chapter 10
1684 Words
(Julian pov)
The heavy oak door of the private office clicked shut behind Vivienne as she stormed out, her blood boiling with a mix of fury and disbelief.
Inside the quiet office, the instructor stood motionless by his desk for a long moment, watching the space where she had just been standing. A slow, dark smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth—part amusement, part dangerous fascination.
"She has quite the temper, doesn't she?"
From the shadows near the corner bookcase, a young man in his mid-twenties stepped forward. It was Leo, Julian’s trusted chief executive assistant, who had been quietly reviewing a tablet of corporate logistics.
Julian turned to look at him, his dark grey eyes sharpening back into corporate authority. "She's fighting a war she doesn't even know the scale of, Leo. A little fire is to be expected."
"Shall I cancel the evening schedule, Mr. Julian?" Leo asked calmly, adjusting his slim-fit suit jacket.
"No," Julian replied, walking over to his desk and picking up his fountain pen. "Keep the evening clear. And Leo—have one of our private couture houses deliver a formal dinner dress to her residence hall by five. Ensure it fits."
Leo raised an eyebrow slightly, a knowing look crossing his face. "A formal dress, sir? I thought this was supposed to be a lesson in compliance, not a social outing."
"It's both," Julian said, his voice dropping into a low, absolute register. "Make sure my driver picks her up at seven sharp. She owes a debt, and it's time she pays the first installment."
Leo nodded, slipping the tablet under his arm. "Consider it handled, Mr. Julian."
With a brief nod from Julian, Leo turned and exited through a private side door, leaving the billionaire heir alone to finalize his plans for the evening.
A short time later, having wrapped up his paperwork, Julian decided to clear his mind and head down to the campus cafeteria for a quick black coffee before his afternoon lectures.
As he walked past the tall glass partitions of the dining hall, his steps slowed. Seated near the window was Vivienne, chatting animatedly with the photographer kid, Liam. Julian’s gaze darkened slightly, his protective instincts warring with the irritation of seeing her laughing with someone else so soon after their clash.
He paused just out of sight behind a structural pillar, intending to walk over and remind her of their upcoming evening, when her voice suddenly cut through the ambient noise of the cafeteria, sharp and loud enough to carry across the room.
"Ask him?" Vivienne scoffed, throwing her hands up in utter disgust. "Are you out of your mind, Liam? That old man wouldn't know a creative project if it hit him in the face! He's just a miserable, controlling, manipulative tyrant who probably wears tweed pajamas and gets off on bossing students around!"
Liam froze. His eyes widened in absolute horror, staring at a point just over Vivienne's shoulder. He raised a hand frantically, whispering, "Vivienne... stop. Stop talking."
"I won't stop!" Vivienne ranted on, completely blind to the sudden, icy shift in the atmosphere behind her. "I swear, if that pompous fossil thinks he can boss me around, he's got another thing coming. He's just an arrogant old—"
"Miss Vance," a deep, dangerously smooth voice cut through the air, chilling the blood in Vivienne's veins.
Vivienne stiffened. Every muscle in her body locked up.
Standing right behind her table was Julian. He had shed his jacket, wearing a crisp white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled to his forearms, but his face was an absolute mask of lethal, glacial fury. His dark grey eyes bore down on her with an intensity that made the surrounding students instinctively lean away.
Liam shrank back in his seat, looking like he wished the floor would swallow him whole.
Julian slowly leaned down, placing both hands on the edge of the table, bringing his face dangerously close to Vivienne's. A terrifying, razor-thin smile touched the corners of his lips.
"An old man, am I?" Julian murmured softly, his voice dropping into a register so low and lethal it vibrated straight down Vivienne's spine. "Fascinating. I suppose we'll just have to see how energetic this 'pompous fossil' is tonight at seven sharp. Don't keep me waiting."
Without waiting for her to choke out a single word of defense, Julian straightened up, turned on his heel, and strode away out of the cafeteria, leaving Vivienne paralyzed in her seat, utterly horrified by what she had just done.
(Vivienne pov)
The heavy oak door of the private office clicked shut behind Vivienne as she stormed out, her blood boiling with a mix of fury and disbelief. He had actually ordered her—demanded a date as if she were a subordinate handed a corporate directive. Refusal hadn't even been an option in his mind.
