seconds that made my stomach dance in backflip, the cold, impenetrable CEO mask completely slipped when his dark eyes swept down the emerald velvet dress, lingering on the exposed line of my leg, before snapping back up to my face.
A low, dark flame flickered in his gaze—so hot and intense that my stomach did a violent flip.
Oh boy, my brain short-circuited.
Well if he keeps looking at me like I’m a five-course meal, I am going to forget my Monaco accent and start speaking in tongues.
Lawd help a girl!
Julian cleared his throat, adjusting his black bowtie with a slow, deliberate movement.
“You’ll do,” he said, his voice suspiciously raspy.
“‘You’ll do’?” I gasped, putting a hand over my chest in theatrical horror.
“Julian Sterling, this dress costs more than a small house in Ohio!
The least you can do is tell me I look like an international icon!” Julian stepped toward me, his heavy leather shoes silent against the thick carpet, then he stopped mere inches away, his towering height forcing me to tilt my head back to look at him.
He reached into his inner suit pocket and pulled out a sleek, obsidian-black velvet box.
“I don’t need to tell you what you already know, Miss Fox,” he murmured, opening the box to reveal a massive, tear-drop ruby ring that practically glowed under the lights.
He took my right hand.
His touch was slow, heavy, and deliberate as he slid the heavy ring onto my middle finger.
The contrast between his large, warm hand and my icy, small trembling fingers sent a sharp shiver straight up my spine.
“This belonged to my late mother,” Julian said softly, his voice dropping into a rare, quiet note that caught me completely off guard.
“She wore it whenever she needed to remind the Sterling board who was truly in charge.” I stared at the emerald ring, my chaotic drama-student brain suddenly going dead silent.
“Julian…
this is too much.
What if I lose it?
What if I accidentally drop it in a chocolate fountain?” “You won’t,” Julian said, his dark eyes locking onto mine with absolute, unwavering trust.
“Because tonight, you are Lady Sterling.
And nobody takes what belongs to Lady Sterling.” My throat felt tight.
The air between us suddenly felt thick and charged with something far more dangerous than corporate strategy.
Damn!
For a second, I forgot we were acting.
I forgot about the $100,000 contract, the viral press conference, and the corporate war.
All I could feel was the intense heat of his hand holding mine, and the steady, powerful rhythm of his presence.
“Julian,” I whispered, my real voice leaking out.
“Are you sure about this?” Julian didn’t answer with words.
Instead, he raised my hand to his lips, brushing a slow, agonizingly soft kiss against the back of my knuckles, right over the ruby ring, while his dark eyes never left mine.
“Let’s go wreck a party, Roxie,” he rumbled against my skin.
The Skyview Club was a sprawling, open-air glass palace, floating fifty stories above the city skyline.
The air up here was crisp sharp, filled with the soft clinking of crystal glasses, live jazz music, and the low, arrogant chatter of billionaires, politicians, and media moguls.
The moment the private elevator doors opened and Julian led me out onto the main terrace, the jazz music seemed to stutter.
Conversations died mid-sentence.
Dozens of high-society heads turned in unison.
“Is that…?” “Look!
It’s Lady Sterling!” “She actually came!” I held my head high, draping my silk shawl over my arms with practiced elegance, letting my emerald dress sweep against the polished floor.
Beside me, Julian walked with the calm, lethal grace of a predator entering his own territory, his hand resting possessively on the small of my back.
“Keep walking, darling,” I murmured under my breath, my white teeth gleaming in a brilliant, fake smile for the surrounding crowd.
“They are staring at us like we just dropped from outer space.” “They are staring because you look magnificent, and they know it,” Julian replied smoothly under his breath, his hand squeezing my waist just enough to send a fresh wave of panic through my chest.
Before I could digest that sudden compliment, a loud, fake laugh echoed from the center of the terrace while I was stepping through a circle of wealthy investors and there was Richard Montgomery himself.
He was a middle-aged man with slicked-back silver hair, he wore a custom navy suit that looked slightly too tight, and an expression of supreme, arrogant confidence.
