He paused, looking at me in shock for a couple of seconds. Then, without warning, he grabbed my hand and pushed me against the door.

His scent enveloped me, and his icy fingers sent a shiver down my spine.

I jumped, instinctively kicking at him, but he quickly caught my ankle.

The coldness made me shudder even more, and as I struggled, he leaned in closer, his voice tinged with an odd vulnerability. “Hold on, let’s talk this out, okay?”

Hearing his tone softened my heart, melting away some of my defenses, but I forced myself to maintain a glare, tilting my chin up defiantly. “Is this really how you want to talk?”

He lifted his head, his eyes glistening. “If I let you go, you can’t run away. Let’s go to the sofa.”

His words felt strangely off, like a kidnapper dealing with a hostage.

I rolled my eyes but reluctantly agreed. “Fine, let go.”

We moved to the sofa, sitting opposite each other. The plate of grapefruit was right there, serving as a barrier. If it weren’t for that, I’d have trouble holding my own against this man!

Julian glanced at the grapefruit. “You can eat while we talk.”