Chapter 47 Spineless
The next morning came faster than Julian would have liked, and even though he had gone to bed at a reasonable hour, sleep had not done much to calm his mind. He had spent most of the night turning over the same thoughts, replaying Adeline’s question again and again, and by the time he woke up, there was already tension sitting in his chest.
He stood in front of the mirror for a moment longer than usual, adjusting his tie and staring at his reflection, his expression calm and unreadable like always. Anyone looking at him would think nothing was wrong, but inside, his thoughts were far from settled.
By the time he arrived at his office building, his mood had already turned into something focused. He walked through the lobby without slowing down, barely acknowledging the greetings from the staff as he made his way to the elevator. His mind was already ahead of him, already thinking about what he needed to do, and there was no space left for small talk or polite exchanges.
When the elevator doors opened on the top floor, he stepped out and immediately spotted Lisa standing just outside his office. She wasn’t pretending to be busy like she usually did when waiting for him. She was standing still, her arms loosely crossed, and the look on her face was enough to tell him that whatever she had found out was not something he was going to like.
Julian didn’t stop walking as he approached her, but his eyes flicked toward her briefly. “What is it?” he asked, his tone already edged with impatience. Lisa fell into step beside him as he pushed open the door to his office and walked in, her heels clicking softly against the floor as she followed behind him.
“I looked into what you asked me to look into,” she said without wasting time, her voice steady and direct as always. Julian moved behind his desk, setting his phone down as he finally gave her his full attention, his expression blank but expectant.
“And?” he prompted, leaning back slightly in his chair, his fingers resting loosely against the armrest.
Lisa held his gaze for a moment before speaking. “Some of the reporters from yesterday were contacted,” she said, her tone careful but firm. “Not all of them, but enough to influence the way things went.”
Julian’s eyes narrowed slightly, though the rest of his face stayed calm. He already knew what she was going to say next, but he asked anyway. “Contacted by who?” he said, his voice low.
Lisa didn’t hesitate. “Chairman Hale.”
The words settled in the room heavily, and for a few seconds, Julian didn’t move at all. His posture remained relaxed, but there was a clear shift in the air around him, something colder. He leaned back further into his chair, his jaw tightening just slightly as he processed what she had said. It wasn’t surprising, not really, but that didn’t make it any less infuriating.
“So he decided to interfere,” Julian said finally, his voice quiet but carrying a clear edge of anger. Lisa nodded once, watching him closely as she waited for his reaction.
“It looks that way,” she replied. “Some of them were pushed to be more aggressive. It wasn’t obvious enough to trace directly, but it was deliberate.”
Julian let out a slow breath, his fingers tapping once against the arm of his chair before going still. “He could have ruined everything,” he muttered, his gaze dropping briefly to the desk in front of him.
The thought alone was enough to make his chest tighten. What had happened at the press conference had already been bad enough, but knowing now that his father had a hand in it made it worse. It meant that the situation hadn’t just been unfortunate, it had been planned.
Without another word, Julian pushed himself to his feet. His chair slid back slightly with a soft scrape, and Lisa straightened a little as she watched him. “Where is he?” Julian asked, his tone sharper now.
“In his office,” Lisa answered immediately. “He got in early today.”
Julian didn’t hesitate. He grabbed his phone and headed toward the door, his steps quick. Just before he reached it, Lisa spoke again, her voice cutting through the tension.
“Mr. Hale,” she called.
He paused, glancing back at her over his shoulder, his expression unreadable.
“Don’t do anything reckless,” she said, her tone serious.
For a brief moment, Julian’s lips curved into a faint, humorless smile. “I won’t,” he replied. “I’ll just remind him to stay out of things that don’t concern him.”
With that, he walked out, closing the door behind him without another word.
The walk to his father’s office felt shorter than usual, though every step seemed heavier than the last. His thoughts were clear now, focused entirely on one thing. By the time he reached the door, he didn’t bother knocking. He pushed it open without hesitation, stepping inside with the same anger he had been carrying since he heard Lisa’s report.
