2026-06-17 21:50:11The traditional market in the lower district of New York was always noisy, crowded, and filled with the aroma of fresh vegetables and the shouts of vendors calling out to one another. In the midst of the crowd, Chloe walked with agile steps, while Julian followed closely behind her like a loyal yet flat-faced personal bodyguard.
"Now, look at this. The fabric material is quite thick and the price is reasonable," Chloe praised as they stopped at one of the cheap clothing stalls in a corner of the market. The girl fussily picked up a plain black shirt, then lined it up in front of Julian's broad chest to measure his size. "What do you think? This is much better than a faded cartoon, right?"
Julian stared at the cheap shirt in Chloe's hands. For a former CEO who usually wore custom designer suits worth tens of thousands of dollars on Wall Street, the fabric fibers of this shirt certainly felt coarse. However, when looking at how Chloe's fingers painstakingly neatened the shirt collar just to ensure it fit his body perfectly, this cheap shirt suddenly felt far more valuable than the finest silk in Manhattan.
"A good choice," Julian replied sincerely, his eyes staring straight into Chloe's eyes.
Chloe chanced to be frozen for a few seconds, feeling her chest rustle slightly due to the intense gaze and thin smile of the mysterious man in front of her. To hide the pink blush that suddenly appeared on both of her cheeks, Chloe hurriedly turned around and began pulling out several crumpled dollar bills from her small wallet to pay the vendor.
As they walked home along the narrow alleyways while carrying shopping bags filled with soup ingredients and the new shirt, Julian deliberately synchronized his footsteps to Chloe's right side, positioning his robust body as a natural shield from the bumps of passing pedestrians.
In the evening, the savory aroma of chicken broth soup made by Chloe filled the entire space of unit number 405. They sat opposite each other on the floor, enjoying a simple dinner on top of the worn-out wooden table, interspersed with light laughter and jokes about how ridiculous the faces of the market vendors were as they tried to raise prices in front of Chloe, who was clever at bargaining.
For those few highly precious hours, the entirety of the darkness, the pain from Amber's betrayal, and the shadows of his mother's murder by Arthur Vance seemed to vanish from Julian's head. Inside this narrow room, he was no longer a ghost thirsty for blood and retribution, but merely a man named Ian who found his home again within a girl's smile.
However, when the night grew later and Chloe had returned to her own unit to rest, that warmth slowly receded. Julian sat alone in the midst of his room's darkness, slowly putting on the new black shirt given by Chloe, which turned out to fit his body perfectly.
He opened his old laptop screen. The next second, the glow from the System's digital panel reappeared, breaking the silence of the night with a cyber notification flashing in red.
[Phase II Main Mission: Valerie Vance's Private Auction Access Has Opened.]
[Execution Time: Tomorrow Night, At 20:00 in the Diamond Gala Room.]
Julian buttoned the sleeves of his new black shirt with one firm and precise hand movement. An ice-cold predatory smirk was once again clearly carved on his handsome face.
"This shirt fits perfectly, Chloe. Thank you," Julian whispered to his reflection on the dark glass window. "This clothing will be the best suit I use to bury the entire business network of my Stepmother tomorrow night."
