Julian paused his movements, raising an eyebrow slightly.
Chloe understood his expression all too well, hesitantly speaking up: “Mother Eleanor…
today she…” Although the words were not fully spoken, Julian could guess what his mother had been nagging about.
He pushed himself up slightly to avoid pressing down on Chloe, his brows furrowing slightly: “It is not the time yet.” Even though she knew Julian would refuse one way or another, hearing this blunt answer still made Chloe’s heart clench.
She tried to act relieved, shrugging her shoulders: “It is like this, not only Mother Eleanor, but even my mother…
is also starting to urge us.” Your mother?
Julian stared at Chloe for a moment, those eyebrows still not relaxing at all.
Chloe suddenly felt a wave of hesitation.
She hurriedly pulled the silk shirt to drape loosely over her shoulders, sighing softly: “Just forget it, pretend I never brought this up.
I have thought it over, you are right, now is still not a suitable time.” Married for two years, he still did not want to have a child with her at all.
Thinking to this point, Chloe’s nose suddenly stung.
She waved her hand, acting as if she did not care at all: “Didn’t you say you still have a few work emails to handle?
Hurry to the study, so you can rest early.” Julian had remained silent the whole time.
Hearing Chloe say that, he only leaned over to plant a fleeting kiss on her cheek, then put on his sleep pants, opened the door, and walked out.
Leaving only Chloe sitting in a daze by herself at the edge of the bed.
Suddenly, a ringtone echoed in the room; Chloe startled and looked over at the oak nightstand.
It was Julian’s phone.
She stood up, walked over there, and picked the phone up.
The screen displayed a string of numbers that was not saved with a name.
Swiping the screen, Chloe brought the phone to her ear.
This iPhone was Julian’s personal number; only his close circle of friends and family with urgent matters would call here, and she was the rare person he allowed to answer the device.
Just as Chloe was about to say “Hello,” the person on the other end of the line spoke first: “Julian, I want to tell you…” The female voice was clear, carrying a very catchy tone.
Chloe froze; this voice was entirely unfamiliar to her.
The other side seemed to also realize something was wrong, hesitantly probing: “Julian?” Julian?
Chloe narrowed her eyes, feeling a nameless fire flaring up in her chest.
A strange woman directly calling her husband’s first name so intimately like that truly brought her an unexpected joy.
“He is in the study.
May I ask who you are?” Chloe kept her voice cold and noble as she spoke.
“…” The woman on the other end was clearly taken aback; only after a while did the stranger reply: “If so, I will call back later.” After that, a cold “beep beep” sound rang out.
Chloe stared fixedly at the phone, her gaze seeming able to pierce through the screen’s glass layer.
Right at this moment, the phone vibrated lightly with a “ding,” and an iMessage was delivered.
She truly did not have a hobby of snooping on her husband’s messages, but the bitter truth was that it appeared glaringly right before her eyes.
Coincidentally, Julian had not turned off the content preview mode on the lock screen, so…
“Julian, it’s Serena.
If it is inconvenient for you to call back, then let us meet at the conglomerate tomorrow.” Chloe only needed one glance to completely read the entire content of the message.
Serena?
Chloe’s fingertips turned pale from gripping the phone tightly.
She had just answered the call, and the other party immediately sent this line of text; if one said it did not carry a provocative implication typical of those “Mean Girls,” then Chloe absolutely would not believe it.
It was just that…
if this message was truly sent by Serena, then it seemed everything could be explained now.
Chloe’s complexion instantly became weary.
She slowly placed the phone back on the nightstand surface, her whole body as if drained of vitality, blankly walking back to the bed.
She curled up and burrowed deep into the silk blanket, covering herself completely without bothering to let even her head poke out.
No wonder he did not want to have a child…
Thinking to this point, Chloe shrank her body like a small shrimp, lying silently swallowed up on the massive King-size bed.
When Julian returned to the bedroom, it was past midnight; the warm yellow nightlight still cast a faint glow.
His wife right now was…
hmm, Julian furrowed his brows looking at the bulky rolled-up pile of blankets in the middle of the bed…
and the person lying huddled underneath.
The sharp intuition of a businessman told him that his wife was a bit strange tonight.
Julian stepped forward, pulling the messy blanket to drag Chloe out.
He only saw that the hair clip at the back had come loose, the disheveled brown locks sticking flat to her face that was flushing red from suffocation.
She looked as if she was sleeping very soundly.
“Are you done with your work?” Chloe, having been dragged out, first raised her hand to rub her eyes, then looked at the man in front of her, pretending to be sleepy as she asked.
“Yes,” Julian replied, reaching out to properly adjust Chloe’s lying posture.
“Go back to sleep, do not cover your head completely with the blanket, it is not good for your breathing.” “Alright.” Chloe obediently closed her eyes.
