Chapter 453

It had to be said that everything Lily said hit the mark.

She had nailed Julian’s current state down to the last detail, without missing a beat. She had seen through every blow he’d taken and frustration he’d buried.

Watching the unhappy look on Julian’s face, Lily knew she’d won this round. There was no doubt about it. If nothing else, she was an excellent judge of character.

“What’s the matter?” she asked, her voice laced with sweetness. “Did I strike a nerve?”

Her smile was sultry, dangerously beautiful–even dressed in tattered clothes, she looked like a ravaged goddess.

And in the next second, Julian’s hand was around her throat. His voice dropped to a menacing whisper against her ear. “You’ve got a death wish, don’t you? If that’s what you want, I can help.”

His grip slowly tightened. For a moment, he genuinely wanted to kill her. Lily’s face turned ashen, her breathing cut off.

But she didn’t struggle. Instead, she forced herself to speak–slowly, word by word. “I bet… you won’t… kill me. If you’ve got the guts… then do it.”

Julian said nothing. He just stared at her reddening face, fingers pressing harder.

Then, just as her eyes began to roll back, he let go.

The second her airway cleared, Lily gasped, dragging in air like her life depended on it because it did. Tears welled up and spilled down her cheeks, purely a reflex from the suffocation.

“What’s wrong?” Julian leaned in, his voice a devil’s murmur. “You really wanted me to kill you? Dream on. You’re far too sweet and tempting. How could I ever bear to?”

“Killing you would be easy,” he added with a mocking grin. “But I’d miss you. Don’t let that keep you up tonight, though.”

Lily collapsed forward onto the bed, coughing uncontrollably. It took a long while before she could even begin to catch her breath. A vivid imprint of his hand flared red across her pale neck–clear, brutal, and unmistakable.

The moment Lily caught her breath, she screamed at Julian, “You animal! Get out! I don’t want to see you! Get out! Don’t stay here!”

Julian seized her jaw in an instant. “Don’t forget, everything you eat, wear, and use comes from me. You’d better behave and stop thinking about leaving.”

Hearing that, Lily couldn’t hold back her tears. Why did she have to go through all this? She didn’t even know who she truly was. She didn’t know if her family was still alive. All she had were those hazy fragments in her mind and Julian, like a demon rooted in every corner of her memories.

After everything she’d been through, something inside her had already changed. If death came, maybe it would be a release. But if she was to keep living, then she wanted and needed to know who she really was, what kind of life she’d once had, and who her family was. And if she got the chance, she would make Julian pay for everything.

Julian glanced at her and instantly lost interest. “What a buzzkill. A woman like you–if I forced it, I’d probably break you.”

He blew out a cloud of smoke. “Eat. I’ll come back in a couple of days.”

With that, he turned and walked out. Lily’s presence and the look on her face disgusted him. He didn’t feel a shred of desire anymore.

Only after Julian finally left did Lily release the breath she’d been holding. Her body collapsed limply onto the bed.