Chapter 48: Books Mean More Than a Cold Heart
Hearing Julian call her books “garbage” momentarily stunned Chloe. It took her a few moments to realize he was referring to the professional books she had painstakingly collected over the years.
Those books were her pride and joy, the result of years of effort and study. She knew that if she didn’t retrieve them, Julian would really throw them all away without a second thought.
“Fine,” Chloe replied quickly, hanging up the phone.
Julian felt a strange, indescribable emotion as he stared at the phone after the call ended.
Chloe, on the other hand, realized that the books she had left behind were heavy, both physically and emotionally. She would need help to move them all. After some thought, she decided to ask Mia for assistance.
She called Mia. “Hey, do you have time tomorrow? I still have some books at his place, and I need to move them. Can you drive me over to help?”
Mia, always eager to assist Chloe, especially when it involved Julian, immediately agreed. “Of course, those books are your treasure. After all the effort you put into collecting them, they can’t just be left to be destroyed. I’ll pick you up first thing in the morning.”
They arranged a time, but to Chloe’s surprise, Wyatt arrived before Mia the next day.
Wyatt, usually dressed in his academic or research attire, appeared more casual than usual, looking more like a university student. Chloe was taken aback.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“I think you already guessed–Mia overslept and asked me to come help you instead,” Wyatt explained. with a casual shrug.
Chloe went silent, realizing this was typical Mia behavior. Still, Mia had at least sent Wyatt, so it wasn’t all bad.
“Thanks,” Chloe muttered.
The two exchanged a few brief comments on the drive, but most of the trip was spent in silence. Wyatt drove carefully, sensing Chloe’s mood wasn’t great and avoiding rushing.
As they arrived at the gated community, the security guard greeted Chloe warmly.
“Haven’t seen you in a while. Busy with work?”
Chloe offered a polite smile but said nothing. Wyatt remained quiet as well–everyone had their own
secrets.
The silence continued as they approached Julian’s villa. Chloe unbuckled her seatbelt and turned to Wyatt.
“You can wait here, I’ll get the books and be right back
Wyatt paused mid–motion, his hand on the seatbelt, and looked at her. “You sure you don’t need help?”
“It’s fine. There’s not that much, I can handle it,” Chloe Insisted before heading to the front door.
She rang the bell, and Megan quickly opened the door. The sight of Chloe made Megan emotional, nearly to the point of tears.
“Chloe, I-“Megan began.
Hooks Meats More Thana Cult Heart
“It’s been a while, Megan. I’m just here to grab my things,” Chloe cut her off with a smile, trying to remain focused.
Before Megan could respond, Julian’s voice echoed from the stairs.
Julian, still in pajamas with his hair disheveled, stood at the top of the stairs, wearing a smirk Chloe couldn’t quite read.
“You’re quick. But do you really think you can carry all that on your own?”
Chloe’s smile faded. “That’s none of your concern. Whether I can or not is my business.”
Without another word, Chloe brushed past him, heading directly for the study. She acted as though Julian didn’t exist, like he was invisible.
Once inside the study, Chloe pulled out the bags she had brought and began carefully packing her beloved books, the collection she had spent years gathering.
Julian watched her from the doorway, sipping his coffee. His expression grew darker with each passing moment. Chloe’s silence, her cold indifference, only infuriated him more.
It took Chloe over ten minutes to gather all her books, organizing and packing them neatly into her bags. Just as she was about to leave the room, Julian suddenly moved.
He kicked the bags of books aside and grabbed Chloe’s wrist, yanking her back into the room.
“You really are something. When I asked you to come back, you said nothing and refused. But now, bunch of books, you show up immediately?” Julian’s voice was thick with bitterness
Chloe winced at the tight grip on her wrist. “You’re hurting me. Let go!”
But Julian wasn’t listening. “Let go? Why should I? To you, I’m nothing, right? I mean less to you than these cold, lifeless books. What do you think of me?”
for
a
Chloe glared at him. “You’re the one who broke up with me. You’re the one who didn’t care about this relationship. Don’t turn this around on me. You never asked me how I felt when you ended things, and now that the roles are reversed, you can’t handle it? endured so much in our relationship. What you’re feeling now is nothing compared to that.”
Chloe struggled hard and finally managed to break free from his grasp. She took a few steps back, her expression filled with disgust.
Seeing that look of disdain on her face only enraged Julian further. His eyes darkened, and Chloe felt a surge of fear–something bad was about to happen.
Instinctively, she took another step back, but the room was only so big, and there was nowhere to escape.
Her retreat led her to fall onto the couch, and Julian seized the opportunity. He stepped forward, grabbed her wrists, and pinned them above her head.
The difference in their strength made it impossible for Chloe to break free. Panic surged inside her as she realized what was happening.
They had shared intimate moments before, and Chloe recognized this sequence all too well. The familiarity terrified her.
Julian leaned in to kiss her, but Chloe turned her head away, filled with fear and anger.
“Are you insane? We’ve broken up! You can’t do this. Let go of me! Don’t touch me!” she yelled, her voice trembling
But Julian didn’t seem to hear her. He held her wrists with one hand while his other hand began to tear at
