Filed to story: Quinn Lane and Julian Sterling Book PDF Free
Quinn didn’t want to argue about it. For her to have even spoken the word “divorce” meant she had thought it through countless times. It wasn’t one single incident, but an accumulation of a thousand humiliations that had finally given her the courage.
“Then what will it take for you to agree?” she asked.
A cruel smile touched his lips.
“You want a divorce? Fine. Give me a son, and I’ll sign the papers.”
Quinn froze, completely stunned. She never would have imagined he would say something so absurd.
“A… a son?”
“That’s right, a son!” Chase barked, seeming pleased with his own cleverness. “You do that, and I’ll agree to a divorce.”
The irony was suffocating.
“You don’t even touch me. Am I supposed to immaculately conceive?”
Chase laughed and argued, “See? Your true purpose is showing. This was never about a divorce. This is all just a ploy to get me into your bed!”
He raked his eyes over her, his expression full of disgust.
“I’m telling you, keep dreaming! You’re not even worth a fraction of Rosalie. She’s the only one for me. I will never touch you! So get that idea out of your head!”
Quinn closed her eyes. She had heard those humiliating words for three years. She thought she had become immune, but they still stung. Not because she held any hope for Chase, but because she was mourning the person she used to be, the woman who had let herself live like this for so long.
Her thick, curled lashes cast shadows on her cheeks. Chase realized he had been staring at her, lost in thought. The realization infuriated him. She is doing it again! Using her looks to manipulate me. So what if she is pretty? She is nothing compared to Rosalie. Yes, Rosalie is the most beautiful. I won’t be swayed by this witch.
“Just behave yourself,” he snapped, turning to leave. “I’m busy enough at work without having to come home and deal with your pathetic little games! You’re so calculating!”
After he left, Quinn calmly opened her phone and messaged the shop where she had previously bought her supplies. After confirming her order, she got up to go pick it up.
On the way, she got a call from Lucy Blake.
Lucy was her college classmate and her best friend. Before Rosalie left, all of Quinn’s friends had been stolen away. After marrying Chase, Quinn had sunk into a deep depression, becoming so insecure that she was afraid to even talk to people. But Lucy was a bright, cheerful force of nature, a little sunbeam who had slowly broken through Quinn’s walls. After a few shared experiences, they had become inseparable.
“Quinn!” Lucy’s voice was infectious with happiness.
A small smile touched Quinn’s lips as she replied, “Lucy, what’s up? It’s rare for you to call.”
They usually texted.
“I missed you!” Lucy chirped. “What are you up to?”
“Just heading out to pick something up.”
“My internship is almost over! We have to go out for dinner to celebrate.”
“Okay.”
“Hey, Quinn, you sound a little off. Is everything okay?”
Quinn hesitated for a moment and decided to tell her the truth, “I’m… I’m planning to get a divorce.”
Lucy shrieked, “What? Why?”
She had seen Quinn’s husband once from a distance, who was tall and handsome. While she was sad her friend had gotten married so young, she had wanted to introduce Quinn to her brothers. She had wished her friend all the happiness in the world. And now Quinn was getting a divorce?
“Because…” Quinn explained and trusted Lucy completely. “He’s in love with someone else. We’ve been married for three years, and he’s never touched me.”
“Holy crap!” Lucy yelled into the phone. “Is he even a man? With a bombshell like you, how could he possibly control himself? Wait, hold on. It’s not… he’s not impotent, is he?”
Quinn blinked. She hadn’t considered that.
“Yes! That has to be it! He’s impotent!” Lucy declared with finality. “Otherwise, there’s no way he could keep his hands off you! Quinn, divorce him! I totally support you! A healthy sex life is one of the three pillars of a happy marriage!”
Lucy’s words pierced through the gloom that had settled over Quinn’s heart, and she let out a small laugh.
“Okay,” she said. “I’ll divorce him.”
“I know an amazing lawyer!” Lucy said excitedly. “I’ll get you the best! We’ll make that impotent jerk leave with nothing!”
Quinn hadn’t even thought about that. She didn’t want anything from Chase.
Someone called Lucy’s name in the background.
“Quinn, I gotta go! We’ll talk more when we meet up! Bye!”
After hanging up, Quinn felt a little lighter.
The shop she was going to was a bespoke tailor shop run by an elderly couple. It was tucked away in an old alley, a hidden gem that had been there for decades. Quinn had stumbled upon it as a child, and the couple had partly inspired her to study fashion design.
The alley was too narrow for cars, so she parked a block away. Grabbing the sugar-free pastries she had bought for the old couple, she walked into the narrow lane. The air was cold, and the sky had turned a heavy gray, threatening snow. The alley was deserted, and the ancient banyan tree at its entrance was bare, its naked branches stark against the sky. It was a scene of perfect winter desolation.
Quinn pulled her coat tighter around her and looked up. A man was just stepping out of the tailor shop.
