The decor inside the house was also very simple, and the overall layout was quite good.

It was only after returning here that he truly felt a sense of coming home.

Unfortunately, his small home was cold and empty, lacking a mistress.

When he bought this small villa, he had once fantasized: could he one day sit under the grape trellis with Julia Bluen, gazing up at the starry sky?

It was only when he entered this room that he felt like a man, a normal man, because he had a girl he secretly loved, even though she always seemed out of his reach.

His complex feelings for his older brother ran deep, as did his secret love for Julia Bluen. It was because these two different emotions simultaneously pierced his heart that he could continue living as if nothing were amiss and avoid doing anything outrageous. Whenever he wanted to get close to his older brother, he used Julia Bluen to stop the lewd thoughts in his heart. If he wanted to do something to Julia Bluen, he used his older brother to restrain himself.

He extended his hand, gently caressing those photos.

"Julia, did you ever know that there was someone else—me—deeply in love with you? The one who grew up with you wasn't just my older brother," James Horne whispered softly, his tone carrying an indescribable pain.

This room was off-limits; not even his mother was allowed to enter.

It was for this reason that, in this room, he could fully reveal his two complex sets of emotions.

He could wholeheartedly indulge in his obsession with his older brother and secretly pine for Julia Bluen.

That year, Glades Horne was only twenty years old and already exuded maturity and composure with every move. While studying, Glades Horne used his spare time to become acquainted with the affairs of Valence Group. As Glades Horne was being trained as the successor, he had little time for leisure. In contrast, James had plenty of free time because his family didn't restrict him.

At sixteen, he stood close beside Glades Horne. Their faces were remarkably similar; strangers might even have mistaken them for twin brothers. He was smiling then, not cold and somber like he was now. Taking a photo with his most beloved older brother made him feel as blissful as if he had won a five-million-dollar jackpot.

As time went by, and Glades Horne grew closer to the Bluen sisters, the distance between him and his older brother also widened.

Now...

"Older brother, what should I do about you?" James murmured.

Having shaken off thoughts of Julia Bluen, his mind was now completely filled with Glades Horne.

The night deepened.

He, entangled in his obsessions, couldn't fall asleep immediately.

Even as he lay on the comfortable large bed, his mind was still wondering about his older brother and sister-in-law, who were on their honeymoon in Switzerland.

At this quiet hour of the night, his older brother must be holding Julia Bluen as they slept, right?

Reaching for a pillow, James Horne slowly closed his cool eyes. He hugged the pillow tightly, a fierce determination in his arms, telling himself to stop thinking. In seven more days, they would be back.

Regardless, being able to see them every day was a kind of happiness, albeit one mixed with painful torment.

「Evans Family.」

In the dead of night, they too couldn't sleep.

Ever since Orlando Evans brought back the news that James Horne had taken photos of her, the Evans family hadn't slept.

But they couldn't keep the lights blazing until dawn. They kept only one desk lamp on, emitting a faint glow just enough to prevent the entire room from plunging into darkness.

"Orlando, how could you be so careless? What do we do now? Ask James Horne for the film? He certainly won't give it to you," Mrs. Evans said, a bit anxious. She was still counting on her daughter's relationship with the Horne Family to climb the social ladder, and now her daughter had given James Horne something to hold over them. It was like a ticking time bomb that could go off at any moment. If it exploded, it would blow the Evans Family to pieces, including Orlando Evans's uncle, who would find it difficult to maintain his standing in the business world.

"How could you be so foolish? You've been around the Horne Family for so many years; haven't you figured out the temperaments of the young masters of the Horne family by now? You actually picked James Horne? Do you think he's easy to manipulate just because he's an illegitimate son? Don't you know that illegitimate children are often the most scheming? Dad was counting on you to help your mother and me climb up, and now, it will be enough if you just don't drag us down. You can't provoke anyone from the Horne Family during this time. Don't hold us back," Rylee Evans scolded Orlando in a hushed tone.

In his eyes, Orlando was just a pawn for his social climbing.

Because Orlando was a good friend of the Horne Family's daughter.

But now, this daughter, who had always made him satisfied and proud, had chosen the wrong person to exploit and had instead given someone leverage against her. How could he not be angry? She had tried to seduce Glades Horne so many times, yet not once had she succeeded. He didn't know whether it was because Glades Horne was incompetent or if his own daughter was inadequate. Otherwise, what man would be indifferent to a naked beauty?

If she couldn't become the wife of the Horne family's eldest son, marrying any of the other young masters of the Horne family would still benefit the Evans Family. Yet, his daughter had picked James Horne, whom she thought was the easiest to control. James Horne had established the James Kitchenware Company through his own efforts. It had more than two thousand employees and assets exceeding one hundred million. Was he someone who could be easily manipulated?

His daughter had been unbelievably foolish this time.

"Dad," Orlando Evans cried out, dissatisfied. She came home after being wronged, and instead of comforting her, her parents criticized her. In their hearts, was her greatest value merely to help them climb the social ladder? She was their only daughter, after all.

"Rylee, don't be angry yet. Isn't there still the Horne family's daughter? If we can't secure a prestigious connection, we'll have to settle for the next best thing. We want money, right? That should be achievable. With money, we can give gifts to the higher-ups. Maybe we can even get a promotion. Of course, the gifting has to be done subtly. We can't let anyone find out, or else if the Discipline Inspection Commission investigates, we'll lose everything," Mrs. Evans quickly tried to smooth things over, her words devoid of any genuine concern for Orlando.