Chapter 79

Julian had expected her to blush, perhaps become flustered, but clearly, he had underestimated her. She wasn't just bold—she was ruthless. His eyes narrowed as he took in the slight tilt of her chin, that barely perceptible smirk, the unmistakable challenge in her gaze.

He let out a cold laugh and replied, “We’ve been married for a year. A… limited marital interaction. How is that taking advantage of you?”

Even if I had done something to you, it would have been completely normal. Just…

Clara and the other house staff were practically screaming in their heads. Can you two please NOT have this conversation in front of us? This is way too personal.

Rosalie didn’t even blink. She just rolled her eyes at him. “Oh, so you’ve suddenly recovered after being out of service for a whole year?”

Julian’s expression turned ice-cold instantly.

The servants were losing their minds. Wait, hold on. What did we just hear? Mr. Galloway isn’t… functional? Is that why he wants a divorce?

The realization hit them like a freight train. Their gazes subtly shifted, and suddenly, the way they looked at Julian was different. There was sympathy and pity in their eyes.

Julian noticed those gazes, and his face darkened.

“Rosalie,” he said through gritted teeth, his voice low and dangerous, “are you trying to get yourself killed?”

But Rosalie wasn’t the least bit intimidated. She let out a soft scoff and retorted, “I’ve been married to you for a year, and we haven’t even shared a bed. Isn’t it perfectly reasonable for me to have some concerns?”

She shifted in her chair, resting her chin on her palm as she stared at him, amusement flickering in her eyes.

“Tell me, Julian, what kind of normal married man spends an entire year avoiding his own wife?” added Rosalie.

The truth was, Julian had barely spent any time at Rosalian Manor after their wedding. Even when he did, he treated her like an annoyance. So apparently, they had no intimate moments at all.

Rosalie made such comments only because Julian had stirred up the trouble first. Since he wanted to play dirty, she wouldn’t back down easily.

Rosalie had been seething with rage moments ago, but seeing his face turn stormy and his patience wearing thin, she suddenly felt much better.

And then, Julian did something that sent a chill down her spine. He smiled. But it wasn’t a genuine smile. It was the kind of smile that made every nerve in her body scream danger.

Rosalie’s instincts kicked in, her muscles tensing as she watched him approach.

Before she could react, his strong arm wrapped around her, yanking her up from the chair without warning.

She let out a startled gasp. “Julian, what the hell are you doing?”

His voice was slow, deliberate. Every word was laced with something sharp. “It seems I’ve neglected my wife for too long. If you’re that dissatisfied, we might as well address the problem. And since we both happen to be free today, I’ll take the time to properly compensate you.” The way he spat out “wife” made it clear he was barely holding back his temper.

Rosalie’s heart sank because she knew damn well that when he said “compensate,” he didn’t mean it in a way that benefited her. And before she could even think of a response, he bent down and scooped her up into his arms in front of everyone.

“Skip breakfast,” he said casually. “You wouldn’t want to be too full. It makes exercise a little inconvenient.”

A slow, wicked smirk tugged at his lips as he strode toward the stairs.

Fury shot through Rosalie’s veins. She quickly grabbed onto the leg of the dining table, her eyes blazing. “Julian, do you even have a shred of shame?”

Julian looked down at her angry face and replied in a steady, infuriatingly calm voice. “You had no problem asking me to publicly discuss what happened last night. I figured you weren’t the type to care about things like shame.”