By the time she reached the student cafeteria, her hands were still trembling with lingering agitation. The sprawling dining hall was loud, filled with the clatter of silverware and the chatter of students grabbing lunch between classes.
Scanning the room, her eyes landed on Liam sitting alone at a corner table near the tall glass windows, sketching something intently in a thick notebook. Relieved to see a familiar, non-threatening face, she walked over and slid into the booth across from him.
Liam looked up, his warm hazel eyes instantly picking up on her stormy expression. "Hey. You look like you're ready to commit arson. Everything okay?"
Vivienne let out a sharp, cynical breath, tossing her bag onto the bench beside her. "I am entirely fine, Liam. Just dealing with an insufferable ego who thinks he can dictate my entire life."
Liam offered a sympathetic, easy smile, closing his sketchbook and setting his pencil down. "Let me guess—more family drama, or did your stepsisters try something new?"
"Worse," Vivienne muttered, resting her chin on her hand. "The art instructor."
Liam chuckled softly. "Jude? What did he do this time? Aside from looking like he stepped out of a CEO's boardroom instead of a faculty lounge."
"He's overbearing, arrogant, and impossible," Vivienne complained, though the conversation quickly shifted as Liam slid his sketchbook across the table, opening it to a series of rough architectural drawings.
"Well, try to put him out of your mind for a second," Liam said, his face lighting up with genuine enthusiasm. "Look at this. I've been thinking about a long-term plan. Once I graduate, I want to open my own independent photography studio and gallery downtown. A space for real artists, not just commercial fluff."
Vivienne’s mood softened instantly, genuine interest sparking in her eyes as she leaned forward to examine the sketches. The layout was brilliant—industrial lighting, exposed brick, and a minimalist gallery front. "Liam, this is actually incredible. The lighting setup alone would give any editorial shoot a run for its money."
"Right?" Liam beamed, encouraged by her praise. "I was thinking, since we're both trying to carve out our own paths away from corporate noise... maybe we could actually make it happen together as a collaborative project."
Vivienne smiled, feeling a rare wave of genuine warmth. "I'd like that. Honestly, getting out of the cosmetic industry rat race and building something real sounds like paradise."
"We should get some professional advice on the business logistics before we commit to a commercial lease," Liam suggested thoughtfully, tapping his chin. "You know... we could actually ask Jude. For all his strict demeanor, he knows a lot about structure and composition, and he's surprisingly well-connected for an art teacher."
At the mention of the instructor's name, Vivienne's pleasant mood shattered instantly. The memory of his demand in the office rushed back, pushing her over the edge.
"Ask him?" Vivienne scoffed loudly, throwing her hands up in utter disgust. "Are you out of your mind, Liam? That old man wouldn't know a creative project if it hit him in the face! He's just a miserable, controlling, manipulative tyrant who probably wears tweed pajamas and gets off on bossing students around!"
Liam froze. His eyes widened in absolute horror, staring at a point just over Vivienne's shoulder. He raised a hand frantically, whispering, "Vivienne... stop. Stop talking."
"I won't stop!" Vivienne ranted on, completely blind to the sudden, icy shift in the atmosphere behind her. "I swear, if that pompous fossil thinks he can boss me around, he's got another thing coming. He's just an arrogant old—"
"Miss Vance," a deep, dangerously smooth voice cut through the air, chilling the blood in Vivienne's veins.
Vivienne stiffened. Every muscle in her body locked up.
Standing right behind her table was Julian. He had shed his jacket, wearing a crisp white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled to his forearms, but his face was an absolute mask of lethal, glacial fury. His dark grey eyes bore down on her with an intensity that made the surrounding students instinctively lean away.
Liam shrank back in his seat, looking like he wished the floor would swallow him whole.
Julian slowly leaned down, placing both hands on the edge of the table, bringing his face dangerously close to Vivienne's. A terrifying, razor-thin smile touched the corners of his lips.
"An old man, am I?" Julian murmured softly, his voice dropping into a register so low and lethal it vibrated straight down Vivienne's spine. "Fascinating. I suppose we'll just have to see how energetic this 'pompous fossil' is tonight at seven sharp. Don't keep me waiting."
Without waiting for her to choke out a single word of defense, Julian straightened up, turned on his heel, and strode away out of the cafeteria, leaving Vivienne paralyzed in her seat, utterly horrified by what she had just done
- Writer
