Uncle Kelvin, I'm Your Nephew's Girlfriend

Julie Jones stood outside the VIP lounge of a club.

The intermittent waves of laughter slipping out of the slightly ajar door.

"Dylan,You've been dating Julie for two years,and you're saying you haven't slept with her yet?You must be kidding!"

Julie's grip on the door's handle slightly tightened as she held her breath,waiting for the answer.

"Don't even get me started,"Dylan Anderson sneered."She's pretending to be naive,said that she'll only sleep with me after graduating and getting married,"

he answered,making his friends crack up.

Dylan got teased for not having slept with his girl for two years,and their conversation quickly panned to Julie's clothes and appearance.

"But to be fair,Julie's not ugly.She just didn't know how to dress up."A guy chuckled.

"Yeah,she's skinny but the goodlooking type.I can't say she's hot,but her legs are long and pretty.It makes you think how they'd feel wrapped around your waist,"another guy agreed and laughed.

Then,someone playfully asked,"You think she's a B cup?"

"Nah...It's probably an A..."dismissed by the same guy,laughing.

"We should ask Dylan about that.You haven't slept with her,but at least you've touched her,right?"Another one said and asked.

Dylan didn't answer immediately,making them nervously pause,gauging his reaction.

Julie peaked in and saw him down his drink in one go.Then he grinned at his friends and sardonically asked,"Say,what's the difference between me touching her and touching you?"

Another round of mocking laughter echoed in the room,followed by cheers and the glasses clinking after a toast.

Julie gave up going inside and expressionlessly walked away.It was no longer a place that welcomed her presence.

However,while waiting for the elevator,she couldn't help but notice her reflection on its silvertinted doors.Indeed,she didn't look ugly,but her style did make her look bland and undesirable.

Unlike every other girl,Julie kept her face bare with no makeup.She'd always wear plain and boring hoodies paired with straightcut jeans and had her long straight hair down like a wandering ghost.

No matter how people viewed her,she knew she didn't fit in the typical category of goodlooking women and wasn't feminine enough.

Julie checked herself out from the side.Her chest was flat,and her body didn't have much of men's soughtafter curves.A bitter smile appeared on her face as she locked eyes with her reflection,wondering if she even had an alluring part of her.

The elevator door then parted open,sliding away her pessimistic thoughts before she fell further into selfdeprecation.Julie took the elevator down,leaving behind those depressing words.

Back at her dormitory,Julie invited herself into a dark and empty room.She had three roommates,but apparently,they weren't back yet.

She turned the lights on and quickly jumped into the shower after grabbing a change of clothes.Half an hour later,she came out,drying her hair with a towel and already dressed in her pajamas.

When her hair seemed dry enough,she tossed the towel into the hamper beside her bed and sat before her study table.Playing classical music on her phone,she put her headphones on and began studying her course materials.

An hour later,while Julie was skimming through a book,their room's door swung open.Kate Brooks,one of her roommates,finally came back.

Suddenly,a mix of faint cigarette smoke and a hint of a familiar pinewood fragrance hit Julie's nose,drawing her attention away from her book.

The scent threw her into a trance,and she recalled the past when Dylan actively chased her.He looked decent and neat back then,which left a good impression on Julie.

She never caught a whiff of perfume on him during those times.But,later in their relationship,he started wearing pinewoodscented perfumes and has stuck to it until now.

Julie snapped out of memory lane and looked at Kate going around their room,gathering her stuff.Her wellmaintained hair was slightly ruffled,and the red lipstick on her lips was a bit smudged.

When kate entered the bathroom,Julie casually grabbed a green pen as she flipped her notebook to the last page and drew a circle beside the five others.

Tracing the pen on each circle,she counted the loops before her eyes and subtly took a deep breath.

'This is the sixth one,'she thought.

A few minutes later,their other two roommates,Sherrie and Leah,came back,and their chitchat gradually replaced the silence that filled their room.

And long after,Kate came out of the bathroom humming songs,wrapped in a bath towel after a shower.The two girls instantly noticed her skin glowed differently tonight as she walked past them and sat before her table beside Julie.

At this point,Julie's playlist reached a stop,and she heard how Sherrie and Leah teased Kate for seemingly looking extra beautiful tonight.

With a giggle,Kate dismissed their roundabout praise and ecstatically exchanged skincare routines with the two,swiftly becoming a discussion about fashion and makeup brands.

Then their attention panned to Julie when Kate suddenly popped her a question.

"What about you,Julie?I don't remember you putting on some makeup.Didn't you know men don't like women who are dense about how to look good?"

Julie smiled at her and replied,"I don't know how to do makeup."

"I could teach you,"Kate said,leaning over with a grin.

As she moved,Julie resisted pursing her lips upon seeing the outline of Kate's charming figure.The towel hugged her body so well that she could tell how gifted this woman before her was.

'Dylan must have felt gratified whenever he slept with Kate,'Julie thought.

Well,what man wouldn't feel satisfied?Kate's cup size seemed like an F,a measure which he and his friends must have taken pleasure in comparing her size against.

"But,you know what,Julie,your features are ontrend nowadays."Kate paused and scanned her from head to toe."You looked fresh and slim,and your skin is smooth and perfectly toned,"she continued.

In her fellow women's eyes,Julie was pretty.Her simple but effortless beauty was something to be envious of,especially her skin.It was so flawless that even Kate felt compelled to touch it,making her jealous of Julie even more.

When Dylan lay in bed with her,she'd always hear him say she wasn't pretty enough and often got her curves compared with Julie's dull straight limbs.

Slightly sensing the venom behind Kate's words,Julie smiled faintly and shut the conversation down before it could turn ugly.

"I'm going to bed.You guys should get some rest,too,"she said and tucked in for the night.

Kate turned her gaze away,pursing her lips,and checked herself in the mirror.

Soon,their lights went off,and the four girls slept the night away.

The week passed in a blur,and the sun was about to set on a Saturday afternoon.All her roommates were gone today.They left first thing in the morning,so Julie had their room for herself the entire day.However,something kept on bugging her since earlier.

Out of the blue last night,Kate asked her if she had a date today on purpose.Julie said no since Dylan said he had to leave for a business trip this weekend.

Julie answered Kate honestly,but seeing her knowingly nodding to her answer seemed odd.

Then this morning,Kate woke up earlier than any of them and dressed more stylishly than usual.Not forgetting to smile widely at her,Kate even wished her a lovely weekend before she left.

Somehow,Julie felt irritated as she recalled her smug smile.Her fingers subconsciously tapped her desk,following the clock's arm as it circled into a minute.

Blowing the strands of strayed hair off her face,she grabbed her phone,scrolled through her contacts,and dialed a number.Seconds later,someone picked up her call.

"Are you busy today?"she asked.

A man's light chuckle tickled her ears from the other side of the line,sending a slight shiver down her spine.

"I'll let Jimmy pick you up later,"the man said carelessly.

After the call, Julie didn't waste time and took a shower. Something seemed unique about tonight. She washed up longer than she usually would, spending more than an hour inside.

And surprisingly, Julie was like a different person when she stepped out of the bathroom. Her straight locks waved in huge curls, and she headed to her closet wrapped in only a towel.

Digging through piles of her clothes, she took out the luxurious purse buried in the dark, grabbed the trench coat hung in the corner, and then quickly dressed in the black dress she hid underneath.

Shortly after, she sat before her table and fished out her makeup stash and mask from the purse. Painting a bit of color to her pale face and completed her look with vampire red lipstick.

Suddenly, a highpitched chime echoed into the room. Julie glanced at her ringing phone and saw a familiar unknown number calling. She quickly put on the mask and swiftly cleaned up her trace.

Wrapping herself in the trench coat and a fedora hat, she threw her area one last look and then went downstairs.

"Miss Jones, Mr. Williams is currently in the Maple residence's main building with another guest. He instructed you to wait for him in the same room at the third wing," Jimmy politely informed her as soon as she got in the car.

Julie nodded and then quietly watched the buildings turn into trees from the window as the car drove toward their destination. The night had already fallen when they passed through the gates of the third wing and pulled in before the estate's front door.

After thanking Jimmy, she got out of the car and headed up to a room on the second floor.

She plopped down on the sofa and waited for her date, but it wasn't until late after dinner when Kelvin Williams finally came over.

Puffing a cigarette, he entered the room and found Julie asleep, lying askew on the sofa. Seeing her all tightly wrapped up made Kelvin faintly snicker.

Crushing his cigarette off on a nearby ashtray, looking at her sleeping face for a moment, then he walked over and nudged her awake with light kicks to her ankles.

As a light sleeper, Julie woke up immediately and sat straight, blinking her eyes fast, worried that falling asleep had ruined her makeup, but that was only her overthinking.

Drowsily looking up, her eyes locked gaze at the man in front of her.

Julie dazedly leaned back on the sofa and whispered, "I'm so sleepy."

"Didn't you sleep well last night?" he courtly asked.

"Hmm..." Julie hummed, hooking her slender fingers on the man's belt.

"Are you done with your work?" she softly asked.

"Just finished. I had Hanna deal with wrapping up, so I'm free now," he casually answered.

Julie tittered, cocking her head to the side, and coquettishly remarked, "Seems like I'm keeping you away from your business."

Kelvin smirked, his eyes glinting with desire.

"Sleeping with you is just as important," he said, panning his gaze down to her coat.

"Take it off," he deeply commanded.

"Oh." Julie softly exclaimed and stood up, unfastening her belt.

She gently took off the coat, revealing a strapless black dress that wrapped her figure tight down to her upper thigh.

Kelvin unknowingly swallowed while looking at her curves. The sight of her welltoned thighs was making his breathing ragged. However, his gaze felt more drawn to her chest. The dress's fabric was silky thin, and considering how tight it was on her, he could almost see her molds past the cloth.

"Sexy." He assessed seriously.

Catching his tone, Julie puffed out her chest and playfully asked, "Why? Don't you like it?"

Kelvin chuckled and reached for a lock of her long curly hair.

"What do you think?" he suggestively asked back.

Her lips curved to a sultry grin, and she softly clung her arms around his shoulder, closing the already short distance between them further.

Kelvin's palms brushed her waist. Heat followed the trail of his touch, traveling down, and feeling her up. And then he swiftly swooped her even closer, making her gasp.

Julie's delicate waist fitted right in his hands.

Kelvin captured her lips, and the two melted in the fire burning within them. Julie's hair straightened from sweating under the exposure to the sweltering heat.

Fortunately, she studied ballet for several years as a child, making her body flexible enough. Her years of working also gifted her endurance, which somehow boosted her relationship with this man and made it last for a longer time.

A while later, Kelvin got off the bed, feeling refreshed and satisfied with her act tonight. Therefore, he was extraordinarily generous with the money. He tossed stacks of benjamins beside her on the bed, which Julie giddily picked up.

Seeing her smile brightly with hands full of money turned his elatedness sour. Julie seemed happier than when he was embracing her earlier.

His forehead wrinkled to a frown when she approached him, attempting a kiss, but Kelvin evaded her, and he took two bands off her hands.

Julie's breath hitched when she saw her money leave her grasp, and she looked at Kelvin, stunned. Ignoring all the rules, she got up and tried to snatch them back.

"You gave it to me already! You can't take it back like that!" she protested.

"I just remembered it's not good to throw money as casually," Kelvin said as he walked away, disregarding her discontent.

Julie flopped on the bed, looking at him disappear into the bathroom with disbelief. She gritted her teeth, fuming with anger that she couldn't put in words.

Vexed, she grabbed a pillow and hurled it against the mattress with a force she didn't know she still had.

The money already filled the hole in her heart, but he cruelly took away most of it. How could she not be angry when her money disappeared just like that?

Julie felt the void in her heart enlarge.

Sadly, this is how businessmen deal with money. They could devour people like her alive and walk away guiltfree.

Rendered without a choice, Julie changed into her clothes and left the Maple residence with an aggrieved heart. She couldn't stand staying even a second longer at that place.

On the way back, she received a message from Dylan with a photo from his meeting attached.

[I'm so tired from the meeting. I miss you so much, babe.]

Julie carelessly replied with a shouldermassage gif and started scrolling through her Instagram feed. Soon, she saw Kate's post tagged with the location of a 5star hotel in Elisabeth City.

[On a business trip with my boo. It's so boring at the hotel!]

She didn't know if this girl was stupid or just daring. She documented their whole affair in nine pictures and put it online.

Three photos were of the luxury hotel with its name on one. Six selfies from different angles, three of which were intimate shots with a man.

Kate showed only his body and hands, making people keep guessing who this mysterious boyfriend was. However, she missed hiding one tiny detail—the perfume bottle she snapped along in the background.

Funny how even if Julie wracked her brains, she could only think of one guy in their common acquaintances who wore pinewoodscented perfumes from the same brand and collection. If she wanted to instill suspense, she should have done it thoroughly.

Julie liked the post and logged out from Instagram. She breathed the cold dawn air and then got back to the dormitory. After changing into her usual clothes, she looked at the time and decided to take a power nap before heading out to another job in two hours.

Julie had two parttime jobs. One was a French tutor to a junior high school student, and the other was a waitress in a restaurant.

After catching some rest, she passed by a convenience store and bought a sandwich and milk before getting on a bus to her tutoring job.

By the time she left the student's home, it was already five in the afternoon, drawing her close to getting late for her next job.

Her student was having difficulty with the language, and she felt kind of bad since the kid was so frustrated about it, so she stuck around for a bit. Besides, extra hours meant more cash.

Julie drank a whole bottle of water and hurried to the restaurant by subway. Arriving just in the nick of time, she rushedly walked inside, not recognizing the car she had just passed.

Jimmy stepped out of the car as soon as she disappeared into the restaurant and opened the back passenger's door for Kelvin and another person.

Meanwhile, Julie started her shift by changing into their service uniform and meticulously tied her hair, revealing her adorable heartshaped face.

