Part 2I Was His Secret Shame. Now I'm His Aunt.

After I was rudely thrown out of the room, Julian carelessly tossed my clothes after me.

Then, as if shooing a stray dog, he threw a stack of cash at me.

"Don't come back tonight! Go find a hotel to crash in!"

"Sloane doesn't like outsiders in the house!"

He didn't even bother to close the door properly before quickly tearing off his own clothes, pinning the dirty girl to the bed.

Their intimate moans filled the air.

My eyes burned with tears, my heart felt like it was stuffed with damp cotton, suffocating me.

He had once told me he had severe germaphobia, that he would never casually touch other women!

But his primal urges were so intense, he'd unravel without a female presence.

That's why, when I was eight, he chose me and kept me by his side.

On my eighteenth birthday, he 'unwrapped' me like a cherished gift, claiming what he considered his. My innocence.

It was the first time a man had ever made me a promise, and it came from Julian Reed.

He'd said I was his only woman, that perhaps in this lifetime, he would only ever have me.

Our connection, he'd claimed, was unparalleled.

But now, he called me an outsider. He took another girl, right in front of me.

And that girl didn't need to douse herself in antiseptic like I did every single time.

Even covered in grime, she was still pressed onto the white sheets by Julian, taken by him without hesitation.

He would lower his head, exploring every part of her, without a hint of disgust.

My limbs felt like lead, utterly paralyzed. I couldn't move. I stood there, stiff as a board, outside their door, listening to the muffled sounds of their passion rise and fall throughout the entire night.

It wasn't until the dark sky began to lighten that the sounds from the room finally quieted.

I moved my numb, stiff body, clutching my crumpled clothes to my chest, and fled the scene in a daze.

After I changed, there was a knock on my door.

I opened it to find Julian, already in a black suit, hair meticulously combed, his expression as unreadable as ever.

He looked at me with no trace of guilt, as if nothing had happened.

"Harper, where's that Chanel set I bought you last time?"

I bit my lip, tears stinging my eyes, defying me by falling.

"Julian, aren't you going to explain? Why did you bring another woman home? That bed... isn't it just for me?"

Julian's brow furrowed slightly, his gaze a storm of emotions - disgust, impatience, and a barely contained fury.

"Harper, you've overstepped! Yes, you bear the Reed name, but don't forget, I gave it to you. Know your place!"

With that, he ignored my hurt, reaching out his hand directly.

"Give me the dress!"

Trembling, I took the pink Chanel set from the closet.

I'd pestered him to buy it for me when I accompanied him to a fashion show once.

He had gently agreed, buying the most expensive set there.

"Want more? I can buy you anything you like."

I'd clung to him, blushing, and whispered in his ear, "I like you. Can I buy you?"

He'd chuckled softly, "If you like me, just take me. I'm only yours!"

But now, before I'd even had a chance to wear it, he was taking it to give to someone else.

Muffled footsteps sounded from outside the door.

Julian took the clothes, opened the door, and saw Sloane Hastings standing barefoot outside my room.

"Why are you out here? You'll catch a cold. Go back inside!"

His voice was so gentle, a tenderness I'd only ever heard in bed.

Once out of bed, I felt humble and distant in front of him, as if the man who'd consumed me night after night wasn't him.

But now, he could casually offer that same tenderness to this Sloane Hastings.

Who was she? What did she truly mean to him?

Sloane's cheeks were flushed, and pink marks dotted her skin where her towel didn't quite cover.

She clung to Julian's arm, whining coyly, feigning an innocent pout.

"Are you mad? You're not trying to take advantage, are you, Julian? No, no!"

Julian chuckled, playfully pinching her nose.

"You're overthinking it, love. You know about my... condition. I had to keep someone around to manage it, but with you, Sloane, I won't need anyone else."

Boom!

My heart exploded, a pounding rhythm echoing through my very soul.

I never imagined he would so easily reveal the secret of his "condition" - his primal urges and agoraphobia - a secret he'd guarded for years.

This meant Sloane was more than just a passing fling.

He was serious!

And I was merely a replaceable tool!

Julian walked away, holding the woman close, their laughter drifting from the other room once more.

As their door slammed shut with a thud.

I finally snapped awake.

He didn't need me.

So why was I tying my entire worth to this one man?

Julian Reed, from now on, you won't be my only one either.

You'll be my stepping stone. I'll use everything you taught me to climb to the position I truly desire!

I wiped away my tears, rubbed my numb face, and pulled out my phone to dial a number.

"Vincent, you once said whoever could break through your... detachment... would become the Reed family matriarch. I want to try!"