Seeing this, Julian reached out to turn off the light; the room instantly sank into quiet darkness.
“Oh right, I answered your phone earlier, do you want to call the person back?” Chloe raised her voice to ask, trying to act extremely absent-minded.
“It is too late, go to sleep.” Julian’s large hand gently stroked the top of the small woman’s head beside him like a familiar comforting gesture.
Chloe turned her back toward Julian, her face completely awake, lacking even a half-point of sleepiness.
Realizing the man lying next to her had no intention of checking that phone, she pressed her lips tightly together with an incredibly complex mood.
Perhaps…
Perhaps there truly wasn’t anything terrible.
Chloe tried to convince herself.
Julian was an incredibly proud and principled man; if there truly came a day he wanted to end things, he would definitely put the issue straight onto the negotiation table clearly with her, it would certainly be like that, right?
The breathing of the person beside her had become even; perhaps he had fallen asleep.
Chloe tossed and turned in a daze all night, only managing to doze off for a while when the dawn light slipped through the curtain gaps.
Early in the morning, Chloe was awakened by a piercing ringtone.
She kept her eyes closed and groped around for the phone, pressing it to her ear: “Hello…” “Chloe, where, are, you!” That voice hissing through gritted teeth, carrying a towering murderous aura, was no different from a cup of ice water splashed right in her face; Chloe immediately snapped awake.
“I am coming right now.” She hurriedly sat up straight, only falling short of raising three fingers to the sky to swear a deadly oath.
The other end of the line did not bother saying another word, decisively hanging up.
Chloe hastily threw off the blanket and crawled out of bed.
The spot beside her was already freezing cold; Julian always left home for the conglomerate very early, and she was all too used to this elite schedule.
She went into the bathroom to do her personal hygiene as fast as a tornado, grabbed a random cream-colored sports tracksuit to put on, snatched the keys to the Porsche, and dashed out of the room.
While rushing down to the hall, Housekeeper Martha frantically called out to Chloe’s retreating figure, handing Chloe a kraft paper bag.
Chloe received it; inside were two piping hot, fragrant bagels filled with egg and bacon.
“Martha, you are truly my saving angel.” Chloe generously threw back a blown kiss, hurriedly slipping a pair of white sneakers onto her feet, preparing to dash out the door.
“It was Julian who specifically instructed this,” Martha smiled kindly, stepping forward to open the main door for Chloe.
“Before getting into the car this morning, he instructed me, saying that since Madam’s studio has a new collection launch event today, you would definitely be in a rush and unable to sit at the dining table, so he told me I must prepare a takeaway breakfast for you.” “…” Hearing this sentence, Chloe did not know whether to be happy or how to react.
For Julian to cover up his wife’s sleeping in and waking up late in such a subtle and elegant manner, she probably should send an email to thank him…
Replying perfunctorily with a few words, Chloe slipped right outside.
Getting into the car, she waved goodbye to Martha who was standing on the porch, then stepped on the gas and zoomed off.
Along the way, trying to weave through the rushing traffic, finally, more than twenty minutes later, she reached the most bustling downtown area of Manhattan in New York.
Slowly parking the car in the building’s underground parking lot, Chloe glanced at the Cartier watch on her wrist.
Nine forty-five, thank God, still in time.
She opened the kraft paper bag, holding a bagel in her mouth.
Just as she stepped out of the car, raising her head, she immediately saw a woman with an extremely edgy short bob haircut, wearing a powerful black power suit, and on her feet a pair of ten-centimeter red-soled Christian Louboutin high heels, standing not far away.
The woman had her arms crossed over her chest, looking at Chloe with eyes as sharp and cold as knives.
With her mouth still holding the bagel, Chloe quietly lowered her head and pressed the car lock with a “beep,” only then displaying a flattering expression as she waved at the other party.
The short-haired woman took long, proud strides, closing in on Chloe in just a few steps.
Because the other party was wearing stiletto heels, Chloe, whether considering actual height or overwhelming aura, was completely overshadowed.
Taking a bite of the bagel, Chloe chewed while laughing sheepishly: “Harper, have you had breakfast yet?” “Hah!” The woman let out a cold scoff: “Boss Chloe must be joking; how could a wage earner like me be as well-off as Mrs.
Quinn, where would I find the time to leisurely stop by a coffee shop for breakfast!” Chloe shrank her neck.
It’s over, the drama queen is truly angry!
“Listen to my explanation, Harper…” Chloe tried to swallow the huge piece of bread in her mouth, lowering her voice softly.
Harper still had her arms crossed over her chest, carrying an attitude of “let us see what script you can make up.” Chloe suddenly felt extremely guilty, immediately taking the remaining bagel and stuffing it straight into Harper’s hand, then intimately looping her arm around her friend’s arm: “Let’s go, we can chat while heading up to the office.”