Edward Hale was seated behind his desk, going through a stack of documents as if nothing were out of the ordinary. He didn’t look surprised when Julian walked in. If anything, there was a faint look of expectation in his eyes, as though he had been waiting for this exact moment.
“Well,” Edward said, setting the papers aside and leaning back in his chair, “I was wondering when you’d show up.”
Julian closed the door behind him with a firm push, his eyes locked on his father. “You contacted the reporters,” he said, not bothering with any greetings or formalities. His voice was calm, but there was no mistaking the anger beneath it.
Edward raised an eyebrow slightly, completely unfazed. “And?” he replied, his tone casual. “Is that a problem?”
Julian stepped further into the room, his posture straight and tense. “You interfered with my plans,” he said, his voice hardening. “You had no right to do that.”
Edward let out a short laugh, shaking his head as if Julian had said something ridiculous. “Your plans?” he repeated, the amusement in his voice clear. “You mean your little performance with that Carter bitch?”
Julian’s jaw clenched. “Her name is Adeline,” he said sharply.
Edward waved a dismissive hand. “I don’t care what her name is,” he replied. “What I care about is the fact that my son is making a complete fool of himself over the daughter of my worst enemy.”
Julian took another step forward, his gaze unwavering. “Stay out of it, Father," he said, his voice colder now. “What I’m doing with Adeline Carter has nothing to do with you.”
Edward leaned forward slightly, resting his arms on the desk as he looked at Julian with a sharp, almost mocking expression. “Nothing to do with me?” he said. “Everything you do has to do with me, whether you like it or not.”
Julian didn’t respond immediately, but the tension in his body made it clear that he was holding himself back.
Edward studied him for a moment before letting out another low laugh. “You really think you can handle her?” he asked. “You really think you’re the one in control here?”
Julian stayed silent, his expression hard.
“You’re stupid,” Edward said bluntly, the word landing heavily in the room. “Completely stupid if you think you can win against that Carter bitch.”
Julian’s hands curled slightly at his sides, but he didn’t interrupt.
“You’re spineless when it comes to her,” Edward continued, his voice growing more cutting with each word. “You think I don’t see it? The way you act around her? The way you’ve always let her walk all over you since you fell for her?”
Julian’s breathing slowed, but his control was starting to slip.
“You won’t be able to do anything to hurt her,” Edward added. “Not a single thing.”
He leaned back again, shaking his head in clear disappointment. “You can’t even beat a mere woman one on one,” he said, his tone full of scorn. “So instead, you decide to marry her. That’s your grand plan.”
“And even then,” Edward went on, his voice dripping with mockery, “you’re still going to fail because you’re spineless and because you’re already head over heels for that Carter bitch, whether you admit it or not.”
That was when Julian finally snapped. “Shut up!”
The words came out suddenly, and Edward stopped speaking, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked at his son. Julian took another step forward, his expression no longer calm or controlled. There was something raw in his gaze now, something that made it clear he had reached his limit.
“Just shut up already,” he repeated, his voice lower this time, but far more intense.
The silence that followed was thick and tense, neither of them moving for a moment.
Then Julian spoke again. “You think you know everything,” he said. “You think you understand what I’m doing, but you don’t.”
Edward didn’t interrupt him this time, his expression unreadable as he watched Julian continue.
“I know exactly what I’m doing,” Julian said. “And whether you believe me or not, I’m going to get what I want out of Adeline Carter.”
His words were firm, leaving no room for doubt or hesitation. “So don’t get in my way again,” he added, his tone sharp. “Don’t interfere with what I’m doing.”
He paused for a brief second before finishing, his voice dropping slightly but carrying a clear warning. “Because next time,” he said, “I won’t take it lightly.”
The room fell into silence again, the tension between them thick as Julian stood his ground, making it clear that this time, he wasn’t backing down.