Filed to story: Quinn Lane and Julian Sterling Book PDF Free
He had just sent a group inside when he spotted a member of Julian’s executive team.
“Hey!” he called out. “You’re Julien Goodwin, right?”
Julien put his phone away and smiled, “Mr. Croft, yes. How can I help you?”
“Everyone’s busy. What are you doing on your phone?” Zeke joked, tilting his chin. “Careful, I might tattle.”
“You’ve got me all wrong, sir,” Julien said, showing him the screen. “See? Strictly business.”
Zeke glanced at the chat interface and saw a familiar, single-letter nickname. “Just kidding,” he said, waving him off. “Go keep an eye on things over there. Make sure nothing goes wrong.”
He turned and saw Chase and Quinn. The Sterling family was vast, with distant cousins thrice removed. But Chase was one of the more competent ones. Zeke had met him a couple of times.
His gaze, however, was immediately drawn to the woman by his side.
She wore a deceptively simple yet elegant deep blue evening gown with an off-the-shoulder design. Her hair was swept up, revealing a long, slender, swan-like neck. The dress clung to her body, outlining a perfect, breathtaking hourglass figure. Her waist, in particular, was impossibly slender, so delicate it looked like you could span it with two hands.
Zeke considered himself a connoisseur, but the sight of Quinn’s face still managed to take his breath away. Her skin was so fair that against the dark blue of her dress, it seemed to glow. Her makeup was subtle, but every one of her features was so perfectly placed that she needed no extra adornment to showcase her beauty. She stood there with a quiet, composed grace, her expression neutral and dignified.
Seeing Zeke, Chase hurried over, exclaiming, “Mr. Croft, good evening.”
“You made it,” Zeke said, giving him a nod before his eyes returned to Quinn. “And this is?”
“My wife, Quinn Lane,” Chase said, his voice fawning. “Quinn, this is Mr. Croft. Say hello.”
Before Quinn could speak, a ripple of excitement went through the crowd near the yacht.
“Mr. Sterling is coming down.”
“It’s Seven!”
The name was spoken in a dozen different ways, but the meaning was the same.
Julian had arrived.
Zeke blinked and checked his watch. The party hasn’t even officially started. What is he doing down here so early?
To Zeke, Chase and his wife were just two more faces in the crowd. He turned away from them without another word and headed toward Julian.
Chase’s face fell. “Don’t you have a mouth? Can’t you even say hello?” he hissed at Quinn.
“He left,” she said flatly. “Who was I supposed to say hello to?”
“You were too slow! That’s why he left!” Chase scowled. “If you make a bad impression on him, you’ll regret it!”
“Then why did you make me come?”
“Just shut up for a minute!” Chase barked and pulled her aside. “Everyone here is a big shot. We can’t afford to offend a single one of them. Try to be sharp, will you?”
Zeke met Julian halfway, asking, “What are you doing down here so early?”
Julian’s gaze drifted back from the crowd. He just hummed in response.
Zeke was used to his brevity. He looked him up and down, teasing, “Well, well. Look at you. The peacock is finally showing his feathers. You’re going to break a lot of hearts tonight.”
Julian’s wardrobe was notoriously severe. His suits were almost exclusively black or charcoal gray. But today, he was wearing a deep blue three-piece suit, impeccably tailored. The peak lapels gave it a powerful look, while dark gold cufflinks added a touch of aristocratic flair. His hair was slicked back, revealing a broad, intelligent forehead and making his features seem even more chiseled and profound.
“I don’t have that kind of power,” Julian said, his eyes flicking to Zeke. “You’re the one who looks like a peacock.”
Zeke’s suit tonight was white, with colorful embroidery on the lapels and cuffs, perfectly fitting his playboy persona.
Zeke just grinned, “I never thought I would see you in this color. I just saw a woman. You know Chase Sterling. His wife is wearing a dress the exact same color as your suit. She’s so beautiful she looks like a mermaid who just walked out of the sea…”
As he was speaking, Chase was already dragging Quinn over to greet Julian.
Quinn followed reluctantly, her expression indifferent.
When Chase stopped, she casually lifted her eyes and froze.
It was the man from the tailor shop.
To think she would run into him here surprised her again.
Her lashes fluttered. Her gaze dropped to his chest for a second before darting away.
They were wearing the same color. It looked like a couple’s outfit.
Chase, in his nervousness, hadn’t noticed at first. Now that he saw it, he thought it was a fantastic coincidence.
“Mr. Julian Sterling,” he began with a beaming smile. “Thank you for inviting me. This is truly an eye-opening experience. This is my wife, Quinn Lane. I picked out her dress today. I can’t believe we have such similar taste, choosing the same color. Quinn, say hello to Mr. Julian Sterling.”
Quinn looked up.
