The house was fully furnished with brand new, high-end furniture. A semi-circular staircase curved up to the second floor. From the upper hall, one could oversee the entire layout of the first-floor hall. Indoor greenery was placed in just the right spots, and paintings by famous artists, each of significant value, adorned the walls. From all this, Julia Bluen could tell that Glades Horne had put a lot of thought into decorating this place.
As she approached the sofa and reached out to dust it off, Glades’s low voice rose beside her. "Someone comes to clean daily. It’s very clean, absolutely spotless."
Turning her head, she locked eyes with his now slightly eased handsome features and asked with concern, "Can you tell me now?"
Glades looked at her too, their eyes meeting.
"I threw the ’flower pest’ out of the Horne Family’s gates."
Uh? What’s going on? Julia thought. Hadn’t he told her to ignore Orlando Evans? Why would he take action himself...?
"She, she didn’t... um, try to seduce you, did she?" After a moment, Julia Bluen cautiously glanced at him. As soon as her words fell, Glades’s expression darkened. She inhaled sharply, realizing she had guessed correctly. Immediately, she became furious. "How could that Orlando Evans be so shameless? But I’m not surprised. She dared to lure you into the Courtyard at my place, not to mention finding an excuse to stay at your house..." Julia Bluen had to stop herself, catching Glades’s suddenly piercing glance.
"Stay at ’our house’; clearly, she hasn’t given up her lecherous intentions, planning to overpower you—I didn’t expect it to actually be so. You haven’t been compromised, have you?" By the end, Julia’s eyes had become sharp as razors, scanning Glades, trying to ascertain if he had been tainted by the ’flower pest’.
"I resisted temptation." Seeing Julia look a bit nervous, Glades felt great. He stretched out his arm and yanked her fiercely into his embrace, holding her tightly.
As if, she thought. If he really could resist temptation, why would he be pulling her into his embrace so forcefully right now?
"Julia, Julia," Glades murmured, hugging her tightly.
After a moment of hesitation, Julia still extended her arms, embracing his solid waist.
He held her for what felt like a long time before he bent down, lifted her into his arms, and headed upstairs.
Julia Bluen was startled, realizing his intentions. She felt a bit nervous and a bit afraid, yet she found no reason to prevent what might happen next.
The Master Bedroom on the second floor was very large, taking up nearly the entire space of the floor. A large, luxurious bed was situated before the windows, the most striking feature of the room. Bedside tables flanked it, each holding a mushroom-shaped table lamp that cast a warm orange glow. Two meters from the bed stood large floor-to-ceiling windows, covered with dark curtains to block any outside view. In front of these windows, a round wooden table with two cushioned chairs was placed. Pulling open the curtains and sitting at the table, one could take in the beautiful scenery of the Courtyard. In the morning, opening the floor-to-ceiling windows would welcome the fresh air from the flowers and trees in the Courtyard.
Beside the table was a loveseat, with two armchairs facing it across a rectangular coffee table. A potted green plant stood nearby. A flat-screen TV was mounted on the wall opposite the bed. Below it, a long, white, jade-like shelf-table displayed an assortment of fine liquors and beverages.
The Bathroom was to the right of the Bedroom, and the balcony was to the left.
Several pretty potted plants also adorned the balcony.
The entire room was opulent without being ostentatious.
Glades Horne carried Julia Bluen into the Master Bedroom and gently laid her down on the large bed.
Suddenly, the image of her sister flashed through Julia’s mind.
Somehow regaining her strength, Julia Bluen forcefully pushed the man off her and sat up. She quickly grabbed a pillow to hold in front of her as a shield, then said to Glades irritably, "Didn’t you say you could resist temptation?"
A low laugh, filled with barely noticeable deep affection and profound doting, resonated in the room. Glades also sat up, smoothing Julia’s slightly tousled short hair. "With outsiders, I’m a model of self-control," he said. "But with my wife, I’m bound to lose that control."
Julia Bluen’s oval face flushed as red as Guan Gong.
She wanted to say something but didn’t know what. She wanted to do something but didn’t know what she could do. She felt a bit at a loss and uneasy.
He had that right. After all, they were legally married, having obtained their marriage license, and the wedding was only a few days away. No matter how uncomfortable she felt, she couldn’t escape. But she...
Her body slumped, and she fell back onto the bed again. She weakly tossed aside the pillow, her face still red as she whispered, "Then... go ahead and lose that control."
Glades Horne laughed again.