10
Julian took a deep breath, gesturing for the staff to place the gifts on a side table. They quietly left.
He surveyed the pile of gifts, his eyes deep. The memories of Sera–the woman he had once vowed to cherish forever–stirred within him, but they were slowly fading, just like everything else that had once been whole. That was when he noticed a crumpled piece of paper underneath.
He picked it up. Just as he was about to discard it, the handwriting caught his eye. Sera’s handwriting was neat and elegant, mirroring her calm demeanor. She remained composed even in the face of cheating.
The paper was torn in several places, likely from being repeatedly stabbed with a pen. It listed the dates, times, and locations of his sex with Chloe–nothing more. Yet, it spoke volumes.
His grip on the paper tightened until his knuckles turned white. His phone vibrated furiously.
His assistant’s panicked voice sounded.
“King Julian, bad news! Someone printed details of your affair with lycan Chloe and distributed them all over the city via drones! We intercepted most of them, but many people saw that. Several shareholders are calling to ask what’s going on.”
Julian crushed the paper in his hand, his face hardening.
“Get PR and legal on this immediately. I don’t want to see or hear about this again.”
He hung up, staring at the crumpled paper. He shoved it into his pocket and headed for the door.
His black car roarede, cutting through the rain like a dark arrow and stopping at the hospital.
A night nurse tried to greet him, but his grim expression silenced her.
He stormed into Chloe’s ward and slammed the door shut. The loud bang startled the nurse and woke Chloe.
She rubbed her eyes, ready to scold, but her anger turned to surprise at the sight of Julian.
“Julian! What brings you here?”
She had expected him to stay but he didn’t. The thought of him spending time with Sera filled her with resentment.
What did Sera have that she didn’t? Sera never dressed up and didn’t have children.
The more she thought about it, the more upset she became. In anger, she drifted off to sleep. Then, Julian appeared again!
He must care about her.
Elated, she reached for him. Instead of an embrace, she saw his fingers tighten around her neck.
Julian’s usually cold eyes burned with fury.
“I’ve told you, I only love Sera. If you want to continue this, keep it secret. If she finds out, we’re done. Chloe, how dare you provoke her?”
His voice grew colder, his grip stronger. His lycan came out, irritable and abnormal.
Chloe’s face paled. She struggled, tears streaming down her face.
“No, I didn’t. Julian, believe me, I never told Sera about us!”
18.6%
< 10
He threw her onto the bed, tossing the crumpled paper onto her face.
“You didn’t tell her? Then how did she find out?”
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Chloe unfolded the paper, her face draining of color. She scrambled out of bed, kneeling and begging for forgiveness. She claimed she loved him and that she did it out of desperation. She never expected Sera would leave.
Julian stood over her, his gaze cold and distant.
“You love me? But I don’t love you! If you hadn’t taken advantage of me when I was drunk, none of this would have happened!”
Chloe’s sobs ceased. She stared up at him, stunned.
“You don’t love me? How dare you not love me?!”
She erupted in a torrent of rage. She’d given him her everything including her virginity. She was even carrying his child. And he didn’t
love her?
Seeing her unravel, Julian was reminded of the woman in the neighboring villa, who was screaming at her unfaithful mate.
His wolf snarled in his mind, the anger and hurt of betrayal stirring something dark within him.
He bent down, his fingers tightening around her jaw, nearly dislocating it.
“What are you? You think I should love you? If Sera could have children, I would have killed you!”
At that gala, his business partners made him drink too much. Sera disliked the smell of alcohol, so he planned to sleep in the guest room until it faded. When he woke up, he found Chloe naked beside him.
He was furious and terrified. Chloe’s boldness made him furious and he was terrified that Sera would leave if she knew this.
His only thought was to get rid of Chloe. But she begged him to keep her. Then his parents called, pressuring him for a grandchild. However, Sera couldn’t have children.
He sat in the room smoking all night, and Chloe’s face came to his mind. Chloe could have children, couldn’t she? He’d compensate her financially and send her abroad. And he would tell everyone the child was Sera’s.
He thought things would go as he planned, but he was wrong.
Julian’s cruelty drained Chloe of all strength. She slumped forward, her head bowed.
She used to believe that he kept her because he loved having sex with her. She was the illegitimate daughter of her father and treated as an outsider in the family. Her father was constantly sleeping with other women, and her mother only cared about money. She knew love was a luxury in their world.
Chloe stopped believing in love. She thought she could use her body to keep Julian.
But then he grew increasingly kind to her. He would even leave Sera for her. She started to fall for him and her desires grew. She wanted the child, and she wanted him all to herself.
Now he was coldly telling her that he’d kept her only because Sera was infertile.
Julian’s eyes hardened, his voice still cold and calm.
“Have the abortion tomorrow.”
Sera was gone, and the child was no longer needed. The next king can only be Luna Sera’s child.
18.6%
< 10
Chloe shook her head frantically.
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“No! No, Julian, you can’t be so heartless, that’s
your child!”
She sobbed uncontrollably, begging him. The baby was her lifeline; she couldn’t lose it.
Julian didn’t look at her. He turned to leave.
Chloe scrambled to her feet, trying to follow him, but she collapsed.
Water flowed between her legs, staining the white tiles crimson.
Pain wracked her body; she lay helpless on the floor, gasping for breath. Regret washed over her as tears streamed down her face. If she hadn’t been so greedy… would things be different?
Julian stood there, coldly watching her. He opened the door and called for the nurse.
“Take her to the OR. Make sure she doesn’t die.”
