CHAPTER 23: CHAPTER 23: DRUNK

The lighting was a bit dim, and he couldn’t see Julian Hawthorne’s face, mistaking him for a creep following a girl.

Until Julian Hawthorne looked at him.

Austin Xavier frowned, "Julian, is that you?"

How could he be with Paige Sterling?

Besides, Julian Hawthorne had his arm around Paige Sterling’s waist, a posture that clearly showed some intimacy.

Austin Xavier’s eyes were extremely dark as he looked at Paige Sterling, "Paige, come over, I’ll take you home."

"Austin Xavier?" Paige squinted her eyes, "It’s you."

Austin Xavier was annoyed, "Why aren’t you coming over?"

Paige pouted, looking aloof, "What’s wrong with you? We’re not even close."

Austin Xavier’s face turned green with anger, not close with him, but close with Julian Hawthorne?

No wonder at the auction last time, he noticed the relationship between Paige and Julian wasn’t shallow, he thought it was his illusion, but today it seems, their relationship might not be that simple.

Austin Xavier had countless questions he wanted to press Paige on, but this wasn’t the time.

"Paige, if you don’t come with me, I’ll call your dad."

"So my dad can pressure me?" Paige pushed Austin Xavier aside, "Austin, don’t block the way."

Then she reached out to grab Julian Hawthorne’s hand, "Julian, let’s go home."

"Okay."

"Paige!" Austin Xavier raised his voice, "What drunken nonsense are you spouting? Come over, go home with me."

He reached out to pull Paige, but Julian Hawthorne stopped his hand again, his gaze icy as it fell on him, "Mr. Xavier, please have some respect."

"Julian, what right do you have to tell me to have respect? What’s your relationship with Paige?"

"What is my relationship with her?" Julian Hawthorne’s gaze was cloudy, and he cupped Paige’s cheek with one hand, asking, "Paige, what is my relationship with you?"

His voice was raspy, as if carried a certain seduction.

Paige, "Hmm?"

Julian Hawthorne asked her, "Do you have lunch with me every day?"

Paige nodded, "Hmm."

Julian Hawthorne, "Didn’t you say you’d take responsibility for me?"

Paige, "Hmm."

Then Julian Hawthorne looked at Austin Xavier.

"Mr. Xavier, do you understand our relationship now?"

Austin Xavier’s face at this point could be described as terrible beyond words.

Julian Hawthorne wrapped his arms around Paige, bumped Austin Xavier’s shoulder, and then left.

By the time Austin Xavier snapped out of his anger, Julian and Paige were already out of sight.

Austin Xavier angrily kicked a trash can.

"Paige, you can’t live without a man, can you?!"

Having just gotten rid of Seth Shaw, now there’s Julian Hawthorne.

However, Paige couldn’t hear his roar.

Julian Hawthorne took Paige back to his place, and as soon as he put Paige on the sofa, she acted as if she was possessed by a dominant CEO, pulling out a check from her bag and tossing it to Julian, "Take it, spend it as you wish."

Julian couldn’t help but laugh, folded the check nicely, and slipped it back into Paige’s small bag.

This little money-grubber would probably jump with anger when she realized it was missing tomorrow.

"What are you going to do with so much money?"

Paige slid down from the sofa, sitting askew on the carpet.

"I want to build a lab first."

Julian crouched beside her, pushed the coffee table aside, and watched Paige hold her face with a fascinated expression, softly asking, "What kind of lab do you want?"

Paige seemed to suddenly open a switch, gesturing as she described the lab she desired, her face gleaming with excitement.

When she finished, she asked Julian, "Do you get it?"

Julian made a sound of confirmation, from her description, this lab was indeed expensive.

Paige also took out her phone, "Look, this is the drawing I made, just like this..."

Paige spoke, and Julian occasionally asked a few questions, and at some point, Paige leaned against Julian’s shoulder, appearing to have fallen asleep.

Julian sent the designs Paige drew to his phone and silently glanced at Paige’s phone contacts.

In Paige’s contacts, he was merely Mr. Hawthorne, very distant.

And at the top of the contacts list, beginning with an A, is Jared Sullivan’s number.

Right below Jared Sullivan is Austin Xavier’s number, also starting with an A.

It seems her relationship with Austin is pretty good.

Julian glanced at Paige again, and silently added an A in front of Mr. Hawthorne, then removed the A from Austin’s contact.

Having done all this, he sneakily opened Paige’s WeChat for a quick glance.

Julian felt his sneaky actions were somewhat despicable, so after a few quick glances, he tossed the phone aside, picked Paige up, and placed her on the bed.

He thought Paige’s drunken behavior was decent, just chattier than usual, but soon Julian realized he had underestimated her.

He went to shower, and as soon as he stripped off his clothes, the bathroom door was abruptly pushed open.

Paige then barged in, and Julian grabbed a towel to wrap around his waist, seeing Paige in a muddle, he asked, "What’s wrong?"

Paige, "I need to pee, but I can’t undo my pants."

She looked anxious, almost about to cry.

Julian coughed, "You’re wearing a dress, not pants."

Paige exclaimed, sat on the toilet, completely unembarrassed by Julian’s presence.

Indeed, she was quite drunk; a sober Paige would never do something like this.

After taking care of her physiological needs, Paige wandered dreamily over to wash her hands and drifted back out.

Julian watched her lie on the bed before pulling the glass door closed again.

But soon, Paige’s heart-wrenching cry echoed from outside.

"Even if I die, I must love! Not without unbridled intensity and being unfulfilled..."

Julian’s hand paused slightly, and soon Paige switched to another song.

"Oh, mommy, dear mommy! You fed me with your sweet milk..."

Julian, "..."

When he finished showering, turned off the water, he still heard Paige singing, "Oh mommy, in the candlelight, your black hair is tinged with frost..."

Julian towel-dried his hair, walked out, and saw Paige standing on the bed, using her slippers as a microphone, singing with a very bossy expression.

Julian let her make a fuss.

Paige found singing alone boring, and insisted on turning on the TV, but after fumbling around in front of it for ages, she couldn’t figure out how to turn it on.

Julian walked over, "Go sit on the bed, I’ll turn it on for you."

Paige was obedient like a schoolchild, sitting on the bed, hands properly placed on her knees.

As soon as the TV turned on, Paige’s short video appeared.

Julian reflexively wanted to turn it off, remembering Paige was drunk, she wouldn’t know...

He glanced at Paige, who was engrossed in watching the film she starred in.

When a fire scene played, Paige’s eyes suddenly widened, then she screamed and dashed out.