Chapter 200 The air froze for a moment. Julian gave Charlotte a sidelong glance, as if she had just told a joke. "When has my reputation ever been good?" In the Sterling family, he was the unfilial grandson who defied elders. Outside, people trembled at the mere sight of him. What "good reputation" did he have to lose? Charlotte choked on her words. "Then what about her reputation? Don't you care about that?" "I do." That was why he had never considered making their relationship public before Sydney's divorce was finalized.
Charlotte pressed, "But if this keeps going, sooner or later her name will be-"| Julian cut her off, his gaze cold and sharp, "Then you'd better not say a word." It was a reminder and a warning. He always seemed this detached, this frosty. Yet when his eyes landed on her, Charlotte's heart seized. "I... I know." Her carefully manicured nails dug into her palms. He turned as if to leave. Charlotte stared at his tall frame and, despite herself, blurted, "Is it just a fling? Or-" He ignored her, walking on without a falter. He could not be bothered to explain anything.
As he had said before, the marriage arrangement meant nothing to him. Charlotte stood dazed for a long moment before finally pulling herself together and returning to the private room. When Sydney came back, Caleb beckoned her over. "Come on, play a round." "I don't really know how." "That's fine. Just mess around." He shifted aside to make room. "Your husband's rich. If you lose, you lose." "Tsk, tsk." Bruce smacked his lips. "This isn't poker anymore. It's basically a live romance show." Sydney had barely sat down and glanced at her cards when the door opened again.
Julian strolled in, languid and careless, nothing like the man he had been behind closed doors. Her eyes flicked to his lips. Guilt pricked. Her hand slipped, and she revealed some of her cards across the table. Tiffany teased, "What, showing your hand before the game even starts?" Sydney shot her a glare, recollected her cards, and heard Caleb chuckle beside her. "She's a newbie. Cut her some slack." He was the very picture of a doting husband. Julian's long legs carried him unhurriedly across the room.
He stopped behind Sydney and murmured, "Raise the next turn." She tilted her head back to glare at him. "Gentlemen's rule. Spectators don't get to talk." His smirked faintly, "I never claimed to be a gentleman." His tone was laced with suggestion. She could not argue with him, so she ignored him and focused on her cards. Bruce, an expert at the table, played with ease while prying into gossip.
His gaze slid to Julian's face, and suddenly he remarked, "Jules, you keep saying you don't acknowledge that engagement with Charlotte, but your lips look a lot redder than when you left." Sydney's grip on her cards tightened until her fingertips went numb. Every muscle tensed. She had reapplied her lipstick, and no one could tell. But Julian's... Caleb noticed her hesitation and smiled. "Don't know what to do next?" "Mm." Sydney steadied herself and, under his guidance, called her hand, working toward a flush. Julian chuckled, reached over, and smacked Bruce on the head.
"Why are you staring at my mouth all day? Want a kiss?" Bruce shuddered, goosebumps crawling over his arms. "Bro, we don't do that here, alright? I'm not into men." The awkward tension melted into laughter, and Sydney quietly exhaled in relief. She was a fast learner with a sharp memory. With the "newbie protection" the table gave her, she easily won the game. Tiffany slammed her cards down in defeat. "My god, what kind of luck is this? Every hand's a big win!"