Yet his gaze remained fixed entirely on me.

This man is absolute poison. What kind of perfume I use has absolutely zero to do with you.

A man evaluating another man's woman in front of him regarding whether a fragrance suits her or not was a terrible topic from every possible angle.

Furthermore, when Julian spoke those words, they carried a distinct, albeit subtle, undercurrent of intimacy.

I stole a quick glance at Christian. As expected, his expression cooled down at a speed visible to the naked eye, his entire body radiating a powerful aura of malice. For a man with a possessiveness as intense as Christian's, how could he possibly tolerate Julian's words?

Chapter 15: Out of Luck

My face instantly drained of all color, and my palms began to sweat. I was terrified that if things went wrong, the two of them would break into a fight just like they did at Julian's house that day.

I carefully took hold of Christian's hand and repeated, "Let's leave first." Christian didn't budge. He stared at Julian calmly for a few seconds, and in an instant, sparks flew, drawing a tense line between them.

The air was thick with hostility. Just when I thought they were going to come to blows the next second, Christian said faintly, "I know my own woman."

Julian's eyes darkened slightly, and the corners of his mouth turned up into a smirk. "Don't take it seriously, Mr. Christian. It was merely a joke." His face was covered in an expression so sincere that it made it impossible to stay angry. His ability to change faces in a single second was truly top-tier.

Julian didn't stay long and was soon called away by someone. Christian warned me to stay away from this mall as much as possible in the future. The Julian Group had been expanding its territory lately, dipping its toes into other industries, and the only reason Julian appeared here was because he had recently become a shareholder of this mall.

I was truly out of luck, running straight into him during his inspection while out for a casual shopping trip.

I nodded. Even if he hadn't said anything, I had already made up my mind to do so. Leaving the perfume boutique, Christian accompanied me to the restroom. He waited for me at the entrance, and before my hands were even dry, he pinned me against the cold wall and began to kiss me. It was the exact opposite of his usual gentle kisses; he kissed dominantly, biting at my lips and tongue as if declaring his ownership.

The foot traffic here wasn't heavy, but it was a public place after all. Panting for air, I pushed him away. "There are people passing by." Christian released me with heavy breaths, and as I refastened the messy buttons on my blouse, he had already returned to his usual indifferent and aristocratic demeanor.

This time, Christian delivered a direct warning: "Julian is a very dangerous man. Don't let him get close to you."

I tilted my face up obediently. "I know, don't worry."

Inwardly, I thought to myself that I didn't want to be entangled with him either, but who knew I would cross paths with this man every few days.

Christian's eyes held an undercurrent of dark waves, his gaze locking dead onto me. Those eyes, deep as an abyss, seemed capable of piercing through everything, making me a bit fearful. After a long moment, Christian finally withdrew his gaze. "I'll go get the car from the underground parking lot. Wait for me at the exit, be good."

The exact moment Christian vanished from sight, Julian materialized out of nowhere. He stood by my side, staring thoughtfully in the direction where Christian had disappeared, then turned his head to look at me. "The relationship between you two is a bit better than I imagined."

Damn it, did this guy just witness our entire kiss from start to finish?!

A stampede of wild thoughts rushed through my mind. Embarrassment and anger surged into my chest simultaneously, and I almost lashed out.

Julian offered a seemingly serious critique: "But don't you think Mr. Christian is quite a terrible kisser?"

Just as I was about to blow up, Julian pressed a hand onto my shoulder. "Did you forget what I told you before? Watch your step around the person sharing your bed." His warm breath brushed against my ear. "How can your memory be so poor, hmm?" As Julian spoke, his straying hand began to reach into...

Julian's intensely aggressive masculine aura enveloped me, his narrow eyes upturned slightly, flashing with a dangerous gleam. The man's eyelashes were thick and long, his features perfectly sculpted, causing my heart to skip a beat. Even at a moment like this, I couldn't help but marvel at this man's enviably handsome looks.

It wasn't until his thin lips pressed against mine that I snapped awake, forcefully pushing Julian away.

Acing like a pervert again.

Chapter 16: Women Know Women Best

I used a massive amount of force, causing Julian to stumble back a few steps, though he didn't seem angry. The man adjusted his tie, staring at me with amusement. "Quite bold, aren't you, running wild on my turf?"

His gaze made me feel as uncomfortable as always. Forcing a practiced smile, I tried to maintain my composure. "If nothing else, it seems I need to be careful around you, Mr. Julian."

Julian looked thoroughly amused, leaning against the wall and laughing until his shoulders shook. The sound wasn't loud, but it was clear he was actively suppressing some kind of emotion.

This was incredibly irritating. I rolled my eyes, not bothering to waste my breath on him, and turned to march away. Fortunately, he didn't pursue me further. After walking a few paces, I heard the man behind me murmuring to himself, "How did I end up taking a liking to someone like her..."

Stepping out of the mall, Christian's car was nowhere to be seen. I called his number, but the line was busy again. Putting down my bag, I leaned against a pillar outside the entrance to wait, pulling out my phone to reply to a few messages from Sera during the downtime.

Soon, Sera sent over two more voice notes. I had barely listened to the first few words before the audio was drowned out by a piercing shriek.

Frowning, I followed the noise. A young woman in a red dress came running out with her hair completely disheveled, missing a high heel on one foot, looking an absolute mess.

Pursuing closely behind her was a middle-aged woman with short hair, who lunged forward and grabbed the red-dressed woman by the hair, her mouth spewing an endless stream of unbearable profanity. "You shameless homewrecker, throwing yourself at my man over and over again, how can you be so vile..."

"If I ever catch you again, don't think you're getting away with your life..."

The makeup on the red-dressed woman's face was entirely ruined, and she shrieked while trying to halt the other woman's movements, "You crazy woman, let go of me!"

This was a side entrance leading toward the parking lot, so the foot traffic was naturally lighter than the main entrance, yet there were still quite a few pedestrians passing by. Threes and fours of onlookers paused, gathering together to whisper about this dramatic clash between the mistress and the original wife.

As the two women wrestled with each other, a man finally emerged from the mall, his face drenched in sweat. "Both of you stop it!"

I let out a soft scoff. The male lead had finally made his appearance.

The moment the red-dressed woman saw the man, she seemed to find a shield, hiding behind him while hurling the same vile insults back at the middle-aged woman. I took a closer look; the red-dressed woman was decked out entirely in luxury brands, the total value on her body easily crossing six figures. The original wife beside her, however, was dressed in incredibly plain clothing.

"...An abandoned woman like you deserves to stay at home looking like a haggard housewife!"

Before the red-dressed woman could finish her insults, the man's palm swung across her face. The crisp slap echoed through the air as he angrily helped the original wife up, turning to glare at the mistress. "Get lost, don't ever let me see your face again!"

The man left with his wife, and the crowd gathered at the entrance gradually dispersed, leaving the red-dressed woman sitting on the ground, weeping hysterically without a shred of dignity left. Feeling a wave of restlessness, I pulled two tissues from my bag and handed them over. She sobbed, offering a muffled word of thanks.

The corners of my mouth turned up into a mocking smile as I stared down at the tips of my shoes. There was nothing to thank me for; it was simply a sudden, strange sense of solidarity born from sharing a similar wretched fate. Yet, clutching the ring on my finger, I thought to myself that I would absolutely never allow myself to fall to such a state.