After He Protected His Mistress, I Found a Lover

Chapter 5

Selena felt a sharp ringing in her ears, and the strength drained from her body.

She knew Julian didn't love her, but she had never expected to be so utterly worthless in his eyes.

A self-deprecating smile touched her lips. Blinking back the sudden sting in her eyes, she turned and walked away.

The two men on the balcony remained oblivious to her presence as their conversation continued.

Julian's friend gasped in disbelief. "Holy crap! Is the great Julian Vance actually falling in love for real?"

Julian didn't answer. He looked out the window at the neon lights illuminating the city's night skyline.

Taking a sip of his drink, he finally murmured in a low voice, "Gabriella reminds me of her."

"Reminds you of whom?"

His friend was even more baffled. After a long pause, he gasped, "You don't mean the woman from five years ago? The one whose face you didn't even see, but only watched dance once?"

Julian didn't reply, but his silence was confirmation enough.

*****

The banquet finally wrapped up at nine in the evening, and Julian and Selena returned to Royal Gardens together.

Both of them had been drinking and were slightly tipsy.

Back in their bedroom, Selena's eyes accidentally met Julian's.

Suddenly, Julian stepped forward and captured her lips in a kiss.

The next second, Selena was pressed down onto the bed. His large hand slid down her back, pulling down the zipper of her gown.

A flurry of kisses rained down on her, and her ears were filled with the sound of his heavy, ragged breathing.

The temperature in the room instantly soared.

Suddenly, a phone rang, breaking the silence.

Dizzy from his kisses, Selena felt the man over her suddenly freeze and reach for his phone.

The night was incredibly quiet.

Selena could clearly hear Gabriella's sweet, whiny voice coming from the receiver. "Julian, didn't we agree you'd spend tonight with me? Why aren't you here yet?"

Selena went rigid, her mind instantly clearing. The next moment, she heard Julian answer in a husky voice, "I'm on my way."

With that, Julian got off her and left without hesitation.

Selena was left all alone in the room.

Only the lingering scent of alcohol in the air proved Julian had been there just moments ago.

Selena lay frozen on the bed for a long time before sitting up, her face pale.

She hadn't expected Julian to stop hiding his affair from her altogether...

Just then, her own phone buzzed.

Snapping out of her daze, she picked it up and saw another message from Marcus.

Marcus: Why are you ignoring me, Selena?

Right after, he sent a photo showing off his eight-pack abs.

In fact, Marcus had been sending her these suggestive messages and photos for days.

Selena hadn't planned on responding this time either, but Julian's words suddenly echoed in her head: "That's just how our circle works. If it bothers you, you can find someone else too."

At that moment, she suddenly changed her mind.

Selena: Are you free right now? Come over.

Marcus: On my way.

Selena stared at the messages for a long moment, then took a deep breath and headed into the bathroom.

By the time she stepped out wrapped in a bath towel, the doorbell was already ringing.

Ding-dong.

Selena opened the door to find a freshly showered Marcus standing there.

The collar of his white shirt was slightly open, offering a glimpse of his chest, and his deep eyes were filled with affection.

He leaned down, lightly sniffing near her neck. "You smell amazing, Selena."

Selena froze.

She had never been teased like this by a man before; Julian had always been straightforward and clinical in bed.

Composing herself, she tried to sound assertive. "Come in."

With that, she turned and walked inside.

Before she could take more than a few steps, a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist, and she was lifted off her feet.

As she was pressed onto the bed, his pleased voice whispered in her ear, "I'm so glad you showered and waited for me. I showered before coming over, too."

Then, a flurry of kisses rained down on her.

During their first time, Selena had been drunk, and everything had been a blur.

This time, however, she was completely sober and fully felt the relentless stamina of the young college student.

After they emptied the box of condoms from the nightstand, Selena leaned against the headboard wrapped in the duvet, completely exhausted.

Marcus leaned in close and murmured, "Selena, your husband doesn't know how to cherish you. Why don't you divorce him and be with me?"

Selena was taken aback.

She looked at him with a faint, mocking smile. "Divorce... and be with you?"

For a moment, she didn't know which part of his suggestion was more absurd: the "divorce" or the "be with you."

A dark shadow passed over Marcus's eyes. "Am I lacking compared to your husband?"

Selena looked at his handsome face, thought for a moment, and pulled a credit card from the nightstand. "Take this card. Let's keep in touch. Be on call whenever I need you."

Marcus stared at the card for a moment before finally accepting it.

The darkness in his eyes vanished, replaced by a playful, charming smile. "Sure. I'll be waiting for your call, Selena."

Needless to say, Julian didn't return that night.

The next day, the project officially launched. Selena visited the campus lab and found everything progressing smoothly.

As she was leaving the campus, someone suddenly called out to her, "Ms. Arthur!"

Selena turned around and saw Gabriella Goodwin.

She was wearing a white dance dress, looking innocent and lovely.

Gone was the provocative look from her bedroom photos, the aggressive hostility of their first meeting, and the panic of being taken away by the police.

Selena arched an eyebrow.

Gabriella smiled slightly. "Ms. Arthur, can we talk?"