As Julie moved along with her fellow servers, she carried a fish platter into a VIP room. The male guest couldn't resist throwing her a second look when she walked in. She had a pretty distinctive appeal that made her stand out among her colleagues.

However, the enormous platter she was carrying drew her even more attention. It appeared heavier than her slim figure, making them feel sorry for her.

The men instructed other servers to serve the remaining dish, concerned that Julie's arms might break if she did more, leaving Julie to pour wine for their table.

Julie froze when she finally noticed Kelvin as she went around with the bottle. He had a female companion by his side, dressed lovely and innocent while timidly nestling against his chest.

His face lit with pleasure, devoid of impatience, which seemed like she got him all wrong. It turned out that he preferred good girls like this.

Julie felt a little annoyed, but she continued doing her job. She poured the wine for everyone around the table and almost got harassed by a man. Fortunately, Julie dodged him quickly before things turned ugly.

Kelvin was the last guest she had to serve at this table. But when she was about to pour him a drink, he flipped his wine glass and coldly said, "I don't drink."

Mortified, Julie didn't know what to do with the bottle. It was his habitual rude gesture, and she should have been used to it. But, somehow, it got under her skin this time.

On the other hand, Casey Davis, the girl next to him, seemed delighted about her shame.

Suddenly an itching sensation crept up Julie's thigh. Her body stiffened as she looked down and saw a man's slender fingers suggestively tracing her frame by her inner thigh all the way underneath her skirt.

Julie shuddered and tried to move away, but her shaky legs wouldn't budge.

"What's the matter with you, Kelvin? Who upset you?" Someone asked curiously, whom another seconded.

"Yeah, didn't you just drink the wine Miss Davis poured you not long ago? What's wrong now?"

The hand feeling Julie up finally stopped, making her breathe in relief.

Kelvin lightly caressed Casey's face as Julie moved away and said, "I'll drive her back later. So I should stop with one glass."

Casey's face turned slightly red, and she meekly looked away.

People at the table started nodding with a smirk.

"Oh... Then, we won't stand in the way of your glamorous night." Someone said, weaved with a strange nuance.

"Then, wouldn't a bit more wine make your night even better?" Another added which someone topped it with an edgier note.

"Oh, stop it. How will Casey stand it if Kelvin gets drunk tonight? Don't you know what he's like when he gets crazy?"

Casey flushed and buried herself into Kelvin's arms, making the men at the table laugh.

After refilling a guest's glass at the other side of the table, Julie unwantedly recalled something with their comments. She didn't know what Kelvin was like when he was drunk, but she definitely knew what he was when his screws were loose.

She could still feel that dull pain in her body. It was a struggle fighting against the aftermath the entire day. Julie almost thought he broke her waist and thighs in.

"I'm going to smoke, be right back," Kelvin suddenly said, drawing her thoughts back to the present.

He stood up, patting Casey on the shoulder, and left. Though unwilling to be separated from him, Casey smiled and watched him leave the room with loving eyes.

A few moments later, Julie's phone vibrated in her pocket. She let another minute pass before sneaking a look at her notification.

It was a short text message.

[come out.]

Julie subtly heaved a breath and calmly turned off her phone. She carefully refilled the wine for everyone at the table and quietly left.

Outside, Jimmy was patiently waiting for her. As soon as he saw Julie, he gave her a polite nod and relayed his boss's words.

"Miss Jones, Mr. Williams is waiting in room number six," he said, akin to a whisper.

Julie handed him the empty bottle and headed to room six. It didn't take long, and she found herself in front of the room, contemplating the right time she should go in. She had a feeling something terrible might soon happen.

Nevertheless, Julie pushed the door open, which revealed a solemn Kelvin, smoking while leaning against the window before her eyes.

When his gaze panned toward her, Kelvin's eyes narrowed in scrutiny after getting a better look at her uniform.

The skirt was a little short, about six inches above the knee. Kelvin thought of the strapless black dress she was wearing last night, and a sense of vague agitation filled his gut.

"Parttime job?" His voice sounded like thunder as he casually asked, vaguely remembering that she hadn't graduated yet.

Julie nodded and replied, "Yeah, parttime."

"Short of money?" He frowned and dusted off the ash.

Julie lopsidedly smiled. "I don't think anyone would be working on this job if they weren't low on cash?"

Kelvin casually put out his cigarette and said, "I've never treated you badly, have I?"

"Guess I'm very short of money then," Julie replied, stretching the word very intentionally.

"How much salary do you get here?" Kelvin interrogated, looking at her with peering eyes.

"Eighty dollars a day," she said frankly, driving Kelvin mad.

Her answer took him aback that he didn't know what to do about it. Barely keeping his composure together, he flashed a berating smile, took out his wallet, and then threw all the cash inside at Julie.

"Quit it," he growled.

Julie knelt and picked up the bills one by one, but she didn't bring up the subject of her resignation.

During her most challenging times, these eighty dollars a day kept her away from starving to death in the streets. She couldn't step away from it just like that.

Living in the red every day all these years made her believe that no matter what, she had to leave a backdoor open for herself.

"Come here," Kelvin beckoned, and Julie quietly walked over.

Kelvin grabbed her jaw and then wiped the lipstick on her soft lips with his thumb.

"Don't use lipstick in the future," he ordered, and Julie gently nodded to him in response.

A momentary silence breezed between Kelvin and Julie as their gazes slowly ignited the fire at their depths. He leaned on her and gave her a peck on the corner of her lips.

Julie kissed him back and flipped his switch, making him pick her up eagerly and sit her on the table.

Kelvin rolled up her miniskirt and nudged her to lift her soft legs.

"Aren't you worried? What if your girlfriend finds out?" Julie whispered in his ears, ragged.

Struck with momentary disbelief, Kelvin paused and inwardly scoffed, 'How could you still think about that at a time like this?'

Still, no way would that put him off. He pinned Julie down on the table and teasingly bit her ears.

"Concentrate," he whispered, jumbling her mind with his hoarse voice.

A tingling sensation then traveled down to her core as their blistering desire melded together, losing themselves in the heated passion.

Julie's then neat and puttogether appearance turned disheveled at that instance. She was bathing in sweat while Kelvin didn't seem washed over by the wave when the fever subsided.

Catching her breath, she languidly watched him zip up and walk away, looking dapper and impassive.

At this point, Julie didn't even have the energy to chew his ass. Lying flat on her back at the top of the table, she covered her eyes and tried to compose herself.

'What a 'man' he is. Jumping at every chance he gets. If he's not crazy, then I don't know who is.' She thought, talking shit about him in her heart while brushing her hair back into place.

Meanwhile, on his way back, Kelvin ran into the corridor with Cassey.

"What took you so long?" Casey asked, a little aggrieved.

"I met an acquaintance just now," Kelvin answered, sneaking a glance at the flushed and a little unkempt Julie passing by.

"Just had a 'good' chat," he added as he withdrew his gaze and smiled at Casey.

"Why? Missed me already?" he asked.

Casey bashfully nodded her head in response.

Suddenly, Kelvin went silent and cupped her cheek, keenly studying her face, which made the girl a little fidgety. His eyes held something she couldn't fathom and didn't know how to react to it.

