Chapter 2

When I returned to the dining room carrying the bowl of tomato soup, Julian was already gone.

The butler told me:

"Mr. Sterling had urgent business to attend to. Here are the keys to his private suite. Go clean his room."

I nodded.

Naturally, I didn't forget to take the soup with me to eat later.

Luckily, being Julian's personal maid wasn't actually that much physical labor.

Once I finished cleaning his suite, I had plenty of free time on my hands.

I used those hours to take on freelance essay writing and online tutoring gigs.

My mom was still hooked up to IVs, and my dad's hand had been broken by loan sharks, meaning no construction site would hire him.

On top of paying off the debt, I had to send them living expenses.

I couldn't afford to slack off for a single second.

By the time I finished wrapping up my online classes, it was past midnight.

I went downstairs to reheat the tomato soup. Just as I stepped into the kitchen, the front door clicked open.

A tall silhouette stood framed in the doorway against the moonlight.

A heavy, metallic stench of blood hit my nose.

Under the dim nightlight, it looked horrifying.

My hand trembled, nearly dropping the bowl.

Before I could scream, a large, calloused hand clamped tightly over my mouth.

"...Don't scream. It's me."

Julian's voice was raw and ragged.

Rushing over had clearly torn his wound, making him suck in a sharp breath of agony.

He collapsed straight toward me, his heavy frame knocking me flat onto the floor.

*Thud.*

The painful impact I braced for never came.

His hand was tucked securely behind my head, cushioning the fall against the hardwood.

His lips brushed past my ear, his breath burning hot.

Julian let out a stifled groan of pain, slumping weakly against my chest.

My pupils contracted in sheer terror.

I had heard he was an extreme germaphobe—any maid who dared to brush against his clothes supposedly never lived to see the next sunrise.

And now this...

The more I spiraled, the harder my chest pounded.

My heartbeat was deafening.

He let go of me, pushing himself up on shaking arms.

Beneath the warm ambient light, I saw his fingers curl tightly into fists.

An unmistakable trace of awkward fluster flashed across his dark eyes.

"Kill that thought right now."

I scrambled upright, my face completely drained of color.

Kill what thought?

Kill the thought of wanting to stay alive?

Julian's brutal methods were legendary; God only knew how he planned to torture me before executing me.

*It's over! I'm dead meat! Honestly, I might as well throw myself off a cliff right now!*

He stared at me in total shock.

"Your feelings for me... are that intense?"

I looked up at him, tears welling in my eyes.

Seeing his expression darken by the second, my heart sank.

I get it.

Tonight is my last night on earth.

I'm just so sorry to my mom and dad.

And to the little stray puppy I've been secretly feeding behind the estate.

I closed my eyes, resigning myself to my grim fate.

Yet the expected pain never arrived.

Instead, a warm, gentle touch brushed against the corner of my eye.

Awkwardly and with breathtaking gentleness, Julian was wiping away my tears.

The look in his eyes was impossibly complicated.

And somehow... filled with tenderness.

"I can't give you a stable, safe life."

Huh?

What is he talking about?

Meeting my completely bewildered gaze, he swallowed hard and forced out,

"Stop... falling for me like this."

"Don't love me."

Excuse me???

Every single word was plain English, but why couldn't my brain process them together?!

When in the absolute world did I ever show that I was in love with him?!

I was so flabbergasted that I literally forgot to cry.

Julian stood up, his gaze drifting toward the bowl of tomato soup sitting on the counter.

His eyes softened, and he instructed the butler—who had materialized out of nowhere—to carry it up to his bedroom.

Watching his retreating back, I sat frozen on the floor.

The good news: my life was spared.

The bad news: my midnight snack was officially confiscated.