In his hand, he held a glass of vintage champagne.
“Ah!
The man of the hour!” Montgomery called out loudly, spreading his arms wide as he strolled toward us.
“And the famous Lady Sterling!
I must admit, I didn’t think you’d have the courage to step foot into my establishment after that…
theatrical display this morning.” Julian stopped, pulling me slightly closer to his side.
His face instantly locked into that terrifying, icy CEO mask.
“Montgomery.
I see you’re still wasting money on rooftop parties while your logistics stock collapses.” Julian retorted Montgomery’s smile twitched, but he quickly recovered, turning his sharp, condescending eyes onto me.
“Oh, Julian, always so serious,” Montgomery sneered, taking a slow sip of his champagne.
He scanned my emerald dress, his eyes lingering on the heavy diamond choker.
“I just wanted to welcome your…
adoptive mother to the city.
Though I must say, Lady Sterling, you look remarkably young for a woman who supposedly managed offshore accounts in Monaco twenty years ago.
One might almost think you were an amateur actress playing a part.” A sudden, tense hush fell over the surrounding crowd.
Several board members leaned in closer, waiting for the explosion.
Oh, so that’s his game, I thought, my internal drama major instantly waking up with a roar.
He thinks he can catch me off guard with age accusations?
Honey, I played a eighty-year-old blind grandmother in my sophomore year midterms.
You are out of your league.
I didn’t flinch.
Instead, I let out a slow, musical laugh that echoed clearly across the silent terrace.
I took a step forward, slipping my hand out of Julian’s grip, and pulled off my dark Chanel sunglasses from my face with absolute, agonizing slowness.
I looked Richard Montgomery up and down, starting from his expensive Italian shoes all the way up to his slicked-back hair, my expression morphing into pure, unadulterated high-society pity.
“Mr.
Montgomery,” I rasped out in my thickest, most arrogant European drawl, my voice carrying effortlessly to every billionaire within twenty feet.
“I would compliment your suit, but I try very hard not to lie before dinner.” Montgomery’s jaw dropped slightly.
“What?!” “And as for my youthful appearance?” I continued, taking a step closer to him, tapping the massive emerald ring against my cheek.
“Good genes and proper Monaco skincare do wonders, darling.
You should try it sometime.
Though, looking at the deep wrinkles on your forehead, I fear it might be far too late for your complexion.” A muffled snort came from a senior investor standing right behind Montgomery.
Montgomery’s face turned a violent, dark shade of red.
“Listen here, you arrogant—” “No, you listen, Richard,” I interrupted softly, my voice dropping into a cold, dangerous whisper that cut him off like a blade.
I stepped directly into his personal space, glaring up at him with absolute authority.
“You thought inviting us here tonight would intimidate my son.
But all you’ve done is gather your top financial backers in one room…” I turned slightly, casting a sharp, brilliant smile toward the group of wealthy investors standing behind him.
“…so I can explain to them personally why transferring their capital to Sterling Global tomorrow morning will be the smartest financial decision of their lives.” Montgomery froze.
The investors behind him exchanged fast, alarmed glances, their eyes widening as they realized what was happening.
Beside me, Julian let out a low, dark exhale, stepping up right behind me like a wall of dark iron.
His arm slid around my waist, pu lling me firmly back against his chest in a display of absolute, unbroken power.
“Enjoy your party, Richard,” Julian rumbled coldly over my shoulder.
“It’s the last one you’ll be hosting this year.” CREATORS’ THOUGHTS Bel_Rose “Okay, can we all take a collective second to appreciate that Julian put his late mother’s ruby ring on Roxie’s finger(╥﹏╥) Like, sir, this is supposed to be a fake contract marriage, why are you out here acting like a feral protective husband?
And Roxie casually dismantling Richard Montgomery using her drama school background and a European drawl?
Iconic behavior only!
Also, quick question for you guys: Do you think Richard Montgomery is going to take this public humiliation lying down, or is he about to launch a desperate counter-attack in the next chapter?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
Also add to your library guys!!(^~^)