Victoria glanced at the dark screen of the disconnected phone resting on the mattress, a faint flicker of disappointment flashing through her eyes.
Without waiting another second, she pulled off Julian’s remaining shirt.
Julian couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. It lasted practically all night, and now she wants to go at it again during the day? Will this ever stop...?
Knock, knock, knock—
A sharp knock on the bedroom door instantly broke the sultry atmosphere.
"What is it?" Victoria called out, her voice dropping to a frosty, lethal temperature.
Outside the master suite, the young maid trembled from the sheer cold emanating through the thick mahogany door. "M-Miss Sterling," she stammered nervously, "dinner is served."
Julian seized the opportunity immediately, rolling off the bed before Victoria could pull him back. "Victoria, it’s time for us to go down for dinner."
He threw on a clean shirt at record speed.
Victoria stood by the bed, her expression brimming with displeasure and unsated desire. Seeing Julian look so immensely relieved to put his clothes back on only darkened her mood further.
Recalling the phone call from Natasha moments ago, Victoria’s brows furrowed tightly.
Julian probably hates being close to me, she thought, a cold bitterness creeping into her chest. He seems so obedient right now, but he’s just putting on an act to keep me placated.
Ah... as expected.
People like her and her late mother were broken. They didn’t deserve to be truly loved at all.
Julian noticed the sudden, desolate expression on Victoria’s face and paused, buttoning his collar. "Victoria, what’s wrong?"
"Julian..." Victoria stepped closer, her slender fingers gently tracing the line of his jaw. She looked up into his eyes, her voice eerily soft. "I know you don’t actually like me. You’re being so obedient right now, but you’re just putting on a performance for my sake."
She leaned in, her dark eyes flashing with a possessive, dangerous glint. "But whether you’re acting or not... you can never escape from me."
If a day came when Julian refused to put on this act anymore—if he, like her father, became determined to flee from her side—she would simply preserve him and turn him into her eternal specimen. That way, he would stay by her side forever.
Seeing her yandere tendencies flaring up again, Julian raised two fingers, making a solemn gesture. "Victoria, I promise you, I’m staying right here with absolute sincerity!"
Back when he was reading the novel, he had always thought that if he ever had a drop-dead gorgeous, insanely wealthy partner like Victoria, he wouldn’t even think about running away.
Victoria gazed at him for a long moment before a faint, mesmerizing smile touched her lips. "Alright. I believe you."
"By the way, Victoria," Julian asked, running a hand through his neat hair, "don’t you think I look a bit different today?"
When he had looked in the mirror after his haircut, he felt like an entirely transformed man. Yet when Victoria had walked in earlier, her expression hadn’t shown the slightest hint of surprise.
Victoria smiled softly, her fingers lightly caressing his neck. "No matter what Julian looks like, you will always be my little bed-slave."
Julian: "..."
Right. I shouldn’t have asked.
Taking a deep breath, Julian held out his hand. "Victoria, let’s head downstairs for dinner."
Victoria placed her hand inside his palm. The two held hands, stepping out of the master suite and walking down the grand staircase together.
Down in the main hall, the servants’ eyes lit up at the sight.
"Miss Sterling and Master Vance look like an absolute dream together!"
"I know, right?! I used to think no man in the world was worthy of our young mistress, but seeing them together now, they’re a perfect match!"
"Miss Sterling is finally getting her happy ending... it feels like a fairy tale."
Sitting at the grand dining room table was a young woman dressed in chic designer wear—Victoria’s close high-society friend, Chloe .
Chloe rested her chin on her hand, looking utterly bored out of her mind. "I’m starving! When is Victoria coming downstairs?" She let out a long yawn.
The culinary team at Rose Manor was world-class, and Chloe had driven across town specifically to freeload a five-star meal. Yet almost twenty minutes had passed, and Victoria hadn’t shown her face.
If she doesn’t come down soon, the food is going to get cold!
Butler Chen bowed respectfully. "Miss Lin, please be patient. Miss Sterling will be down shortly."
Clack, clack, clack.
The distinct, rhythmically crisp sound of high heels echoing down the marble hallway made Chloe’s eyes light up. Finally!
"Victoria, I was about to—"
Chloe turned around, her sentence freezing mid-air.
Her eyes widened to the size of saucers. What in the world?! A man had actually appeared inside Rose Manor—and he was holding Victoria Sterling’s hand?!
Everyone in high society knew that Victoria was a total germaphobe who would practically sever a man’s arm if he dared touch her!
Chloe was so stunned her jaw practically dropped to the floor. Thinking her eyes were playing tricks on her, she rubbed them vigorously and blinked.
Nope! Not a hallucination! Her ice-queen friend was indeed holding hands with a ridiculously handsome guy!
Only after Victoria and Julian took their seats at the head of the table did Chloe finally find her voice.
"V-Victoria..." Chloe stammered, so shocked she could barely speak. "Um... did you... did you get yourself a male concubine?"
Chloe naturally assumed Julian was a handsome boy-toy Victoria was keeping on the side.
"He isn’t a concubine," Victoria replied smoothly, a subtle, proud curve gracing her lips. "He is my boyfriend."
...And her private bed-slave, though she kept that part to herself.
Chloe muttered under her breath, "Is it raining blood outside?" Even Victoria, the eternal single workaholic, is dating now?!
Julian kept his head down and began enjoying his dinner. Victoria truly lived up to her reputation as the head of the country’s wealthiest enterprise; the personal chefs she hired were exceptional, far surpassing the food at the Vance mansion.
Victoria didn’t pick up her utensils. Instead, she rested her chin on her hand, watching Julian eat with deep warmth in her eyes.
"Victoria, why aren’t you eating?" Julian asked casually, noticing she hadn’t touched her food.
Victoria’s red lips curled upward into a mesmerizing smile. "I don’t have much of an appetite right now... unless Julian feeds me."
Julian had no choice but to pick up his chopsticks, delicately lifting a piece of tender crab meat and bringing it to her lips. Victoria ate it contentedly.
Chloe, who had been dying to dig into the feast, suddenly found the exquisite dishes entirely tasteless. She was already completely stuffed—stuffed from being forced to swallow a massive overdose of public displays of affection!
"Victoria," Chloe asked, her curiosity burning, "when on earth did you two start dating?"
To have reached this level of sweetness, could Victoria have been hiding a secret relationship for months?
Victoria replied calmly, "Two days ago."
The very first instant she had laid eyes on him in that hotel room, she had been overcome by the urge to possess him—to make him hers forever.
In this lifetime, her mind was completely made up about Julian. Even if Julian had been married, she would have torn him away from his spouse without a second thought.
And as for any wife standing in her way? She would have simply eliminated her.