Chapter 439/The Chains of Mutual Jealousy

Chapter 439

Julie’s POV

I tilted my head up, my eyes blazing with pure defiance. Locking my gaze directly into the icy depths of his pupils, I spoke with firm composure:

"If you put this ring on my finger, Robert... it means I have authority over you."

His dark eyebrows shot up in dry, mocking astonishment.

"Really?!"

He tilted his sharp jaw, asking in a flat tone laced with utter disdain:

"...You have authority over me?"

I gave a sharp, unyielding nod.

"Exactly," I asserted with possessive sharpness. "And right now, you are not going to the club."

His dark brows knitted in suppressed irritation.

"Julie, you—"

"You can go to the club later," I cut him off instantly, thrusting my index finger right in front of his face. "And I’ll be right there beside you every single time you set foot in that place!"

He dragged in a scorching breath through his teeth, replying with a flat, brutal finality:

"That’s out of the fucking question."

I gave his shoulder a light, frustrated shove.

"And why the hell not?!" I demanded, fury lacing my voice: "I used to work there in the first place!"

His heavy steel hand shot out, clamping around my wrist with a firm yet gentle grip. He pulled me closer until his hot breath brushed tantalizingly against my cheek, whispering with a terrifying level of possessiveness:

"You belong solely to me now. I can’t fucking stand the thought of anyone looking at you there."

I sharpened my tone with that very same consuming jealousy, throwing the challenge right back in his face:

"And you belong solely to me! I can’t fucking stand the thought of seeing you there either!"

He tilted his head, his face remaining entirely stone-cold.

"It’s not the same damn thing, Julie."

A bitter, sarcastic laugh escaped my throat.

"Of course it’s not!" I scoffed in utter annoyance. "No one dares come near me there because they’re terrified of you... while any woman can just crawl up to you!"

His harsh features locked rigid. A royal, chilling purr laced with absolute confidence left his lips:

"When have you ever seen a woman come near me, Julie... unless I fucking permitted it?"

I threw my hands in the air, spinning away from him.

"I don’t know!" I threw over my shoulder: "Maybe you do permit it!"

Robert adjusted the cuffs of his black dress shirt with clinical indifference, preparing to walk past me.

"I’m leaving," he said flatly. "I don’t have time for this nonsense."

Panic surged through me at the thought of him stepping out that door. I rushed forward, wrapping both my hands tightly around his broad forearm, my voice shifting into a desperate plea:

"You can’t leave... because I want to see my brother first!"

He pinned his icy eyes on me, his tone unnaturally calm:

"Your brother is safe. He’s at a house owned by Carlos."

I looked up into his face with broken, vulnerable eyes, uttering a soft threat:

"I want to see him... and I will hold you accountable if you touched a hair on his head."

He shook his head in flat denial.

"I never laid a finger on him, Julie."

I tightened my grip around his arm, digging my fingers into his muscle.

"I’ll see for myself."

Robert ran his heavy palm over his face, letting out a deep, heavy sigh that carried a rare trace of defeat and helplessness. He gestured with his massive frame toward the exit.

"Ah... what the hell are you going to do to me in the future?!" He grunted, nudging me forward: "Go on, walk ahead of me so we can go see your brother."

I stood rooted to the cold marble floor, refusing to budge. His gaze slowly tracked down my body, taking in my thin pajamas and bare feet resting on the freezing floor.

"This isn’t the club, there are no women’s clothes lying around here..." He noted dryly. "...We’ll stop at a store and buy you whatever you need."

We descended the grand marble staircase side by side. The moment my feet hit the bottom step of the lower hallway, I cut right in front of him, blocking his path.

He halted his towering frame, his dark brows knitting together.

"What now?" he asked.

I didn’t hesitate for a fraction of a second. Throwing my exhausted body into his arms, I locked my hands around his broad back, holding him with a desperate strength that poured four lost years into a single embrace.

I buried my head deep into the warm crook of his neck, my voice cracking with tears and overwhelming warmth:

"I missed you so damn much, Robert... I missed your chest, your scent, your touch... I missed everything about you."

A wide, radiant smile broke across my face, lit with a sudden burst of hope. I lifted my tear-stained face to gaze up at his sharp jaw, adding softly:

"And I’m so happy... so happy we’re together again."

I buried my face back into his chest, inhaling the luxurious blend of rich woody cologne and heavy tobacco clinging to his shirt.

"All those years that passed..." I whispered with raw heartache, "...I could never forget you. Even when I thought you were going to sell me... I was always thinking about you, aching for you."

My chest pressed flat against his, my ear resting over the heavy, rhythmic thuds of his heart. I closed my eyes in total surrender, offering the absolute truth of my soul:

"I love you so much... I worship you. I would give you my entire life, Robert."

Silence fell.

Time froze inside the grand hallway.

I remained completely still against his chest, waiting desperately for any response... a single sentence, a warm word that would breathe life back into my soul.

But he simply kept his steel arm wrapped rigidly around my back completely motionless, without uttering a single word!

A searing wave of heartbreak shattered my chest. Slowly releasing my grip, I took a step back, gazing up at him through fractured, tear-filled eyes.

"Aren’t you... going to say anything to me?" I whispered softly.

He stared down at me with icy, completely unreadable eyes.

"Like what?" he asked with flat composure.

I swallowed the bitter lump in my throat, hot tears stinging the corners of my eyes as my voice cracked with a throat-slitting sharpness:

"Are you serious, Robert?! After everything I just said to you... you don’t think I deserve a response? Not even a single word?!"