Married to Julian Grey

Elena's POV It was the same dream again. The one I always had. I found myself standing in a large bedroom I didn't recognize. The room was quiet. Too quiet. Gold patterns wound across the walls in intricate designs I couldn't understand. They caught the light in a way that made them seem almost alive, shifting subtly whenever I looked too closely. And then I saw him. He was always there. Standing in the same place. As though every dream began with him waiting for me. I never remembered seeing him arrive. He was simply there. Watching. He wore a black robe unlike anything I had ever seen. The fabric draped over his shoulders and fell in heavy folds, leaving part of his chest exposed. Beneath it, hard muscle caught the golden light, the lines of his body carved with a precision that didn’t feel human. The sight looked mesmerizing. And for reasons I couldn’t explain, it felt familiar. I couldn't see his face clearly. Every time I tried to focus on it, the details slipped away, as though my mind refused to hold onto them for long. But I could feel his gaze, and it made my chest tighten. I didn’t move. I never did. He came closer slowly, like he already knew I wouldn’t step away. And I didn’t. My breathing changed as he approached. My thoughts began to fade at the edges. He stopped in front of me. Very close. I had to tilt my head slightly to meet where I felt his attention on me. His hand lifted and brushed lightly along my jaw. The touch was soft, but it sent a quiet shock through me. And everything in me went still. Not from fear. From something deeper I couldn’t explain. Like my body responded before my thoughts could form. He leaned in. And kissed me. The kiss was slow, deep, certain—like he wasn’t guessing, like he already knew how I would respond. His hand slid to the back of my neck, fingers threading into my hair, holding me there as his lips moved against mine until I couldn’t remember how to breathe. He guided me forward without speaking. I followed. We reached a large bed draped in deep red silk. The color stood out against the gold and shadows surrounding it. I sat because he led me to, the silk cool against the backs of my thighs. He lowered me onto the mattress, bracing one arm beside my head. His other hand traced up my side, fingertips leaving fire along my ribs, my waist, the curve of my hip. When his mouth returned to mine, the kiss turned hungrier. He kissed me until the gold on the walls blurred, until the only things that existed were the slide of his lips, the weight of his body, and the way my hands found his shoulders and clung. His breath was hot against my throat. He kissed there too—slow, lingering—and I arched into him, a soft sound escaping me before I could stop it. His palm flattened against my lower back, pulling me closer as his mouth returned to mine. Everything narrowed to that moment. To his lips. To his hands. To the way my body answered his without permission. And just before it reached anything more— I woke up. A sharp sound cut through the silence. “Beep… beep… beep…” The alarm. I blinked slowly, the dream fading around me as reality settled back into place. For a moment, I stayed still beneath the blankets, staring at the ceiling while my heartbeat slowly steadied. But the feeling remained. The warmth of his hands. The pressure of his mouth against mine. The way my body had answered him so easily. I swallowed hard and pushed myself upright. “It was just a dream,” I whispered. But even saying it out loud didn’t make it feel less real. I reached for my phone beside the bed. And froze. 8:17 AM. “Oh no.” I threw the blankets aside and rushed out of bed. Everything after that became hurried movement and panic. I brushed my teeth while searching for clothes, nearly dropped my phone twice, and abandoned the idea of breakfast completely. By the time I rushed out of my apartment building, the city was already alive. Cars flooded the streets. People moved quickly along the sidewalks. The noise felt overwhelming after the silence of the dream. I tightened my grip on my bag and started toward the bus stop. If I was any later, Mr. Lawson was definitely going to lecture me again. I checked the time once more and groaned softly. “Perfect.” That was when I heard the horn. Loud. Sharp. Too close. My head turned instantly. A bus swerved hard around the corner, tires screeching violently against the road. An elderly woman stood frozen in the middle of the street. The world seemed to slow for half a second. Everything happened fast after that. I moved before anyone else did. My hand caught her arm, pulling her back just as the bus rushed past us. Wind whipped through my hair. People gasped nearby. The old woman trembled beside me, her breathing uneven. “Oh my God…” she whispered shakily. I steadied her carefully. “You’re alright,” I said softly. She nodded weakly, still shaken. “Thank you…” I gave her a small smile, but my attention drifted briefly to my own hands. The timing had been too precise. Too fast. But not unfamiliar. Moments like this had followed me my entire life. Small things. Strange instincts. Catching objects before they fell. Moving before accidents happened. Reacting a second too quickly. I learned a long time ago not to think too deeply about it. The woman thanked me again before carefully crossing toward the sidewalk. Once I knew she was safe, I checked my phone again and nearly cursed. Definitely late now. I hurried down the street toward Aurelius Group Tower, the massive glass building rising high above the city like it belonged to another world entirely. And for some reason, as I stared up at it— that strange feeling returned again.