Page 37 of Julian's Curse

Without me begging further, he pinned me against the bed and drove into me with one go.

I spread my thighs apart to feel him deeper while he pounded me with the force of our love. The pleasure was so intense that my fears no longer burdened me. Julian grunted and moved inside me fast, then slowed down to savor the moment. That was also the moment for me when I was most likely to come, and while I tried hard not to, my body craved it. I spasmed as warmth rolled through me.

It was as if he knew my body inside out. “You feel so good, so tight,” he rammed his cock into me over and over.

But it wasn’t all animalistic. “I love you so much, Lucie,” he moaned as we both began to gasp for breaths.

I dug my fingers deeper into the skin of his back, feeling him tense beneath my touch. “I love you so much,” I whispered, letting the steady beat of his heart anchor me as he collapsed against my chest. I wasn’t ready to face the harshness of realityor the days to come, but for tonight, we had each other to drown it all out. And yet, as our lips met, a familiar numbness spread through mine, a tingling sensation—the only sign of the darkness that loomed ahead. The one sign of how far I’d gone to love him.

We lay there for a while, catching our breath in the soft glow of the moonlight. Would we stay up until almost morning? Time was slipping away, and soon he would have to leave again, for what could be a long while.

Not ready to sleep, we sank into a long conversation that unraveled the layers of everything that had come before us—every heartbreak, every scar. The pain poured out, raw and unspoken, but somehow, by some quiet miracle, it seemed to dissolve as swiftly as it had appeared. Beneath the roughness of his words and the intensity of his demeanor, I saw the truth of our love—it was tender, sweet, and filled with care. It was ours, with its ragged edges, secrets, and suffering, but still, it was ours.

“I need your help, baby,” he pleaded quietly. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to do this without you.” Our faces were so close now that I could count the stubble on his scruffy jaw. It was then that I noticed that he was afraid. “For the first time in my life, I don’t feel like I am in control, Lucie.”

I pulled him into my arms, cradling him close. “I am here,” I promised. “Rose is going to be fine, everything is going to be alright.”

“I’m sorry I hurt you,” he whispered, and the rest of the night was spent with him sobbing in my arms, each shaky breath heavy with pain. I felt the weight of his grief—his mom, the memories, and the guilt of letting me down.

He’ll overcome this, I thought, trying to convince myself that this was just another hurdle in his unstable life. On the outside, Julian Valmont was the billionaire who had it all, but on the inside, he was a chaotic painting of heavy emotions. Beneath thepolished surface, there were cracks, hidden scars that only a few ever saw. And as much as I wanted to believe he could heal, I feared the journey would take more from him than he knew.

The following day,we woke up around sunrise, both of us restless and unable to find any real peace. Julian, perhaps still riding the high from the night before, wasn’t easy to read. I didn’t ask about it—partly because I knew the truth: it would likely take medication to help him through the withdrawal, a process far from simple.

I texted Amanda to let her know I needed a sick day. My entire first year atApogee, I’d never taken one. But I felt deep in my bones that I needed to digest everything that had happened in the recent day. I knew that if I didn’t give myself time to absorb the new information, I’d break irreparably.

We brewed a French press, the steam rising between us like a fragile barrier. I tried to focus on the ritual, the comforting aroma filling the room, but my mind kept drifting back to his pull toward using. His addiction explained so much, including the angular cheilitis on my mouth that had flared up again after that night we made love. It stung when I sipped on my orange juice. I winced, trying to ignore it. Part of me wondered if some of the cocaine had been absorbed through my lips, making me a reluctant participant in his addiction. The thought horrified me—how could he put me through this without realizing the consequences? Truly, he likely hadn’t recognized it, but those caught in addiction often failed to see how deeply their actions impacted the people around them.

We spent a few minutes in bed, cuddling, both of us acutely aware that this would be the last time for weeks if not months. How long he would stay at rehab depended on his ability to recover—maybe two or three months? He expressed brief concerns about his business, worried he couldn’t run it from rehab. The first few weeks, they wouldn’t even allow him a phone, another disappointment layered on top of everything else. The rehab insisted visits weren’t recommended because patients needed to focus on themselves. “We’ll see if you can visit toward the end,” he pondered, a flicker of hope in his voice.

“I know you can do this,” I replied, striving to sound encouraging. Any doubts I had, I buried deep inside, clinging to hope for the best outcome. I wanted to believe in him, in us, even though the harsh reality of it all lingered at the edges of my mind.

While we packed his bag together, I glanced outside to see Oliver waiting patiently. I admired his strength to stick around through it all. He must have been upset with Julian for what had happened with Rose, but his demeanor seemed calm. I sensed he was in the same place I was—choosing to fight for Julian’s life, vowing loyalty. I waved at him, gratitude bubbling up inside me, and mouthed a silentthank you. He nodded back, acknowledgment passing between us.

Holding onto the belief that this was a brave step, I walked with Julian to the car. “I’m really proud of you,” I remarked, kissing him on the cheek. “You’ve come so far. Don’t lose sight of that now.”

He acknowledged it, though his fears about getting sober lingered in his eyes. Overcoming addiction was never a simple story; it was a monumental effort requiring consistent commitment. Before he got into the car, he handed me his phone. “We won’t be able to talk for a while, but I wrotesomething for you—messages to read each day while I’m gone. They’re in the notes.”

I smiled, touched by his thoughtfulness, then pulled out a thick envelope from my coat, holding it out to him. Inside were 30 flashcards—one for each day of his first month away. I’d written them while he was in the shower, trying to capture everything I couldn’t say in person.

He looked at me, mesmerized. “I know we tend to say the same things sometimes, but this is more than a coincidence.”

“I didn’t believe in twin flames before you,” I grinned, feeling a warmth spread through me despite everything. “But now… I think I’m starting to.”

The tension in his shoulders eased slightly. “I think I’m a believer now too.” He placed the letters into the pocket of his coat, as if carrying a piece of my heart with him.

“Should I take any of your calls? Let people know?” I changed the subject, not wanting to spiral into tears.

“Whatever you feel is right, Lucie,” he shrugged. “I have different work to do now, and I told my staff I’ll be away for a while. Mr. Dickens is also updated.”

Being a CEO of multiple companies had its advantages, allowing him to step back. Still, seeing him so broken was hard; he’d always been in charge of everything when it came to his businesses.

“I love you,” he pulled me into a tight hug. “And about Bradley…” He inhaled sharply, visibly pained by the thought. “If it matters that much to you, go see him when you need to. I won’t stand in your way.”

I laughed softly, noticing how hard he was trying not to grit his teeth at the mention of his name. “Honestly, I have a lot of work to do, and I’ll probably just sleep in my spare time. The few hours I have left in the day.” I added with a hint of playfulness.

“Lucie,” his gaze softened, searching mine with a tenderness that made my heart ache. “Please let me buy you Amanda’s company. Investors put money into things that make sense, and you make sense.”

I appreciated it more than Julian could know. “I’ll consider it as back up option if I fail at my plan.” I mustered one last smile, though his care for me was sweet. My career worries suddenly didn’t seem as important as his recovery.

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