CHAPTER 24: CHAPTER 24: UNRESTRAINED

She was still barefoot. Julian Hawthorne chased after her, only to see Paige Sterling standing at the door shouting, "Fire! Fire!"

It was the first time Julian Hawthorne discovered that Paige Sterling had such an earth-shattering high-pitched voice.

With her yell, the lights of several nearby villas turned on, and the villa owners rushed out, "Where’s the fire? Where’s the fire?"

Julian Hawthorne’s face darkened. He picked up Paige Sterling in one motion, letting her feet dangle in the air, then apologized to the neighbors who were running over.

"She’s drunk, sorry."

These neighbors were shocked to see a woman in Julian Hawthorne’s house.

"President Hawthorne, do you need us to call the police for you?"

They just assumed some drunk madwoman had run into Julian Hawthorne’s home.

Julian Hawthorne said, "No need."

He carried Paige Sterling inside as she continued shouting about the fire.

Unable to free a hand to cover her mouth, he simply lowered his head and blocked her lips with his own.

Paige Sterling blinked, suddenly wrapped her arms around Julian Hawthorne’s neck, and moved her lips forward a bit.

Julian Hawthorne’s body stiffened slightly. When he wanted to pull away, Paige Sterling was holding his neck tightly, biting his lips, unwilling to let go.

A fire burned vividly in Julian Hawthorne’s chest, nearly consuming his rationality entirely.

He placed Paige Sterling on the dining table, shifting from defense to offense, eagerly biting her lip...

After the kiss ended, Paige Sterling licked the corner of her mouth, a look of unfulfilled desire on her face.

Julian Hawthorne gasped heavily, asking her fiercely, "Do you want to continue?"

Paige Sterling tilted her head, then nodded and leaned over, planting a small peck on Julian Hawthorne’s lips.

Julian Hawthorne, who always appeared cold and unfeeling, surprisingly had soft lips.

Paige Sterling, still dazed, thought for a long time before she realized this sensation was somewhat like a cotton candy she had eaten as a child.

Julian Hawthorne cupped Paige Sterling’s face, "Paige, don’t be reckless."

It was unclear if this sentence was meant for Paige Sterling or himself.

Paige Sterling chuckled, tilted her head, rested it on Julian Hawthorne’s shoulder, and fell asleep.

This time she truly fell asleep, quietly, without causing any more trouble.

Julian Hawthorne sighed, carried her to bed, tucked her in, and then left.

Julian Hawthorne barely slept all night. The next morning, he took a cold shower to refresh himself a bit.

He opened the door to the master bedroom, wanting to see if Paige Sterling was awake, and saw her sitting cross-legged on the bed. Her hair was a mess, and she was holding a bag of snacks, staring intently at the TV.

When the door opened, she glanced at Julian Hawthorne.

"Mr. Hawthorne, your TV has quite a bit of resources."

From her debut till now, all her film resources and event videos, official and unofficial, were there. This wasn’t just a die-hard fan; this was a true love fan.

Julian Hawthorne’s expression was awkward. He said blandly, "Come out for breakfast."

Paige Sterling freshened up and stepped out in Julian Hawthorne’s slippers.

The slippers were too big, her small feet in them made her look like a child wearing an adult’s shoes.

Julian Hawthorne only glanced at her briefly.

When you love someone, even her little toe has extraordinary allure to you.

So he dared not look again, retracting his gaze after a glance.

Breakfast was something Julian Hawthorne made himself, simple but adequate.

Paige Sterling sat down, a slight smile on her lips, looking genuinely happy.

But in Julian Hawthorne’s eyes, she was carefree.

Those stirring emotions from last night only ever affected him.

He lowered his gaze slightly, his mood inexplicably heavy.

Paige Sterling gave him a curious look, "Julian Hawthorne, thanks for last night."

Julian Hawthorne didn’t speak. His sudden dismissive attitude made Paige Sterling want to tease him a bit.

She tossed the yolk from her plate into Julian Hawthorne’s, and when Julian Hawthorne looked at her, she raised her chin and said, "I don’t eat yolks. You eat it."

Julian Hawthorne lowered his eyes, ate the yolk, chewing slowly and elegantly.

Paige Sterling found it incredibly dull; she wasn’t seeking attention like a child.

But then Julian Hawthorne, after taking a sip of milk, suddenly spoke.

"Paige, do you remember what you did to me last night?"

This sounded like an account settling after a crime.

Paige Sterling was confused, "What did I do to you? I was the drunk one, right? Shouldn’t I be the one worried?"

Julian Hawthorne’s gaze was cold, "I have surveillance at home. Do you want to look and refresh your memory? I also have evidence of your actions on me."

Paige Sterling instinctively asked, "Where?"

Julian Hawthorne pointed to the corner of his mouth, where it was bitten, leaving a small, conspicuous blood scab.

Paige Sterling, "...!"

She couldn’t have done that!

But Julian Hawthorne wouldn’t have bitten himself, right?

A vague memory seemed to form in Paige Sterling’s mind. She didn’t feel confident anymore and lowered her head guiltily.

Julian Hawthorne continued to look at her as if she were a seductress.

Paige Sterling, "I was drunk."

"So, what? I deserve it?"

Paige Sterling, "...Then what do you want from me?"

Julian Hawthorne’s eyes were dark. Paige Sterling suddenly felt pressured and stood up abruptly, "Julian Hawthorne, stop pretending. Don’t you like me? You must have enjoyed me kissing you."

The phone is filled with her photos and videos, and even the TV in the bedroom is loaded with her video resources.

Julian Hawthorne must have been watching her day and night, right?

And he’s here pretending.

Paige Sterling’s arrogance, with her chin raised, made Julian Hawthorne want to press her against the table and do what needed to be done.

He walked around the dining table to stand in front of Paige Sterling, trapping her against his chest and the table, his voice carrying a hint of warning.

"Paige, you’d better not provoke me. I’m not as restrained as you think..."

The restraint word was squeezed out from between his teeth.

If Paige continued to be so wanton, he would surely make her cry.

Paige swallowed, trying to push Julian Hawthorne away, only to find both her hands were pressed against the dining table by him.

Paige bumped her head against Julian Hawthorne’s chest.

"Let me go."

Julian Hawthorne stepped back slightly, only to hear Paige Sterling yell.

When he lowered his head, he saw Paige Sterling’s hair tangled around his button.

He pressed Paige Sterling’s shoulder, "Don’t move."

Simon Hawthorne recently ran out of money, so he came over to Julian Hawthorne’s villa early in the morning, hoping to get some cash from him.

He knew the passcode to Julian Hawthorne’s villa, so he entered it and got in directly.

Only at the entrance did he hear the sound of a flirtatious tone coming from the dining room.

"No, Julian Hawthorne, be gentle."