CHAPTER 168: CHAPTER 168: THIN DOORS DON’T BLOCK SOUND—ARE YOU GOING TO BE LOUD?

The fact that I’m already divorced, I never had the chance to tell him.

But now, it’s fine. He surrendered himself and actively applied to be the man who remains in the shadows by her side.

Alright then, since he’s worked so hard for the position, how can I not award him the title of ’lover’?

Juliana lowered her eyes, "I’ve met your wife. She’s very pretty. We both have constraints. You may not care about yourself, but I can’t ignore my reputation."

Elias Langley was momentarily stunned, then his tone softened, "I’m not married."

Juliana lifted her gaze to him, "A woman who walks around in a semi-transparent nightgown in your room, what kind of relationship is that?"

Elias Langley was taken aback.

Had Isabelle ever done that?

No matter, he trusted Juliana.

"Listen, in a certain sense, Isabelle Sinclair is considered my sister-in-law. But the so-called ’marriage’ with her sister isn’t what you understand it to be. I have my reasons, but I would never put you in an unethical situation."

Juliana still found it all confusing and unclear.

After a moment of silence, she pushed away his hand.

"Anyway, you’re not single in name. I don’t want a married man to be my third wheel."

Elias Langley was rejected like that, a surge of indescribable frustration welling up inside.

Juliana went about her routine on her own and lay directly on the bed.

Without a blanket, she had to make do fully dressed.

She turned over, then suddenly turned back, looking at the man sitting silently on the chair, "Do you plan to just sit there all night?"

Elias Langley wasn’t in a good mood, but he didn’t take it out on her and remained silent.

Juliana changed to lying on her back, closed her eyes, and said, "I’m worried that staying up all night would hurt your old back and delay tomorrow’s plans..."

Before she finished speaking, her chin was grasped, and Elias Langley’s warm lips covered hers.

Juliana initially wanted to push him away, but the sudden kiss was unexpectedly tender and lingering, causing her to momentarily lose strength, falling involuntarily into its embrace.

Only when Elias Langley could no longer contain himself did he pull away, gasping.

"If this mouth keeps blabbering and angers me, I won’t spare you tonight."

Juliana’s cheeks were hot, but she still earnestly whispered, "The walls aren’t soundproof; are you loud?"

Elias Langley’s escalating mood was provoked once more, surging into his eyes like a tidal wave.

Juliana covered her mouth and started to laugh.

Elias Langley realized he’d been teased, both irritated and helpless, suppressing the heat within, he lightly tapped her nose with his finger, "You’re cheeky."

Juliana bit her lip and smilingly said, "You seem like you’ve kissed many people."

Elias Langley’s finger lightly traced the line of her lips, "Could it be that my first practice made you reluctant to call it off?"

"Stop it," her ears turned even redder, "Who would believe I took an old man’s first kiss?"

Elias Langley chuckled softly, his breath brushing past her ear, "At thirty-something, this is when a man is most capable; stamina, strength, patience, all can satisfy you. Want to try?"

Juliana was so flustered by his flirtation that she couldn’t respond, turning her face away in silence.

Elias Langley embraced her, calming his mood before speaking earnestly, "Let’s sleep, and when we get back, you should have a thorough check-up to see if you’re hurt."

At the mention of serious matters, Juliana looked up and asked, "How’s Jared Langley?"

Elias Langley frowned, "The last I heard before coming here was that he was being resuscitated, and Stella Windsor... is still searching."

Juliana fell silent, and the two remained wordless, with only the sound of the pouring rain outside.

It was unknown how long passed when, in the middle of the silence, Elias Langley suddenly opened his eyes, holding Juliana as they rolled off the bed.

Almost simultaneously, a figure broke through the window, rushing in.

The intruder was pitch-black all over, his face covered in strange patterns.

Elias Langley swiftly shielded Juliana behind him, and the figure stood on the bed, shouting something in Valtaran before lunging forward.

"Be careful! He said anyone who stops him must die!" Juliana yelled in urgency.

