Three years of loving him, three days to erase myself from his world novel Chapter 193

She quickly snapped out of it.

Composing herself, she walked over. "Sorry for keeping you waiting. Let's go."

Julian lowered his gaze, watching her quietly for a moment. His eyes were as dark and fathomless as the ocean, intense enough to swallow her whole. The scrutiny made Clara shift uncomfortably before he finally spoke. "It's fine. Get in."

Clara tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, gave a soft hum of acknowledgment, and reached for the back door handle.

He immediately blocked her, pulling open the passenger door instead. His tone left no room for argument. "Sit here."

Clara frowned, ready to refuse, but when she met those deep, imposing dark eyes, she swallowed her protest.

It wasn't that she was weak. After three years with him, she knew exactly how his temper worked. If she defied him now, he would make her pay for it the entire night.

She was simply too exhausted to deal with his games.

Clara obediently slid into the passenger seat...

Julian gave her a lingering look, a faint smirk touching his lips. He shut the door, walked around to the driver's side, and started the engine. "We're going to get your hair and makeup done first," he said, pulling away from the curb.

Clara leaned back in her seat. Knowing she had a full styling session ahead, she hadn't bothered with makeup and wore a comfortable outfit—an off-white hoodie, heather-gray sweatpants, and sneakers. She looked effortlessly vibrant and youthful.

Her delicate face was serene, the tip of her nose slightly pink from the evening chill. Her long eyelashes rested like tiny fans against her cheeks, making her look undeniably cute. She murmured a soft acknowledgment...

Julian watched her, his gaze growing darker. With one hand steering the wheel, he instinctively reached out with his other hand to cover hers...

Clara gasped slightly in surprise before instantly pulling her hand away.

Staring out the window, she said flatly, "We aren't at the gala yet. There's no need to pretend we're madly in love."

Julian's smile vanished. Shut down so coldly, he didn't try again, simply retracting his hand.

They didn't exchange another word for the rest of the drive.

Clara was perfectly fine with the silence.

...

Half an hour later, the car pulled up in front of an exclusive, high-end styling studio.

Knowing Julian's status, the manager personally rushed out to greet them.

Tall, impossibly handsome, and radiating natural authority, he commanded the room the second he stepped inside, creating an immediate, intimidating aura.

Clara blinked in surprise, wondering why he had come upstairs...

Taking the hint, the staff quietly slipped out of the room.

In an instant, they were the only two left in the vanity room.

Clara wasn't sure if it was her imagination or if she was just hyper-aware, but despite the distance between them, she could already smell his clean, masculine scent.

Biting her lip, she had no desire to be alone with him. She lowered her eyes, hastily organized the table, and prepared to leave...

Before she could move, he was standing directly behind her.

His large, warm hands settled onto her delicate shoulders, his chin hovering just above her head—a pose of absolute, undeniable intimacy.

By the time Clara processed what was happening, it was too late. Startled, she dropped the hairpiece she was holding. It clattered loudly onto the table.

She looked up, her gaze locking with his intense, predatory stare in the mirror. Her cheeks flared with heat as she shifted her shoulders. "Julian... what are you doing..."