The Temporary Boyfriend

Chapter 163: Too much

Back in the city, Catalina sat in her car, her eyes fixed on the entrance of Aurora fashion house.

After humiliating her, Lyvana seemed to be moving on with her life as if nothing had happened, and that thought made her blood boil.

​She sat watching the sleek glass doors. She didn’t just want an apology from her, she wanted to see Lyvana lose her life.

​As she gripped the steering wheel, her phone buzzed in the cup holder. It was a message from one of her contacts.

​She’s left home.

Catalina smiled.

As soon as she entered, she went to the reception, requesting a large supply of items.

Bertha saw her as she was being led to the the procurement office, and frowned.

What is this bitch doing here? she wondered.

She rushed to the receptionist who told her, Catalina was making a request for some of their top designs.

"Whatever for?" Bertha asked. "Does she own a boutique?"

The receptionist only shrugged.

She quickly texted Lyvana.

Meanwhile Julian and Lyvana sat together at the backseat of his car, while Ethan rode in front with Marco. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com

Julian shifted closer and gently drew Lyvana onto his lap.

"What are you doing?" she asked, a mixture of surprise and amusement in her voice.

He didn’t answer. Instead, he held her close, brushing a hand along her tighs.

Lyvana’s breath caught, unsure whether to scold him or melt into the warmth of his touch. This was certainly not the place or the time, but she can never seem to resist him.

He started to kiss her neck and placed a hand through her dress to touch her nipples. She couldn’t help but moan.

Ethan coughed loudly from the front, clearly on purpose, but they ignored him.

Lyvana turned toward Julian, and for a brief moment, they simply looked at each other.

Then she leaned in, and kissed him. Lighter at first then more intense. Her heart was beating fast as desire surged through her. She pulled back just a little, resting her forehead against his.

"You’re impossible," she whispered.

Julian smiled quietly. "And you love it."

She could feel his hardness pressing against her. He kissed her again, trailing kisses down her neck. She moaned, tilting her head back to give him better access. He gave a low moan resting his hands at her waist, then he slipped one beneath her skirts. She gasped as his touch moved higher, pressing against her entrance.

"Must you two do that now?" Ethan called dryly. "Some of us are close enough to hear everything."

Marco let out a quick, knowing smile before his face instantly shifted back into its cold, professional mask. He kept his eyes fixed firmly on the road ahead, as if he hadn’t heard a thing.

Heat rushed to Lyvana’s cheeks. She quickly shifted away from Julian, smoothing her creased blouse.

"Sorry," she said to him, clearly embarrassed.

​Julian chuckled and sat up straight.

"You’re just jealous," he told Ethan calmly.

​Ethan laughed. "You wish."

The car pulled up to the entrance of the Grant estate.

The large iron gates opened slowly and Marco parked at the front door.

Ethan climbed out first and stretched.

​Julian got out next and reached back to take Lyvana’s hand. He helped her out of the car. Her face was still a bit red, which made him smile. He loved seeing her blush.

​Julian squeezed her hand. "I have some work to do. Go upstairs with Edward; my mother is waiting for you in the living room. I will be there soon."

​He gave her a final kiss. As she walked toward the stairs, Julian stood still, watching her go.

​"Next time, I’m taking a separate car," Ethan joked.

"Ha-Ha," Julian said. "We need to look at those files Lily sent over."

​Ethan nodded. "Right."

Meanwhile, in the shadows of the second-floor hallway, Zara watched Lyvana walking with the butler.

She frowned. She really didn’t like this girl anywhere near Andrew. That foolish son of his was going to ruin all their plans.

She wondered where he was since yesterday.

Meanwhile Lyvana reached the top of the stairs. Eleanor was already waiting for her in the living room with a warm smile.

​"Lyvana, dear, you’re here," Eleanor said softly. She stepped forward and gave Lyvana a gentle kiss on the cheek.

"You look a bit tired. Has my son been working you too hard?"

​Lyvana’s cheeks suddenly turned red once more. She shook her head. "No."

Eleanor laughed softly. "Relax. That’s not what I meant."

She continued laughing as she took her hand and led her toward the comfortable seat.

"Edward," she said turning to him. "Please tell Jessi to bring us the snacks she prepared earlier."

​"Of course, Madam," Edward replied with a respectful bow before heading out.

"Jessi makes the most amazing snacks. So tell me, what have you been up to?"

Back in Julian’s room, ​he and Ethan stood over the desk.

​"This is it," Ethan whispered, tapping a finger against the name highlighted on the screen.

​Arthur Reed.

​"Why the hell is Arthur Reed involved in this?" Julian muttered, running a frustrated hand through his hair. He leaned in closer, his eyes scanning the data. "His name is everywhere. Every shell company, every offshore transfer... it all circles back to him. What is his connection to Adrian?"

​Ethan leaned back, crossing his arms. He looked skeptical. "Are you so sure Adrian is actually involved in the heavy lifting? Because looking at this trail, all the evidence, the signatures, the digital footprints, everything points directly to Arthur Reed. Adrian’s name isn’t even in the metadata."

​"I am sure," Julian said.

He paced the length of the desk, his mind moving fast.

"From everything we have learned about Reed, he isn’t a mastermind. He’s a middleman. He’s the bridge that lets someone like Adrian walk right through our front gates without triggering an alarm."

"That’s true. But if we take what we have to the Chairman, Adrian can play the victim. He can even say he was ’deceived’ by Reed just like everyone else."

"There is only one way I see here. We need to find Reed. He is the only one who can bridge this connection, so thatwe can finally find out what the fuck is going on here!"