Roman and Julienne's heart desire
Chapter 38: He wasn’t just wealthy, no powerful he was dangerous

Chapter 38: He wasn’t just wealthy, no powerful he was dangerous

It was a wonderful morning, the kind that felt slow and calm. Everything moved smoothly as breakfast was served, though a slight unease clung to Julie.

She sat quietly, picking at her food, her silence contrasting the peaceful air in the dining room.

Across from her, Roman ate with quiet elegance, his fingers moving gracefully as he handled the chopsticks between his index finger and thumb.

His every movement was precise, effortless—refined.

Then, without looking up, he spoke with a playful glint in his tone.

"Hope you didn’t leave the towel in the closet again, have you?"

Julie froze.

Her face turned crimson as the memory he teased her about came flooding back.

Her eyes snapped up, flaring indignantly as she glared at him.

Roman burst into laughter. "Hahaha!"

His laugh echoed warmly in the room, rich and unrestrained.

It was a rare sound—so rare that heads peeked from the kitchen to witness it.

First Tod, then Elizabeth, and finally Rose—three curious faces stacked comically in a line, peering out from the kitchen doorway.

"The master is laughing. Can you imagine?" Elizabeth whispered, wide-eyed.

Julie blinked in surprise. She had never seen Roman laugh like that.

His usual expression was unreadable, stern, often distant—but now, he looked... human. Alive. Happy.

The sound of his chair shifting made her look up again.

He stood, picking up his plate, and walked toward her.

Her breath hitched slightly as he came to stand beside her, casting a shadow over her place.

She could feel his gaze on her—deep, intense, filled with something unspoken.

Julie lifted her eyes, cheeks still burning from earlier.

Their eyes locked.

For a long moment, neither of them moved.

Then, Roman gently pulled out the chair next to her and sat down, still looking at her—unblinking, unwavering.

Julie lowered her gaze quickly, flustered, and tried to focus back on her food. Her chopsticks trembled slightly in her hand.

"My dear," Roman said softly.

She looked up at him, eyes cautious, curious.

"Do you know something?" he asked, voice as gentle as a breeze brushing against her cheek.

Julie shook her head quickly.

"You look extremely cute when you blush," he said, and smiled.

That smile—rare, sincere—hit her harder than she expected.

Julie’s face went scarlet, like a flame had been lit under her skin.

She looked away, barely holding back a flustered squeak.

"Eat your food," she muttered, lips twitching into a small smile of her own.

Roman chuckled but obeyed like an obedient child, quietly eating without teasing her further.

He no longer tried to hide his feelings.

Gone was the cold mask, the emotional walls. Now, all he showed her was love, care, and affection—feelings he had buried for too long.

He didn’t know how it happened, this shift inside him, but it did. And now that it had, he couldn’t let go.

He had tasted life without her warmth. It was unbearable.

But this? This was sweet.

He would not let it slip away again.

After breakfast, Roman was quick to get ready. His coat draped over his arm, he was just about to step out the door when something made him turn back.

Julie stood a few steps away, watching him.

She looked at his broad back, a soft smile on her lips—a smile of contentment, of quiet joy. He had changed, and she could feel it.

Roman approached her, his steps slow and deliberate. Julie tilted her head slightly, wondering what was wrong.

Then, suddenly, his face descended.

The tall, composed Roman gently pulled her into his arms. His lips brushed her forehead, warm and steady. Julie’s eyes fluttered closed, heart thudding at the intimate gesture.

"I’m leaving now," Roman whispered. "Wait for me. And take care of yourself... for me."

His eyes were intense, full of emotions he didn’t try to hide anymore.

Julie nodded slowly. "Hmm... okay."

And she stood there, heart warm, watching as Roman walked out through the grand doors of the mansion—his presence lingering like a warm echo in the morning light.

******

Later In the evening after eating dinner,the house was quieter than usual.

Julie thought Roman had gone out for a meeting—he hadn’t said much after dinner, just kissed her forehead and told her to "rest well."

But something had tugged at her, a strange feeling in her chest that wouldn’t let her relax.

She wandered barefoot down the hallway, hugging her cardigan around her, when she heard a faint metallic thud from below.

A sound that didn’t belong to their usual domestic calm.

Her curiosity got the better of her.

She followed the faint noises to a door she hadn’t opened before—a heavy one tucked near the wine cellar. It creaked as she pushed it. Beyond it: stairs leading down.

Cool air hit her skin as she descended slowly, heart pounding.

What she walked into made her stop cold.

It was an underground garage—or at least, it used to be. Now, it looked more like a private interrogation room.

Concrete floor. Harsh white light overhead. The faint smell of gasoline and blood.

Three men were in the room. Two stood to the side, silent and watchful.

The third was tied to a chair, blood dripping from his nose, eyes wide with terror.

And in front of him—Roman.

He looked different.

No suit. His sleeves were rolled up, exposing his forearms. A black glove on one hand, a silver ring catching the light on the other.

There was no warmth in his expression. No teasing glint in his eyes. Only cold calculation.

"Last chance," Roman said, voice low but razor-sharp. "Who sent you?"

The man didn’t speak. His lip trembled.

Julie stayed hidden behind a stack of crates, hand over her mouth. Her heart was thundering in her ears.

She’d never seen Roman like this.

Never imagined he could look at someone like that—with the calm of someone used to being obeyed. Or feared.

The silence stretched. Roman didn’t raise his voice. He simply turned to one of the men standing beside him.

"Gloves on."

That was all he said his voice cold with no emotions.

And in that moment, Julie saw it and from her angle she could see his face that was icy cold and his piercing gaze towards the person.

Gone was the warmth Julie had come to crave. His eyes, so soft with her, were now like polished obsidian, reflecting nothing, revealing even less.

She couldn’t see the man she loved in them. Only the man she was never supposed to meet.

This wasn’t just a man defending himself. This wasn’t a mistake or an outburst.

This was who Roman was.

And suddenly, the pieces clicked. The silence. The shadows.

The looks he exchanged with certain people. The way his name carried weight even in casual conversation.

He wasn’t just wealthy. He wasn’t just powerful.

He was dangerous.

She took a step back—and knocked over a small metal tool behind her.

Clang.

Everyone turned.

Roman’s head snapped toward the noise.

Their eyes met.

Julie froze. Wide-eyed. Barely breathing.

Roman’s expression didn’t change for a beat. Then something flickered—recognition, concern, regret.

"Julie."

He said it softly. Almost like a plea.

Julie turned and ran.

She didn’t know where she was going—but she knew she had just crossed into a world she didn’t understand.

A world she wasn’t sure she was ready for.

Julie ran.

Her feet pounded against the floor, heart racing faster than her thoughts. Panic burned in her lungs, but she didn’t stop. Couldn’t stop.

Not with that look—his look—still seared into her memory.

She reached the room and shoved the door open with trembling hands, darting inside like prey escaping a predator.

The door slammed shut behind her with a deafening bang, and she pressed her back against it, gasping for breath.

Her body shook. Her mind was a whirlwind.

"What are they doing?" she whispered into the silence, her voice barely audible.

Her whole frame trembled, and tears brimmed in her eyes. What had she just seen in Roman’s eyes? Fury? Pain? Madness?

Suddenly, the door shuddered.

Julie jumped.

Then—crack—it burst open.

There he stood.

Roman.

His tall frame filled the doorway, shoulders rigid, jaw tight.

But it was his eyes that froze her in place—cold, sharp, piercing through her soul like shards of winter.

He stepped inside, slow and deliberate. Each footfall echoed through the room like thunder.

Julie jolted back instinctively, hands clutching her chest. "Oh my..." she breathed.

Her heart hammered in her chest—bum-bum, bum-bum—like a wild drum calling for war or escape.

She took a step back.

Then another.

Roman’s eyes never left her.

"Stop right there," he said, voice calm but heavy with tension. Cold, yet... beneath it, something warm—conflicted.

Julie’s lips trembled. "Don’t come closer. You... you’re abusing your power."

Her voice cracked as she spoke. Her chest rose and fell with frantic rhythm, as if she could breathe the fear out of her body.

Roman didn’t flinch. "Come here."

Two simple words. No force, no command. Just quiet longing wrapped in restraint.

Julie didn’t move.

She couldn’t.

A thick silence settled between them. Seconds dragged.

Minutes felt like lifetimes. The tension in the room wrapped around them like a tightening rope.

Roman exhaled deeply.

And then... something in him shifted.

His shoulders relaxed. The hardness in his eyes melted.

He looked at her—not as the man who barged in, but as the man who loved her. Really loved her.

He moved.

In one smooth motion, he crossed the space between them.

Julie flinched, but before she could step away, his arms were around her—one slipping behind her back, the other beneath her knees.

He lifted her, gently but firmly, into his arms.

Julie gasped, caught completely off guard. "H-hmm..."

Her body stiffened at first. Then slowly, as she looked up into his face—into those softened, weary eyes—her breath caught for a different reason.

"Listen to me, okay?" Roman said softly, his voice a far cry from the ice it had been.

He carried her to the couch and sat down with her still nestled in his lap. She didn’t struggle.

She couldn’t. All she could do was look at him—wide-eyed, breath trembling, heart still in turmoil.

She gave a small nod, lips parting slightly. "Hmm..."

Roman tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, his fingers brushing her cheek.

"I never wanted to scare you," he said. "But you saw something you weren’t supposed to. And now... now you have to listen and understand,"

Julie stared at him, frozen between fear and something far more dangerous: trust.