Chapter 4 She Cheated On You

Eloise's face stiffened a bit. "It's all over the place, Julian. Everyone knows how much you hate her. You really don't know? She was fooling around with that older guy from Lewis Group while you were away. They even stayed at a hotel together."

Julian didn't show much reaction. "Stay out of things like this."

"But she cheated on you, Julian!" Eloise cried.

"Were you right there at the bed, watching them?" he shot back.

Eloise clamped her mouth shut immediately.

For all her entitlement, even Eloise couldn't handle that edge in his voice. She backed off, worried she'd overstepped. But she still muttered, barely audible, "I seriously don't get why you kept her around this long. If I were Louisa, I'd be furious. When are you divorcing that woman and marrying Louisa? She's the only one who deserves to be part of this family."

"That's enough," Julian said flatly. "Let my driver take you home. I've got work to do. Don't get in the way."

Eloise grabbed his arm and pouted. "You've been in such a bad mood lately. Since Katherine's gone, why not let Louisa stay with you? She could take care of you."

Julian didn't bother replying. He simply gave her a cold, warning look.

Eloise huffed and turned on her heel.

Just as she got to the door, she heard his voice. "Cayson, come in."

She turned back and saw Cayson holding a contract folder with the Lewis Group logo on it.

She had a feeling what this was about and quickly stepped in front of him. She whispered, "Cayson, you know I matter more than some people. Just don't say anything that'll upset my brother, okay?"

Cayson smiled in that polite, unreadable way of his. "Of course, Miss Nash."

Once inside, Julian got straight to the point. "What did you find out?"

Cayson shared a few truths to report back to Julian. He mentioned that the hotel footage had already been erased-nothing was caught on camera. It basically kept Eloise in the clear.

Julian's face revealed nothing. He didn't say a word.

......

Though the divorce papers were signed, the official process still had a few weeks to go. In the meantime, Katherine lived alone.

During her marriage, she'd juggled different jobs and saved up enough to handle her brother's medical expenses. Now that she had some breathing room, she began brushing up on her skills and started sending out her resume.

She kept herself occupied, trying to shut Julian out of her thoughts. But a man like him-smooth and attention-grabbing-was impossible to avoid. His name kept popping up in the news.

Just a few days ago, there was a paparazzi shot of him in another city. He'd rented out a whole private beach for some woman.

Katherine knew exactly who that woman was.

Julian, after all, was still a man. He might have been forced into an unwanted marriage, but he clearly knew how to indulge himself occasionally.

Katherine looked at the picture and forced a bitter smile. She kept reminding herself that one day, she'd move on. It was only a matter of time.

But that peace didn't last.

One day, she got a call from the Nash estate, asking her to come back.

Usually, they'd go straight to Julian. This felt strange. She hesitated, then asked, "Did something happen?"

The butler on the other end answered coldly, "Your mother came by today, had an argument with the Nash family, and got so upset that she fainted."

When Katherine arrived in a hurry, the first person she saw was Julian.

The living room was wide and luxurious, but his presence seemed to fill every inch. When his eyes fell on her, they carried a quiet intensity that made her skin crawl.

She glanced around, but her mother was nowhere to be seen. She had no choice but to walk up to Julian.

"Where's my mom?" she asked.

It had been two weeks since they'd last seen each other. Back then, she would've looked at him with love-always caring for him, always tending to him.

He had always dismissed her devotion, but now, hearing her cold tone, he was just as annoyed. He didn't say anything, his lips pressed in a tight line.

Just then, the family doctor walked in. "Your mother's awake and resting in the guest room. I'll show you to her."

Katherine put on a polite smile. "Thanks," she said, following him.

As she walked off, Eloise came down the stairs toward Julian. "Julian, Dad's in the study. He wants to talk to you."

She caught sight of Katherine disappearing down the hallway and scoffed. "That family's such a drain. I bet her fainting act was just to make us look bad and try to get some money out of us."

Julian stayed calm. "If you can't keep your mouth shut, at least learn when to."

Eloise huffed. "Fine."

She narrowed her eyes, a smirk forming as she followed Katherine down the hallway.