Landon's gaze lingered on Annabel for only a second before shifting back to Julian. When he spoke, his voice was flat.
"Do I need to report to you when I come to my own home, Julian?" The question landed in the space between them. No one moved.
Julian's face turned ugly. He forced a smile. "Of course not. I was just... surprised."
Landon took off his jacket and handed it to Mr. Watkins, then walked directly to the single armchair in the center of the living room—the seat of power in the space—and sat down.
After sitting, he didn't look at Julian again. He stared at the flames in the fireplace, letting the silence settle, as if the other two people in the room didn't exist.
The silent pressure made Julian extremely uncomfortable. He cleared his throat, trying to regain control of the situation.
"What brings you out so late?" Julian tried to make his voice sound casual.
Landon didn't answer. He picked up the cigar box on the table, selected one, and clipped the end with a silver cutter.
His every move was calm and unhurried, a stark contrast to Julian's agitation.
"And who is this young lady?" Landon finally spoke, his eyes still on the cigar in his hand, as if it were a casual question.
A look of smugness immediately appeared on Julian's face. This was his chance to score a point.
"Oh, her?" Julian walked over and roughly pulled the cowering Annabel to her feet.
Annabel let out a short cry of surprise, forced into Landon's line of sight. She felt so ashamed she wanted the floor to swallow her whole.
"Let me introduce you to my... new pet." Julian's tone was light, dismissive, as if he were presenting a trinket.
Landon's hand, which was lighting the cigar, paused. He finally lifted his eyes, his cold gray gaze locking onto Julian.
"Pet?" Landon repeated the word, his voice betraying no emotion.
Julian felt a chill from his stare, but for the sake of his pride, he pushed on. "Yes, a rather disobedient little canary. But she has a more interesting identity."
He leaned closer to Landon, lowering his voice as if sharing a secret. "You'll never guess. She's Annabel Beaumont, the daughter of the Beaumont family that went bankrupt three months ago."
Landon's expression didn't change, as if the name meant nothing to him.
Julian was disappointed, but he had a bigger bomb to drop. "And, she used to be my fiancée."
The words hung in the air, and the room seemed to freeze.
Annabel's face turned deathly white. It was her most humiliating past, now being so casually exposed in public by Julian.
The lighter in Landon's hand snapped shut with a click. He had finally lit the cigar. White smoke blurred the expression on his face.
He took a drag, slowly exhaling a smoke ring before speaking. "Is that so? Then why is she here now?"
Julian shrugged, triumphant. "Just a family alliance charade. Now that their family is finished, the engagement is naturally off. But I'm a sentimental guy. I saw how pitiful she was, so I signed a new contract with her, giving her a chance to... 'work' off the debt."
He deliberately emphasized the word "work," the implication clear.
Annabel trembled, every word from Julian a slow, torturous cut to her dignity.
Landon was silent for a moment. Then he stood up, his tall frame casting a massive shadow.
He walked toward Annabel, but his eyes were fixed on Julian. "I don't like having unclear people in my villa. Have her leave. Or, you leave with her."
His words were absolute, his first clear intervention in Annabel's situation.
