Everything You Have Belongs to Me

Julian Sterling had said before that he'd never had a girlfriend, so did that mean he belonged to her too?

Seeing Claire zone out, Julian Sterling sat down in the chair beside them, then reached out and pulled her over.

Claire lost her balance and fell onto his lap. A little embarrassed, she complained, "Stop fooling around. My waist hurts, my legs hurt, my whole body feels awful."

Julian Sterling had been way too fierce last night. She had almost been unable to take it, and it felt like she'd even gotten hurt.

She hadn't expected a man who'd just had his first taste to be that terrifying.

Julian Sterling also remembered that the two of them had both been pretty wild last night, mainly because Claire had kept clinging to him.

He said softly, "Mm, that's my fault. I'll be more careful next time."

All of a sudden, Claire remembered what had happened last night with Ethan Sterling and Naomi Pierce. She hadn't expected Naomi Pierce to show up again, and last night she had almost let her get hurt. She immediately said, "Naomi Pierce actually wanted to ruin my face. I'm not letting her off. I'm calling the police and having her arrested!"

Julian Sterling curled his lips into a smile. "When I left last night, I made a phone call while I was at it."

Claire looked at Julian Sterling in surprise. "You already reported it last night? Were they arrested already?"

"Mm. Intentional assault. She'll probably get a pretty heavy sentence."

With his instructions, there was no way Naomi Pierce would be able to get out of it. She would probably be sentenced on the harsher end.

Claire hadn't expected Julian Sterling to have already arranged everything so she didn't need to worry about a thing. This man was far too thoughtful.

She looked at Julian Sterling deeply, her eyes filled with shifting joy and affection.

She hadn't expected such a huge absurd misunderstanding to happen. She had been troubled for so long for nothing, living in fear every day, terrified that Julian Sterling would find out about it and know that she had betrayed him.

It was all that bastard Ethan Sterling's fault!

"What about Ethan Sterling?" Claire asked again.

Julian Sterling said casually, "As an accomplice, he was taken away too."

After a pause, he remembered the latest message Victor Wells had just sent him and added, "According to the restaurant surveillance, when Naomi Pierce and the waiter were secretly talking, he followed right after them. He's definitely part of it too. He might be punished as well."

That footage hadn't captured the garden, but it had shown Ethan Sterling following the two of them.

It had become evidence of his crime.

After hearing that, Claire felt somewhat emotional and full of sighing regret. She hadn't expected Ethan Sterling to do something like this just to set her up. She really had gotten entangled with a disgusting man.

When Julian Sterling saw the disgust on Claire's face, a faint curve appeared at the corner of his lips.

Ethan Sterling hadn't actually conspired with Naomi Pierce, but he should have known about it. Just keeping it hidden and not reporting it was already enough to make Claire loathe him.

From now on, he didn't want to see Claire and Ethan Sterling have anything to do with each other again.

It was just as well to let him stay in there for a while.

Claire threw back the covers and said, "All right, hurry up and get up. I still have to go to work."

She dragged her tired body upright, but the moment her feet touched the floor, a wave of weakness hit her, and she nearly pitched forward.

Before she could fall, a pair of large hands caught her around the waist just in time and pulled her back.

In an instant, she fell into the man's firm embrace.

Claire gave an awkward smile. "I... my legs are a little weak."

In her mind, images surfaced of how she'd clung to the man and demanded all sorts of things from him last night. Claire instantly became even more embarrassed and didn't dare lift her head to look at him at all.

Julian Sterling frowned slightly. "If you're already like this, then don't go to work."

"No!" Claire said. "If I rest for a bit, I'll be fine soon. They're selecting the person in charge of Maison Verne right now. I can't be absent..."

Especially since she had beaten Willow Lane yesterday and was right in the spotlight. Willow Lane was surely resentful, and she absolutely couldn't let Willow Lane take advantage of an opening.

Julian Sterling pinched the bridge of his nose. He should have just issued the appointment notice directly instead of making Claire compete with the others.

At that moment, Julian Sterling decided to skip all those troublesome steps and make Claire the person in charge of Maison Verne.

So what if he spoiled his own woman?

Whoever dared gossip, he'd make them shut up obediently!

Besides, he believed in Claire's ability. When the time came, she would definitely earn everyone's respect and make them accept her as their leader.

Julian Sterling's gaze rested on Claire for a moment, then he got out of bed.

Not long after, Julian Sterling came back carrying a medicine kit. He bent one knee onto the bed and opened the kit.

Seeing the medicine kit in his hand, Claire thought of something, and her face flushed red with a whoosh.

"Y-you... what are you going to do?"

"Put medicine on it."

Julian Sterling knew just how wild the two of them had been last night. Claire was probably injured.

As soon as he finished speaking, he reached out to take off Claire's pants.

Claire quickly pressed down on his hand and said in a hurry, "No need. I'm fine."

"Be good. Don't force yourself. Do you still want to go to work or not?"

All right then—Claire gave in on the spot.

But she still couldn't quite let go of her embarrassment, so she made one last struggle. "Can I do it myself?"