Wrapped in His Arms (Julie and Lucian) novel Chapter 5

Julie stood frozen in place, her mind having gone blank from shock. 

The murmurs of the crowd faded into nothingness as she kept her eyes locked on the man walking toward her. 

He was dressed in a black shirt, his suit jacket casually slung over one arm. His slightly tousled hair was no longer the boyish cut she remembered from five years ago. Instead, he looked much more mature. 

The light above stretched his shadow across the floor until he stopped right in front of her. 

When their eyes met, Julie's chest tightened, and her eyes instantly grew misty. She hadn't been bothered when Megan taunted her or when Zayn treated her with distrust. 

These past five years, she had been living like an emotionless robot. 

But the moment she saw this man, she couldn't stop the tears from welling up. 

She bit her lip hard, determined not to let them fall. Still, her body trembled uncontrollably as her gaze traced his familiar features, from his brows all the way to the mole on the corner of his eye. 

Lucian. 

It was Lucian Fuller!

It was the face that had haunted her dreams countless nights.

He wasn't dead. He was still alive.

Oh, her prayers had finally been answered.

Unable to hold it in anymore, a tear escaped and silently slid down her cheek. 

Behind her, Zayn, who had been holding Megan, stood up. His earlier arrogance was nowhere to be seen. 

Softly, he muttered, "Luce."

Lucian lazily answered, "I don't think we're close enough for you to call me that."

Zayn froze. Before he could respond, Lucian spoke again, "Oh, so this wasn't a meeting, after all. Just some people trying to gang up on a woman? Very impressive."

Zayn panicked and quickly waved his hands in denial. "No, no one is bullying her."

Lucian hummed. "If that's the case, what are you guys doing?"

Zayn nervously replied, "Y-You don't need to trouble yourself with this mess, Luce."

Lucian smirked. "You're right. I might not be the nicest person out there, but even I draw the line at picking on defenseless women."

Glancing at Megan, who was still clinging to Zayn, his lips curled in disgust. 

"If I remember correctly, my airhead of a sister doesn't look like that. When did she get her face done?"

Zayn froze. 

Others might not know what Lucian was talking about, but he did. 

Lucian was referring to his youngest sister, Anna Fuller. Their families were hoping for a marriage of alliance.

Without waiting for Zayn's reply, Lucian continued, "Wait, that can't be right. I just saw her this morning. So…"

He paused dramatically. "Not only are you ugly, but you're also an unfaithful jerk? You pick on women and also cheat?"

Everyone went silent.

The guests exchanged shocked glances, knowing full well what Lucian's personality was like. 

As the youngest son of the richest family in the city, he had a reputation for being merciless and would take down anyone who crossed him without hesitation. 

No one expected him to put on a kind mask and help a random woman right after returning from abroad.

Compared to the mischief and trouble Lucian used to cause, Zayn's antics were child's play.