Villain of Fate: The Tyrant System-Chapter 35: The Watch Worth Millions

The Watch Worth Millions

Lina Ashford was already prepared to strike at any moment.

The moment Julian D’Aurelius wrapped an arm around her waist and led her off the high platform of MoonDrift Club, her muscles subtly tensed beneath her soft exterior.

When she was on a mission, she used beauty like a blade.

A smile could open doors. A glance could disarm. A touch could control.

But she never allowed a target to cross the final line.

Control was hers—always.

Fortunately, after Julian held her and spun her around once—just enough to make it look passionate to any onlooker—he didn’t pull her into a dark corner or private room.

Instead, he guided her straight out through the back door of MoonDrift Club.

Cool night air rushed against her skin. The music faded into a distant pulse. Neon light flickered faintly from behind the building, casting long shadows across the pavement.

She blinked.

This wasn’t part of the script.

"Young Master Julian?" she asked softly, lowering her voice as if shy. "Why did you bring me here?"

Her green hair shimmered under the streetlamp. Her purple eyes, almond-shaped and luminous, studied him carefully. The white semi-transparent blouse clung lightly to her curves. The black leather skirt hugged her hips. She looked like temptation incarnate.

Julian stared at her for a heartbeat.

Then he removed his watch.

It was a limited-edition piece, easily worth millions of Euros.

He took her hand and placed it in her palm.

"A gift for you," he said casually. "I like girls who are sensible and don’t constantly ask for money."

His golden eyes were steady.

"Unlike Selene Aurevale," he added lazily, "who only cares about my wealth. She makes me sick."

Lina watched him carefully.

There was contempt in his tone—but it felt... rehearsed.

"I’ll go back and talk to her about breaking the engagement," Julian continued.

"Let’s have a drink together next time."

A lopsided grin tugged at his lips when he looked at her.

Yet just as he started to walk away, he moved in near once more.

"You know," he said quietly, voice lower now, more intimate, "a woman like you shouldn’t waste time on boring heirs. You deserve someone who appreciates your... talents."

Lina tilted her head slightly. "And do you appreciate them, Young Master Julian?"

A glance passed her way - brief, but weighted with meaning. Not long enough to offend, yet too sharp to ignore.

"You’re beautiful," he admitted. "Dangerously beautiful. The kind of beauty that makes men forget their names."

A trace of something real brushed across her mouth.

"You," she said, voice low, moving just slightly nearer, "don’t match what people claim at all."

"Different?" he chuckled.

"I thought you were just a spoiled rich heir," she said, brushing imaginary dust off his shoulder. "But you’re bold. Direct. You even dared to hold me so tightly in front of your fiancée."

Julian smirked. "Jealous?"

"Should I be?"

Again she moved nearer.

A hush passed through the room. Stillness crept in where noise had been. Then - light flickered like a thought changing its mind.

She leaned in.

Slowly.

A tremor ran through her fingers as they met the warmth of his chest. Close, so close, her breath traced the edge of his jaw like a whisper. The space between their lips thinned - almost touching, yet not quite there.

A step thought through beforehand. What happened next made sense only if you saw it coming.

Test him. Measure him. Control him.

But just as she tilted her chin up—

Julian gently stepped back.

Not roughly.

Not coldly.

Just... deliberately.

He raised a hand and lightly pressed it between them, stopping her advance without hurting her pride.

"Not tonight," he said softly.

Her eyes flickered.

She had never been refused like that.

"I thought rich young masters liked this kind of thing," she teased, though there was a slight edge in her tone.

He smiled faintly.

"Liking something," he replied, "and taking advantage of it are two different things."

For a split second, Lina’s composure faltered.

Most of her targets begged.

Or boasted.

Or lunged.

None stepped back.

He continued, tone relaxed but steady.

"You’re too beautiful for a back alley," he said. "If I’m going to flirt with you, I’ll do it somewhere worth remembering."

Her fingers tightened slightly around the watch.

Was he pretending?

Or was that sincerity?

She forced a light laugh. "Young Master Julian, you’re making it hard for a woman."

He shrugged. "Then let it be hard."

He turned, then paused.

"Take the watch," he added. "Consider it... compensation for tonight’s acting."

Then he swaggered back toward MoonDrift Club.

Lina stood still under the streetlight.

The watch was heavy in her hand.

She slipped it into her bag casually. As an elite of the Obsidian Wing, she still liked money very much.

But her mind wasn’t on the watch.

She had leaned in to kiss him.

And he had refused.

Not out of disgust.

Not out of fear.

Out of control.

Her chest felt... irritated.

Frustrated.

She had never kissed a man during a mission unless it served a purpose.

And tonight, for the first time, she had almost wanted to test something beyond strategy.

Yet he had stopped her.

(What kind of man are you?)

She inhaled slowly.

Then returned to her car.

Inside, the interior smelled faintly of leather and cold air. She started the engine but didn’t move.

Instead, she dialed a number.

The line connected quickly.

"What’s up, Lina?" Evan’s voice came from the other end—calm, confident. "Is the mission going smoothly?"

Usually, when he called her "Lina" in that warm tone, she felt a quiet satisfaction.

Tonight, something was different.

The nickname felt... hollow.

Even slightly hypocritical.

"I’ve gotten close to the target," she reported evenly. "But I encountered Julian D’Aurelius and Selene Aurevale while approaching."

There was a brief silence.

"Julian?" Evan’s voice sharpened. "What was he doing with Selene?"

"They were drinking at the bar."

A faint crackle of tension traveled through the line.

"Is that bastard trying to get Selene drunk and then take advantage of her?" Evan’s voice darkened.

The woman he liked.

He wouldn’t allow anyone to touch her.

Otherwise—

The Obsidian King’s wrath would flow rivers of blood.

Lina hesitated.

For a fraction of a second.

Then she answered carefully.

"They didn’t drink much," she said. "But they were hugging and holding each other. Selene seemed very proactive."

On the other end—

"Impossible—"