Chapter 10
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If she had the choice, Juliette would want Louis to remember her as gentle and kind. But now, Patrick was seeing her like this.
Her image in Louis’s eyes was bound to shatter. Since she knew it couldn’t hold up, she just let it be.
“I-” she started.
“He attacked you, so you fought back, right?” Patrick said, looking at her with a kind expression.
Juliette fell silent.
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She paused for a moment and then said, “You know, the bathroom’s really close by. While in there, I heard him yelling and cursing, and I worried he might try something. So, I came to check it out, and to my surprise, he attacked me. Luckily, I was ready for it and grabbed his dagger to defend myself.”
Graham, gagged and in piercing pain, could only manage to mumble some meaningless noises.
Patrick chimed in, “Same here. I heard the ruckus and got worried something was up, so I rushed over.”
He crouched down and took the dagger from Juliette’s hand. “There’s a lot of blood in here, so just hang outside for fifteen seconds. I’ll be out soon.”
Juhette didn’t really have a reason to argue, so she stepped outside. The door clicked shut behind her as she started counting in boredom, trying to see if Patrick would actually be out in fifteen seconds.
‘Did I make a noise when I stabbed Graham earlier?‘ She couldn’t recall.
But then Patrick walked in, and he looked like he was ready to kill someone. The dark energy surrounding him wasn’t aimed at her, though. It was all about Graham. But she couldn’t figure out why.
Once the door clicked shut, Patrick stood beside Graham, dagger in hand. Graham peered at him through blood–matted lashes, a glint of light catching the blade and making it shimmer coldly.
‘Did Patrick come to rescue me? That would make sense. My sister is his stepmother,‘ Graham thought.
There was something in Graham’s eyes, a spark of hopeful anticipation.
Patrick crouched down, moving like something out of a slow–motion movie. The cold light from the blade gleamed on his face, making him look a bit pale. His features were striking, almost like a work of art. Even Graham had to admit that Patrick was unbelievably good–looking.
“Uh… well…” Graham muttered a couple of times, clearly signaling for some assistance.
Puffing! Puffing! Graham was stabbed in his other arm and leg.
Now, he was hurt on all four limbs, and it was pretty symmetrical, too.
The dagger went in and out, and blood flowed.
Graham was staring wide–eyed, drenched in sweat, and feeling a stabbing pain.
He never imagined that Patrick, who had always flaunted his picture–perfect looks, would actually grab a knife and go after
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In Graham’s mind, the fact that Patrick–born into a wealthy family–had settled for being just an actor meant he was a total loser.
“Even if I’ve moved on from the Clarke family, it’s not your place as an outsider to dictate their fate. Don’t even think about asking your sister for revenge. After this, who knows if she’ll even have a spot left in the Clarke family,” Patrick said.
The words dripped with a dark vibe, almost like a viper hissing a warning.
Graham went pale.
‘So, Patrick actually knew I dropped the idea on my sister to get rid of Louis?‘ Graham thought.
It made zero sense why so many in the Clarke family were eager for Patrick to come back and take over the Clarke Group.
With Louis out of the picture, it would just show that Patrick couldn’t protect his own son. Therefore, it proved he wasn’t able to take over the company.
In that scenario, the Clarke Group would end up in the hands of his nephew, someone from the Anderson family.
But now, Graham got it: Patrick wasn’t just a pretty face. He’d got a ruthless heart that sent chills down his spine.
“I’ll take this ear as a warning to you. If you don’t listen to what I just said, you’ll lose more than just your ear next time,” Patrick warned.
The drilling pain hit Graham like a truck, and he went down in an instant.
Patrick strolled in with a sterilized paper towel, meticulously cleaning the dagger before putting it away, taking his time to wipe his hands, too.
It was a pity that such a fine dagger had to be sullied with such dirty blood.
He could’ve let his men handle it, but considering these people had laid their hands on his son, he wanted to do it himself
With a slow pull, Patrick opened the door and stepped out. Juliette, counting to fifteen, just happened to catch him as he emerged.
