Julian walked over to Willow with a dark look in his beyes/b. “Why bare /byou here?b” /b

Willow lifted her briefcaseb. /bb“/bNot for ba /bdate.”

Julian’s gaze deepened as he offered, “Come eat with usb./bb” /b

Willow didn’t spare his dignityb, /band she didn’t even nce at Melody. Listlessly, she replied, “I’m quite full. Take your time talking to her, Julian. I’m heading homeb./bb” /b

Then, Julian grabbed her wrist with a frownb. /b“Willow!”

Willow let out an airyugh. She looked at him and said, “Aren’t you two talking business? bI’m /bbnot /bthat close–minded, you know. Our marriage bis /bonly contractual anyway. Once the time is up, we’ll go our separate ways. Who you spend your time with is none of my businessb./bb” /b

Julian’s frown deepened. He knew Willow was only saying that out of angerb, /bbut it was irritating enough to make him lose his patience and stop trying to persuade her. He simply let her go.

Willow had no intention of staying, so she turned and left without a second nce. She left bJulian /bwhere he was, and his mood had souredpletely.

When Melody saw Willow leaving, she thought that was her chance and walked over tofort Julian in a charming tone.

“Is Mrs. Ziegler upset, Julian? Should bI /bbgo /bexin what’s going on?”

Julian, however, called the waiter over and handed him around two thousand dors bin /bcash.

“No need for that,” he told her before disappearing into the night.

It hadn’t been easy for Melody to finally get him on his ownb, /bbso /bshe bwasn’t /bgoing to let this opportunity bgo/b. She chased after Julian and followed him bto /bbthe /bparking

lot.

It was a chilly winter night, and she bwas /bshivering from the cold, bbut /bshe bravely asked, “Are you angry?“”

Julian’s hand was on the door handle, and there was an indifferent look on his face. “We’re not close enough for you to call me bby /bmy bfirst /bname, Ms. Simpson.”

He lowered his head to think for a moment before vaguely adding, “I shouldn’t havee tonight.”

The reason why he felt such strong physical attraction toward Willow wasn’t because she was his type. He didn’t feel anything for Melody, at leastb. /bShe had tried flirting with himb, /bbut it hadn’t affected him at all.

His time was bprecious/bb, /bso he got into the car right after saying that and left Melody behind, disheveled in bthe /bwind.

She kept reying the night over and over again in her bhead/bb, /bunable bto /bunderstand why Julian bwas /bbso /bindifferent. She just couldn’t ept it.

Half an hourter, Willow returned to Grandview Manor. As bsoon /bbas /bthe car came bto /bba /bbstop/bb, /bbSnowy /bjumped inside and rubbed bits /bbsnow/b–white head against Willow’s

arm. bIt /blet out two bbarks/b.

Willow was incredibly fond of itb, /bbso /bshe took a treat out of the bglove box /band unwrapped it before feeding bit /bbto /bSnowy.

bOnce /bbsnowy /bbwas /bdone eatingb, /bshe carried it binto /bthe houseb. /bWhen ir saw herb, /bshe asked, “You’re home from dinnerb, /bMrs. Ziegler? Should I make byou /bsome tea bto /bcleanse byour /bpteb? /bRestaurant food bcan /bbe quite heavy bon /bthe stomach.!

10

bWillow /bran her fingers through her long hair bwith /bba /bbsubtle /bsmile. “Take the tea to the bstudio /bbon /bthe third floor.b” /b

ir happily agreed and got bto /bwork.

Willow bfirst /bwent bto /bthe master bedroom bto /bchange her clothes bbefore /bheading to the studio on the third floor. When she turned on the lightsb, /bshe bwas /bbgreeted /bby the bhalf/b–finished piece bon /bthe beasel/bb, /bbcalled /b“Lovers in the Rainb“/bb. /b

bAs /bWillow bpainted/b, bSnowy /bobediently bsat /bbbeside /bher with affection in its dark beyes/bb. /bSoonb, /bbthere /bwas ba /bbknock /bat the door. Willow thought bit /bbwas /birb, /bbut to her bsurprise/bb, /bbJulian /bstepped inside.

