Chapter 15 Hello Julian
That guy was sketchy as hell, giving off serious danger vibes.
The moment I spotted him, I thought about all those news. stories, stalkers following pretty women home in the middle of the night, cornering them, and hurting them. Was I seriously witnessing this right now?
Following that logic, if I didn’t let this woman in, that creep probably wouldn’t leave her alone.
Maybe she hadn’t knocked on the wrong door after all. Maybe she was actually asking for help.
I heard her voice again from outside, urgent and helpless, begging me to open up.
The next second, I watched on the security feed as the man finally lost his patience and started walking toward her.
This time, I didn’t hesitate. I yanked open the security door and pulled the panicked woman inside my apartment.
When the stalker saw her go in, he rushed forward, only to come. face–to–face with me, shirtless and all muscle.
“Who the hell are you?” I frowned deeply as I towered over the creepy guy, backing him into a corner until he was practically shaking.
Chapter 15 Hello Julian
2/7
Fire departments had standards. They need big, strong men. I had always been one of the best on the team, standing at six feet one and never slacking on my training regimen. My body was covered in muscle like a personal trainer’s.
So when I stood in front of this dude, the intimidation factor was off the charts. He looked like a scared little kid compared to me.
“1-1 made a mistake!” he stammered, then turned and bolted without even trying to face me.
1 didn’t bother chasing after him with my shirt off. Instead, I headed back inside and locked the security door behind me.
The woman I’d pulled inside earlier was sitting on my couch, her beautiful eyes darting around, clearly avoiding looking directly
at me.
“Thanks for rescuing me.” she said gratefully. “That creep followed me all the way here. I was terrified! I thought no one was home.”
“It’s all good. He’s gone now,” I replied with a casual nod before heading to my bedroom to throw on a shirt. I grabbed her a glass of water on my way back.
“Thanks. You’re quite the gentleman, aren’t you?” she said as she took the glass, her cool, soft fingers accidentally brushing against mine.
“No problem,” I chuckled. “Why don’t you rest for a bit? I’ll call
Chapter 15 Hello Julian
building security to escort you out when you’re ready. You should probably head home soon.”
3/7
Seeing how nervous the beautiful woman looked, I thought she was still shaken up from her recent experience. I sat down and tried to comfort her.
But when I offered to call security to get her home, she shook her head. “This is my home. Where else would I go?”
“Huh?” Now it was my turn to be confused. What did she mean this was her home?
Looking up, I noticed all traces of nervousness had vanished from her face, replaced by an expression of amusement.
“I think you’re confused,” I said. “I just rented this place. The landlady didn’t mention anything about having a roommate.”
Meeting her gaze, I felt completely lost.”
“I’m not your roommate,” she replied. “I’m the landlord. That ‘landlady‘ you mentioned is my mom. She actually transferred the property to my name recently. What’s that look? You don’t believe me? Check this out.”
With a slight smile, she pulled a property deed from her purse and handed it to me.
Still processing, I automatically opened it and checked the registered address. It matched this building perfectly; the community, building number, apartment number, and square
Chapter 15 Hello Julian footage all lined up.
The owner’s name was Anne Morrison.
“Anne?” I read aloud.
“That’s me. Nice to meet you, Julian!” Anne stood up confidently and extended her hand.
“Hi… you know who I am?” I reached out to shake her hand, increasingly surprised.
4/7
“Of course. My mom rented you my house, so I obviously needed to know who you are,” she replied. “I’ve gotta say, you’re more handsome than I expected. Thanks again for helping me out earlier. Now you know who really owns this place, right?”
Anne flashed me a bright smile, holding onto my hand way longer than necessary.
“Yeah, I got it,” I said, gently pulling my hand from her grip. “Look, Ms. Morrison, I understand you own the place, but I already signed a contract with your mother.
“The lease doesn’t break with ownership transfer. Besides, your mom transferred the property before I signed my lease, and I just helped you out of a tight spol.”
Before I could finish, Anne blinked at me a couple of times and said with a smile, “Hold up. Something about what you’re saying doesn’t add up.
Chapter 15 Hello Julian
“Mr. Thornton, do you think I came here to kick you out?”
“Why else would you show up in the middle of the night and refuse to leave?” I smiled wryly.
5/7
I looked Anne over. She had nothing with her except a handbag, definitely not someone planning to move in. Yet here she was, hanging around. If she wasn’t trying to kick me out, then what?
“I’m definitely not here to kick you out. Starting today, I’ll be living here too.” Anne grinned.
“You can think of me as your hot landlady or your gorgeous roommate,” she added, pausing slightly for emphasis. “The title is up to you, but the ‘gorgeous‘ part is non–negotiable.”
“Wait, what? You’re going to live here too?” I blurted out in surprise.
“Yep. And to make it worth your while, I’ll cut your rent in half and cover all utilities. Pretty sweet deal, right?”
As Anne spoke, she stepped closer to me, her tone becoming suggestive. “So what do you say, Mr. Thornton? Care to consider it?”
“Um…”
I could tell Anne wasn’t joking, but this was a two–bedroom apartment with separate living and dining areas, plus one bathroom.
Chapter 15 Hello Julian.
“There’s only one bathroom. Don’t you think it might be awkward for us to live together?” I frowned slightly.
6/7
When Anne saw me hesitating, she stepped closer, reaching out with her fingers to gently till my chin up.
“What’s wrong? Not interested?” she asked, her tone growing increasingly suggestive.
I noticed something off about the situation and took half a step back.
God, what was it with her and her mom? Was this just how their family communicates with people?
“It’s not about being interested or not. If you’re okay with it, I don’t have a problem.” I finally gave in.
As a grown man, how could I object to Anne’s request to share the apartment? Besides, I didn’t want to deal with more hassle first thing tomorrow morning.
I was pretty satisfied with this place, except for that weird Lydia.
But now that her daughter was moving in, she probably wouldn’t be coming around anymore.
Whatever way I looked at it, Anne was definitely better than her
mom.
Besides, it was the middle of the night, and I wasn’t sure if that guy had truly given up on her. Letting a woman go back out
Chapter 15 Hello Julian
alone at this hour didn’t seem safe.
It was better for her to stay.
7/7
“Great. Goodnight then,” Anne said with a giggle when I agreed. She brushed past me, leaving a trail of perfume in her wake.
She clearly knew her way around the apartment’s two bedrooms. After a quick glance, she chose the room without my luggage.
Before closing the door, she wiggled her fingers at me in a playful wave.
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