Her eyes widened in surprise for a moment when she saw him.
“Have you been counting? Am I late?” A faint smile flickered on Patrick’s lips, but it was subtle.
“No. It was exactly fifteen seconds,” Juliette replied, locking her gaze onto Patrick’s.
For a brief second, she wondered if it was just her imagination, but there was something almost dangerously captivating about him right then.
The way he had timed his exit perfectly made him seem, well, pretty mysterious.
“You’ve got blood on your fingers,” Patrick said out of the blue, his voice steady, neither too loud nor too quiet. He paused, waiting to see her reaction.
When Juliette didn’t respond, Patrick pulled out some disinfectant wipes meant for kids and gently took her hand in his large palm, wiping it down with impressive care.
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He was really tall, with strong, handsome features that gave him an earthy, almost heartbreaking charm. Being so close to him felt like an unspoken temptation to lean in further.
His hand felt just right–not too hot, not too cold–and Juliette didn’t find it uncomfortable at all.
It hit her how attentive Patrick was, as if he treated Juliette’s hands like they were a child’s. A different emotion crossed Juliette’s face.
Once he finished wiping her hands, she let them drop to her side and instinctively curled her fingers a bit.
She wasn’t used to feeling this way and wanted to put some distance between herself and Patrick.
But unexpectedly, he moved in a bit closer and said, “You’ve got a little spot on your nose.”
Suddenly, the sweet cedar scent of his cologne filled the air, and Juliette couldn’t escape it. Deep down, she thought he was the best at making that cedar perfume work for him.
“It’s all good. Let’s head home,” Patrick said.
Juliette paused in her tracks but didn’t say much.
As they stepped out of Golden Breeze and approached his car, he opened the passenger door and held up his hand to shield her head as she got in.
She didn’t hesitate to take a seat. By the time Patrick settled into the driver’s seat, Juliette had already buckled her seatbelt.
As he drove, she couldn’t help but notice how nice his fingers looked gripping the steering wheel. Not long after, she heard Patrick call home, asking their maid to whip up a simple dinner.
“If you’re feeling sleepy, just take a nap, and I’ll wake you up when we’re home,” he said. “We can grab a bite, and then you can go back to sleep.”
Juliette was at a loss for words. Turns out the dinner was for her.
She was at her Grandma’s birthday dinner tonight, but Bianca framed her before she’d even had a chance to eat.
And she only had some desserts after she got to Golden Breeze. She was definitely hungry. Juliette bit her lip for a second before saying, “Thanks.”
“Anytime. You’re Louis’s savior, so I’ll do anything for you,” Patrick replied, and his words, with a hint of something suggestive, made her heart race.
Juliette turned her head to glance at Patrick, only to see him focused on driving. His comment didn’t seem flirty. It felt more like a genuine gesture of gratitude.
About half an hour later, they pulled up to Patrick’s villa. It wasn’t extravagant by any means, fitting for a top–tier movie star, but definitely not a mansion.
As they got closer, Juliette couldn’t tear her eyes away from the place, feeling like she was stepping into some old memory.
After parking, they walked to the door. Patrick was about to unlock the door when Juliette chimed in, “I think I left my phone in the car.”
“I’ll grab it. You head inside. It’s chilly out here,” Patrick replied.
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The car was parked not far from the front door, so after he took moment to collect her phone, he realized he hadn’t unlocked the door yet. Juliette couldn’t get inside and out of the cold.
He’d barely taken a couple of steps when he froze in place. Juliette had just entered the code–and it worked. The door swung open.
Lost in her own thoughts, Juliette sighed in relief when she saw the door unlock.
Wow, the password hasn’t changed. It’s exactly the same as in the past,‘ she thought.
“You know the code?” Patrick asked, walking over with her phone in hand.
Juliette hesitated, realizing she hadn’t quite kept her emotions in check since they arrived. She might have just given away something.
