Chapter 131
Nora's POV
My hands went up slowly, voice coming out thin and shaky. "Hey... good dog... I'm not—I'm not a threat..."
The dog tilted its head, watching me with unsettling focus. Then it took a step forward.
I stumbled backward, my spine hitting the iron gate with a clang. This is it. I'm getting mauled in a luxury housing complex.
But the attack didn't come.
The dog sat down two meters away, tail swishing once across the stone pavement. Still watching. Still waiting.
Waiting for what?
I pointed at the ground, desperate. "Sit?"
The dog was already sitting.
"Uh... lie down?"
It dropped into a sphinx position immediately, movements precise as clockwork.
What the hell?
I tried a few more commands—turn around—and the dog obeyed every single one with the discipline of a trained operative. My heartbeat started to slow. At least it's not going to tear my throat out.
I crouched down, keeping a safe distance. "You're... really well-trained, huh?"
The dog's tail wagged.
"Good. So... I'm just going to leave now—"
I stood and turned toward the gate.
The dog moved instantly, positioning itself between me and the exit.
"Uh. Move?"
Nothing. It sat down again, blocking my path.
I stepped left. It stepped left. I stepped right. It mirrored me.
"Are you seriously detaining me right now?"
The tail wagged harder.
I let out a breath somewhere between a laugh and a groan, sinking onto the courtyard steps. "Fine. You win."
"She usually does."
My head snapped up.
Julian stood in the first-floor doorway, leaning against the frame with his arms crossed, wearing a dark gray sweater and black slacks. His mouth curved with quiet amusement.
He whistled once, sharp and low.
The dog bolted toward him immediately, all discipline dissolving into pure joy as she wagged her entire body.
I stood slowly, heart doing something complicated in my chest. "Julian. What the hell is going on?"
He walked toward me, one hand resting on the dog's head. "I'm sorry Lily scared you. She's been waiting for you—I told her we'd have a new neighbor. She got... excited."
"Which means you live here."
"Yes."
I crossed my arms, trying to organize the storm of emotions into something resembling coherence. "And the housing Jessie arranged—"
"Was me." He didn't look away. "I know I should have asked first. But I was afraid you'd say no."
"Julian, this is—"
"I know." He stepped closer, close enough that I could see the tension in his jaw, the vulnerability barely masked behind his usual composure. "I know it sounds manipulative. I just wanted..." His voice dropped. "I wanted you close."
The words landed somewhere deep, somewhere I wasn't ready to examine yet.
"What if I don't agree?" I asked quietly.
"Then I'll have Jessie arrange a different place tomorrow." His answer was immediate. "I won't force this, Nora. Your choice matters more than anything else."
I looked at him. At the careful way he was holding himself, like he was braced for rejection. At Lily sitting obediently at his feet, glancing between us like she understood the stakes.
Something in my chest softened.
"Before I make any decisions," I said slowly, "I want to see my apartment."
Relief flickered across his face. "Of course."
---
He led me into the ground-floor foyer, a small entryway with clean lines and warm lighting. He swiped his own keycard and the elevator doors opened silently.
The elevator opened directly onto the third floor.
I stepped out and stopped.
The space was beautiful. Open-plan living area with honey-colored hardwood floors, soft cream furniture, built-in bookshelves. The kitchen was compact but fully equipped—stainless steel appliances, marble countertops. A glass partition separated the bedroom, where I could see a large bed with pale blue linens. And the window—
Floor-to-ceiling glass overlooking the community's artificial lake. The last light of sunset poured through, turning everything amber and gold.
"The security here is excellent," Julian said quietly behind me. "Lily patrols the courtyard. And I'm... right downstairs."
I walked to the window, pressing my palm against the cool glass.
The sunset painted the artificial lake in shades of amber and rose. The silence around me wrapped like a blanket—not oppressive, but carrying a strange kind of comfort.
"I just want to be close to you." Julian's voice came from behind me, low and restrained. "Closer, if you'll let me."
I turned around. His eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that felt physical, like a hand gently settling on me.
"I want to see you first thing every morning," he continued, his voice dropping lower. "And last thing before I sleep, I want it to be you too."
My heart skipped a beat. I felt the weight of what he was offering—not just physical proximity, but something enduring, something constant.
"Julian..." I exhaled slowly, forcing myself to hold onto reason. "We've only known each other two months."
He took a step forward, not crowding, just slightly closing the distance between us. "Is it too fast?"
Yes. No. Maybe.
"I don't know," I said honestly. "Being with you feels fast and slow at the same time. Like I've known you forever, but also like I just met you yesterday."
"I can wait." The words came quick and certain. "However long you need, I'll wait."
Before I could respond, a small black ball of fur appeared at the top of the stairs. A pair of golden eyes stared at me with undisguised curiosity.
"Pepper?" I crouched down almost reflexively.
The cat hesitated for exactly one second before charging straight at me, crashing into my shins and rubbing his head against my jeans, purring like a tiny engine.
"God, you've gotten so big." I scooped him into my arms, burying my face in his fur. He smelled like clean laundry mixed with something distinctly Julian's.
Julian approached, his shadow falling over us. "He remembers you."
"Because he always came over during our video calls," I said with a smile.
The air between us still carried tension, but the texture had changed—much lighter now. I glanced toward the patio doors. "Can we go outside for a walk?"
Julian nodded and moved to slide the glass door open for me. The evening breeze rushed in, carrying the scent of grass and pool chlorine.
Lily was already waiting at the courtyard entrance, sitting upright like a statue. The moment I stepped through the doorway, her amber eyes locked onto me.
My body instinctively tensed.