Sensing her uneasiness, Kelvin flashed another smile, leading her back to their group.

Not long after, their dinner at the restaurant concluded. Kelvin walked out with Casey clinging to his arms while Julie continued to work until the restaurant closed.

Her exhaustion by the end of her shift was worse than hell. She felt like her body would break in half after Kelvin trampled her multiple times within twentyfour hours, on top of working 'till late into the night.

Worn out, Julie collapsed on her bed as soon as she got to her dormitory. The poor girl didn't even have the energy left to lift a finger, let alone take a shower.

The last thing on her mind before drifting to dreamland was whether Kelvin was having fun with Casey in bed at the moment.

'That man never seemed to run out of vigor,' she scoffed.

...

The following day, Kate's annoyingly loud voice chattering with their roommates woke Julie up. Kate was happily showing off the new things she had just bought.

Suddenly, Julie's phone rang and she grabbed her phone from her bedside table and answered the call.

Dylan's voice faintly slipped out of the speaker.

"Julie, get ready. We're having dinner at the old mansion today. I'll pick you up in a bit," he said.

Julie hummed and asked, "Did we have anything special going on?"

"My grandpa just got up and wants to see you," answered Dylan.

"OK, I'll get dressed and wait downstairs." Julie hung up the phone and stood in a daze for a while.

Even though he didn't love her, Dylan wouldn't break up with her. She detested this kind of entanglement, yet she was powerless to free herself from it.

She was just an average person without any power and background. What could she do? She would most likely end up getting crushed. That was merely crushing an ant for a man from a wealthy and powerful family like Kelvin.

Julie washed up and put on her shirt and trousers, combed her hair, and was ready to go out.

Feeling jealous, Kate couldn't resist asking her as she got to the door, "Julie, did Dylan ask you out?"

"Yeah. Dylan's coming to pick me up for dinner at their old mansion," Julie casually replied.

Then she recalled what happened last Saturday morning.

Julie looked at Kate with innocent eyes and asked, "Are you going out with your boyfriend today?"

"Oh, not today! He's busy today." Kate dodged her eye contact.

Satisfied, Julie slowly nodded and said goodbye. "I'm going downstairs then."

She waited a few minutes for Dylan in the lobby before he arrived. All eyes were on him as he got out of his car and strode toward her. He looked extra sophisticated and sunny with his charming smile.

She knew for a fact that Dylan was undeniably a goodlooking guy. However, Julie believed that his dashing looks could not conceal his rotten heart.

"Julie," Dylan greeted her.

"I love the way you dress, clean and simple. You look so pure, unlike those flirty women," he said admiringly.

Julie smiled brightly at him and said, "I'm glad you liked it."

"Let's go. Grandpa's waiting for you."

Dylan held her hand and led her to his car. He opened the door for Julie with a lighthearted feeling. But his sunny mood went out when he slid into the driver's seat and noticed a red mark on Julie's neck.

"Julie, what happened to your neck?" he curiously asked.

Julie subtly stiffened and casually brushed her neck. "I unintentionally scratched it," she answered softly.

Dylan frowned. "Be careful next time. Your skin is so delicate. You wouldn't want to leave a scar on you."

"Yeah." Julie nodded obediently. Her eyes shone with appreciation as she continued, "Dylan, you're so good to me."

"Dummy, it took me so much effort to chase you back in the days. Of course, I'm going to treat you well."

Julie almost flashed a cynical smile hearing him spill such sweet words like a water fountain. Fortunately, she still had her screws intact, lowering her head and acting shyly.

Assessing his dominion over her, Dylan felt proud yet disdainful in his heart.

'What a little fool.'

Arriving at the Anderson family's old mansion, Julie noticed the unusual number of cars parked in the mansion's parking lot but didn't think much about it. Considering that the old Brian Anderson woke up today, many people must have paid a visit when they got the news.

She followed Dylan to the main building hand in hand, and her heart skipped a beat when she locked eyes with Jimmy, standing by the doorway.

On the other hand, Jimmy had a flat expression and merely smiled at Dylan. "Mr. Anderson." He nodded.

Julie's heart raced, and her palms began to sweat. She had seldom seen Jimmy without his boss. If he was here, what were the odds that Kelvin wasn't? Nada.

Suddenly, the noise in the hall died away, and everyone's gaze was drawn to the top of the stairs. Her eyes widened as the man she dreaded to see descended the staircase.

Kelvin was a charismatic man. His presence alone could sweep anyone off their feet. Women were breathless, while men were raring with ambition. They crowded around him when he stepped into the hall, hoping to get acquainted. However, Julie felt otherwise. She desperately prayed not to be recognized by Kelvin, particularly now that she was dressed as a country bumpkin.

Unfortunately, fate had other plans for Julie. Dylan quickly let go of her hand and straightened up. He turned to face the man and respectfully called, "Uncle."

Julie sharply panned her gaze to Dylan, stupefied. She felt like her soul had escaped to outer space when she heard him.

Kelvin moved indifferently through the crowd, approaching the young couple. An unknown pressure tortured Julie's chest as she watched him come. Each stride he took squeezed her heart tighter, and cold chills profusely trailed down her spine.

Julie, cornered and petrified, could only droop her head and hope for the ground to split up and devour her right now.

Kelvin stood before the two with one hand in his pocket and faintly smiled. He neither looked nor intended to talk with the two men, but the girl beside Dylan piqued his interest.

"Who is she?" he asked, pinning his gaze at Julie, who shrunk behind Dylan.

"Right, you've only recently arrived home and haven't met her yet," Dylan said, putting his arm around Julie's shoulder, hugging her close.

"Uncle, meet my girlfriend, Julie," he introduced and smiled brightly.

"Julie," Kelvin muttered in repeat.

They fell silent for a little moment. Dylan detected something dim about that second, but he tried to ignore it. Not wanting to irritate Kelvin, he looked at his girlfriend and gently squeezed her shoulder.

"Julie, babe. Say hi to my uncle, Mr. Williams," he said.

Julie snapped out of it and nodded slowly. Clutching the sides of her trousers, she mumbled in hesitation before uttering a quiet, feeble greeting, "Hello, uncle."

"Julie," Kelvin mused on her name and said, "It's not an awful name."

Afterward, he averted his gaze and walked away.

Dylan gulped. He was briefly startled, but he quickly recovered.

"Take care, uncle. Julie and I will pay you some other time," he said politely, but Kelvin ignored him.

The young man felt embarrassed. It was rare for him to see his uncle, yet he failed to leave a good impression. Not to mention, people were looking their way with Julie quivering like a mouse.

He felt annoyed, but thinking of his Grandpa, Dylan just let it slide.

"Julie, let's go upstairs."

Julie pulled herself together and fixed her appearance. In the meantime, she flushed Kelvin off her mind. She had to deal with why she came here first.

As they headed to Brian Anderson's room, she recalled how kind and loving Grandpa he was. Brian was extremely kind to her, and Julie wished she didn't miss the chance to meet him when he was without ailments.

