Chapter 104: Chapter 104: The Predator Wakes

Julian Sterling had no idea how much time had passed while he was lost in slumber. From the moment Ethan Caldwell carried him upstairs and his back touched the mattress, Julian’s eyes had become so heavy that he could barely keep them open. Initially, he had planned to take a proper shower and freshen up before resting, but that plan evaporated instantly. Before he knew it, he had fallen into a deep, comatose sleep. Perhaps the sheer volume of work recently, requiring such intense mental focus, had pushed Julian into a state of total exhaustion the moment his tasks were finally completed.

If it were not for the restless sensation washing over his body – a rising tide of heated desire forcing him to wakefulness – he likely would have slept straight through until the following morning. As Julian groggily opened his eyes, the pitch-black darkness surrounding him caused his brain, still sluggish and not fully awake, to pause for a second in confusion.

Had he slept all the way until nightfall?

Julian stiffly turned his head, his vision gradually adjusting to the low-light conditions. Only then did he realize that the large floor-to-ceiling window in the room had been completely obscured by a thick, heavy curtain, effectively blocking out every sliver of light from the outside world. This rendered the room entirely devoid of illumination, making it impossible to distinguish whether it was day or night.

As his consciousness slowly returned, he became aware of a warm presence holding him close. Furthermore, the sensation of the fabric against Julian’s skin felt distinctly different. It was much smoother and more comfortable, nothing like the stiff formal suit he had been wearing when he arrived home that afternoon.

Glancing down, he confirmed that his attire had indeed been changed into the soft pajamas he usually wore. His limbs felt clean and fresh, free from the sticky residue of sweat. It seemed that while he was unconscious to the world, Ethan had taken the time to change his clothes and even wipe him down with care.

Julian turned his head fully and, sure enough, found himself face-to-face with Ethan Caldwell’s handsome features at close range. Ethan’s breathing was rhythmic and steady, clearly indicating he was in a deep sleep. Julian reached out a hand to trace the bridge of Ethan’s nose – so high and straight it seemed almost unreasonable – and pursed his lips slightly in thought.

Ethan had been incredibly busy these past few days as well. Not only did he have to manage the colossal affairs of the Caldwell Empire, but he also had to take care of Julian. Moreover, it seemed Ethan could not let go of the fact that Aaron Sterling had ordered men to kidnap Julian. Consequently, Ethan was actively finding ways to cause trouble for both the Sterling family and Gabriel Cole. It was very likely that Ethan was handling two or three different massive undertakings simultaneously.

Although he didn’t look completely haggard, nor was his face pale or covered in stubble, Julian could still vaguely sense the exhaustion radiating from him. It was visible in the slight furrow between his brows and the faint, dark circles shadowing his eyes.

Many people often claimed that the wealthy, with assets worth billions, never knew true hardship or fatigue. That they never had to toil day and night for their daily bread or work overtime. But humans are, after all, made of flesh and blood; everyone has moments of exhaustion. Even machines run out of battery or oil eventually. The higher one stands, the more pressure they must face, and the heavier the burdens they must carry.

Julian gazed at Ethan for a moment longer before suddenly burying his face into the man’s broad chest, taking several deep breaths.

He felt a sudden, stinging sensation in his eyes.

After living for so many years, it seemed this was the first time someone had truly cared for him, worried about him, and looked after every little detail of his life like this. Ethan indulged him completely, letting him do whatever he pleased. It was clearly Julian’s own negligence that had caused the recent incident – it was his mistake – yet Ethan had never once uttered a word of blame.

Julian sniffled twice.

To die once and exchange it for a chance like this… it really wasn’t so bad.

Julian thought to himself that although he intended to build a power base of his own to ensure he always had a way out, for this current phase, perhaps he would dedicate his energy to developing the current project to its fullest potential and generating significant profit for the Caldwell Empire.

At the very least, Ethan had already done so much for him. Julian felt he could not be so heartless and ungrateful as to ignore everything else and only look out for himself.

With that thought in mind, Julian comfortably snuggled deeper into Ethan’s embrace. Although he was no longer sleepy, he simply lay there with his eyes half-closed, his expression one of pure enjoyment. Wanting to work was one thing, but actually getting up to start working was an entirely different matter.

Right now, Julian felt mentally drained. He didn’t want to think about anything at all. Just lying lazily like this actually felt quite nice. It was no wonder so many people loved to sleep in. However, lying completely still made him feel restless, as if his limbs were itching to move, so Julian began to nuzzle and rub against Ethan’s body. Even though his movements were very gentle, they were enough to rouse the man beside him.

Ethan did not open his eyes. Instead, he simply draped his arm around the little worm wiggling mischievously beside him, speaking in a hoarse, sleep-heavy voice: “Be good, don’t be naughty.”

That wicked hand of his even patted Julian’s buttocks twice, causing Julian to puff out his cheeks in indignation. Julian turned around and bit down on Ethan’s cheek, leaving behind a faint tooth mark. “I am not being naughty.”

Ethan helplessly opened his eyes to look at him. His gaze was surprisingly clear and bright, showing no signs of extreme fatigue. “You look incredibly energetic. Weren’t you exhausted just a little while ago?”

“I was tired then, but I’m all better now.” Julian beamed, flashing a radiant smile.

As Ethan looked at him, his gaze darkened slightly. The moment Julian sensed the scent of danger and tried to scramble out of his embrace to flee, he was instantly caught by the nape of his neck, pinned back onto the bed, and ravaged with a kiss.

Lately, the two of them had shared quite a few kisses, primarily because Julian was still suffering from the side effects of that drug, which kept his physiological needs relatively high. Ethan loved him too much to go all the way while he was in that state, so they mostly resorted to kissing and caressing each other to find release.

However, Ethan’s kiss today did not carry the usual soothing quality he had come to expect. Instead, it bore a dangerous edge, like a wild beast closing in on its prey.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep