I woke up the next morning feeling drained and exhausted. The events of the previous night were still fresh in my mind, and I couldn't shake the feeling of unease.
As I got out of bed and began to get ready for the day, I couldn't help but wonder what Julian was doing. Was he still asleep, or was he already up and about?
I made my way downstairs to the kitchen, where I found Julian sitting at the table, sipping a cup of coffee. He looked up as I entered, and our eyes met for a brief moment.
"Good morning," he said, his voice neutral.
"Good morning," I replied, trying to sound cheerful.
I poured myself a cup of coffee and sat down across from Julian. We sat in silence for a few moments, the only sound being the ticking of the clock.
Finally, Julian spoke up. "I have a meeting this morning," he said. "I'll be leaving soon."
I nodded, trying to appear nonchalant. "Okay."
Julian stood up and walked over to the sink, where he rinsed out his coffee cup. As he turned to leave, our eyes met again.
"I'll be back later," he said. "We can discuss... things."
I nodded, feeling a sense of trepidation. What did Julian want to discuss? Our marriage? Our arrangement?
As Julian left the kitchen, I couldn't help but feel a sense of distance between us. We were married, but we were strangers. And I wondered if we would ever be able to bridge the gap between us.
I sat at the table for a few moments, lost in thought. Then, I stood up and began to clear the table. As I loaded the dishwasher, I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease.
What did the future hold for us? Would we be able to make this marriage work, or would it all come crashing down around us?
I didn't have the answers, but I knew one thing for sure: I had to be careful. I had to protect myself, no matter what.
As I finished up in the kitchen, I made a mental note to myself. I would be cautious, I would be careful. And I would do whatever it took to survive this marriage.
I walked over to the window and looked out, watching as Julian's car disappeared down the driveway. I felt a sense of relief wash over me, knowing that I had a few hours to myself.
But as I turned away from the window, I caught a glimpse of something that made my heart skip a beat. A piece of paper on the counter, with a note scrawled on it in Julian's handwriting.
"Meet me at the office at 2pm," it read. "We need to discuss something."
I felt a sense of trepidation as I read the note. What did Julian want to discuss? And why did he want me to meet him at the office?
I pushed the thoughts aside and tried to focus on my day. But I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
And as I went about my day, I couldn't help but wonder what Julian had in store for me.
Julian's POV:
I watched Alexandra from across the kitchen, my eyes narrowing as I took in her expression. She was so guarded, so careful. It was like she was waiting for me to strike.
I felt a surge of annoyance at her wariness. Didn't she know that I was doing this for her benefit? That marrying me was the best thing that had ever happened to her?
I thought back to our wedding day, to the way Alexandra had looked at me with such disdain. It had been a turn-on, to be honest. I loved the challenge of breaking her, of making her submit to me.
And now, as we sat in the kitchen, I could see the fear lurking behind her eyes. It was intoxicating, that fear. It made me want to push her, to see how far I could go before she broke.
I pushed the thoughts aside and stood up, grabbing my briefcase and heading for the door. "I'll be back later," I said, not looking back at Alexandra. "We can discuss... things."
As I walked out of the kitchen, I couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. Alexandra was mine now, and she would do exactly as I said.
But as I made my way to my car, I couldn't shake the feeling that Alexandra was hiding something from me. Something that could potentially ruin everything.
I thought back to the gala, to the way Victoria had flirted with me in front of Alexandra. I had to admit, it had been satisfying to see the look of discomfort on Alexandra's face.
But now, as I drove to the office, I couldn't help but wonder if I had made a mistake. If marrying Alexandra had been a mistake.
I pushed the thoughts aside and focused on the road ahead. I would deal with Alexandra later. For now, I had more important things to attend to.
As I arrived at the office, I was greeted by my assistant, who handed me a stack of files and briefed me on the day's schedule.
I listened intently, my mind already focused on the tasks ahead. But as I made my way to my office, I couldn't shake the feeling that Alexandra was going to be a problem.
And I wasn't sure if I was ready to deal with her.