A wave of pressure swept her way as she entered the room. Inside were Dylan's parents, Lisa and Harry Anderson, standing beside old Brian's bed. While Harry kept a neutral look, Lisa couldn't contain her scowl. Only his Grandpa, lying sick on the bed, smiled at her.

The old guy beckoned Julie to come closer, making Lisa even more irritated, and begrudgingly stepped aside.

"Hello, Grandpa. How are you feeling?" Julie asked and smiled as she sat on a chair beside him.

Brian's face instantly brightened. "Good," he replied, seemingly a whisper.

The old Anderson had a lot of questions for Julie, and she patiently responded to all queries. It was the least she could do for someone who had always been good to her.

After their conversation, Brian waved for his assistant to come and had her hand a red money envelope to Julie.

"Don't be reluctant to spend it. Buy yourself some pretty dresses," Brian said.

Julie squeezed the red envelope. She nodded in response, feeling like she was about to cry.

"When Grandpa gets better, I'll ensure you and Dylan get engaged. Only when Grandpa sees you two get married will I be able to depart this world in peace," the old man said.

Julie smiled sympathetically and gently shook her head. "Grandpa, don't say stuff like that. You're going to live a long life."

Guilt had consumed Julie's conscience. Sadness swept across her heart as she realized she couldn't grant his request. Marriage was impossible between Dylan and her.

From the start, she was doomed to fail this old man's good intentions.

"Silly girl." Brian chuckled, looking at her with slightly misty eyes.

His warm gaze then turned sharp as he faced Dylan and his parents.

"You all should treat Julie well. If someone bullies her, I swear I'll break his legs!" The old guy warned.

Dylan nodded and swore that he would always be good to Julie, and both of his parents promised to treat Julie well.

Brian smiled with satisfaction and chatted with Julie for a while before he drifted off to sleep again, exhausted.

Once they left the old mansion, Dylan sent Julie back to her dorm and left in a hurry on the pretext of having something to do.

Whatever urgent thing it was that he had to do this late at night, Julie didn't care. A lot happened this day, and her head hurt from trying to process them. So she called it a night and went upstairs. But just before getting to her floor, her phone rang.

Julie glanced at the number, looked around, then picked it up. "Jimmy?"

"Miss Jones, the car's downstairs. Mr. Williams is waiting for you," he responded.

Julie paused heavily before responding, "Okay."

She slowly went back down, unknowingly tightening her grip on her phone. She headed around the block and looked for the car.

Under the moonlight, Kelvin's silvergrey Bentley shone with a cold light, and for a moment, Julie did not dare to come closer.

But she had no way of turning back now that things had come to this. She bit her lip and gathered up her courage to walk over.

Jimmy opened the car door for her, and Julie obediently slid into the car and sat down next to Kelvin. The assistant gave the two privacy and walked ten steps away for a smoke.

Inside the car, the two bathed in heavy silence. It wasn't that Julie didn't know what to say. She was unsure how to begin since Kelvin remained only still, and his intense gaze made her uncomfortable.

On the flip side, Kelvin was studying her from head to toe. She still wore the same ruffled collar, white shirt, jeans, and white sneakers he saw her in earlier in the day. Her long hair was soft and straight, with fringes softly laid over her eyebrows and without makeup. She looked very young, like a high school student.

Kelvin looked at her coldly for a while before he spoke, "Babe."

His voice was slightly deep, like a gentle feather brushing Julie's heart. She shuddered, then lowered her head and softly nodded.

"Is that how Dylan usually calls you?" He vaguely asked.

"Sometimes." Her voice came out faint yet loud due to the silence enveloping them.

"In bed?" Kelvin flatly asked.

Julie couldn't pick out any emotion from Kelvin's voice, but she felt pinches around her heart. She darted a glance at him, wanting to say something but couldn't make a sentence. In the end, she drooped back without answering.

A cold smirk curved on his lips. This girl wasn't bad at pretending to be innocent. Was this how she made his stupid nephew fall for her? Perhaps.

Kelvin gently grabbed her jaw and forced her to look him in the eyes.

"Was that on purpose?" he asked, laced with mockery.

Julie frowned in confusion and stuttered, "W...What?"

Kelvin looked at her as if watching a performance.

"Did you hit on me on purpose?" he coldly asked, almost like a growl.

Julie shook her head vigorously, anxious to cry.

"No, I wasn't. I didn't know you and Dylan were closely related. I swear!" she frantically replied.

If she knew, she would rather be dead than hit on him.

Seeing how panicstricken she was, convinced Kelvin that she was not lying.

"You're his girlfriend, huh?" he said, letting her go.

Julie looked outside the window, blinking her reddened eyes away.

"Yes," she replied, shaken.

"Were the Andersons lacking wealth that they would let their youngest son's girlfriend sell herself for money?" Kelvin huffed.

Julie flushed in shame. Kelvin's words were awful, but what she did was something she wasn't proud of doing either.

She gritted in silence, unable to talk back.

Hearing nothing from her, Kelvin dismissively canceled his question. "Forget it. I'm not interested."

"S...sorry..." Julie quavered.

"I'll disappear from your life and won't cause any trouble in the future—" she added, but Kelvin cut her off.

"Trouble?" Kelvin slightly raised his eyebrows.

"You're Dylan's... uncle," Julie cautiously clarified.

Kelvin felt agitated hearing her mention 'uncle' so naively.

Panning his gaze to the front, he loosened his tie in frustration.

"So what?" he callously remarked.

Julie held not much weight in his heart. Why would he care about a mindless nephew?

"AAnyway, I will disappear later. I promise..." she swore yet again.

"You were bold when you first climbed into my bed. Why are you afraid now?" Kelvin sneered.

"Dressing so pure next to Dylan and slutty in front of me...."

A cynical laugh escaped his mouth.

"So, which one are you?" he mockingly asked, leaning toward her.

"Babe?" Kelvin whispered quite menacingly.

Julie shuddered. Her name rolled off his tongue terrifyingly yet still sounded electrifying in her ears. Thankfully, she had long hair that could hide her redness, or she wouldn't be able to live past this embarrassment.

She retreated awkwardly, but Kelvin pressed her further onto the seat.

"Are you pretending to be naive or..." he trailed off purposely and tucked her hair behind her ears.

"Pretending to be slutty?" he continued, letting out an incredulous chuckle upon seeing her red as a tomato.

Julie wanted to deny everything. She hated pretending to be pure, but Dylan's grandfather liked her that way, and Dylan and all of the Andersons drove her into the act. As for being promiscuous, she noticed how Kelvin was staring at a particularly hot woman the day they first met and only assumed that he was into that type.

Perhaps in that sense, she and Kelvin were alike. She jumped the gun at the first sign of opportunity she saw to get by.

While Julie was musing about how to answer, Kelvin moved away, nonchalantly fixing his coat, and frigidly said, "I'm warning you. Don't bite off more than you can chew."

He delivered that so casually that it sounded a bit like concern. But Julie knew him better, and she heard the dark connotations of his words loud and clear.

"Don't mess with me, Julie."

With her hand clenched tightly into a fist, she subtly took a deep breath and slowly held her head high.

