A faint bitterness always lingered in her heart.
Julia Bluen was startled for a moment. Was it already Saturday?
She thought carefully and finally confirmed that today was indeed Saturday; she didn't have to work. Good grief, she'd been so busy she'd completely forgotten the date! No wonder Glades Horne had been like a starved wolf last night, devouring her over and over. It turned out it was Saturday, and knowing she didn't have to work, he'd clung to her relentlessly.
"Julia, you wouldn't say no, would you?" the old lady asked, smiling as her eyes fixed on her. Julia Bluen was her biggest hope.
Julia Bluen readily agreed. Since it was Saturday and she didn't have to return to the company, she might as well accompany the old lady. It was rare for the elderly to have company. Besides, she and the old lady got along very well. In her heart, she had long considered the old lady her own grandmother.
"All right, let's go now. We'll go out for breakfast first, and after breakfast, we'll head to the fellowship center," the old lady said urgently. Her aged eyes glanced past Julia, sweeping through the house as if worried Glades Horne would suddenly appear. With the furtive air of a thief, she pulled Julia by the hand and turned to leave.
"Grandmother hasn't had breakfast yet," Julia asked with concern as she helped the old lady into the car and then got in herself, shutting the car door.
"Not yet. I wanted to snatch you away before Glades wakes up, lest he awaken and refuse to let me take you." It was Saturday, after all; it would be strange if Glades Horne wasn't monopolizing Julia. I have to strike first and secure her. Only by getting Julia out of Glades's sight can she truly be mine. Breakfast can wait.
"Grandmother," Julia said with an amused smile, thinking the old lady was rather childlike at times.
Snatch? If Glades Horne knew his grandmother was going to an event, he might have volunteered to accompany her. How could he possibly stop me from accompanying Grandmother? Grandmother was overthinking things.
"If you asked Glades to accompany you, he would definitely agree."
"Never mind him. I just like your company," the old lady said, pouting like a child. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡⚫𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢⚫𝘯𝘦𝘵
Julia smiled and changed the subject.
The car left the villa while Glades Horne was still deeply asleep.
The pair, one old and one young, first went to the Emperor hotel for breakfast.
Like Glades Horne, the old lady almost always chose the Emperor hotel when eating out.
His wife had been snatched away by his grandmother. Glades Horne must have sensed it in his dreams, because he woke up soon after Julia left.
His eyes still closed, he instinctively reached out to embrace his beloved wife. But his arms encircled only air; his wife's soft body was long gone.
His mind, still somewhat groggy, cleared in an instant.
He raised an eyebrow, his eagle eyes opened sharply, a piercing light glinting within them, each ray seemingly sharp enough to cut.
He touched the sheets beside him; they were cold, indicating his wife had been up for a while.
Sitting up, he stroked his chin and looked over at the empty space beside him, surveying the large, empty room.
Where had she gone? Was she taking a walk in the Courtyard outside, or was she downstairs preparing his breakfast?
Glades Horne called out softly, deciding to start his search from the room.
Only his voice echoed in the large room; Julia's response was nowhere to be heard.
She wasn't in the room.
Glades Horne slid out of bed, convinced Julia was downstairs preparing breakfast. The thought of his beloved woman making breakfast for him again made the hardened man exude an almost beatific tenderness, as if thousands of sunbeams were streaming through the windows, instantly warming the room.
Outside, the sun had indeed risen.
He went to the wardrobe and took out a black suit. Just as he was about to change, his eyes caught the white suit Julia had given him. He immediately put the black suit back in the wardrobe and took out the white one. That girl... it was the first piece of clothing she'd ever given him. He treasured it like a gem. He just wondered when she might gift him clothes a second time. He looked forward to his wife launching a surprise attack on him, a delightful shock.
Glades Horne dressed and freshened up, then strolled out of the room.
It was Saturday, and no one had to work, so his movements were relaxed.
Heading downstairs, Glades Horne tiptoed, planning to sneak into the kitchen and embrace Julia from behind. But once he reached the ground floor, he could no longer sense Julia's presence in the house. The kitchen was silent, with no aroma of cooking.
His eyebrows lifted. She hadn't made breakfast for him?
Glades Horne stepped into the kitchen to check and, sure enough, Julia hadn't prepared breakfast.
A sense of unease struck him. Julia, when she rose earlier than him, always prepared his breakfast. But there was none now. Where had she gone?
Moving quickly to the Courtyard, his sharp eyes scanned every corner, but he saw no trace of the familiar figure. He reached for his phone and immediately called Julia. However, the call connected for a long time, but Julia didn't answer.
Glades Horne's expression tensed.
As if struck by a thought, he hurried back upstairs to their room. Sure enough, Julia's phone lay quietly inside her bag.
She had left without her phone! He had told her to always carry her phone! He recalled her saying her phone was a bit large and that she didn't like carrying it around the house.
So, Glades Horne walked downstairs while calling Hansen Ruiz.
Early in the morning, especially on a day off, Hansen Ruiz was still dreaming. The reverberations of a thunderous ringing roused him, drawing him back to reality. He realized it was just a dream. Surprised to find he'd been dreaming about being with Rachel Bailey, he swiftly grabbed his phone. Seeing Glades Horne was calling prompted a flicker of annoyance. Boss, he thought, you really know how to pick your moments to call. Such a buzzkill.