The Temporary Boyfriend

Chapter 115: The unexpected surprise I

Arthur tried to pull back, but Julian’s grip on his neck was like a vice. The heat from the lighter was getting closer to his skin.

​"I told you," Arthur gasped, his voice cracking. "I don’t know who that is! Maybe you have the wrong man!"

​Julian’s thumb pressed into a pressure point on Arthur’s neck, making the older man groan in pain.

"Don’t play games. I know it was you who procured the euphoryl used on her. What the fuck was all that about."

​Arthur stayed silent, his jaw locked shut. Julian didn’t hesitate. He pressed the hot metal of the lighter against Arthur’s chin. The smell of burning skin filled the air, and Arthur screamed, his body jerking against the ropes.

​"Wait, wait!" Arthur choked out. "That was your wife... Catalina! She made me buy it. Because she wanted to humiliate her!"

​Julian didn’t look surprised. "How do you know Catalina?"

​"We... um... we have been friends for some time," Arthur stammered.

​"Friends? You don’t have friends, you leech. You have employers and you have victims."

​"It’s true!" Arthur pleaded. "We’re friends."

​Julian pressed the lighter against him once more, ignoring the man’s frantic scream.

​"I’m telling the truth!" Arthur shrieked.

"You must think I’m an idiot. You think I got the title of the King of the Underworld, by being a fool? You’re going to give me a better reason than ’friendship’ before I run out of patience." ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com

​"It’s the truth, Julian! I swear!" Arthur pleaded, his voice cracking. "We’ve known each other for years. She’s the one who wanted the girl gone!"

​Julian stared at him for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then, he slowly clicked the lighter shut and tucked it back into his pocket.

​"You’re very loyal, Arthur. It’s almost touching," Julian said softly. He leaned back, crossing his arms. "Who is Andrew Thorne.

​Arthur froze. For a split second, the air seemed to leave his lungs. His body went rigid against the ropes.

​"I... I don’t know who that is," Arthur stammered.

​He tried to keep his voice steady, but his eyes were darting wildly around the dark warehouse, and his jaw was so tense that his teeth were almost grinding together.

​"Andrew Thorne?" Arthur repeated, trying to sound confused. "Is that another cousin of yours? Your family is so large, Julian, it’s hard to keep track."

​Julian didn’t move an inch. He just watched the way Arthur’s pulse throbbed in his neck.

​"You’re a bad liar, Arthur," Julian whispered. "Your face is telling me that there is more to this."

"Fuck you."

Julian’s lips curled into a slow, dark smile. "Finally," he murmured. "We’re getting somewhere."

Julian got up and left the room.

Victor approached him outside.

​"Victor, the chairman will want to speak to him in the morning, so have him moved to the city warehouse, where Andrew Thorne is being kept. I want them both in the same cell. Let them sit in there for a few days. But make sure they can’t touch each other."

​Victor nodded. "Understood, sir."

​"I want the cameras rolling 24/7," Julian continued, already walking away. "I want to hear every whisper, every argument, and every name they drop when they think no one is listening. Feed them twice a day, enough to keep them conscious. And Victor?"

"Yes sir."

​Julian turned his head slightly. "If they won’t eat, force the food down their throats."

....

Back at the beach house, the two women had finished their lunch. Eleanor stood up, her silk dress catching the ocean breeze. She offered a hand to Lyvana.

"Come. The air is getting a bit chilly out here. Let’s go inside."

​They walked through the sliding glass doors into the main part of the beach house. The interior was the definition of pure luxury. The floors were made of wide planks of light oak, polished so high they looked like porcelain.

The walls were mostly floor-to-ceiling glass, making it feel like the ocean was right in the living room. Every piece of furniture was cream-colored and made of soft linen or velvet, and the air smelled faintly of fresh lilies. freēwēbnovel.com

"This house is amazing mother."

​"I designed this place to be a sanctuary," Eleanor explained as they passed a grand piano. "A place where I can have an escape."

​They climbed the staircase made of glass and steel, leading to the upper floor. Eleanor stopped in front of a heavy, double-carved wooden door at the end of the hall. She pushed it open, revealing the master bedroom.

​The room was massive, but it felt warm. A huge king-sized bed sat in the center, covered in layers of white silk and cashmere. Instead of a normal wall behind the bed, there was a giant slab of backlit white marble that glowed softly.

​On the left side of the room, there was a cozy sitting area with two armchairs facing a fireplace. On the right, a private balcony overlooked the private beach below. The curtains were sheer, fluttering like ghosts in the wind.

​"This was always Julian’s favorite room," Eleanor said, walking toward a small, antique vanity table in the corner. "He says the sound of the waves helps him sleep, though I think he just likes being able to see who is coming from the shore."

Lyvana chuckled. "It’s breathtaking."

She turned back to Lyvana with a smile. "Indeed it is. But that’s not why I brought you here."

​Eleanor reached for a small hidden latch on the side of the vanity, and a tiny drawer popped open. Inside was a photo album.

Eleanor sat on the bed and motioned for Lyvana to sit beside her.

Then she began flipping through the pages. with a soft, nostalgic smile.

"I haven’t looked at these in years... until yesterday."

There were old pictures of Eleanor in high school, and a few of Julian’s father when he was a handsome young man.

​Then, Eleanor stopped on a specific page.

She pointed to a picture of herself. She was laughing and holding onto the arm of another woman.