Chapter 328

Sienna got up and headed back to her room. As soon as she opened the door, she found Julian standing right there in the hallway. She blinked in surprise and instinctively took a couple of steps back. "Julian? What are you doing here?"

Sienna had noticed something was off about Julian tonight. He’d seemed fine at first, but once they all sat down to eat, he went completely silent, just quietly sitting off to the side and barely saying a word.

Suddenly, Julian wrapped his arms around her waist, slipped inside with her, and pressed her back against the door. He switched off the main light, but the soft glow from the bedside lamp still lit up the room enough for them to see each other clearly.

Sienna was caught off guard. When she looked up at Julian, she saw his eyes were rimmed red, those deep eyes brimming with grievance and unease. His grip on her waist was a little tight, almost desperate, but he was clearly trying to hold himself back.

Then a single tear slid down his cheek, and that really startled Sienna. "Julian, what’s wrong? Are you okay? Why are you crying?"

Sienna reached out to wipe away his tears, but Julian suddenly leaned in, resting his head on her shoulder. “They all like you,” he murmured.

Sienna froze, caught off guard. Before she could respond, he continued, “Enna, I wish I could just keep you all to myself, but I don’t have that right.”

Then, suddenly, he said, “Enna, you don’t have to get divorced. I can be your lover. Would you be okay with that?”

Sienna was completely dumbfounded, her eyes suddenly clear. Divorce? Lover? What is he even talking about? she thought.

"Julian, you—" Sienna started, at a total loss for words.

Before Sienna could even get a word out, Julian pressed his lips to hers; his kiss was urgent, anxious, almost frantic, and completely impossible to resist.

When Julian learned that Wayne had been secretly in love with her for years—and that Miles felt the same—it hurt more than he could ever admit.

Their feelings were all sincere, and honestly, the Sinclair and the Quinn families were both powerful and spotless. Those guys had nothing holding them back.

In this whole competition, Julian felt like he barely stood a chance. Wayne had Nora on his side, and Miles had Claire. Both of them had every excuse in the world to be around Sienna, and nobody would question it.

Compared to them, Julian honestly had no idea what he was supposed to do.

Right now, Julian couldn’t wait for her to get divorced. Even if it meant being her secret lover, he was determined to be the first in line.

Sienna felt like she couldn’t breathe, as if all the air had been sucked out of her lungs. She pushed him away, gasping, “Julian, calm down."

Julian thought she was talking about the whole thing with him wanting to be her lover.

Julian said, “I am calm. Enna, I haven’t had a drop of alcohol—just water. I’m totally clear-headed, and I know exactly what I’m saying.

"I want you. Will you be with me? I don’t care about having a title. If anyone finds out, I’ll take all the blame. It’s all on me for being shameless and coming after you.”

Sienna was totally confused, barely able to make sense of what he was saying. What on earth is he misunderstanding? she wondered.

She tried to push him back and was just about to explain.

However, before she could say anything, Julian suddenly wrapped his arms around her waist, lifted her up, and set her down on the bed, sprawling over her with his arms braced on either side.

Sienna’s breath caught, her gaze fixed on the way Julian’s Adam’s apple moved as he swallowed. Sometimes, between two adults, a single glance is all it takes to know exactly what the other wants.

“Sienna," Julian asked, his voice low and intense. "Do you like me?"

Wayne and Miles had shaken Julian up way more than Thom ever could. Maybe it’s time I just let myself go crazy for once, he thought.

Sienna parted her lips, about to say "B-but" before she could finish, Julian crushed his mouth to hers, kissing her hard and not giving her a chance to speak.

Sienna could feel how uneasy he was, the tension in his body unmistakable. Sienna reached up, looping her arms around his neck to gently soothe him. "Julian, I need to talk to you. Please, just stop for a second.”