"I'll keep that in mind," she dryly replied.

"Also, I'm not interested in my nephew's woman," he added impenitently.

Julie looked at the man beside her snappily and stiffened upon seeing his frigid countenance. Kelvin was looking far ahead and giving her the cold shoulder.

She knew this wasn't the right time for spacing out, but many things had jumbled on her mind. Still, she understood what he meant. Irritatingly so.

She looked away and swallowed hard before nodding slowly,

"Yeah, I got it."

Julie waited for a moment, but he didn't say anything else. She opened the door and got out of the car as though nothing had happened.

When Jimmy saw her, he smothered his cigarette on a pocket ashtray and asked, "Miss Jones. Are you going back now?"

But Julie just walked past him toward her dormitory. A little lost in her thoughts.

Jimmy watched her get further away and got into the car, confused. He didn't want to pry into their business, but tonight he somehow risked asking, "Is Miss Jones alright, Sir?"

He glimpsed at his boss in the rearview mirror and found him looking at the window, following the direction Julie went.

"Drive." Kelvin only flatly ordered.

With that, Jimmy said no more and started the car.

As they drove past her, Kelvin caught a glimpse of her figure before disappearing into the building.

'She was so slim, and her waist was so thin,' thought Kelvin, reflecting a bit on his previous actions.

Perhaps he had been too harsh on her, but Julie withstood it all despite that.

"She's quite gifted. What a pity," Kelvin mumbled and then averted his gaze.

Jimmy glanced at him through the rearview mirror, reading his mood. After a pause, Kelvin gave another order.

"Delete all of her contacts."

It was subtle, but Jimmy flinched in surprise. Julie, after all, was the partner Kelvin was most fond of, or at least that was Jimmy thought.

Jimmy didn't overthink it and just nodded.

"Yes, Sir."

When he stopped the car, he quickly deleted all of Julie's contacts, including her phone number.

Meanwhile, Julie stormed into her dorm room, walking straight to the window and shut the blinds. She dug into her drawer, pulled out a notebook, and then flopped onto her bed. Her roommates had already turned the night in, but her little ruckus woke Leah up.

"Julie?" Leah asked.

Julie jerked and quickly glanced at her roommate. Leah was peeking at her under her sleep mask, concerned.

"What's got into you?" Leah asked again. "You looked mad as a bull," she added.

Julie faintly smiled and gently shook her head. "Nothing. I just took a jog on my way back. Sorry for waking you up," she reasoned.

Leah stared at her for a second and covered her eyes back. "Alright, have a good night."

"Yeah, good night."

Julie then exhaled deeply. She briefly looked at the window and flipped through the pages of her notebook, counting all the money she had earned.

The money given by Kelvin and Dylan's grandpa should be enough for a while.

However, she had one problem looming before her. Breaking up with Kelvin meant that a large amount of her income would be gone. She had to think of other ways fast to keep a living.

Julie closed her notebook and crashed onto her bed, looking at the ceiling with tired eyes.

'Tomorrow's the fifth day of the month. It's visitation day again.' She wearily sighed. Whenever Julie thought of it, her body turned numb.

Erin Lewis, her biological mother, was an extremely disturbed person. Julie had her currently receiving treatment at a psychiatric hospital. But that cost her a lot.

Her mother frequently suffered from severe manic episodes, and she'd beat people up on top of smashing things and cussing, making it hard for the hospital staff to take care of her.

And last month, Julie wasn't left unscathed. Even now, she could still feel a tinge of pain in her forearm after Erin dislocated it. If it wasn't for the timely arrival of hospital security, Julie feared Erin would have beaten her to death at that time.

Still, Julie couldn't leave her mother alone despite Erin causing her trouble endlessly. She could only hope Erin would tone down a bit.

A heavy sigh escaped Julie as she closed her eyes and drifted asleep.

Julie went to the psychiatric center during lunch after class the next day.

Though she had no high hopes, Julie wished the universe would let her catch a break this time. She already had enough problems stacked on her plate. Taking a breather once in a while wouldn't be that bad, right?

However, expectations and reality don't always coincide.

When she walked to the nurse station, Julie ran into Erin's attending doctor, Doctor Cameron. Both immediately sighed when their eyes met and saw the exhaustion lingering in them. The doctor didn't have to say anything. Julie understood everything with just one look.

Doctor Cameron led her to his office, and the two sat with weary silence.

"She's pretty lively this time, isn't she?" she asked wryly.

Doctor Cameron gave her a sympathetic smile and nodded.

"Destructively so," he said and showed her the invoices.

"I see." Julie blinked her eyes away, biting her lip as she tried to hold it in.

Her body went cold when she saw the result of Erin's work piled in front of her. It was taller than the last time. Julie swallowed hard and went through the papers with trembling hands.

Erin's violent fits were catastrophic. All the numbers were making her dizzy. At this rate, even if Julie turned superhuman, she wouldn't be able to pay for all of it.

"I'm sorry about the trouble. I'll compensate everything as possible." The words felt crass like sand rolling off her tongue.

The doctor sincerely felt bad for her. Julie was still young but already had a world's worth of problems weighing down her shoulders.

"Would you like to consider transferring your mother to another facility? There are advanced treatment centers in J city for people with the same case as Erin's. The cost might be high, but they can provide better care which would be good for her," Doctor Cameron kindly advised.

Julie weighed it in her mind. Like he said, sending Erin to a better place might help. But the range of wouldbe costs scared her.

"How much will it cost, Doctor?" she nervously asked.

"Patients in severe cases like your mother need a lot of attention. At most, she'd have a personal escort assigned to her under a separate treatment program, which will cost around seven thousand dollars a month," he answered.

Julie froze and felt like having a heart attack. "Seven thousand, that's a lot..."

Doctor Cameron sighed. "Considering your mother's feat, you've paid us ten times more of that amount every month. I think reaching out to other treatment facilities would be good for you both. We're only a small center with limited staff. A good hospital would have more specialists that could attend to Erin's needs, so sit on it if you will."

Julie didn't know what to feel about hearing that. Doctor Cameron had helped her a great deal in the past, and she always felt grateful for his kind intentions. However, seven thousand dollars a month would be difficult for her to cover even if she scraped the bottom of the barrel this time.

She numbly sighed and nodded. "I'll think about it. Thank you, Doctor Cameron."

Julie left his office with a defeated smile and went to see Erin in the ward. She fought hard not to cry when she saw how poor her state was.

The nurses filled her in as to what happened. Erin had an extreme fit and broke the electronic door. She hurt a few staff members and almost caused a riot with the other patients, so the doctors had no choice but to tie her down to the bed.

Erin kept on wailing, struggling to break herself loose from the ties. And when her bloodshot eyes caught Julie, her hysterical fits got worse. It was as if she wanted to bite her daughter into pieces.

Seeing that, Julie felt heartbroken, but all she could do at that moment was to comfort her in a trembling voice, "Mom, stop it, listen to the doctor, okay?"

Erin hurled insults and glared at her menacingly. But Julie knew best not to react and ignored them. Besides, they weren't like words she hadn't heard before.

