Chapter 9: The Rival's Arrival
1165 Words
Later That Night
The ride back to the manor was thick with silence.
Lexi sat with her hands folded in her lap, her pulse still unsteady. The city lights blurred past the window, but she couldn’t focus on them. She couldn’t focus on anything except Julian’s presence beside her. The quiet intensity of him, the way his fingers tapped idly against his knee.
I’ve been in trouble since the day she walked into my house.
His words haunted her. Had it been a joke? A careless remark? Or was there something real beneath it. Something Julian didn’t want to admit?
She stole a glance at him. He was staring out the window, his jaw clenched, his lips pressed into a firm line. The dim glow of the car’s interior cast deep shadows over his face, making him look even more unreadable than usual.
Lexi hated that she wanted to understand him.
She shifted in her seat. “So? Did I pass your little test?”
Julian didn’t move. “You tell me.”
Lexi exhaled sharply, frustration prickling at her. “I don’t know why I even bother trying to figure you out.”
A beat of silence.
Then.
“I don’t, either.”
She turned to him, heart skipping. His voice was quieter than usual, lacking its usual crisp control.
And when their eyes met.
She felt it.
Something unspoken. Something heavy and undeniable.
Julian’s gaze was unreadable but too focused. Like he was seeing something in her that he hadn’t before.
It wasn’t cold. It wasn’t distant.
If anything, it was too intense.
The car slowed as they approached the manor, but neither of them moved.
Finally, Julian exhaled, rubbing his thumb over his lower lip. “You should get some rest, Lexi.”
Lexi swallowed, forcing herself to nod. “Yeah. Sure.”
She stepped out of the car, her legs unsteady.
She told herself it was exhaustion.
But deep down.
She knew better.
The Rival’s Arrival
Lexi felt the shift in the manor the moment she stepped inside.
The atmosphere was different. The usual routine of the staff felt strained, their movements careful, their voices hushed. Even Mrs. Hawthorne’s usually neutral expression seemed tense.
Something was off.
As Lexi made her way toward the kitchen, she overheard two of the maids whispering in the hallway.
“Who is he?”
“I don’t know,” the second murmured. “But I’ve never seen Mr. Saint Clair like this before.”
Lexi’s brow furrowed. Who?
Before she could ask, a smooth, amused voice echoed from the parlor.
“I expected more from you, Saint Clair. Usually, your taste is impeccable.”
Lexi stopped.
The voice was rich with arrogance, effortlessly confident. And something else. Something mocking.
She turned the corner and saw him.
A man stood near the fireplace, swirling a glass of whiskey as if he owned the place. He was tall, sharp-featured, and devastatingly polished. Dressed in a navy-blue suit that fit like it had been tailored to perfection.
His piercing blue eyes flickered to her, and his smirk deepened.
Julian sat in his usual chair, fingers steepled together, his expression unreadable. But something about his posture was different. Tighter, more controlled.
The stranger let his gaze trail over Lexi, assessing, amused. “Ah. This must be the reason you’ve been so distracted lately.”
Lexi stiffened. “I’m sorry. Who are you?”
The man placed his glass down and took a slow step closer, extending his hand. “Sebastian Graves.”
His voice was smooth...Too smooth.
Lexi hesitated before shaking his hand. His grip was firm but easy, like he had nothing to prove. Like he already knew he had the upper hand.
“And you are?” he asked, tilting his head slightly.
Before Lexi could answer, Julian’s voice cut in, cold and sharp.
“She’s not your concern, Graves.”
Sebastian’s smirk didn’t falter. “Not yet.”
Lexi felt the air shift between the two men.
Julian didn’t move, but she could feel his irritation—subtle but unmistakable.
Sebastian was enjoying this.
And Julian Saint Clair did not like it.
A Game of Control
Lexi had expected Sebastian to leave.
But he didn’t.
Instead, he lingered.
He stayed for lunch, effortlessly charming the staff. He leaned against the kitchen counter, making even Mrs. Hawthorne chuckle. A rare sight.
And every time Lexi turned around, his eyes were on her.
Julian, on the other hand, grew colder by the hour.
His patience was razor-thin. His normally sharp responses became short, clipped.
By the time evening rolled around, Lexi had had enough.
She found Julian in his study, staring out the window, fingers tapping restlessly against the desk.
“Alright,” she said, crossing her arms. “What’s your deal?”
Julian didn’t turn. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Lexi let out a frustrated laugh. “Oh, come on. You’ve been brooding all day because of him.”
Julian’s jaw tightened. “Sebastian is an opportunist. He doesn’t do anything without reason.”
“And you think I’m his reason?”
Julian finally turned to her, his eyes dark and unreadable.
“I know you are.”
Lexi’s breath caught.
He took a slow step closer, his presence suffocating.
“Do you want him, Lexi?”
Her heart pounded.
She lifted her chin. “Why? Would it bother you?”
Something flashed in his gaze. Something dangerous.
Julian reached out. Slow, deliberate. His fingers barely grazed her wrist before he pulled away. A touch that wasn’t quite a touch.
“I don’t like sharing,” he said quietly.
Lexi’s stomach tightened.
This was dangerous.
Because if she admitted what she felt. If she gave in.
She wasn’t sure what would happen next.
So instead, she stepped back.
“I should get some rest.”
Julian let her go.
But as she left the study.
She knew.
This wasn’t over.
Not even close.
The next morning, Sebastian was waiting for her outside.
“Care for a walk?” he asked, hands in his pockets.
Lexi hesitated, then nodded.
They strolled through the garden, the morning air crisp and cool.
“I have to admit,” Sebastian said, glancing at her. “You intrigue me.”
Lexi smirked. “I get that a lot.”
He chuckled. “I bet you do.”
They walked in silence before Sebastian finally stopped.
“Come work for me.”
Lexi’s heart pounded. “What?”
Sebastian turned, his expression serious. “I’m offering you a job. A real one. No power plays, no mind games. Just work. Better pay. More freedom.”
A way away from Julian.
“I.”
“Think about it,” Sebastian interrupted smoothly. “But don’t take too long. I won’t wait forever.”
Lexi watched him walk away.
This was it. A choice.
Stay in Julian’s world…
Or leave.
And for the first time.
She wasn’t sure what she wanted.
- Writer
