Julian took a shaky breath, and then, against all logic, he pushed his luck. "Maybe... you don’t have the ability." His voice was low, edged with false confidence, carefully masking the panic in his chest. His face was unreadable, his expression blank but his heart pounded.
Ruby’s face twisted into something ugly.
A dark, wicked grin stretched across her lips, and her fingers twitched.
In a single, ruthless movement, she grabbed his wrists and slammed them against the wall above his head.
The wooden wall shook from the impact.
His breath hitched as he felt her.
Her body pressed against his, the warmth of her skin burning through his clothes. His pulse raced wildly, betraying him.
"You think I don’t have the ability?" she whispered, her voice dripping with venomous amusement.
Julian clenched his jaw, refusing to look away.
Ruby chuckled, the sound low and sultry. "Oh, Julian..." Her fingers traced down his wrist, slow, deliberate. "You really shouldn’t have said that."
Julian tried to shift, but she held him firm.
The wood behind him creaked again as she pressed him harder against it.
"You want to know why I never touched you?" Ruby leaned in, her lips brushing against the shell of his ear, her voice nothing but a whisper of sinful temptation.
Julian sucked in a sharp breath.
"It’s because..." She tilted her head slightly, letting her lips ghost over his jaw. "You were too weak to handle me."
His body reacted before his mind could catch up—his hands twitched, his breath shuddered, his chest rising and falling too quickly.
"Wife..." His voice was strained, not cold anymore.
She smirked. Oh, she had him now.
She let go of his wrists, but instead of stepping back, her fingers trailed down his chest, lingering there, her touch light but firm.
Julian’s mind blanked.
"You started this," she murmured, looking up at him through dark lashes. "But now... you look nervous."
Her fingers traced along the edge of his collar, sending an involuntary shiver through him.
"You should be scared," she whispered against his lips, the heat of her breath too intoxicating.
Julian’s heart pounded in his chest, excitement and nervousness mixing into something utterly intoxicating. He had never expected to see his wife —so bold, so dangerously close.
Just moments ago, he was drowning in sadness, consumed by doubt. But now... the misunderstanding was gone.
And his wife was closer to him than ever before.
His breathing hitched as he felt her warm breath ghost over his lips. His heart stuttered. Was she going to kiss him?
Just do it already... he thought, shutting his eyes, waiting for the touch of her lips.
Instead of feeling her lips on his, he felt them brush against his cheek.
A soft, teasing, fleeting touch.
His eyes snapped open in shock.
Ruby smirked, pulling back just slightly, her crimson eyes gleaming.
"Not so easily, Jules..." she purred.
Julian’s mind short-circuited.
She gave me a nickname...
The name echoed in his head. Again. Again. Jules. Jules. Jules.
He wasn’t supposed to . But damn it, he did.
His lips parted slightly, but no words came out. His fingers twitched at his sides, itching to pull her back, to erase the teasing distance between them.
Ruby, however, had already stepped back, the dangerous smile still dancing on her lips.
She tilted her head slightly and turned to the other side, her expression changing..no longer playful, but thoughtful.
Because now, she remembered.
The night she was drugged.
And the image of Julian that had burned into her hazy mind.
Her breathing slowed.
Because back then when her body had burned with unnatural heat, her mind fogged and unfocused, the only name she had called out in desperation...
Julian bit his lips, frustration and regret swirling inside him. He had been so cold toward her, so distant—all because of a lie.
He had assumed the worst without even seeing her face. Without questioning it. Without trusting her.
His plump lips trembled slightly as he watched her turn away, but he couldn’t let this moment pass.
Slowly, cautiously, he reached out.
And then, before he could stop himself, he wrapped his arms around her from behind.
Her breath hitched as she felt his arms snake around her waist, pulling her against his chest.
For a second, she didn’t react. Was this really Julian?
"I’m sorry, wife," Julian murmured, his voice thick with emotion, his chin resting lightly against her shoulder.
His hands tightened around her slightly, his warmth sinking into her skin.
"I doubted you," he admitted, his voice raw. "But I was feeling so insecure... so scared."
As he spoke, his fingers grazed against her chest.
Ruby’s breath caught, her body tensed.
Julian froze, his own heartbeat stumbling.
He didn’t mean to do that.
But now, he couldn’t move.
The air around them shifted.
The wooden walls, the dim lighting, the silence of the house—it all felt suffocating. Heavy. Charged with something new.
Julian swallowed hard, his face heating up.
And then... Ruby slowly turned her head, looking at him over her shoulder.
Her red eyes glowed, unreadable, her lips curving into something... dangerous.
Julian’s throat went dry.
"Where the hell are you, stupid wife?!" Karl’s loud voice echoed through the house, followed by rapid knocking on the door.
"I’ve been calling for you! I need to talk to you personally! And I swear, don’t you dare make me sit on your lap like last time—hump!" He huffed dramatically. "Are you there, or are you dead?!"
Julian’s eyes widened as he pulled away from her.
His gaze snapped to Ruby, his expression turning dark.
Ruby, who had just been enjoying Julian’s warmth, suddenly coughed, her body stiffening.
Julian narrowed his eyes.
Didn’t he always say he didn’t like his stupid wife? Correction—wife. Then why the hell had he sat on her lap?!
Jealousy burned in Julian’s chest like hellfire.
Ruby, on the other hand, looked completely awkward.
She cleared her throat, avoiding Julian’s sharp gaze.
Just a very, very awkward smile.
Outside, Karl was still knocking.
Julian’s eye twitched.
—to be continued...🪄