Chapter 172
Nora's POV
I was still shaking when I stepped into the hallway, fumbling with my phone. It rang before I could even unlock it—Julian's name flashing on the screen.
I took a breath, forcing my voice steady. "Hey."
"Where are you?" His tone was light, but I could hear the underlying concern. "Haven't finished changing yet?"
"Just finished." I swallowed hard, pushing down the churning in my stomach. "I'll be right there."
"You okay?"
"Yeah. Fine."
A pause. "Nora."
"See you in a minute."
I hung up before he could press further and leaned against the wall, closing my eyes.
I didn't head straight to the rest area. Instead, I walked to a quiet corner by the building's exterior wall, leaning against it as I tried to sort through my thoughts.
Annabel's words echoed in my head—graceful, the right kind of partner. I couldn't help but compare myself. I wasn't lycan nobility. My background was ordinary. I was a journalist who'd only recently gotten a permanent position.
But Julian had chosen me. He'd said he'd give me a wedding.
But... if that "fiancée" really was back, and both families wanted to rekindle the engagement, what would Julian choose? Would he give me up for his family's interests?
Just like Kyle...
The thought hit me like ice water. I shook my head hard, trying to dislodge it. Julian wasn't Kyle. He'd proven that again and again.
But the fear still coiled in my chest like a cold snake.
My phone buzzed with a text: I'm in the rest area. Take your time.
I took a deep breath, pushed away from the wall, and headed toward the rest area.
---
Julian was waiting on the same bench where I'd left him, scrolling through his phone. He looked up when I approached, and his expression immediately sharpened.
"What happened?"
"Nothing." I tried for a smile.
He stood, closing the distance between us in two strides. His hand came up to cup my face, tilting it toward the light.
I wanted to tell him. Wanted to ask if there was any truth in Annabel's poison. But the words stuck in my throat, tangled up with Kyle's broken promises and my own deep-seated fear of not being enough.
"Just... a little tired."
Julian clearly didn't believe me, but he didn't push. Instead, he took my hand, his voice gentle. "If you're tired, we don't have to go anywhere else. Let's just head back and rest."
I shook my head. "No, I'm fine. Let's take a walk. It's rare to have a chance to get out like this."
I pulled Julian toward the forest path beyond the paddock. I wanted to avoid running into Annabel again, and I wanted somewhere quiet to talk to him alone.
We walked slowly along the wooded trail, sunlight filtering through the leaves in dappled patterns. I took a deep breath and asked as casually as I could, "Julian, what do you think of... Annabel?"
Julian glanced at me sideways, something playful flickering in his eyes. "Why are you suddenly asking about her?"
I avoided his gaze, looking ahead. "Just curious. She seems very interested in you, and her family background is good..."
Julian heard the probe in my words. He stopped walking, turned to face me, and said seriously, "Nora, what are you worried about?"
His directness caught me off guard. I didn't know how to answer. Julian saw my silence, sighed, and reached out to gently stroke my cheek. "If you want to know what I think of her, I can tell you—her eyes are full of ambition. I don't like people like that."
His answer stunned me. I looked up at him. "So... you don't like ambitious women?"
Julian shook his head, his gaze tender and firm. "No. I just don't like people who'll do anything for their ambition. And Nora, the person I like—whether her eyes hold ambition or innocence, I like them either way. Because I like her as a person, not because she fits some standard."
His words from earlier—about loving me for who I am, not for any external standards—echoed in my mind, but Annabel's poison had seeped in too deep.
"So you're fine with my ambition because it's small? Because I'm just a journalist and not someone who can actually impact your world?"
Julian took a deep breath, and I could see him processing my words, realizing I was twisting what he'd said. "Nora, that's not what I meant." His tone was careful, like he was defusing a bomb. "I don't care about ambition itself—I care about why someone wants something. Those women want to use me. You… you just want to help people. That's the difference."
I wanted to believe him. God, I wanted to. But Annabel's poisoned words kept echoing—graceful, the right kind of partner—and I couldn't shake the feeling that maybe I was just another name on a list of "acceptable options."
We reached a bench, and I sat down, deliberately leaving space between us. Julian stayed standing for a moment, hands in his pockets, before sitting beside me but not closing the gap.
"What if I did want to use you?" I turned to face him, meeting his eyes head-on. "What if I was just another opportunist trying to climb the ladder?"
He froze. The question hung in the air between us like smoke.
"You wouldn't do that," he said finally, and the certainty in his voice made something twist in my chest.
I stood up, needing to move. "How do you know? You barely know me, Julian. What makes you so sure I'm different?"
The silence stretched. When I looked back at him, his expression had gone carefully blank—the mask he wore in meetings, the one that gave nothing away.
Then he laughed, but it wasn't a happy sound. "Then I'd be a damn fool." He stood, closing the distance between us. "I'd let you use me, drain me dry… and I'd probably still thank you for it."
"You're being ridiculous."
"Maybe." He shrugged, but his eyes were serious. "Doesn't make it less true."
I turned away, staring into the darkening woods. "So what happens if this doesn't work out? If we crash and burn?"