Julia slept so deeply that he couldn't bring himself to wake her. Now that she had woken up on her own, he naturally wanted her to get up and go downstairs for something to eat. He couldn't cook, but he was very health-conscious and insisted on three meals a day. Breakfast was especially important and couldn't be skipped. This was because in the morning, the stomach is empty but still active. If there's no food for it to process, it can easily be harmed.

Once again, Julia opened her eyes. Her almond-shaped eyes, beautiful as two black pearls, shimmered with captivating charm as she glanced around. After blinking a few times, she nodded.

"Such a good girl."

"Stop it, you're treating me like a child again," Julia grumbled as she slid out of Glades Horne's embrace and sat up in bed. Then, as if something occurred to her, she turned her head to ask Glades, "Glades, Brother James came back, right? Is he okay?"

Upon hearing this, Glades Horne's handsome face turned grim.

A cold aura began to emanate from him.

This reaction... could the brothers have had some sort of conflict?

The person on the phone had said that James kept calling out her name.

Given Glades's domineering nature, it would be strange if he didn't fly into a rage hearing James call out her name.

Oh, she'd made a terrible mistake. She shouldn't have listened to Glades and stayed home to sleep. She should have gone with him to get James. If she'd been there, Glades would have at least shown some restraint and wouldn't have hurt James. But she…

She was also surprised; why would James call out her name? Racking her brain, she tried to recall any past interactions with him. Every time she saw James, she would just smile, call him "Brother James," and that would be it. Could that alone have made James develop feelings for her?

How could she have been so clueless!

Julia felt ashamed of her own emotional obliviousness.

But James had hidden it so well; she truly hadn't seen it, hadn't sensed it at all.

Before the marriage, James had even been rough with her. Who would have thought…?

No wonder she didn't know James's mobile number, yet he knew hers. No wonder he added her on Twitter during their honeymoon and chatted with her. No wonder he came to see her on her first day of work—she'd even thought Glades had sent him! No wonder his gaze upon her was always so inscrutable, with that strange quality to it.

Suddenly, caught off balance, Julia was pushed down onto the bed by Glades Horne. He loomed over her, pinned her hands high above her head, and quickly captured her lips in a kiss.

"Glades..." Julia struggled, not wanting to be kissed like this. It was forceful and possessive, not like his usual affectionate and indulgent kisses.

Glades Horne didn't let go of her hands or her lips, entangling with her forcefully.

After a while, his face dark, he said in a hoarse, sour voice, "I don't like it when you ask about another man first thing in the morning."

"You tyrant! If you keep this up, I'll like you even less. James is your brother, and it was my phone the people from the pub called yesterday. I knew about it, so can't I even ask how things are progressing? Glades, I like your possessiveness towards me, but there has to be a limit. You can't just get wildly jealous over nothing," Julia retorted, her face flushed and a little angry.

She grew even more worried about James's fate. Glades scowled every time she mentioned him. As for James… he wouldn't have actually strangled him, would he?

He rapped her lightly on the head.

"Stop that kind of speculation. As ruthless as I can be, I wouldn't strangle him. Though, last night, I really did want to kick him to death. Lass, you must have realized something by now." Glades Horne rolled off her and lay on the bed. He reached out, pulled her into his arms, and only then, holding her, did he feel she was truly his alone.

His deep, eagle-like eyes, which seemed to see into one's soul, gazed at Julia's flushed, oval face.

Outside the room, the soft winter sun hung high in the sky. Countless warm sunbeams slanted down, filtering through the heavy curtains and brightening the room.

Hearing his words and knowing James was all right, Julia pouted. She used her now-free hand to pinch his prominent nose and said irritably, "It has nothing to do with me; I never led him on. I'm hungry, I want to get up. Your daughter is hungry too."

"Stay away from James from now on. Later, I'll talk to Grandma and Dad. We'll hold a Wine Party at our place tonight and invite prominent figures from all circles. Privately, we'll ask the attendees to bring their unmarried daughters or sisters so we can pick a virtuous wife for James. I don't want my own brother fixated on my wife, eyeing her every day. Especially since James and I look so similar, I'm really afraid Julia might mistake James for me."

Glades Horne didn't voice this particular fear.

"Hmm, except for Brother Marcel, let's call back the other three for tonight's party. They're all the same age and still single. There are as many women out there hoping to marry them as hairs on your head," Julia agreed with Glades's suggestion. The couple skillfully steered the conversation away from the issue of James's unrequited love for them.

Glades Horne didn't tell Julia that James was bisexual and also harbored an unhealthy love for him. After all, James was his younger brother, and he didn't want Julia to see his sibling as a monster.

"Why not say as many as there are hairs on your head?" Glades Horne laughed softly, sitting up.

"You want to argue about that too?" Julia said with a laugh.

The couple changed their clothes and freshened up before heading downstairs.

Their brief spat had ended.

「Blue Sky Garden, Evans Family Villa.」

The Evans family of three was eating breakfast. Alvin Evans, preoccupied, barely touched his meal before setting down his utensils and looking at Othiel Evans. Only after Othiel had finished his steak did Alvin ask, "Othiel, do you know where your Sister Orlando is?"

Even though he wanted to sever ties with Orlando, the niece he had once doted on, Alvin Evans still felt a sliver of concern.

It had been many days since his elder brother and sister-in-law's 'incident,' and Alvin hadn't visited them in jail, fearing he would be implicated if he did. In fact, he was already entangled; the prosecutor's office was preparing to investigate their company's accounts. Although he had always conducted business legally, never evading or avoiding taxes—so he wasn't worried about the investigation itself—he still fretted about potential retaliation from the Valence Group.