Julian looked over.
Their eyes met.
Quinn expertly hid the shock in her eyes.
She had known from his aura that day that he was someone important, but she never imagined he was the Julian Sterling, head of the Sterling family.
The family’s wealth was ancient, tracing its roots back through centuries of history. Even through wars and revolutions, the Sterling family had never fallen. They had earned the government’s goodwill by donating supplies and funds during times of conflict, which had only smoothed their path to even greater power. And since Julian had taken the helm, he had expanded their business empire exponentially.
His name was legendary. She just never thought she would have the chance to meet him. Now, putting a face to the name, she felt a jolt of surprised recognition. So it’s him.
She had wondered what such a man would look like, imagining someone older, more stern, and imposing. She never would have guessed he would be so young and so devastatingly handsome, probably only a few years older than Chase.
And yet, seeing him now, it felt right. Of course he looks like this. It was as if his status and power demanded a face of equal perfection.
But then again, most people probably didn’t even notice his face at first. His presence was so overwhelming, his aura so powerful, that it completely overshadowed his looks. But stripped of all that, Julian could still decimate the confidence of any ordinary man with his face alone.
“What are you staring at? Say hello!”
Chase’s voice was a furious, gritted whisper in her ear.
He was about to have a meltdown. This was Julian, the man who held the fate of their family business in his hands. He didn’t expect Quinn to be a master of social graces, but could she at least be a little sharp? And here she was, just staring at him in a daze.
Quinn snapped out of it. Before she could speak, Julian’s gaze swept over her.
He spoke first. His voice was a low, rich baritone that seemed to resonate perfectly with her ears. Quinn instinctively lowered her gaze. No one knew, but she was a sucker for a beautiful voice. She couldn’t help but be drawn to it.
“We’re family,” Julian said coolly. “Call me Seven.”
Chase was ecstatic. It was just a name, but with Julian, it was a carefully guarded distinction. Not everyone had the privilege of calling him Seven.
“Right, we’re all family!” Chase echoed and prompted her. “Quinn, what are you waiting for?”
Julian’s cool, placid gaze settled on her.
Zeke, watching from the side, shook his head. A goddess is standing right in front of him, and Julian’s expression doesn’t so much as flicker. The man is truly an ascetic.
Quinn looked up, her lashes trembling, and met Julian’s deep eyes. She lowered her head slightly and said softly, “Seven.”
Chase knew his place. He couldn’t chitchat with Julian as an equal. He was too nervous, too intimidated. After the greeting, he quickly said, “We won’t keep you, Seven. Quinn and I will get out of your hair.”
As they walked away, Zeke stroked his chin, murmuring, “Chase Sterling actually managed to land a wife that beautiful. Wow. Where are you going?”
Julian was already heading for the stairs, replying, “To deal with an email.”
“You just came down…” Zeke said and followed him. “You’re the host! There are dozens of people waiting to kiss your ring!”
“Not interested.”
Hearing those two cold words, Zeke couldn’t help his curiosity.
“Then what were you doing down here in the first place? No, what’s the point of this whole party?”
Julian’s gaze returned from a distant point across the deck.
“Getting some air. The point? Do I need a reason to do what I want?”
He didn’t. But Zeke still didn’t get it. From the moment Julian bought the yacht, he had been baffled. And now this party was a mystery. Julian was not a social creature. He certainly didn’t need to network.
“On a whim?” Zeke whispered and guessed. “Doesn’t seem like your style.”
Julian shot him a look, barking, “You’re noisy. Go manage your party. Stop following me.”
Zeke stopped in his tracks, replying, “Fine. I’ll go see if I can find any pretty girls.”
Julian’s brow furrowed as he snapped, “Don’t cause any trouble at my event.”
Zeke held up his hands in surrender, whining, “Whoa! When have I ever caused trouble? Don’t make me sound like I’m not selective! What, you think I’m like that Maddox Dixon kid?”
Maddox was the youngest of the Dixon family, a notorious womanizer whose speed at changing girlfriends was the stuff of legend.
Julian paused, adjusting his cufflink.
“He’s here today?”
“The more the merrier,” Zeke said, knowing Julian despised the man. “Besides, we have to give face to his father.”
Just then, he waved to someone below.
“Speak of the devil. He’s here. I’ll go say hi.”
Maddox himself was a screw-up, but he had been born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Lakeshore City was full of millionaires, but only a few sat at the very top. The Sterling family, the Croft family, the Dixon family, and the York family, the four great families, wielded immense influence. It was true that one percent of the population controlled ninety-nine percent of the wealth.
Maddox was the baby of his family, a late-in-life child his father doted on. He had grown up to be a self-indulgent, promiscuous rake, the most infamous playboy in Lakeshore City.
Zeke went down to greet him.
