Justin exited the bathroom and walked out to the deck, needing the fresh air to calm himself. Being so close to her, feeling her warmth, and holding himself back—it wasn’t easy.
Should I really sleep in the living room tonight? he wondered, his heart still pounding. I’m afraid I might just lose control and pounce on her. She’s truly so tempting.
When Natalie returned to the room, she didn’t find Justin there. Where did he go?
Before heading to bed, she decided to look for him, wondering what was wrong now. She found him standing on the deck, quietly staring at the night sky as if lost in thought.
Sensing her presence, he glanced over his shoulder at her.
She walked forward and stood beside him. "Is something wrong?"
He remained silent for a while, and Natalie found herself glancing following his line of sight to know what he was looking at so intently, but it was just the dark sky.
After a moment of hesitation, she asked, "Justin, is there something else I should know about you—other than you being Justin Harper, the heir of the Harper Group?"
Justin turned to look at her, studying her face before responding, "Why do you feel so?"
She met his gaze directly. "Sometimes it feels like you turn into a completely different person—someone far different from just the CEO of the Harper Group."
"Are you saying you’re interested in knowing more about me?" He raised a brow, acting all high and mighty like a king. "Not just any woman gets to know me," he stepped closer, leaned down until his face was level with hers, his eyes piercing into hers. His voice dropped to a low murmur. "Unless that woman is someone special to me. You do understand what I mean by special. Are you saying you want to be that special woman to me?"
She took a step back, frowning. "Don’t put words in my mouth. I was just asking a simple question."
"Then you won’t get to know anything more about me."
"Fine. I’m not interested anyway," she retorted and stormed off the deck, heading back to her room.
Justin watched her leave, a small, unreadable smile playing on his lips as he thought, It’s not time for you to know more about me yet.
Justin stayed out on the deck for a long time, staring at the night sky, lost in his thoughts. It wasn’t until it was truly late that he decided to finally get some sleep. He glanced at the sofa, contemplating whether he should sleep there, but ultimately changed his mind.
He walked quietly to the master bedroom. She must be asleep by now.
As he entered, he found Natalie lying on her side, already fast asleep. Careful not to make a sound, he slipped under the blanket beside her. Just then, as if sensing his presence, Natalie shifted in her sleep and turned to face him.
Unable to resist, Justin turned to face her as well. Under the soft glow of the night lamp, he gazed at her serene, peaceful face. Even in sleep, she looked incredibly beautiful.
She’s beautiful whether she’s awake or asleep, scared or brave, crying or smiling, angry or calm... he thought, captivated by her. Every side of her is just so beautiful. His hand, as if acting on its own, reached out to gently caress her cheek.
Just tell me I’m the only one who gets to see you like this. No other man is ever allowed to witness these moments. You are and will always be mine.
He gently moved a stray strand of hair away from her face. You want to know me? Sure, but only when the right time comes. As I said, only a woman who’s special to me can know everything about me. And by that time, you’ll already be mine—my special one.
He moved closer, his forehead just an inch away from hers. Closing his eyes, he breathed in her soothing scent, letting it fill his senses.
There’s no way you can ever be my sister. I’ll find a way out of it, so nothing changes between us—even if you become a Harper.
-----
"Good morning, Grandma," Natalie replied with a smile. She noticed Julia looking around, probably wondering where Justin was, so she quickly added, "He’s still sleeping in the bedroom. I... I slept in the living room and asked him to...." She trailed off nervously, trying to make her lie sound convincing.
Julia hummed, not pressing the issue. Instead, she entered the kitchen and asked, "So, what am I getting for breakfast today?"
Natalie felt relieved that the conversation shifted and started explaining the breakfast menu.
They enjoyed their meal together, chatting leisurely.
After a while, Julia spoke up. "I was thinking of visiting Albert today and then returning to Bayford."
"Grandma, are you leaving already?" Natalie asked, a hint of disappointment in her voice.
"I’ll be back soon. But Jay is worried about me, so I can’t stay here too long," Julia answered.
"Julia, you can stay here if you want. I will talk to father and tell him you are alright here," Justin offered.
Julia looked at him, "Do you truly mean it?"
He nodded, looking back at her. In response, Julia simply shook her head as if not believing him and focussed on eating.
Just then, Natalie’s phone rang. She picked up the call, and after listening for a moment, she turned on the TV. The screen showed a news report.
The news was about Victor’s fans being enraged at Natalie and her company for signing the superstar to promote a perfume from what they called a "no-name" brand. They claimed it was unfair to Victor and detrimental to his image when all the top brands in the world were waiting to sign him.
Julia frowned as she watched the news. "This is Sephina’s doing, isn’t it?"
Natalie nodded, her gaze fixed on the enraged fans being shown on the TV screen.
"He’s famous, and his fans can be quite dangerous. What are you going to do now?" Julia asked, her voice laced with worry.
Natalie leaned back in her chair, looking completely unbothered. "Nothing. Just sit back and enjoy the free publicity the product is getting—even before its official launch."
Justin smiled lightly. She’s truly so smart.