Chapter 236: Chapter 236: A Well-Rehearsed Act

Upon hearing about yesterday’s theatrical performance, Julian understood everything. The chess pieces had been meticulously arranged, and every single one of their actions was falling perfectly into a flawless script.

Yesterday, according to what Nadine Locke had witnessed, Ethan had lost his temper and gotten physical with Julian right at the company. In the eyes of others, Julian had stormed off in a fit of anger, while Ethan had resorted to alcohol to drown his sorrows, drinking the entire night away without returning home. Given the normal disposition of a man, he certainly would not consider striking his partner as a matter of course; feelings of guilt and torment were the inevitable psychological reactions.

When one makes a mistake, one must apologize, that is common sense in any relationship. And today’s trip to the shopping mall, apart from purchasing a new tablet for Julian to replace the broken one, was largely to continue performing this play of reconciliation for others to see. Since someone had the cunning to plant an insider as a close assistant right by Ethan’s side, and for that person to securely hold that position for three whole years, how could there possibly be a lack of snooping eyes around them, such as paparazzi or spies lurking in the shadows? Every single step they took at this moment needed to flaunt their mended relationship in order to misdirect public opinion.

Thinking back to yesterday’s events, Julian could not help but feel curious about the latter half of the play, prompting him to ask, “So, “Ethan”, who went drinking at The Ebony Lounge yesterday, returned home yet?”.

“”He” has returned, early this morning, a friend drove him right to his doorstep, playing the role perfectly.”

Julian chuckled softly, his shoulders trembling at the sheer amusement of this plan. It was a play he had improvised halfway through on a whim, yet this man had actually taken it to heart, even mobilizing his personnel to act alongside Julian in the most systematic and professional manner.

“It is good that he is back, then let us head to the shopping mall. You ’hurt’ me in front of so many people, so you must compensate me thoroughly.”

Ethan raised an eyebrow slightly, his profound gaze suddenly turning fiery as he leaned close to Julian’s ear and whispered, “Yesterday I compensated you with so many of my ’descendants’, is that still not enough?”.

At first, Julian did not quite understand, his face still retaining a trace of innocence. But upon hearing the man deliberately emphasize the word ’descendants’ with a deep, husky voice full of innuendo, Julian suddenly recalled the steamy images of last night, when the man had fiercely shot his overflowing semen deep into Julian’s belly. The memory of their burning skin-to-skin contact rushed back, causing Julian’s face to flush as red as a ripe tomato, and out of embarrassment, he lightly punched Ethan’s solid shoulder, saying: “Pervert. You are getting worse and worse, not acting like an aloof CEO at all anymore.”.

Ethan did not reply with words, his lips merely curled up into a barely perceptible arc. He simply and silently sat up, his movements decisive and powerful, before effortlessly lifting Julian into his arms in a princess carry. Julian ignored this abruptness, obediently wrapping his arms around the man’s neck, resting his head against the sturdy chest, and asked: “Where are we going?”

“To change clothes, getting ready to go to the mall. This afternoon, after we finish shopping, would you like to come up to the company with me?”

Julian blinked, thinking about having to face the scrutinizing gazes at the Caldwell Empire: “Going there to put on an act again? What kind of play are you planning to stage this time? A loving couple after the storm?”.

“There is no need to act. The target who needs to watch the play is not there at the moment. She was dispatched on a business trip with another specialized team early this morning.”

Julian raised his head, his clear eyes displaying obvious doubt and concern for their long-term plan: “By suddenly sending her away like that, are you not afraid they will grow suspicious that we are clearing the path to dispose of them?”.

The man shook his head confidently, his hand caressing Julian’s soft hair: “This itinerary was already pre-scheduled on the company’s system. I merely accelerated the approval process a little bit, so she will not be suspicious.”

“Mm. That is good then, it is better to be careful.” Speaking up to this point, Julian suddenly thought of another core issue regarding the safety of them both, and he hurriedly asked the man with a serious expression, “Take a guess, is she a scheming person who was trained beforehand to infiltrate the Caldwell Empire as a spy, or was she bought off by outside forces with wealth only after entering the Caldwell Empire and noticing the loopholes?”.

Ethan did not answer immediately, he looked deep into Julian’s eyes as if wanting to test his partner’s reasoning skills: “Then let me ask you a question in return. Who exactly are you referring to when you say ’outside forces’? Gabriel Cole, the Harrington family, or the Caldwell family members?”.

Ethan deliberately articulated his words very slowly, placing a particular emphasis on the phrase ’the Caldwell family members’ with a cold, sarcastic attitude. This question startled Julian into recognizing another issue that he had unintentionally forgotten all this time. Ever since their marriage, his relationship with his husband’s family had been rather distant; he had only caught fleeting glimpses of the Caldwell family members during that extravagant wedding ceremony. For the majority of the remaining time, Julian had only stayed by Ethan’s side in their own private world, occasionally returning together to visit Grandpa Arthur to fulfill their filial duties. However, Julian had absolutely never met face-to-face or conversed with any other Caldwell family members at the main mansion during this entire period.

Hearing him mention those people with wariness from his own mouth this time made Julian feel as though he had abruptly awakened from a false sense of peace. In any wealthy and powerful aristocratic family, the things that were never lacking were the scheming struggles for power, the usurpation of the family fortune, and the mutual destruction of one another. The time spent at the Caldwell family had been so profoundly tranquil that it made Julian forget that, behind the glamour of the Caldwell surname, there lay an uncompromising hidden war just like in any other great family. It was just that perhaps Grandpa Arthur was still there. He was far too overbearing and majestic, which was why he managed to suppress all of their rebellious seeds.

But that suppression was nothing more than a calm outer shell meant to maintain the family’s face. In truth, deep within those ambitious hearts, whether they were secretly colluding or wanting to pull some wicked tricks was truly hard to predict. Betrayal frequently comes from those who are the closest.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep