CHAPTER 39: CHAPTER 39: YOUR BOYFRIEND

"Oh, really? Then I’ll tell Dad to deposit your salary from the company into my account from now on, as your installment payment to me."

Skylar Hughes, "..."

If Jared Sullivan finds out that she’s done this to the gift he gave Paige Sterling, Jared would definitely fly into a rage.

Skylar Hughes gritted her teeth, "Fine, I’ll pay you back."

Originally, Skylar Hughes thought she could agree for now and later Paige surely wouldn’t pester her for repayment, right?

But Paige Sterling took out her phone with a QR code, "Scan my QR code."

Skylar Hughes, "..."

In the end, Skylar Hughes scanned the QR code, and it felt like going back to square one.

What was even more infuriating was that Julian Hawthorne seemed oblivious to how unreasonable Paige had been, his gaze towards Paige was as gentle as before, completely different from how he looked at others.

What’s so great about Paige Sterling that everyone is revolving around her?

Resolving the annoying issue with Skylar Hughes and getting five million in hand made Paige Sterling feel pretty good.

Julian Hawthorne asked her, "What did you want to ask me?"

Only then did Paige Sterling remember the matter she wanted to ask Julian on the phone.

"Do you have a grudge against Austin Xavier?"

"No."

Mentioning Austin Xavier, Julian Hawthorne’s expression turned a bit gloomy.

"Then why did you injure his lung?"

So was Paige here to confront him about injuring Austin Xavier?

He suddenly remembered the last time he saw Austin Xavier at the project bidding meeting, where Austin was smiling and talking about when he and Paige were childhood friends.

Paige had almost finished eating when she belatedly realized Julian Hawthorne seemed to be in a bad mood.

"What’s wrong with you?"

Julian Hawthorne looked expressionless, "Are you pretty close with Austin Xavier?"

"Nope, we’ve been enemies since we were kids."

Paige pondered the question; it seemed Julian Hawthorne wasn’t asking her for the first time.

But after Paige said that, Julian Hawthorne remembered Jared Sullivan referring to Paige and Austin Xavier as a pair of bickering lovers.

He found himself feeling even worse, losing his appetite.

Paige Sterling asked him, "Why aren’t you eating?"

"I’m full."

Oh, but he hadn’t eaten much, how could he be full?

The complexities of a man’s sentimental thoughts were beyond Paige Sterling’s understanding.

She hadn’t understood Austin Xavier for all these years either.

After finishing her meal, Paige spent some time learning a foreign language with Julian Hawthorne before intending to head home.

Julian Hawthorne said he’d take her home without expression, having found an excuse—half-day off in the afternoon.

Outside the apartment complex, Paige Sterling saw a truck parked there; the goods she’d ordered online had arrived.

Paige looked at that truckload of goods, a bit bewildered.

"All mine?"

"Of course they’re all yours, Miss Sterling." The driver was familiar with Paige Sterling from frequent deliveries. "Do you want to check them?"

Paige recalled she hadn’t ordered this much stuff.

She quickly pulled out her phone to view the orders, only to discover she might have slipped and added... an extra zero.

Paige Sterling, "..."

Since they had been delivered, Paige couldn’t really have them sent back, and she’d eventually need these things even if they ran out.

She asked the driver to help out and carry everything into her house.

She also intended to help with the moving, but Julian Hawthorne frowned and stopped her.

"You go sit there; I’ll handle it."

Seeing Paige didn’t move, Julian naturally took her hand, leading her into the shade of a tree, then left.

Paige watched him roll up his sleeves and start moving stuff with the driver.

Paige Sterling, "...?"

Isn’t this guy known for his severe cleanliness and nitpicky nature?

By the time everything was moved, it was afternoon already, and Julian Hawthorne was drenched in sweat and looked quite disheveled.

He wiped his sweat and ran up to Paige, "All done, you should go check."

Paige’s hand instinctively took out a wet wipe from her bag, and she tiptoed to help Julian Hawthorne wipe the sweat.

Julian stiffened slightly, and without a trace, he bent his back down so Paige wouldn’t have to tiptoe.

Their gestures naturally close, and even Paige didn’t feel anything unusual.

At this moment, the driver came over; from his angle, he couldn’t see Paige standing in front of Julian.

So he just gave Julian a pat on the shoulder, "Young man, your stamina sure isn’t great, huh?"

The driver was too bold, and suddenly appeared behind Julian, patting him on the shoulder, causing Julian to stumble forward half a step.

Paige was already raising her face; at such a close distance, Julian’s lips landed right on her forehead.

Paige Sterling, "..."

Seeing Julian frozen without intention to move back, Paige stepped back.

The driver finally saw Paige, but assumed the two were a couple, so didn’t think much of it.

Yet when Julian turned to look at him, the driver suddenly felt an eye so... appreciative?

And what Julian was thinking at that moment was to give this accidental assistant a bonus.

Returning home, Paige found her place completely turned into a warehouse, her expression flabbergasted.

"Something’s off, I calculated just earlier, there was space to put everything standing; how did it get so crammed?"

The place was filled with so many materials, even the robot had no place to walk.

Julian Hawthorne stood beside without saying a word.

Paige sighed, "I haven’t paid the driver for the hard work yet, I’ll be right back."

The driver hadn’t left, he was standing near the car counting money.

Paige walked over and handed him money, but he seemed surprised, holding a large stack of cash.

"Miss Sterling, wasn’t this already given by you?"

He opened the car and saw the money on the driver’s seat.

"I was wondering how it’s too much, you’re giving it back? How come?"

Paige Sterling paused; was it Julian Hawthorne who gave it?

She put the money away and was about to return, but heard the driver say, "Hey, Miss Sterling, your place is all packed, where are you going to stay? Shall I move stuff around to create space?"

The house was now directly blocking the door.

Paige shook her head, "Let’s keep it like this for now."

The driver added, "Your boyfriend surely is something, I said put them standing so there’s space to step, but he wouldn’t allow it, made me place them horizontally."

Paige Sterling, "...?"

When Paige returned, she saw Julian Hawthorne’s door open.

She opened her own door for a quick look, seeing only boxes piled against the door.

Even if the boxes were moved, inside, it was so cramped it felt oppressive.

Paige hesitated about moving elsewhere, but unfortunately, a few days ago, she had sold all her properties under her name, with only this one left. Can’t spend money on a new property now, can I?

Paige realized Julian Hawthorne had given her a well-disguised trap.

She turned her head and entered Julian Hawthorne’s house.