Julie hid her troubles behind a smile and said, "I will see you again on the 15th. If I save enough next month, I'll send you to the best hospital, so you don't have to suffer anymore."

Breathing a ragged sigh, she added, "And about Amy, you don't need to worry about her. Aunt is quite good to her. Every month, I sent her enough money for Amy's kindergarten fees and living exp—"

Yet before she could finish her sentence, Erin spat in her face, "Bitch."

Julie deeply closed her eyes and wiped the saliva off her face.

Erin's gaze was piercing with hatred, and it was apparent that she didn't even have an ounce of fondness for Julie.

And though mad, her voice was eerily calm. "Don't come to see me! Go to hell! Go and jump off the building!" she callously said.

Julie acted as if she hadn't heard her words and walked out of the ward after bidding her mother goodbye.

"I will see you again on the fifteenth."

She left the hospital in a daze and wandered around until she reached a park.

Julie walked to a bench and sat down, looking sullen. She suppressed a sob from coming out and tilted her head up, staring vacantly at the sky.

No matter what, she had to make Erin's transfer happen. If her arrangement remained as it was, she would only get sicker and continue to cause everyone trouble. Worse, she might end up hurting herself and others with her violent episodes.

Julie felt so lost right now. She sat still and watched the sky change colors as the sun went down, pondering how she could weasel out of this predicament.

She only had one choice left. Something she didn't want to fall back into but couldn't get away from it. The easiest way she could gather all the money she needed in a second.

Julie took out her phone and dug out 'Catherine's' number from her contacts. She hesitated for a few seconds but dialed it anyway.

After the call, Julie took a bus ride south of the city. She hopped on buses a couple more times along the way before she reached the doors of an inconspicuous nightclub, Feast.

Catherine was smoking in her office when Julie slowly opened the door on the verge of tears.

"What's wrong with you? Shouldn't you be busy spending Mr. Williams's money?" Catherine frowned.

Julie bit her lip with a shade of embarrassment. "It's over," she choked up.

Catherine sighed, "And here I thought you were blessed."

She opened her arms, motioning for Julie to come, and the girl didn't hesitate to accept her hug.

"Forget about it, he's a playboy anyway, and the time he spent with you was quite long for him." Catherine comforted her, but her worry for Julie was crystal on her face.

"However, I'm afraid you won't be as lucky as you were before this time. When you were with Mr. Williams, you were a virgin, and now that you've lost your virginity, I am afraid that you won't be able to fetch a high price," she solemnly added.

Catherine knew some stories about Julie, so when she saw her popping by in a trance, she felt sorry for her.

"I'll keep an eye on them for you. I won't let those unscrupulous men trample you," she said, tightening her arms around Julie.

Julie looked up with tears in her eyes and sweetly smiled at Catherine. "Thank you for helping me all this time, Catherine."

With Catherine's age, she could almost be Julie's mother. She looked at Julie's soft face and couldn't help rubbing her cheeks.

"You're so tender. How could Mr. Williams leave you?" She pitied.

Julie broke away from Catherine, wiping the side of her eyes. She neither answered nor said anything. Only a bitter smile curved on her lips as she looked down.

Catherine didn't bother digging deeper and just gently tapped her on her shoulders.

"Alright. I've got a lot of work to do. After all, you didn't come by just to cry," she said, and Julie passed it off with a weak laugh.

Catherine then walked over to her shelf and looked around her display of expensive alcohol.

"You must be in luck tonight, little snow white. Your visit was timely. We currently have guests in that room, and though they're steps below Mr. William's league, they weren't half bad."

"I guess the heavens hadn't abandoned me yet," Julie said incredulously.

"You bet. Well, I guess this would suffice." Catherine picked out a bottle and showed it to Julie.

"Those bastards wouldn't be able to say no to you with this one," she said and smiled at her.

"I owe you one, Catherine."

Julie's heart swelled from the kindness this woman had always shown her.

"Don't sweat it. It's on the house. Stay here, and I'll go and fish you a good patron right away." Catherine winked and then left Julie alone in her office.

Julie relaxed on a couch, feeling at ease knowing Catherine would surely strike her a good deal. But the relief was only momentary when she grew nervous as time passed.

The clock on the wall had ticked tenthirty, but there weren't any signs of Catherine returning yet. Julie started to think that scoring work and money might be impossible for her tonight.

She stood cradling her head and was about to message Catherine and tell her that she was leaving when the devil suddenly barged back in. And as soon as the door creaked open, Julie heard her cussing like thunder.

"Those jackasses! They're so hard to please these days! They kept on yapping about pure and naive girls! Are their brains ornamental? Would a girl like that even work here?! Bunch of dumb asshats!"

Julie stood there in shock throughout her ordeal. Someone must have pissed Catherine off. The woman just couldn't stop swearing.

"These are too slutty. These are fake virgins. Well, why don't you go to the fucking Buckingham Palace and snag yourself a princess, prince Charming?" Catherine spat, burning with sarcasm.

Julie didn't even have the time to calm her down. Catherine immediately dragged her into the dressing room before she could react. As they went in, Catherine rallied the other girls to help her get dressed.

The girls dolled Julie up and put her on a sailorstyle school uniform. A white shirt with striped lapels, a pleated navy skirt with kneehigh white socks, and a pair of squaretoed black brogues. She looked just like a schoolgirl.

'Did they say pure and naive?' Julie thought, almost laughing at this ridiculousness.

After putting on lipstick and fixing her hair, Catherine dragged her into the lounge she had talked about earlier.

The lounge was illuminated mainly by dim lights and was full of men in suits, but those elegant clothes couldn't hide the ugliness rotting in their minds. They looked at her like wolves when she entered, and their gazes followed along as she and Catherine went further inside their den.

Catherine smiled at those men and pushed Julie towards a man in his thirties standing at their center, puffing a cigar.

"Mr. Thompson, this is Julie. She's a college student who had to take parttime jobs because of a few difficulties at home. She wasn't a professional," she said, pitching Julie out.

Julie glanced at Richard Thompson. He looked fairly attractive and refined, which gave Julie the impression that he must be much gentler than Kelvin.

'At least He didn't look like a pervert.' Julie sighed in her heart.

Richard looked at Julie's pink cheeks and her cute body. His facial expression softened upon seeing something he liked, and he asked, "What's your name? How old are you?"

Seeing the smile on Richard's face, Catherine felt relieved and quietly left the lounge.

"Twentyone," Julie flatly answered.

"You don't look like a twentyoneyearold. It seems like you're the same age as my daughter." Someone commented and smiled.

"What are you saying? You animal!" Another cracked out.

Richard also smiled and fiddled with Julie's hair. "Ignore them," he said and continued to ask, "Where are you studying?"

Julie answered his question and the questions after that. Richard's scrutinizing gaze changed to interest with each answer she gave.

Richard put off his cigar and slid his hand around her waist for a cuddle. "Have you ever been in love?" he hoarsely asked, laced with suggestive intentions.

Julie tensed up. Her body shuddered nervously upon their sudden close contact, arousing the men around her with this reaction.

