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The heavy snowfall sent Julian into another bout of high fever and unconsciousness. Hearing him murmur my name repeatedly, his assistant, unable to bear the sight, pulled strings
all night just to get me to the hospital for a brief visit.
But in the end, all the assistant received was a voice recorder
sent by William.
In the stillness of the room, Julian was alone, staring at the recorder for what felt like an eternity before finally pressing play.
Amidst the static, my voice cut through, laced with a hint of
sarcasm:“If Olivia hadn’t gotten caught, I might have waited forever for his apology. People only regret their actions after facing the consequences and losing what they had. But I didn’t need his belated remorse. I didn’t want to keep entangling myself with Julian over those matters. It would only add to my troubles without serving any other purpose. Cutting ties completely was the best outcome for us.”
Julian replayed that short statement over and over, desperately trying to convince himself it was fabricated. But he knew my voice too well; it was unmistakably mine. There was no chance of forgery. Each word I spoke was a testament to my indifference, devoid of any lingering hatred.
The calm tone delivered a clear message:
Julian, give up. We have no future.
“BANG!” With a crash, he slammed the recorder to the ground, his eyes bloodshot, gasping for breath as despair washed over him. The assistant, alerted by the noise, rushed in, startled by
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the sight.
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Before the assistant could speak, Julian roared, “Get out!”
The door slammed shut again, leaving Julian to collapse onto the bed, regret etched in his eyes.
“Jane…”
At the Black estate, William smiled upon learning the recording had reached Julian. His smile was as warm as the spring sunshine, and it mirrored my own as I descended the stairs.
“What’s got you so happy?” He quickly rose to take my hand as we stepped down the last stair.
“Just a little amusing incident.”
I didn’t pry further and settled onto the sofa beside him. His
strong arms wrapped around me, his face brushing against mine. His warm breath tickled my ear, causing me to flinch. William, amused, continued to tease me with his breath.
Eventually, I found myself pinned to the sofa, his warm lips claiming mine, stealing my breath away as our tongues danced together. My struggles weakened, and I surrendered, closing my eyes as if it were the most natural thing in the world. I forgot to think, didn’t want to think, only instinctively clung to him tighter.
As the kiss ended, William lifted me effortlessly, carrying me upstairs. Soon, muffled moans and soft gasps spilled from the thick door. The servants discreetly withdrew, the moon hiding behind the clouds.
In the morning, William turned me over in bed, showering my shoulder, marked with kisses, with more tender pecks, finally landing on my soft lips. My soft moans encouraged him, until
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he finally stopped, soothing me back to sleep.
Downstairs, he found the servant looking troubled.
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“Sir, there are many gifts outside, apparently for the madam, what shall we do?”
Even though we were only engaged, William had instructed
everyone to call me “madam.” Upon hearing this, he
immediately guessed who had sent the gifts. His expression remained unchanged, but his tone was calm as he replied, “Send them all back. Don’t let her know.”
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