Chapter 32

Julian let out a low chuckle, utterly indifferent. “Rosalie is my wife, the lady of the Galloway family. If she doesn’t even have the right to speak her mind freely, then what’s the point of being Mrs. Galloway at all?”

Seated quietly to the side, Rosalie, who had remained silent, was visibly stunned. Her gaze flickered toward him; her lips curled into a wry, mocking smile. From the moment Julian stepped through the doors of Graham Villa, she hadn’t been able to decipher his intentions. And now, standing firmly by her side, defending her so brazenly before the entire Graham family, he left her even more bewildered.

She figured that if she hadn’t lived through their previous lifetime as strangers under the same roof, she might have believed Julian acted out of love. She might have thought that, because he loved her, he would shield her unconditionally. But now, his so-called protection did nothing to make her happy; it only deepened her confusion. Meanwhile, Julian’s words struck like a whip across Claudia and Helena’s faces, instantly altering their expressions.

They had been certain that, upon learning of Rosalie’s sharp tongue and callous nature, Julian would despise her even more. Never in their wildest dreams did they expect him to defend her so irrationally.

Helena seethed inwardly, her nails digging sharply into the plush sofa fabric. It was the only way she could suppress the surge of jealousy. She couldn’t envy Rosalie more. Watching the man of her dreams protect Rosalie like this made her want to grind her teeth to dust.

“And besides,” Julian continued, his voice casual yet merciless, “Ms. Graham here isn’t even my real sister-in-law.”

Each word landed like a dagger. The moment the sentence left his lips, Helena’s face drained of color. There was no mistaking Julian’s meaning. He wasn’t even trying to be subtle—he was making it clear that Helena was nothing more than a stepdaughter, an outsider in the Graham family.

Chapter 33