Richard ran his fingertips across Julie's face. The softness of her skin flicked something inside him.

'This girl's skin was tender,' he thought.

Julie clutched her clothes with one hand and felt her heart beating like a drum.

Suddenly, the lounge's door burst open, and a sturdy shadow of a man entered, slowly approaching them. The drumming in her heart ended with a loud bang as the man's face gradually became more apparent.

Richard drew his hand off her and welcomed their guest with a smile, "Kelvin, what brought you here?"

Julie froze as if she had fallen into an ice cave. Kelvin broke up with her only yesterday, and now she was here. Somehow, she felt scared to death.

Kelvin didn't answer Richard's question and flopped down on the seat next to him.

Julie shrunk to the corner, letting her hair cover most of her face. Betting on sheer luck that Kelvin wouldn't recognize her. After all, didn't Catherine say she was lucky tonight?

Richard chatted with Kelvin for a while, though Kelvin didn't seem to respond enthusiastically to any topic. However, he noticed Kelvin's interest in the girl beside him was skyhigh.

Richard looked at Julie and smiled. "Julie's pretty young, and she's probably shy," he noted, wrapping one arm around her shoulders.

Julie still kept her head down and didn't dare to look Kelvin in the eyes. But that somehow tugged a little on Richard's dark side. Well, of course. Why wouldn't he have that kind of side? No refined gentleman would attend these shady meetings after all.

His voice went cold as he asked, "What's the matter? Don't you know how to say hello to Mr. Williams?"

Julie had no choice but to raise her head. She looked pale as a ghost. And with a shaky voice, she whispered, "M...Mr. Williams."

Kelvin's lips slightly arched, forming a stiff smile on his face while his hands fiddled with a copper lighter.

An ominous silence broke over them, and it started to confuse everyone in the lounge. Moments later, Kelvin closed the lighter and pinned his gaze on Julie.

"What did you call me?"

"What did you call me?"

Kelvin's voice shook Julie to her bones, making her hitched. She caught her breath and raised her voice slightly, but it still dwindled by the end.

"Mr. Williams..." she said.

Kelvin smiled and casually leaned back in his chair without taking his eyes off Julie.

"You didn't call me that in the Andersons' mansion that day." He chuckled in mockery.

Julie's heartbeat quickened, and she didn't know where to look.

'Damn it! Coincidence or not, this mad dog's here to bite me!' she indignantly thought, clicking her tongue.

Surprise and confusion riddled Richard's face, and he looked at them in doubt. "Do you know each other?" he asked.

Kelvin stirred the pulley of the lighter and lit a cigarette.

"Ask Julie. Let her tell you the proper way to call me," he casually noted, setting Julie's seat on fire.

Richard looked at Julie profoundly. Demanding clarity with his silence.

Cursing Kelvin in her head, Julie steeled herself and endured the pressure. Left with only one escape route, she forced herself to do as told.

"Un–Uncle," Julie stuttered, hiding her face from shame.

Taking the win, Kelvin blew a cloud of smoke with a smile. "She's quite the prankster, isn't she?" he said as he slowly stood up and looked at Richard with a warning gaze.

"Thompson, I hope you don't mind," he calmly said, but it came out with heavy meaning.

The two men paused, staring at each other for a second before Richard laughed it off. He understood clearly despite Kelvin not saying anything more.

"Go ahead," he replied, taking a shot of rum.

Kelvin snuffed out his cigarette and scolded Julie like a stern elder. "How wild you are! Get out of here!" he said and headed out first.

With her head down, Julie stood up and obediently followed Kelvin out of the private lounge. They walked away a little further until Kelvin stopped and faced her.

"Tell me, what's going on?" he growled.

His eyes bore holes through her being as he looked at her outfit with intense judgment.

Julie pursed her lips and talked back, "It is as you can see."

Still, she didn't look at him.

Kelvin scoffed. "Aren't you afraid that Dylan Anderson won't let you go if he finds out?"

At this point, Julie stubbornly looked up and sneered at him, "Do you think he's qualified to control me?"

Kelvin laughed in exasperation. "You've abandoned yourself to vice." he snarled.

Julie felt attacked and humiliated. He knew nothing about her apart from them frolicking in bed. Who was he to judge her?

Affronted, she snarled back, "Mr. Williams, you and I already called it quits. You don't have to meddle with my affairs, so mind your own business, okay?"

With that, she turned and left without looking at his expression.

Kelvin watched Julie go away in disbelief. Even when they broke off their arrangements, Julie never talked back to him like that. Somehow, he felt a little annoyed.

Julie should have seen how those scumbags inside saw her. There wasn't a single one who didn't drool over her. Even Richard Thompson was fond of her.

'She wrapped herself up with that tight and short cosplay rags. If I didn't come tonight, would she stay with Richard?' Kelvin furiously thought.

"She's good at pretending to be both pure and sexy. Of course, ordinary men couldn't escape from her seduction," he scoffed.

Kelvin lost his interest in Julie after discovering her relationship with Dylan. But her uncharacteristic attitude to him tonight rearoused his interest in her.

Recalling her defiant look as she talked back at him riled him up, making him smile in mischief.

Meanwhile, after Julie left Kelvin, she returned to the dressing room, huffing in anger. She took off her makeup, trembling in rage, and changed back to her clothes.

Since her business tonight got spoiled by Kelvin, she didn't want to stay here any longer. Just then, when she opened the door and was about to leave, she saw Jimmy standing outside waiting for her.

Julie pretended not to know nor see him and walked her way out. However, before she could get further, Catherine appeared like a fog and grabbed her arm.

Startled, she jolted and glanced at Catherine. She was smiling at Jimmy, but her eyes bore a glint of seriousness.

"Mr. Jimmy, are you looking for Julie?" Cheery, she asked.

Jimmy gently nodded and said, "Ms. Jones, Mr. Williams is waiting upstairs."

"Who wants to go upstairs? Let him wait as he wants. I'm not coming!" Julie released her arm from Catherine's grasp and walked off.

Waiving Catherine away, Jimmy glanced at his wrist and checked the time on his watch. "Miss Jones, you'd better not keep Mr. Williams waiting. You know his temper."

Julie stopped in her tracks, looked at Jimmy, and pursed her lips. That was a good threat that had her sit on the fence the second he said it. In the end, she nodded and followed him to Kelvin.

After leading her the way, Jimmy left Julie before one of the deluxe rooms at Feast. She didn't hesitate to walk in as soon as she got there, and the moment Julie opened the door, she found herself flooded with darkness.

Still, a bit of light from the floor lamp illuminated the room enough for her to see the man inside.

Kelvin sat on the couch next to the lamp, drinking. Half of his body was shrouded in the shadow, and Julie couldn't make out any of his expressions.

Julie stood still and didn't speak. Both of them were gauging each other in silence until Kelvin beckoned her.

"Come here."

However, Julie didn't move, annoying the hell out of Kelvin. He heavily put his glass on the tea table beside him and scowled.

Julie flinched, and though unwilling, she sauntered toward him. The second she got closer, Kelvin yanked her down to sit on his lap and took her arms.