Chapter 77

“You’re becoming bolder and bolder, little Miss Somers,” remarked Lucian.

As bespoke, he reached over Julie to pick up the bowl of hangtown soup on the kitchen counter and took a gulp.

“It’s pretty decent. Did you make it often in the past?” he asked casually.

Julie became visibly panicked and subconsciously tried to deny it.

Lucian pinned her with his gaze, causing her heart to thump wildly in her chest. She really was not good at lying.

She looked away, attempting to change the topic. “I’ve delivered your clothes, so I—I’ll be going now.” With that said, she left the scene with a flushed face.

For some time after that, Julie and Amaya worked together to prepare for starting their business. Once they had nailed down the location for their office, they started applying for the various required documents without pause. It took nearly half a month for them to get all their documents in order.

As Amaya watched an employee install the last computer in their office, she excitedly reached out to hug Julie.

“This place is going to be our future battlefield, Jules!” she exclaimed proudly.

Julie swept her gaze over the office space, less than 50 square meters. She could not help but feel a surge of excitement in her heart.

“When do we open for business?” she asked eagerly.

“I got an expert to help find us a lucky day for opening,” Amaya replied with a smile. “It’s tomorrow. Oh, right! Do you need to inform your friends about it?” Julie paused for a moment; Lucian’s figure subconsciously surfaced in her mind.

Ever since she’d left his place with her tail between her legs, she had found herself unable to face him and had been avoiding him for the better part of a month. Now, she was starting to feel conflicted again.

Even up till the scheduled opening day, she was still debating whether or not to send him a message. She took out her phone, snapped a photo of her workstation, and added the caption, “In the future, this will be the place where I wage my battles.”

In the end, she still could not muster the courage to tell Lucian about it. However, right after she pressed the button to publish her Instagram post, someone immediately commented—Lucian. He left a large question mark under her post. Before she even had time to reply, he had sent her a message:

“Your studio is open for business?”

Julie hesitated for a moment before replying with a simple “yes.” She could not help but become nervous when she received no reply after a few seconds. She waited for a few minutes, holding her phone, but finally gave up after still not getting any reply.

She sighed softly, feeling a little disappointed. Right at that moment, someone pushed open the door of the studio. She looked up, her eyes landing on the doorway, only to see Zachary approaching. He had a bouquet of flowers in his arms and a gentle smile on his face.

“This is for you, Julie,” he said softly, presenting the bouquet.

Julie did not accept the bouquet immediately, instead looking at him with confusion. She was bewildered, not understanding why he was suddenly giving her flowers.

Zachary smiled helplessly and explained, “I don’t mean anything else by it. I just wanted to wish you all the best in starting your business.”

Julie was stunned for a moment before she smiled faintly and reached out to take the bouquet. She angled her body slightly and said in a quiet voice, “Thank you. How did you know we were opening for business today?”

Zachary smiled faintly, replying in an equally soft voice, “I saw your Instagram post.”

A flash of astonishment crossed Julie’s eyes. She might have made an Instagram post, but she had not included an address. As if sensing her doubt, Zachary elaborated, “Amaya told me.”