Three years of loving him, three days to erase myself from his world novel Chapter 48

The horrifying realization of what he had just been fantasizing about slammed into him, triggering a violent avalanche of conflicting emotions.

"Beautiful," he grunted several agonizing seconds later, aggressively crushing the cigarette out in the ashtray.

He frantically justified it to himself. He was just sexually frustrated. It had been way too long since he had slept with a woman. That was the only logical explanation for why he was suddenly obsessing over Clara's body.

His gaze turned somber. After tossing the crushed cigarette away, he snatched the gift box off the table, pushed himself up from the sofa, and gave Seraphina's head a rough, dismissive pat.

He muttered hastily.

"It's late. Go to sleep. Tomorrow's going to be a long day at the exhibition. I have a ton of emails to catch up on, so I'm heading to the study."

"Julian..."

Seraphina was utterly bewildered.

She couldn't comprehend why he was suddenly sprinting away from her like the house was on fire.

She hadn't even finished showing off the dress.

But Julian was already gone, storming up the stairs without a single backward glance.

His broad shoulders looked rigidly tense, radiating a chilling, impenetrable barrier of absolute distance.

Seraphina chased after him for a few steps before freezing in the middle of the foyer.

She was a woman.

She was insanely perceptive.

There was absolutely no way she was blind to the massive shift in his behavior.

When a man stopped loving you, the signs were neon red.

A horrifying thought clicked into place.

Seraphina swallowed the acidic burn of humiliation.

Earlier tonight, outside that dessert shop, she had reached out, fully expecting him to hand the pastry box to her.

But he had coldly yanked it out of her reach, throwing out a flat excuse.

"This is for Clara. It was the last one in the shop. If you want one, I'll buy you one tomorrow."

The old Julian would have never uttered those words. She used to be the sole beneficiary of his endless, undivided devotion.

But now, Clara had somehow hijacked his attention. And what was infinitely worse... his obsession with her was clearly intensifying.

Seraphina squeezed her eyes shut.

Under the blinding crystal chandelier, her face looked like a fresh corpse.

No. She absolutely refused to let this continue.

It took him an agonizingly long time to finally tear his eyes away and look back at the unopened gift box sitting on his desk.

***

Just down the hall, in the master suite.

Clara was completely oblivious to the explosive drama downstairs. She was staring down at her phone, reading a newly arrived text from Isabella Gates:

[Clara, don't bother driving to the airport tonight. I've rerouted to the neighboring city for business. I won't be back until tomorrow.]

Clara pressed her lips into a thin line, a wave of profound annoyance washing over her, though she had no choice but to swallow it.

She resigned herself to the delay.

Clara: [Understood. Get some rest. Text me when you land tomorrow and I'll come pick you up.]

Isabella: [Will do. Make sure you get some sleep.]

Clara: [Goodnight.]

Exiting the chat.

Clara tossed her phone onto the mattress, turning her gaze toward the bleak, pitch-black night sky outside her window. A surge of icy resolve anchored her to the bed.

Tomorrow was going to be an absolute bloodbath.