Chapter 7 Julian Was Impotent

Had fun?

Julian certainly had enjoyed himself that night, hadn't he?

But Katherine? Hadn't she been reduced to broken sobs, shaking as if he'd stripped away her dignity, even desperately pleading with him to use protection?

And afterward, hadn't tears spilled endlessly down her cheeks, each drop a silent echo of devastation and despair?

Exactly which part of that nightmare could ever be called "fun"?

Julian's eyes lingered on Katherine's delicate profile, piercing effortlessly through her feeble facade as memories of her flushed cheeks and trembling softness from that night stirred vividly within him.

A faint smirk curved his lips. "Congratulations. After three years of abstinence, you finally got laid."

Katherine's lashes quivered faintly. She swallowed back the sharp bitterness rising in her throat, determined not to crumble under his scornful gaze.

......

Laurence Nash's health had long since declined, and he seldom stepped outside anymore. Still, under the family's watchful care, he didn't look especially fragile-his features held onto their familiar warmth and gentle ease.

He had turned the reins of the family business over to his son Julian years ago and had never shown anything but kindness to Katherine. She, in turn, had always treated him with steady, respectful deference.

Now, even after Julian had worn her down completely, leaving her spirit shredded, she kept her disillusionment tucked away. The last thing she wanted was to add to Laurence's burdens.

As Laurence gazed at his confident son and the quiet, ever-composed daughter-in-law, a sense of peace settled over him-though in some unspoken way, it felt incomplete.

A grandchild. That was the missing note in his symphony of contentment.

He came out with it, blunt as ever. "Well? When are you giving me a grandchild? I won't be around forever-who knows how much time I've got left?"

He dragged out that line every time they came by. Katherine had stopped answering long ago, leaving Julian to field the blow.

Julian's brow creased. Not wanting to provoke his father, he kept his voice even. "It's not something we can rush."

"Three years, and still nothing? How much more time do you plan on wasting?" Laurence asked, pretending to be patient. "You're both in perfect shape-so what exactly isn't working here?"

Julian stayed quiet, his fingertip drumming lazily against the table, clearly gearing up to dodge the question yet again.

But Laurence wouldn't let it go. "Julian, just be straight with me-are you... having trouble in that area?"

A muscle jumped in Julian's cheek. "Dad, I'm twenty-six. Do you seriously think that's even on the table?"

Laurence wouldn't let it drop. "You never know. These things creep up on you, even if you're unaware."

Julian let out a tight breath, irritation flickering in his eyes as he turned his head toward Katherine.

She was peeling a tangerine, the very fruit that always turned his stomach. His mood soured even further.

He clamped his mouth shut, a decision that only fueled Laurence's suspicion. Turning to Katherine, Laurence prodded, "Kathy, is that true?"

The question caught Katherine completely off guard, leaving her frozen for a beat.

Was Julian impotent? How would she possibly know about it? Not once in three years had he stayed the night. They hadn't even shared a kiss.

Yet remembering how he'd behaved today, a jagged bitterness tore through her chest.

"I doubt it..." she murmured, drawing her brows together in quiet hesitation.

That slight crease in her expression landed like a bomb. Laurence turned ghostly white. Julian's face, meanwhile, went hard and stormy.

Just a few offhand words-yet they landed like a slap, as if she'd ground his name straight into the dirt.

Julian's tone sliced through the room. "Katherine, you'd better think before you speak."

She held his gaze without flinching.

Alright then-she'd phrase it more delicately. "Julian has a few... concerns, but I believe he's seeking help."

Julian's entire frame went rigid, stunned into stillness.

Laurence shot to his feet in alarm. "Julian! When the hell did this happen?"

A dangerous glint sparked in Julian's eyes. His tone cut like a blade. "You really believe whatever nonsense falls out of her mouth?"

"She's your wife," Laurence snapped, voice rising. "She lives under the same roof, sleeps beside you every night-if anyone knows your body, it's her. Why wouldn't I trust what she says? And Cayson told me you've never so much as glanced at another woman. I thought you were just cold by nature, but now I'm wondering-were you hiding something all along?"

Julian's face turned grim, his jaw clenched so tightly it looked carved from stone.

Overcome with fury and disbelief, Laurence broke into a harsh, rattling cough, his chest heaving with the effort.

Katherine sprang into action, hastily pouring him a glass of water and gently patting his back. "Don't stress. With how far medicine's come, there's nothing that can't be dealt with."

Even so, a furrow remained between Laurence's brows. "Still..."

She pressed on with a light tone. "And if it ever came to that, IVF's a completely normal option now. Tons of people go that route."

Her words were meant to soothe-but a faint bitterness clung to Laurence's voice. "But Kathy, Julian's only in his twenties..." He trailed off, the weight of the thought sinking in.

What kind of marriage was it if the two of them couldn't even be intimate?

Katherine responded with a faint, nonchalant smile.

Yet that small, indifferent curve sliced into Julian's pride like a sharpened blade.

It practically screamed, "Who cares if he is impotent or not? It doesn't matter to me anymore."

Julian clenched his jaw, irritation simmering dangerously beneath the surface. "Dad, there's nothing wrong with me."

Laurence raised a skeptical eyebrow. "If that's true, show me."

"Show you? What-am I supposed to get an erection right here in front of you?"