Chapter 36 Chapter thirty-six
Sylvia
Julian’s words still hung in the air like poison smoke. “You’re in love with your brother’s mate.”
For a heartbeat, I forgot how to breathe. The room suddenly felt too small, the walls too close. The way she said it wasn’t an accusation, it was as if she know something, a reckless throw of dice meant to wound or reveal. I couldn’t tell which.
“What did you just say?” I asked, my voice lower than I intended. It came out sharp, a warning.
Her eyes glittered, a strange mix of fear and defiance. “You heard me."
My pulse hammered behind my ribs, and the air around us thickened.
“You think I’m in love with my brother’s mate?” I repeated, my tone controlled but cold enough to freeze blood.
Julian’s lips curved into a laugh, loud, wild, almost unhinged. It wasn’t amusement. Her laughter bounced off the walls, echoing like madness.
When her laughter finally died, I stepped closer, slow and deliberate. “You think that’s funny?”
She swallowed, her confidence flickering for a moment. But she hid it behind a smirk.
“I just… you should’ve seen your face,” she said. “You looked terrified for a second.”
I gave her a cold, humorless smile. “Do you have any idea what you’re saying, Julian?”
She tilted her head. “I was only teasing...”
“Teasing?” I cut her off, my voice sharper now. “Do you realize what that accusation means? Are you trying to get yourself killed?”
Her pupils widened. I could see the quick flash of fear, though she tried to mask it with that same flirtatious arrogance she always wore.
“Relax, Sylvia,” she murmured, taking a hesitant step back. “It was just a joke.”
“Nothing about that is a joke.”
There was a silence, heavy and suffocating. I could hear the faint sound of my own breathing, steady but forced.
Julian looked at me and for a moment, the playful smirk fell away. There was something uncertain in her expression. Maybe she was realizing she’d crossed a line.
But yes, I am guilty. I was in love with Ellie, my brother’s mate. But that love was a curse, one I’d sworn to bury beneath loyalty and duty.
I couldn’t let Julian see that. Not her.
I forced my voice into something calm. “Tell me, Julian, what would make you say something so forbidden?” I stepped closer, letting my shadow fall over her. “Or do you have a death wish?”
Her lips parted slightly, but she said nothing. I see the fear in her eyes and for a moment, I almost pitied her. She wasn’t used to fear.
I let out a slow breath and turned away, walking toward the window. “You think you're a smart head, But if I were you, I’d choose my words carefully.”
The quiet stretched between us.
Then she said softly, “I didn’t mean it, Sylvia. I’m sorry.”
Her voice was lower now almost tender. I turned my head slightly, watching her through the reflection in the mirror. She began to move slowly toward me, her hips swaying deliberately.
The top button of her gown was undo, and her cleavage was in display. She pack her hair to one side exposing her glowing neckline. She push her breast forward as she continues walking to me.
Trying to seduce me again, huh? Julian. You still haven't learned your lesson.
Her apology was only half-hearted; the rest was desire, pride, and the need to regain control.
But before she could reach me, I raised a hand. “Stop.”
She froze mid-step, confusion flickering across her face.
“Don’t come near me,” I said, my tone quiet but firm.
For a moment, neither of us moved.
Her lips parted, and I could see the faint tremor in her breath. “You don't find me attractive enough?”
The disbelief in her tone was amusing. Julian, the woman who think she can have every man wrap around her finger. But here she's been rejected by a man.
“Yes, I don't. In another word, you're not my type.” I said simply.
Her jaw tightened. I could see her pride cracking. She took a small step back, arms crossing over her chest, but her eyes still burned with that frustrated disbelief.
“No man has ever...” she began.
“I’m not like other men,” I interrupted.
She flinched, just slightly, but enough for me to notice.
Her silence stretched, heavy and charged. Julian was indeed a beautiful woman any man who love to have as a mate. She looked beautiful even in anger, her blonde in a messy bun, her green eyes, oval shaped face and cherry pumpy lips.
Her lips trembling with words she couldn’t form. And for a brief second, I wondered if I had gone too far. Honestly she was the kind of woman I who have love to get married to
But then I remembered Ellie. Her laughter. The warmth in her eyes when she looked at Claus. The ache that lodged itself in my chest whenever I thought of her.
I couldn’t afford to be weak. Not again. I have to do this for Ellie to realize how much I am to her, that I am her one and true mate and Julian is the only way to make Ellie realize she's about to lose me.
Julian stared at me for what felt like a long time before she turned away, hiding her expression.
“Why are you doing this, Sylvia?” she finally asked, her voice trembling between curiosity and hurt.
I didn’t answer at first. Instead, I stared at the moonlight pouring through the window, silver and cold. “Because,” I said quietly, “I need you to play your part.”
She turned to look at me again, eyes narrowing slightly. “What part?”
I met her gaze fully now, letting her see the steel behind my calm. “Tomorrow, at the dinner table, we’re going to be super romantic. You’ll smile, you’ll touch my hand, and everyone will see how in love we are.”
She blinked, confused. “Why?”
“because it what I want and you're going to play that part,” I said flatly.
"If you say so, who am I to argue," she shrugged her shoulder.