Willow turned bto /bnce bat /bhim before turning back bto /bcontinue paintingb. /b

bJulian /bwalked in and bced /bthe tea bto /bthe side. He hugged her from behind and bwhispered/b, “I thought byou /bbweren’t /bbbothered/b. Why are byou cooped /bbup /bin bhere/bb, /bbthen/bb?/bb” /b

bWillow’s /bhand bfroze/bb. /bb“/bWhat do byou /bwant me bto /bbsay/bb, /bbJulian/bb?/bb” /b

bJulian /btightened his bgrip /band basked/bb, /b“What bdo /bbyou /bthink?”

Willow bturned /baround in his embrace and fiddled bwith /bhis cor, a yful look on bher /bbface/bb. /b“Would you bbelieve /bbme /bif I said I loved byou /bso much that I couldn’t help myselfb, /bJulian?b” /b

His gaze was darkb, /blike a bottomless bpool/bb. /bHe stared at bWillow’s /bface for a while before gritting his teethb. /bb“/bbYou’re /basking for it.”

He didn’t know why he was so worked bup /band angryb. /bHe was bprobably /birritated by bWillow’s /bbcynical /bwords and how she bkept /breminding bhim /bthat she bdidn’t /blove him. A lot of the time, his anger transformed into something else.

He carried Willow into the bedroom on the second floor without even turning the lights bon/bb. /bTheir bodies were entangledb, /band their figures ovepped in the

b+25 /bbBonus /b

darkness bto /bform ba /bvague silhouette.

Willow allowed him to do as she wished. She didn’t try bto /bbresist /bat all. She held onto his neck tightly as bif /bshe was ba /bsubmissive woman who loved her husband deeply.

Julianb, /bon the other hand, knew that no matter how affectionate she was, Willow didn’t feel a thing.

After everything was over, Julian felt physically and mentally empty. He had never felt so dissatisfied before. It was like he had lost something incredibly dear to

himb. /b

It was ba /bquiet night.

Julian grabbed Willow’s shoulders and leaned over her from behind. He bpressed /bhis lips against the back of her neck and murmuredb, /b“Be more obedient, Willow.b” /b

It took a while before Willow quietly replied, “Don’t worry. I’ll y along and act like we’re ba /bloving couple. After allb, /bbI /bstill need your money to treat my grandmother’s illnessb./bb” /b

Julian went stiff. Willow turned around and gently leaned into his embrace, running her slender fingers over his handsome features. b“/bI’ve done everything you’ve asked of me. What else do you need, Julian?”

Julian grabbed her wrist, a gloomy look in his beyes/b. “It’s not enough.”

bHe /bdidn’t know what wasn’t enough, though.

In the early morning, Willow woke up and saw Julian’s handsome face right in front of her. He was staring straight at her, and it looked like he wanted to devour her. It was quite creepy.

0

Willow.closed her eyes, deciding that it was better to feign being asleep. However, she was soon awoken by Julian passionately kissing her.

When she woke up againter that morning, Julian wasn’t in bed.

She leaned against the headboard, lost in thought. She heard someone moving around in the coatroom, and Julian walked out of it shortly after. He was dressed neatly, and it was impossible to tell that he was the same violent person as the night before.

Julian put on his Patek Philippe watch and looked at Willow. “There’s a charity dinner tonight. You’reing with me.”

Willow agreed bto /bit. Ever since she stopped loving Julian, being his wife was like a job to her. It was much easier than before.

Her indifference frustrated Julian, and he leaned over bto /bcapture her lips. b“/bSometimes, I really want to kill you.”

Willow remained unbothered. Life was hard enough as it wasb. /bShe didn’t want to make things even more difficult for herself.