Chapter 9
What Julian heard wasn’t Avery’s soft voice, but a cold recording. “Sorry, the number you’ve dialed is busy. Please try again later.”
Julian clenched the phone so hard, the veins on his hand bulged.
He called again and again, but the same message hummed through the line no matter how many times he tried.
A hard chill settled over his face, and something darker flickered behind his
Avery had actually blocked him?
eyes.
Noticing Julian’s stormy face and his repeated dials, Jace let out a mocking laugh. “She blocked you? Good. You’re dumping her anyway. Now, you don’t even have to bother.”
The jab cut straight to Julian’s heart. Anger surged through his chest, threatening to tear away
what little control he had left.
He couldn’t stand being cut off like this, especially not by the woman who had always bent to
his will.
“Shut up!” he snapped coldly.
Jace was caught off guard by his sudden outburst. He only shrugged and stayed quiet, though curiosity lingered in his amused gaze.
Julian slammed the phone onto the desk with a heavy thud. He drew a sharp breath, forced his anger down, and reached for the landline to dial his assistant, Daniel Carter.
“Find Avery,” he said with a clipped and unquestionable tone. “I want to know where she is right now. You have five minutes.”
The wait stretched until the air in the study felt heavy.
Jace flicked a lighter open and shut and kept sneaking glances at Julian’s stern profile.
His phone finally rang. “Mr. Mercer, we found something,” Daniel said carefully. “Ms. Whitlock withdrew from Northbridge University this morning. Then, she boarded a 9:00 am flight to Lambain, Ardenia.”
“She dropped out and left the country?” Julian’s brow furrowed. “Who approved that?”
Avery had left for only one reason-she had figured it all out.
The realization hardened his unease into panic and fury he couldn’t even define.
“Get me her address and the university she’s enrolled at in Lambain! I want it now!” he
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barked, gripping his phone until his knuckles went white.
“Yes, Mr. Mercer.” Daniel nodded quickly and hurried off to carry out the order.
Jace let out a low whistle and grinned. “She runs fast. Too bad I wasn’t done with her. Killer body. She’s a damn good lay-”
“Jace!” Julian cut him off, his gaze sharp as a blade, and the warning unmistakable. “I said, shut up. Do you understand?”
Jace paused at the violence in Julian’s eyes and pulled back a little, although a faint, mocking smile still tugged at his lips.
Julian pulled at his collar in frustration, anger surging inside him with nowhere to vent. How could she just leave like that?
Watching Julian seethe seemed to amuse Jace. He nudged Julian’s shoulder and teased, ‘ What’s with the temper? That’s not like you. Don’t tell me you actually fell for Avery…”
11
He dragged out the words, watching Julian’s reaction. “Anyway, since you’re moving on with Tessa, I’m not done with Avery. I had her for two years, and I still think about it. She’s soft and obedient. I’ll win her back and enjoy her again. Why let that go to waste?”
Julian’s expression darkened, snapping before he could stop the words, “No! Drop it!”
Jace blinked at his reaction, then scoffed. “Come on. You’ve got Tessa now. Why do you care who I go after? Avery was just a plaything you tossed aside. I’ll take over from here. It won’t affect you.”
Julian was struck speechless by his words.
Indeed, he was about to have Tessa. Avery was nothing but a pawn he’d already used. So why should it matter? Why did he stop Jace?
Still, something in him bristled, rejecting the thought with no explanation.
“I said, no!” he repeated. “Do you understand?”
Jace had never treated a boundary as anything but a dare. He pulled out his phone and started tapping
“Alright, then. Mind your own business. I’m bored with Northbridge University, anyway. I’ll transfer to the university Avery enrolled in over in Lambain. That way, I can get closer to her. Maybe she’ll fall for me once the homesickness kicks in.”
He spoke as if it were nothing but a game. While he was talking, he was already messaging an agency to rush the transfer paperwork.
Chayes to
