Man Of Honour: Never The Loser, Ex-wife!

The Betrothal

Julian went past his bedroom to the massive chrome and black dressing room filled with luxury clothes, footwear, and accessories.

They all held no interest for him as he went to a shelf at the end of the room.

Atop it was the picture of a beautiful brunette and a golden-haired man.

The love between the two pulsed through time as they smiled at each other like their world began and ended with one another.

Julian’s hand tightened slightly on the frame before he set the picture aside.

His finger traced the smooth wood. Then a quick finger scan made a clicking sound.

Julian stepped back as the upper part of the shelf retracted and flipped upside down.

An eerie glow bathed the room, and the light from the shelf focused on the opposite wall.

Almost immediately, a beeping fingerprint scanner appeared on the wall.

Julian placed his fingers on it, and the smooth wall immediately parted, opening inward.

Lights came on in what looked like a high-tech office as Julian stepped inside.

The wall closed behind him, with another scanner glowing on the inside.

Monitors, high-tech systems, holograms, and a projector stretched from wall to wall.

Their screens were blank at the moment.

Julian went to one and turned it on. He logged into his untraceable connection and sent a message to a pre-saved number.

“Hello, Mr President.”

As if the person on the other end had been waiting, a response came immediately.

“Hello, Man of Honour. It's so good to finally hear from you.”

“I understand you have a problem with our arrangement?”

“I know your principles about promises. But I’m afraid there have been monumental changes. My hands are tied. I hope you understand, Man of Honour?”

“Understood. Here is what we will do.”

Later that evening, Julian sat in companionable silence with his grandpa in his study.

They had eaten dinner and started with company talks.

When Harrold lapsed into silence, Julian knew his grandpa had something he wanted to say.

Mulling it over meant it was something his grandpa thought he might not like.

So, he let him find the right opening while his mind went back to what had happened earlier.

He had never really trusted politicians.

Still, they were a necessary evil.

After a little wheeling and dealing of his own, the president had listened to reason.

Even then, his assistant was already on his way back from completing the deal.

Another win for the Man of Honour.

The legend most had no idea walked right among them.

A legend he had created when he was twenty.

Julian looked at his grandpa puffing on his pipe.

A twinge struck his heart as he wondered if the old man would understand when he later disclosed his identity.

He had wanted to protect his family while the threat was still real.

That family had included Susan, once upon a time.

According to his ongoing investigation, that threat was still very much alive.

And he would not expose his grandpa to it, no matter how much he wanted to come clean.

“I wish you could meet her, you know,” Harrold’s words pulled Julian out of his thoughts.

He looked at the frame his grandpa was gazing at.

Without moving closer, he knew it was the picture of Esmeralda Cross.

His grandpa’s one true love and only wife.

She had died when his father was ten.

Harrold had never remarried, and many said Julian looked like her and had her spirit.

Julian did not mind being compared to such an indomitable woman.

As he came close to Harrold’s desk, the woman’s eyes twinkled with mischief as she tossed her curly head back in laughter. She looked magnetic enough to capture anyone for a lifetime.

His grandpa looked happily besotted as he smiled at the picture.

“Yes, I bet she could have taught me how to get into a lot of mischief,” Julian teased.

Harrold’s rumbling laughter filled the study, lifting the little sadness in his emerald eyes before he said, “Yes, I am sure she would have. We got into a lot of mischief ourselves,” he added wistfully.

“Old man, eww, no!” Julian said theatrically, and Harrold laughed again.

So, that was the opening, Julian thought, as his eyes went to another picture on the table. That of his parents.

He wondered where his grandpa was headed with that lead-in.

Harrold didn’t keep him waiting long. “I know you insisted on starting in the company from the lowest position possible. Though I don’t like it, I agreed with you on that. But I want you to agree with me on this, too.”

“Trade by barter?” Julian teased.

“It’s called compromise, you scoundrel,” Harrold huffed.

“Alright. Out with it, old man. We don’t want you having indigestion, you know.”

Harrold tsked at him and said firmly, “You’re twenty-eight and not getting any younger. You should think about it.”

Julian’s smile died as he asked tersely, “About what?”

“The betrothal with the Jenkins, my boy. I promised Saint. Now that he’s gone, I feel bad for not keeping my word. You turned it down then and went after your heart’s desire. Now that that didn’t work out, you should consider it.”

The reminder of Susan soured Julian’s mood, and he went back to sit in the high-backed chair facing his grandpa.

It had been five years. Five years since he rejected that betrothal.

Why the hell was she not married with two kids already?

He didn’t realise he had said that last part aloud until his grandpa cleared his throat and said, “Well, I heard that she is quite… peculiar. She’s an astronaut, you know.”

He remembered she had been studying astronomy back then.

“How peculiar?” he asked, eyes keen on the slight discomfort in his grandpa’s face.

“Well, it’s just a silly rumour.” Harrold waved his hand dismissively. Then asked, “So, will you consider it?”

“I’m more interested in ‘peculiar’,” Julian insisted.

“Oh, you can be quite stubborn at times,” Harrold blew out his breath.

When Julian merely raised his brow at him, he gave in. “Well, like I said, it is silly. The girl did not really show that tendency. At least not that I’ve heard of. But her mother… she thinks she prefers skirts.”

“Skirts? Isn’t that normal for fe—” Realisation dawned on Julian and his eyes glinted. “Girls. You mean she likes girls?”

“Like I said. It’s a silly rumour. Forget I said anything. If you’re adamant about not meeting her, then you should start looking for others. I really would like to see your children before I finally leave, you know.”

Oh, Julian was definitely interested.

Even though he was starting small at Cross Group, sooner or later, his identity would be known to all.

That would bring many inconveniences, including female attention.

Julian had no intention of ever giving another his heart the way he had done with Susan.

What better way to ward off advances than getting engaged to a woman who didn’t want him anyway?

It was perfect.

“I am interested,” he said.

Harrold looked so shocked that Julian raised his brow.

“What? Don’t look so surprised. I am interested in her. Arrange the meeting, old man.”

Before his grandpa could ask him the reason for his change of mind, he yawned and stood up.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get my beauty sleep in time for my first day at work as an assistant’s assistant. Don’t stay up too long, old man. Good night.”

“Good night,” Harrold called after him.

Life really could turn around within twenty-four hours, Julian thought as he remembered where he had been in the past twenty-four.

His smile turned cold as he headed to his floor.

“This time no one will get the chance to take me for granted. Not ever.”