Chapter 95
Julie's POV
I checked my phone one last time, trying to mask my inner unease. The Cooper family business dinner was going smoothly, but I couldn't shake the feeling of being watched.
"Just a quick appearance," Grace said as we entered the private dining room. "We'll make our rounds and leave early."
I nodded, but my mind was completely elsewhere. Would Andrew be here? The thought made my stomach churn. Ever since that night, I'd been avoiding being alone.
Twenty minutes into dinner, my phone rang. I leaned toward Grace with an apologetic expression. "Something's come up at home. I need to take this call."
"Go ahead," Grace said.
I hurried into the hallway, my heels clicking rapidly against the marble floor. But as I headed toward the exit, I heard familiar footsteps behind me.
No, no, no.
"Excuse me," Andrew's voice came from behind me, that smooth tone making my skin crawl.
I quickened my pace, but the corridor seemed endless. When I reached the service entrance area, his large hand suddenly covered my mouth from behind.
"Leaving so quickly? "
Terror shot through my body like electricity. I struggled desperately, trying to scream, but his hand pressed tightly against my mouth. When he finally released it, I gasped, "Andrew, what do you want?"
His injured hand—still bandaged from last time—deliberately traced slowly along my jawline. "You seemed to enjoy yourself that night. Don't pretend you didn't."
Revulsion crawled up my spine like ice water. I didn't remember anything about that night at all.
I remembered him getting injured and bleeding after he saved me, and I wanted to take him to the hospital but he refused. He insisted that going to the hospital would cost me more money, so I agreed to take him home for treatment to avoid trouble.
If I had known what he claims happened would occur, I would have paid any amount to send him to the hospital instead of bringing him to my apartment.
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Andrew's POV
"I don't remember anything."
Julie claimed she didn't remember what happened that night at her apartment. When I mentioned it, she bit her lower lip—that telltale sign of nervousness I'd learned to recognize in women.
"I remember, and that's enough," I told her with a cold smile, watching her face pale under the lights.
The truth was, I'd initially planned to use Julie as leverage against Grace. A loyal assistant often knew more about her boss than anyone else.
She'd been so naive, so trusting. When she'd brought me to her apartment that night after my "injury," I'd seen an opportunity. While she'd dozed off from exhaustion, I'd carefully unbuttoned her shirt, positioned her just right, and taken several compromising photos. The suggestion that something intimate had occurred between us had been enough to make her believe it.
"Mr. Wilson, even if something happened, it was an accident. I don't think you could possibly be interested in me," she said, feigning composure.
"Besides, I saw you with your girlfriend that day," she continued.
Girlfriend? So she did see me that night, though she didn't recognize Violet.
"And?" I moved closer, noting how she instinctively leaned away. "Girlfriends can be... replaced. Especially when I find someone more... loyal."
"I've told you before, Mr. Wilson. I have no interest in you whatsoever." Her voice was steady, but I caught the slight tremor underneath.
"Then why are you avoiding me? Why do you blush every time I'm near?" I stepped closer, backing her against the window. "Why do you look so guilty?"
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Julie's breath hitched as she pressed herself against the glass. "I don't want Grace to misunderstand. I don't want rumors spreading around the company."
"I value this position," she continued, her voice barely above a whisper. "Please, just... stop playing these games with me."
I reached out, my fingers barely grazing her chin. "I'm not playing games, Julie. I'm offering you something better. Stop following Grace around like a lost puppy. Come work for me instead. I'll take care of you."
She pushed my hand away, stepping sideways to escape the corner I'd trapped her in. "I would never betray Grace."
"Really?" I laughed, the sound harsh in the enclosed space. "She's your boss, not your family. Speaking of family..." I let my voice drop to a whisper. "How is your mother doing? And your brother—still in school, isn't he?"
The color drained from her face.
"Don't you dare—" Julie started, but I cut her off with a raised hand.
"I'm simply pointing out that Grace Wilson is just your employer. She signs your paychecks, nothing more. But your mother, your brother—they depend on you for everything, don't they?"
Julie's eyes filled with tears, but her voice remained defiant. "If you think you can blackmail me with those photos, I'll report you for sexual harassment!"
"Photos?" I feigned confusion. "What photos? Do you have any evidence, Julie? Because I certainly don't recall taking any pictures."
Her face crumpled as the reality hit her. No evidence. No witnesses. Just her word against mine.
"Think about it," I said softly, straightening my cufflinks. "Your elderly mother needs those medical treatments. Harry needs his tuition paid. Grace Wilson might care about you as an employer, but when you become useless, she'll abandon you without mercy. But I can offer you generous compensation."
I walked toward the door, pausing with my hand on the handle.