Chapter 2

The strong tequila made Victoria cough uncontrollably. The liquor soaked through her white silk shirt, making the delicate lace of her lingerie visible against her skin.

The young heirs in the room stared with predatory intensity.

One of them spoke up, his voice thick with lechery. "The daughter of the Sterling family might be down on her luck, but her body is still as hot as it was years ago."

Before he could finish, Julian's expression darkened. His voice was like a shard of ice. "Everyone, get out."

The men exchanged glances, and soon, only the three of us remained in the private suite.

I stood up, intending to find a blanket to cover Victoria's shivering shoulders.

Julian turned a cold gaze toward me. His voice was low and commanding. "You, too. Leave."

Those words hit me like a heavy blow to the chest, landing without warning.

But I adjusted my emotions quickly, acting as though nothing was wrong, and stepped out.

As the heavy door clicked shut behind me, I heard Victoria push Julian away as he tried to embrace her. Her voice was raspy. "Are you still trying to settle old scores, Julian?"

Julian's body froze. His hands hung suspended in mid-air. It felt as if a century passed before he finally gave in to fate, slowly wrapping his arms around Victoria.

"Now that you're back," he said, his voice husky and thick with suppressed emotion, "are you planning to stay?"

I had never seen Julian like this—restrained, enduring, and ultimately forced into a helpless compromise. In all our years together, Julian had always been the powerful master of his domain.

In this circle, falling in love with your own benefactor was the most foolish taboo.

I turned away, bid the lingering crowd a brief farewell, and walked out of the clubhouse.

The early winter night was bone-chillingly cold. I hailed a cab back to the villa on the peak of the Hollywood Hills—one of Julian's many properties.

There was never a formal mistress agreement between us, but certain things were understood without being spoken.

When Julian had first bought the villa, he told me, "I will spend the night here every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday."

Consequently, no matter what happened on those three days, I had to arrive before dark to wait for him.

I used my fingerprint to unlock the door and entered, switching on only a single floor lamp. I leaned back against the sofa and closed my eyes in exhaustion.

Before I fell asleep, I dreamed of my first meeting with Julian.

Three years ago, my father was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease. Our family fell into a financial crisis overnight. I spent every day working as a tutor and spent my weekends at a coffee shop, but my income was nowhere near enough to cover the imported specialty drugs my father needed every month.

When I reached a dead end, a senior student I knew from work gave me a piece of advice. "Lina, with your beauty, you could easily enter those wealthy circles and make some quick money."

Even though the path was far from honorable, I agreed.

It was a charity gala held at a Los Angeles country club, the first time I saw Julian Astor. He was the center of attention, flanked by sycophants, yet he could dismiss a multi-million dollar investment project with a casual word.

After the dinner, I summoned my courage and blocked his path. I awkwardly introduced myself as a clean Caltech student and begged for his help.

My senior tried to pull me back. "Lina, don't be so impulsive..."

But before she could finish, a deep, magnetic voice cut through.

"Fine. Come with me."

Just like that, I became Julian's lover. I ended up staying by his side longer than any other woman in his circle.

I don't know how much time passed before the sound of the front door startled me awake.

Julian was back. He seemed to be in a foul mood, his brow furrowed with irritability.

"You're back."

I started to stand up, but he suddenly pressed me back into the sofa. Immediately, a desperate, unrestrained kiss fell upon me.

He had been drinking. The kiss was urgent and fierce, as if he wanted to consume me whole. He bit my lip hard enough for it to hurt, and I couldn't help but raise my hand to push him away gently.

Julian pulled his lips from mine, but his eyes forced me to look directly at him. "What? Do you want to reject me now, too?"