Reborn at Eighteen The Billionaire's Second Chance novel Chapter 164

Chapter 164

The room beyond was dark, illuminated only by the flickering glow of

a fireplace. It took my eyes a moment to adjust, to make out the

familiar shapes of leather furniture and built–in bookshelves. The

east wing study–one of Julian’s favorite retreats when he wanted to

escape family obligations.

“What are you doing here?”

The voice came from the darkness near the fireplace–low,

unmistakably masculine, and devastatingly familiar. My entire body

went rigid with shock.

No. No, this couldn’t be happening. Of all the rooms in this massive

house, I couldn’t have chosen the one where-

“I asked you a question, Elara.”

The firelight shifted, and I saw him. Julian sat in one of the leather

armchairs facing the hearth, a crystal tumbler of whiskey dangling

from his fingers. His jacket had been discarded somewhere, his tie

loosened, the top buttons of his shirt undone. He looked exhausted in

a way that went beyond physical tiredness–there was something

defeated in the slope of his shoulders, something hollow in his eyes

as they fixed on me across the darkened room.

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Chapter 164

His expression cycled through surprise, displeasure, and something

else I couldn’t quite name. Something that looked almost like relief,

as if my sudden appearance had answered some question he hadn’t

known he was asking.

“I” My voice came out strangled. I cleared my throat, tried again. “I

came to find Victoria.”

Julian’s eyes narrowed. “Victoria. He took a slow sip of his whiskey,

his gaze never leaving my face. “And what business could you possibly

have with my sister that would require breaking into my house during

my engagement party?”

The emphasis on those last three words was deliberate, designed to

remind me of exactly how inappropriate my presence was. As if I

needed the reminder. As if every instinct I had wasn’t screaming at

me to run.

But I’d come here for a reason. And standing in front of Julian now,

with the memory of last night still burning between us, I found I

couldn’t back down.

i

She sent someone to harass me today,” I said, forcing my voice to

remain steady. “Three hours of torture at the flea market for fifty

dollars. Some woman in Burberry who wasted my entire afternoon,

drove away my customers, then tried to extort me. And when the police finally made her pay, I saw her on the phone–calling Victoria.”

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Chapter 164

Julian’s jaw tightened, the muscle jumping in that telltale way.

exactly did this woman do?”

“What

I gave him the abbreviated version–the demanding portrait, the constant repositioning, the attempted shakedown. With each detail, his expression grew darker, his fingers tightening around the tumbler

until I thought the crystal might shatter.

“I’ll speak to her,” he said when I finished, his voice carefully controlled. “But you need to leave. Now. This isn’t–you can’t be here,

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