After the Affair Falling into a Billionaire's Arms novel Chapter 301

Chapter 301

Louisa’s brow furrowed as she remained silent.

‘What’s wrong?” Sadie asked. “You don’t want to help?”

Louisa shook her head. ‘She’s willing to fight with her own father rather than put me in a difficult position, How could I not help her? Just give me a moment to think about how to handle this.”

Sadie sighed with relief, then asked, “Besides asking Julian for help, what other options do we have?”

“Actually,” Louisa said, “Flora grew up with Julian and Wallace. Wallace and Julian are super close, so Flora and Julian must have a decent relationship too.

“Even without me asking, Julian wouldn’t stand by and do nothing based on their childhood friendship alone. If he’s refusing to help now, he must have his

reasons.”

“Flora said the same thing,” Sadie replied. “That’s why she doesn’t want to pressure Julian.”

“So approaching Julian probably won’t work,” Louisa concluded.

“But if Julian can’t help, what can we possibly do?” Sadie asked.

‘Let me think about it.”

“Look,” Sadie urged, “why don’t you just talk to Julian first? We don’t really know what’s happening with the Young Group, but Julian definitely does. Just have a conversation with him and see what happens.” As she spoke, Sadie was already pushing Louisa toward the door.

“Your rushing isn’t helping,” Louisa protested. “I need time to think!”

‘I don’t think you’ll come up with anything better. Just go talk to Julian–you can think while

you talk

Before she knew it, Sadie had pushed her out the door. Louisa felt completely torn. She’d been trying to keep her distance from Julian, and now she needed to ask him for a favor? Wasn’t that hypocritical? But she couldn’t ignore Flora’s situation either.

Her mind raced as she tried to figure out what to say to Julian. She hesitated outside

door, finally pressing her ear against it to check if he was home.

Silence. Maybe he wasn’t home? Had he gone out again?

Suddenly, a low, seductive voice whispered right beside her ear: “What are you doing?”

Louisa jumped, turning her head instantly. In the process, her lips accidentally brushed against his. That familiar heady scent of his cologne washed over

her.

Startled, she tried to back away, but the door was right behind her. She had nowhere to retreat, forced to press against the door as she stared at Julian’s sensual lips, barely half an inch from hers.

“W–why are you here?” she asked, her voice trembling.

Julian chuckled softly. “You’re standing outside my door eavesdropping, and you’re asking why I’m here?”

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Chapter 301

As he spoke, the distance between them shrank even further. One wrong move and their lips would touch again. Louisa’s heart fluttered wildly, her kneed growing weak. “Could you please step back?” she pleaded.

“I’m trying to get home, Julian teplied. “How can I step back?‘

“Well, I’m blocking your way, so you can’t get in anyway,‘ she countered..

“Who knows? Want to find out?” he suggested.

Louisa fell silent. Find out? How exactly? Her brain was short–circuiting. His warm breath against her face made her mouth go dry and her heart race.

Finding courage from somewhere, she suddenly pushed him away. Julian had this one redeeming quality–he never forced himself on women. So Louisa managed to create some space between them easily.

Julian watched her catch her breath. “Why so nervous?”

“Who–who says I’m nervous?” she stammered.

Julian gave her a knowing look that clearly said, “You know exactly how nervous you are.”

Louisa didn’t dare argue the point. Changing the subject, she asked, “Do you have time to talk?”

Julian nodded. “We can talk, but after hours, I don’t discuss work.”

“Since when is that a rule?” Louisa muttered.

Julian answered simply, “Since just now.”

Louisa fell silent. So he already knew why she was here? While she was still processing this, Julian opened his door and went inside, leaving

him.

open behind

Louisa hesitated, unsure whether to follow him in. By this point, the traitorous Sadie had already disappeared–she’d taken off the moment Julian appeared.

After a moment’s deliberation, Louisa followed Julian inside and closed the door. Julian took some steaks from the refrigerator and gestured to her.

“Hungry?”

Louisa nodded instinctively. “Yes.” Julian’s cooking skills were not to be missed. On this point, she never hesitated.

Julian let out an amused sound and walked to the kitchen island, where he began marinating the steaks and preparing the ingredients.

Louisa stood at the edge of the counter, watching him work with practiced ease. “Are you really not going to help the Young Group?” she asked.

“No, I’m not,” Julian replied without even looking up, his answer quick and definitive,

Deflated, Louisa sat on a barstool. “Flora looks up to you so much. She thinks of you as an older brother. How can you not help her?”

Julian gave a sharp laugh. “By your logic, shouldn’t she be the one asking me? Why isn’t she here?”

Louisa had no response. Appealing to their friendship clearly wasn’t going to work.

After a pause, she tried again. “If you won’t help them, the Young family’s perfume business is definitely going under. It’s the perfect opportunity for the

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Chapter 301

Tudor Group to enter the fragrance market. So why haven’t you approved the marketing department’s project proposal?

Julian turned the question back on her. ‘Yes, why haven’t I?”

Louisa grew even more frustrated. She suspected he was just toying with her. She stopped talking, turning to stare out the floor–to–ceiling windows at the river view, lost in thought.

Her mind flashed to what she knew about the Young Group. Their business decline hadn’t happened suddenly–it had started long ago. It had just accelerated over the past year and a half.

The Tudor Group’s marketing department had proposed entering the perfume industry precisely because they’d predicted the Young Group’s current

situation.

If a small marketing department could see this coming, Julian certainly could too. If Julian had made a move back then, the Young Group would have had no

chance of survival.

Was that why Julian hadn’t approved the marketing department’s proposal? To give the Young Group a fighting chance?

As for why he hadn’t approved the perfume strategy but hadn’t rejected it either–could it be because their country’s perfume industry was falling behind?

From what she knew, the Young Group always imported their perfume ingredients from Seraphim, at terrifying prices. This not only increased the Young Group’s financial burden but also supported Seraphim’s economic growth.

Julian definitely wouldn’t want to see that outcome. Was that why he’d been delaying his decision? But now, had the time come when he had to make a

choice?

As everything clicked into place, Louisa slowly turned back, looking at Julian in disbelief. Julian happened to look up at that moment, meeting her gaze.

His eyes were deep and unreadable. “What is it?” he asked.

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