However, with a few swift moves, Elias Langley twisted the man’s neck, saying coldly, "In front of me, he doesn’t have the right to decide anyone’s fate."

Just as he finished speaking, the wooden door was slammed open with a "bang," and Raine Kane stumbled in.

"Dare kick me, and I’ll send you to hell," she cursed, charging back into the main room.

It was only then that Juliana noticed that outside, it was even more chaotic.

On a stormy night, Angus Slade’s accomplices came to rescue him but were discovered by the guards.

The two sides were locked in a life-and-death struggle.

At some unknown point, Angus Slade had already broken free of his restraints, the sound of knives, fists, and hoarse shouts mingling with the thunder and rain, turning the cramped dirt house into a battlefield.

"Protect yourself."

Elias Langley leapt out, engaging Angus Slade, who had just tossed aside two of his teammates.

In the chaos, a bandit seized the chance to raise a knife and strike at Elias Langley’s head from behind.

Juliana panicked, grabbing a slender wooden stick nearby and swung it down forcefully.

Smack!

A crisp sound!

Hmm... something felt off?

She opened her eyes to find the attacker had already been suppressed by Raine Kane, while Elias Langley, clutching his arm, turned around to look at her, his gaze complex beyond words.

She had hit him...

"Sorry!" Juliana fumbled, flustered and embarrassed, "I was aiming for him, why did you have to get in the way?"

Who was really in the way?

Elias Langley was speechless and choked up.

What could he do?

The woman he chose, he had to put up with.

In that distracted moment, Angus Slade knocked Raine Kane down again and lunged at Elias Langley.

This time, Juliana could see clearly. As Elias Langley engaged him, she precisely drove the wooden stick into Angus Slade’s eye.

Angus Slade let out a blood-curdling scream, and Elias Langley immediately went for the throat, only for Angus Slade to pull a mini-bomb from his pocket.

Raine Kane reacted quickly, twisting his wrist and shoving the bomb directly into his mouth, shouting, "Scatter!"

...

The fighting ended before dawn, with not a single enemy left alive.

Because none of them wanted to live.

A metallic scent permeated the main room, and Elias Langley led Juliana outside under the eaves, stopping her from looking in.

"They were all from Valtara, all here to rescue Angus Slade," Raine Kane said.

Elias Langley’s expression was grave, "Angus Slade was Isaac Grant’s hitman. Now that he’s dead, it’s going to be hard to convict Isaac Grant of anything."

Juliana quietly asked, "Are we in Oakhaven’s territory?"

"Yes."

The wind blew strong, and when he held her hand, finding it warm, he felt a bit relieved.

Juliana continued to ask, "I have an address, possibly of Isaac Grant’s lab. The remnants from the explosions I experienced all came from there. Can his crimes be compounded to convict him?"

Elias Langley smiled, pulling her into his arms, "Tell me, what reward do you want?"

...

The rain stopped after dawn, and the rescue vehicle arrived.

The group split into two routes.

Elias Langley and Juliana returned to Kenton, while Raine Kane led her team to the lab Juliana had provided to gather evidence.

Upon learning that Jared Langley was still unconscious, Juliana insisted on going straight to the hospital as soon as she returned to Kenton.

After all, it was to protect her that he fell off the cliff.

Elias Langley respected her decision and parked the car at the intersection.

Despite his displeasure, having accepted the role of ’the other man,’ he could only endure it.

Quinn Shepherd parked the car, and just as Juliana was about to get off, her newly purchased phone rang.

It was Summer Shaw calling.

First, she asked if Juliana was hurt, then focused on confirming whether the divorce with Evan Grant was true.

Juliana had fulfilled what she’d promised Evan Grant. Now that Isaac Grant had been caught and Stella Windsor’s whereabouts were unknown, there was nothing more to keep secret. She replied calmly, "It’s true, the divorce certificate is still locked in the drawer."

Beside her, Elias Langley suddenly froze, his eyes instantly burning with an intense light.