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CHAPTER 16: THE STEPMOTHER'S GAME
Seeing the compliance of the restaurant security who began to move closer at Chloe's command, Amber finally beat a orderly retreat with a new defeat that was satisfying for the watching staff. The woman got back into the taxi with a loud slamming of the door, leaving the sidewalk area with the remnants of her self-esteem increasingly eroded.After ensuring Amber's taxi disappeared at the turn of the block, Julian stepped out from the shadows of the corridor, walking casually to approach Chloe who was arranging her breath which had briefly rushed due to the remaining adrenaline of the debate just now."Very excellent, Miss Supervisor," Julian greeted in a casual and awkward "Ian" tone, trying to melt the tension.Chloe flinched, then turned around and exhaled a breath of relief upon seeing Julian's familiar face. "Ian? Since when have you been here?""Long enough to see how you almost made that future leading lady of Vance cry on the sidewalk," Julian smiled softly, a sincere gleam tha
CHAPTER 15: SELF-RESPECT ON THE ASPHALT
Morning in Manhattan was greeted by a thin fog enveloping the rows of skyscrapers. In front of the entrance of Vance Midtown, Chloe Miller had just gotten off the lower district bus in a neat Supervisor uniform. Her steps were steady, bringing a new positive energy after her job promotion yesterday. However, the calm of that morning was suddenly shattered when a yellow taxi stopped abruptly at the edge of the sidewalk right in front of her.The taxi door opened harshly, and the figure of Amber Miller came out with rushing breath. Her appearance was no longer as ruined as last night; she had put on heavy makeup and new clothes to cover her panic. However, her pair of eyes, which were red and filled with veins of anger, could not lie. Amber's wounded ego demanded retribution, and the easiest target in her head was Chloe."You! Damn waitress!" Amber snapped, striding wide to blockade Chloe's path with a sharp, insulting gaze. "You feel very satisfied now, huh?! You think because that for
CHAPTER 14: THE BLACK SHIRT AND THE NEW TARGET
The traditional market in the lower district of New York was always noisy, crowded, and filled with the aroma of fresh vegetables and the shouts of vendors calling out to one another. In the midst of the crowd, Chloe walked with agile steps, while Julian followed closely behind her like a loyal yet flat-faced personal bodyguard."Now, look at this. The fabric material is quite thick and the price is reasonable," Chloe praised as they stopped at one of the cheap clothing stalls in a corner of the market. The girl fussily picked up a plain black shirt, then lined it up in front of Julian's broad chest to measure his size. "What do you think? This is much better than a faded cartoon, right?"Julian stared at the cheap shirt in Chloe's hands. For a former CEO who usually wore custom designer suits worth tens of thousands of dollars on Wall Street, the fabric fibers of this shirt certainly felt coarse. However, when looking at how Chloe's fingers painstakingly neatened the shirt collar jus
CHAPTER 13: A PIECE OF SINCERITY IN THE LOWER DISTRICT
The first morning as an occupant of unit number 405 was passed by Julian Vance with a different kind of silence. His new apartment room, located right next to Chloe's unit, was still completely empty, containing only a thin floor mattress, a set of worn-out wooden tables, and an old laptop with a cracked screen. Yet for Julian, these dull walls were far safer than the grand mansion of the Vance family which was full of bloody intrigues.Just as Julian finished tidying up his few pieces of clothing, a rhythmic knock on the front door diverted his attention. As soon as the iron latch was slid open, the figure of Chloe Miller already stood at the threshold with her apron still attached and a bottle of fresh milk in her hand."Good morning, Mr. New Neighbor," Chloe greeted, her eyes instantly peaking into Julian's quiet room. The girl chuckled softly seeing how minimal Julian's belongings were. "Wow, very minimalist. Do you truly intend to live like a hermit here?"Julian donned a thin sm
CHAPTER 12: THE MONSTER BEHIND THE DESK
Ryan Vance walked toward the small bar counter in the corner of the room, pouring whiskey into a glass with a slightly trembling hand. The contact of glass and liquid sounded cliché in the midst of the luxury hotel suite's silence, which had suddenly turned terrifying. After downing his drink in a single breath, he turned to stare at Amber, who was still sitting on the floor with a pale face.Ryan wiped his face roughly, his breath sounding shallow and intermittent. "I just faced Father," he whispered with a tightly clenched jaw. "And in my entire life, only today did I realize that the old man... he is truly a monster. Far crazier than we ever guessed, Amber."Amber crawled up onto the sofa, bringing both knees close together as her body suddenly shivered. "What did Mr. Arthur say to you? Wasn't it your property project that was hacked? He should be tracking down the culprit, not being angry at you!""He doesn't care who the hacker is, Amber!" Ryan snapped again, slamming his empty g
CHAPTER 11: THE QUEEN WHO LOST HER CROWN
The door of the luxury suite in one of Manhattan's five-star hotels slammed hard, leaving a deafening echo of impact. Amber Miller walked staggeringly into the room. Her appearance was completely ruined. The designer gown she wore looked crumpled, her pair of eyes were swollen from unbearable tears of frustration, and her blonde hair, which was usually neatly styled, was now disheveled. Even more pathetically, her left foot was bare; one of her high heels had been left behind on the dirty sidewalk of Vance Midtown."Bastards! Damn it!" Amber roared, launching her expensive Hermès bag toward the wall until the crystal ornaments there clinked loudly.She threw herself onto the velvet sofa, clutching her head, which felt as if it were about to split open. Flashes of the incident at the restaurant kept replaying in her brain like a broken cassette. The humiliation from Richard Coleman, the disgusted stares from the customers, and the satisfied smile she had briefly caught on Chloe Miller'
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