Chapter 24

Julian's long arms caged Yvonne against the wvall,his frame leaning in until the air between them crackled.A dangerous gleam lit his eyes as he cornered her.

A low laugh escaped him-mocking, edged with fury.He caught her chin in his hand, tilting her face upward so she couldn't look away. "Your husband doesn't really earn enough to support you, huh? So you thought you'd better get yourself a job, is that it?"

Her gaze faltered, slipping downward, but his teeth clenched as his voice hardened. "In all these three years, did I ever once leave you without money?You're getting outrageously bold, Yvonne. Why not go all the way and declare me dead?"

Summoning what remained of her pride, Yvonne lifted her chin, eyes blazing with defiance. "Throughout these years we've been bound by marriage, you've been no different than a dead man."

Julian's fury burned in his eyes as he closed the space between them, their foreheads nearly colliding, the heat of his breath mixing with hers in a charged,suffocating closeness.

Though his face hovered just inches away,his tone was like a blade dipped in ice. "You really enjoy testing my limits, don't you? Tell me-what punishment do you deserve?"

The depth of his voice carried a dangerous pull,chilling yet hypnotic, as if every word was a trap.

A tremor ran through Yvonne's body; instinct screamed at her to flee. She shifted, trying to slip past him, but his sudden movement cut off all escape.

His mouth crashed down on hers without warning.The kiss was brutal and consuming, stripping her of breath as tears stung the corners of her eyes.

She beat against his arms in a futile struggle, but his iron grip never wavered, forcing her helplessly into surrender.

At that moment,footsteps echoed down the corridor,snapping Yvonne back to her senses. Panic shot through her-if anyone saw them like this, it would be disastrous. Instinctively, she prepared to bite him,her old method of escape, but Julian released her first, as though he had predicted her move.

She slumped against the wall, chest rising and falling,her glare sharp with frustration.

He showed no reaction, only leaning closer, his expression unreadable. Startled, she tensed and tried to retreat, but his voice, low and icy, brushed against her ear. "Since you don't want the life of a wealthy wife, I'll make sure you get your wish."

Her heart lurched at those words. Before she could ask what he meant, Julian had already turned away,his indifference cutting sharper than his kiss.

Her lips still burned from the rough press of his mouth.She touched them gingerly, the lingering sting blending with the ache that spread through her chest.

She gathered what composure she could, turned on her heel, and headed back to the hotel to pack.

The place had always been just a temporary stop. Now that the lease paperwork for her new apartment was finalized,she could finally move in that very day.

Her luggage was light, but even the small task of relocating was enough to drown out the sour aftertaste of the interview. By the time everything was in order and she had settled into the new space,several days had slipped past.

One afternoon, freshly washed and with damp hair brushing her shoulders, Yvonne curled onto the sofa with Snowy nestled in her arms. She opened her laptop and resumed the relentless search for a job.

TR Entertainment no longer mattered to her;regardless of the outcome, she had no intention of setting foot in that company again. What she needed were fresh opportunities.

This time, her inbox didn't remain empty. Replies arrived quickly from every company she reached out to-yet each sounded suspiciously alike. They praised her talent, called her impressive, but ended with the same polished refusal: she wasn't a suitable fit.

One instance could have been dismissed as coincidence, but the same rejection from every company reeked of deliberate sabotage. Yvonne sat up abruptly, her brows knitting together, fury simmering in her chest.

This had Julian's fingerprints all over it-his childish way of proving he meant what he'd threatened that morning.How much pettier could this bastard get?

Seething,she snatched up her phone,ready to unleash her anger on him. Before she could dial, however,a fresh chime from her inbox pulled her attention back to the screen.

It was an email from TR Entertainment. Just one short line glowed on the display. "Congratulations, you have passed the interview."