Chapter 436
You Can't Spoil Men
In the room, Claire Bennett reached out and pushed Julian Sterling away.
Julian Sterling didn't keep holding Claire Bennett. He sat down beside her and looked at her sincerely as he said, "I'm sorry, Claire. I really did lie to you. There were actually many times when I wanted to tell you, but I was afraid that once you knew, you'd blame me."
"I was afraid you'd leave me, and that's why I kept it from you for so long. I didn't mean to deceive you, Claire. Can you forgive me? Other than this, I don't have anything else I'm hiding from you."
Julian Sterling's tone was sincere as he stared at Claire Bennett without blinking.
He was afraid, he was worried, and his expression was more uneasy than ever before. It was Claire Bennett's first time seeing him this nervous.
All along, Julian Sterling had always given her the impression of being calm and composed. This was the first time she had seen him like this, all because he was afraid she would be angry that he'd hidden his identity from her.
Anyone being looked at by him like this would find it impossible to feel any desire to blame him, much less Claire Bennett, who hadn't been angry in the first place.
She just couldn't quite accept it for the moment and hadn't fully processed it yet.
And besides, just now, in response to her hypothetical question, Julian Sterling had performed exceptionally well, so how could she possibly hold it against him?
The air fell silent. Claire Bennett didn't say anything else, but the way she was now only made Julian Sterling feel even more uneasy.
He couldn't hold back any longer. He stepped forward and pulled Claire Bennett into his arms, saying softly, "Claire, back then Ruby Sterling set the two of us up to get our marriage license. I didn't know you then, and because I didn't want Grandpa controlling my marriage, I agreed to Ruby Sterling's request..."
"Later, as I spent time with you, I realized how exceptional you are, and I slowly fell for you. That only made me more afraid that you'd find out I'd deceived you, so I never let you know who I really was..."
"Claire, even though I lied to you and hid my identity from you, I'm still me, your lawful husband. You can scold me, and you can hit me, but you can't leave me."
This time, Claire Bennett didn't push Julian Sterling away again. She let him hold her.
As Julian Sterling explained himself, what came to Claire Bennett's mind were all the little moments from when the two of them had spent time together. At the beginning, she really had thought Julian Sterling was just the Sterling family's driver.
With that presence and those looks, how could he possibly have been an ordinary person?
She really had been too stupid, not to have had the slightest suspicion and not to have questioned his identity.
Claire Bennett laughed at herself inwardly.
Actually, at the very beginning, Julian Sterling had only been a man she found to anger Ethan Sterling at his wedding.
Just now, Julian Sterling said he'd fallen for her, but hadn't she also fallen for this man little by little in their time together? When she learned the truth, she had been a little unhappy, but not to the point of leaving him.
Still, Julian Sterling had been so awful, joining forces with everyone to deceive her. He really did need to be taught a proper lesson, otherwise he'd dare to lie to her again next time.
You can't spoil men. If you don't beat them for three days, they'll start tearing the roof off the house.
Claire Bennett didn't blame him, but she didn't say she forgave him either, and so she let Julian Sterling stay in that anxious state.
The two of them just held each other quietly like that for a while, with neither speaking first.
After quite a while, Claire Bennett was the first one who couldn't take it anymore. Nature was calling, and she needed to use the bathroom.
Claire Bennett reached out and gently pushed Julian Sterling, her expression slightly embarrassed as she muttered, "Julian Sterling, let go of me first."
The moment Julian Sterling heard that, his heart instantly sank.
So Claire Bennett was still angry after all? How could he dare let her go?
Julian Sterling said hoarsely, "Claire, I'm not letting you go. What if you run away?"
"..."
If he didn't let her go soon, she was going to die from holding her pee!
Helpless, Claire Bennett could only say, "I'm not angry. Let go of me."
Julian Sterling released Claire Bennett somewhat suspiciously.
His gaze fell on Claire Bennett's face, studying every inch of her expression with extreme care, as though he were trying to figure out whether she was really not angry.
Seeing Julian Sterling keep staring at her, Claire Bennett gave a light huff and said, "If you dare lie to me again in the future, then I really will get angry. And when that happens, I won't forgive you again."
Julian Sterling was overjoyed. He stepped forward again, held Claire Bennett, and started kissing her.
"Hey! What are you doing? Stop messing around! Let go of me already, I need to go to the bathroom!"
Claire Bennett pushed Julian Sterling away and successfully made it into the bathroom.
Five minutes later, she looked at the smart toilet she had just used, then at the exquisite decor in every corner of the bathroom. This bathroom alone was as big as the study in their place at Parkview Heights.