Julian was now standing directly in front of Lunessa.
He was close enough for her to catch the faint scent of his cologne, close enough for her to see the tightness in his jaw that hadn't been there before.
His hand lifted slowly, almost cautiously, as if afraid she might flinch.
"Who hit you?" he asked.
His voice was surprisingly soft.
It made Lunessa blink a few times before the meaning of his question truly settled in.
For a second, she forgot where they were.
"You arrived quite fast for someone who was supposed to be in a meeting," Mr. Hale Sr. interrupted casually from the sofa, crossing one leg over the other as if watching a mild entertainment.
Julian didn't even spare his father a glance.
"I don't have a meeting today," he replied evenly.
The room fell quiet again.
His fingers finally brushed lightly against Lunessa's cheek.
She sucked in a small breath at the contact, more from surprise than pain.
His thumb hovered near the swelling but didn't press, as if he was restraining himself from checking further.
"Who?" he asked again, for the third time.
This time, there was no softness left in his voice.
Maria, who had been sitting stiffly at the back, could no longer sit still. She shifted uneasily, fingers twisting together as her eyes darted toward Mr. Hale Sr., silently pleading for intervention.
But instead of stepping in to defend her, Mr. Hale Sr. calmly rose from the sofa.
"Well," he said smoothly, brushing imaginary dust from his sleeve, "since this matter appears to be settled, I will take my leave."
He took a few unhurried steps toward the exit and suddenly stopped just before reaching the door.
He turned this time. His gaze landed directly on Lunessa. Then shifted back to Julian.
"I assume," he said calmly, "that this is your answer to the condition I gave you a year ago."
The room fell silent.
Julia frowned. The officers exchanged glances and Lunessa stiffened.
Julian's expression darkened slightly. "Don't."
But Mr. Hale Sr. continued anyway. "You told me you needed time," he said evenly. "I gave you a year."
His eyes flicked toward Lunessa again, assessing.
"If you've finally decided to be practical," he added, "then I won't interfere anymore."
"You're mistaken," Julian said, his voice colder now.
"Am I?" Mr. Hale Sr. replied mildly. "From the look of it, I don't think so."
A faint smirk touched his lips before he resumed walking toward the exit.
"No—honey, wait for me," Maria called out hurriedly, rushing after him.
Everyone noticed how pale she had suddenly become.
The tension in the room shifted again.
Julian's gaze followed them briefly, then returned to Lunessa.
"Is it her?" he asked.
The question was simple. Direct and sounded dangerous.
Before Lunessa could answer, text flashed faintly across her vision.
[ACT COQUETTISHLY TOWARD THE TARGET.]
[REWARD: STATUS UPGRADE.]
"Status upgrade?" she murmured under her breath, confused by the timing.
Julian frowned slightly. "What status?" he asked, clearly mishearing her. "I'm asking you… was it that woman who hit you?"
Maria had already caught up to Mr. Hale Sr., clutching his arm tightly, her movements anxious and restless.
Lunessa watched Maria clutching Mr. Hale Sr.'s arm.
'Ah… since you're going all the way on hitting me earlier,' she thought calmly, 'then let me make it worth it.'
The corners of her lips curved slightly.
Her shoulders relaxed, and she stepped closer to Julian, close enough that her arm brushed lightly against his.
Then she tilted her head just a little and looked up at him through her lashes.
"It's nothing serious," she said gently, her voice lowered just enough to sound intimate rather than defensive. "You don't need to make it such a big issue."
Her fingers slid up, this time not hesitating, resting lightly against his forearm as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Let's go," she added softly. "Standing here is tiring."
She blinked up at him, lashes lowering and lifting slowly as she waited for his reaction.
For a brief second, doubt crept in.
'He won't think I've lost my mind… right?'
Julian looked down at her hand on his arm, then at her face.
His expression didn't change immediately, but something in his eyes sharpened as if he had noticed the shift.
Then he lifted his gaze.
"Father," Julian said calmly as he turned. "You wouldn't mind if I borrow your mistress for a few minutes, would you?"
The word landed hard.
Mistress.
No courtesy. No softening.
Maria's face drained of color instantly.
"Sure," Mr. Hale Sr. said coolly. He removed Maria's hand from his arm.
"I'm done," he said simply. "You have served your purpose."
The words sliced through the air.
"And I have no need for you anymore."
He turned away before she could react.
"No—no! Honey, wait—please—"
But she didn't get far.
Julian's assistant stepped forward swiftly, blocking her path without hesitation and guiding her back inside with firm pressure on her shoulder.
Maria stumbled.
Julian didn't spare any of it a glance.
Instead, he reached for Lunessa's hand. His fingers wrapped around hers naturally.
Without a word, he led her toward the sofa and sat down, pulling her with him.
The movement was calm.
Maria was pushed forward, losing her balance and dropping to her knees in front of them.
The contrast was humiliating.
"I—I didn't know she was your woman," Maria blurted out immediately, her lips trembling uncontrollably. "I swear, I didn't know—"
Julian's expression remained unreadable.
His thumb brushed lightly over the back of Lunessa's hand.
"Didn't know?" he repeated mildly. "And what if you did?"
Maria's lips trembled. "If I knew—if I knew she was your—"
"My woman," Julian said calmly.
The words cut clean through the air.
Lunessa's breath stalled. 'His… woman?'
[MISSION COMPLETED]
'Complete?' She thought confusely.
Julian's gaze remained steady on Maria.
"You don't get to raise your hand against my woman," he continued evenly. "Whether you knew or not."
The silence that followed was suffocating. Even the officers avoided eye contact.
Lunessa felt his hand still wrapped around hers — calm.
Claiming but not crushing.
This wasn't about ownership. It was a line drawn publicly.
Maria's voice came out thin and shaky. "I—I'm sorry. I didn't mean—"
"Which hand was it?" Julian interrupted calmly.
Maria blinked, confused.
"The one that slapped her cheek," he clarified, his tone still even, almost polite.
But it made the air turn heavy.
Maria slowly lifted her right hand, trembling.
"This… this one."