Somehow, Glades Horne always felt a teasing light in her eyes.
"When have I ever deceived you?" Even though he felt she was teasing him, Glades Horne still spoke with a face full of tenderness. What if she was teasing him? As long as she was happy, he was willing to do a strip dance for her. Heh, of course, that's something he shouldn't say out loud, or else this girl might really make him do a strip dance.
"Uh-huh, that's true. Alright then, let's go downstairs now. After dinner, you'll accompany me to the place I want to go," Julia Bluen said, her eyes gleaming with deeper mischief and a sly smile, making Glades Horne feel like he was just a plaything in her hands.
As Julia was trying to stand up from his embrace, Glades couldn't help but call out to her, a hint of unease in his voice.
"Mhm, I'm all ears." Julia turned to face him in his embrace, deliberately hooking her arms around his neck. She hugged him, her smile brimming, like a cunning and enchanting sprite. Glades desperately wanted to break those fluttering sprite wings so she could never fly from his grasp.
"Don't hire a male secretary, will you?"
If she really hired a male secretary and he was attracted to her, Glades feared that even if he bought all the vinegar vats in the world, they wouldn't be enough to contain the jealousy emanating from him.
He desperately wanted to keep her by his side, seen only by him, forever. But he knew that was impossible. She wasn't the type of woman to lock herself at home, going nowhere, waiting for her husband from morning till night. And because he spoiled her so much, he could never bring himself to go against her wishes. So, despite these possessive thoughts, he had to suppress his domineering urges and let her venture out, as long as her heart remained his.
Besides, he didn't want to see her idle at home, living a life as mind-numbingly dull as his mother's.
Julia blinked, and in Glades's eyes, it looked like she was giving him bedroom eyes.
"Well, I'll need to think about that," Julia deliberately held back her answer. She enjoyed watching him be domineering and jealous, yet unable to force her, resorting to other amusing tactics to try and stop her.
He was the CEO of the Valence Group, commanding respect wherever he went, known for his decisive actions—she had witnessed it all. Yet, with her, he always revealed his gentlest, most considerate side. Her heart had been utterly captivated by him, time and again, and she found herself falling more deeply in love, feeling an urge to fuse with him, for them to become part of each other's very being.
She had never felt this way with Nicholas Coldwell in the past three years.
"Girl, I am the fish and you are the hook. Even though you've got me hooked, I am more than willing," Glades said indulgently, standing up with her in his arms.
"I can walk by myself. I'm not light," Julia said, yet her hands remained wrapped around his neck.
"I'm strong enough to hold you till we're old," Glades responded softly, his deep eyes filled with affection.
"But going downstairs ... isn't it inappropriate?" The house was full of people.
The Old Madam might be delighted to see her and Glades so affectionate, but would her mother-in-law and sister-in-law sneer at her inwardly?
His voice, intoxicatingly sweet like wine, sounded, "Julia, remember, in this house, you don't need to worry about anything, you don't need to be afraid of anything. You're my wife; you don't need to care about what others think."
Since their honeymoon, he'd seen it all: his mother's schemes to pressure her into having children, his sister's hostility, and his grandmother's affection for her. Although Julia always managed to handle these challenges, it pained him. He had always wanted to give her the best life, spiritually and materially. Yet, his complex family situation forced her to navigate the tiresome politics common in wealthy, influential families, just like other women in grand mansions.
"Glades, I just want our home to be harmonious. With harmony comes prosperity. Don't worry, I'm handling everything just fine. I won't have any problems, and you don't need to worry too much about me," Julia consoled her man for the umpteenth time, reassuring him.
Glades gazed at her intently for a few moments, then said no more and led her downstairs, holding her.
After dinner, he accompanied Julia to the place she currently wanted to go.
He was a bit curious. Where did she most want to go right now?
With two bodyguards following, he no longer refused their accompaniment.
As they were about to get into the car, Julia slipped a note to the driver, Wade Coleman, saying it was her desired destination. This took Wade Coleman by complete surprise.
Glades desperately wanted to snatch the note from Wade Coleman's hand, but Julia just kept flashing her beautiful eyes, smiling at him as if in challenge.
He had to suppress his curiosity; he'd find out eventually anyway.
It wasn't long before he knew the answer: Julia had Wade Coleman stop in front of the Sittle Bookstore in the city center.
A bookstore? Glades felt an absurd urge to laugh.
He'd been imagining a romantic date, and she chose a stuffy bookstore!
Who goes to a bookstore for romance? Who picks a bookstore for a date?
This girl... she had to be teasing him, right?
"Julia, since when did you become such a bookworm? The bookstore is your most desired destination now?" Glades asked with a resigned laugh, following Julia into the Sittle Bookstore.
Julia glanced back at him, her expression still cheeky, but the teasing glint in her eyes was gone. Instead, a genuine longing shone through, a longing so palpable it stopped Glades from uttering another word of complaint. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ 𝗇𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗅✦𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾✦𝗇𝖾𝗍
Julia merely glanced at him without explaining further. He'd find out soon enough anyway.
Upon entering the Sittle Bookstore, Julia asked an attendant where the childcare books were. After getting directions, she headed to the second floor.