He was tall, dressed in a tailored black suit under a matching full-length cashmere coat. The warm light from the shop’s awning cast his profile in shadow, but she could still make out the high bridge of his nose and the sharp line of his jaw. His deep eyes were like an ocean, exuding an air of cool indifference.
His looks were top-tier, but what truly arrested the heart was the powerful, aristocratic aura that clung to him like a second skin. It was an intimidating presence that commanded respect and instilled a sense of awe.
He glanced down, his eyes briefly meeting hers, and the dim streetlamp caught a sharp glint in his gaze.
Quinn’s heart skipped a beat. She quickly looked away, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear in a flustered gesture. She had seen her fair share of handsome men. Chase himself was very good-looking. But she was unprepared to be so completely stunned by a stranger. A blush crept up her neck.
Thankfully, he was taking long strides and passed her in an instant.
She didn’t see him turn his head slightly to catch a glimpse of the tips of her ears, bright red against the white fur collar of her coat.
Quinn hurried into the shop. She had known the old couple for over a decade and considered them family. They treated her like their own granddaughter. If there was anything in her life that Rosalie hadn’t managed to take from her, it was these two dear people. Rosalie had come here twice, full of curiosity, but she quickly lost interest, complaining that the alley was dirty, the old couple was boring, and the shop was old-fashioned. After that, she never came back.
In those days, Quinn had wanted to share every part of her life with Rosalie. The result was that Rosalie had quickly won over all their relatives and friends, leaving Quinn isolated. For years, the two old tailors in this shop had been Quinn’s only source of warmth.
She was chatting with them when she heard a noise at the door. She looked up and felt that jolt of surprise again.
It was the same man. He had come back.
Adele Parker put down her fabric and took off her reading glasses, her eyes wide with surprise.
“Julian? What are you doing back?”
It was indeed Julian.
He must have been walking quickly, as a lock of hair had fallen across his forehead. His narrow, obsidian eyes were unreadable as they swept over Quinn before settling on Adele.
“I just remembered my mother’s birthday is coming up. I’d like to order a custom gown for her.”
“Your mother’s birthday? Isn’t that still six months away?” Adele asked, confused. “Why order it now? You usually come in a month before.”
“Work is busy. I’m afraid I’ll forget.”
Adele smiled, “Alright. It’s warm in here. Take your coat off. Let me finish with Quinn, and then I’ll help you.”
Quinn looked down at her phone, hiding the surprise in her eyes. The man exuded such an air of refined power that he seemed completely out of place in this tiny shop. And yet, Adele spoke to him with such familiarity. She wondered what their relationship was. Pushing the thought aside, she focused on the color swatches she needed.
“Quinn, dear, what do you think of this one?” Adele sat down beside her, and they began to talk in low voices.
Once Quinn had selected her items, she stood up to leave. This shop was usually her sanctuary, but today, with the addition of this man and his overwhelming presence, the cozy space suddenly felt cramped and suffocating.
“Adele, I should get going…”
She stood too quickly and bumped into a nearby clothes rack.
“Careful.”
A cool, woody scent filled her senses. She looked up to find the tall, imposing figure of the man standing beside her, one hand steadying the rack. He had taken off not just his cashmere coat but his suit jacket as well. The crisp black fabric of his shirt was rolled up twice at the cuffs, revealing a glimpse of the strong, defined lines of his forearms. In the warm yellow light, she could see the faint blue of veins beneath his pale skin, an unexpectedly intimate detail that radiated masculine strength.
Quinn’s heart gave a hard thud. She stammered a thank you and quickly stepped back, nearly tripping over Adele.
“Oh, Quinn, what’s gotten into you today? You’re all thumbs,” the old woman said, steadying her with a teasing smile.
“Are you okay?” Quinn asked, startled. “Did I step on you?”
“No, I’m fine,” Adele said. “The weather’s turning. You should head home. Drive safely.”
Quinn didn’t dare stay a moment longer. After confirming the old woman was alright, she grabbed her things and hurried out.
Once she was gone, Adele looked Julian up and down, teasing, “Something’s not right with you today.”
Julian stood and retrieved his jacket, replying, “Don’t tease me. Please take care of my mother’s gown.”
Adele just smiled, “You rarely come here, and when you do, you’re in and out in a flash. But today, you waited patiently for nearly half an hour. Was it really for your mother’s dress?”
Her face held a knowing look that saw right through him.
Julian stood tall, his movements clean and efficient as he put on his coat.
Adele stepped forward to smooth the lapels, warning, “Quinn is a beautiful girl, but don’t you get any ideas. She’s married.”
“I know.”
The old woman was taken aback.
“You know? You know her?”
Julian hummed in assent. He adjusted his cuffs, saying, “I have to go.”
Adele knew his temperament and didn’t press him.
“Drive safe.”
When Julian stepped out of the alley, Quinn’s car was gone. His driver opened the door of a discreetly luxurious sedan, and Julian slipped inside.
