Chapter 399/I Changed My Fucking Mind!
Chapter 399
Julie’s point of view
Robert was seated in his usual imposing manner in his large brown leather chair at the far end of the room, while small sharks circled lazily inside the massive, glowing aquarium beside him. He didn’t even bother to look up at first, writing on the papers in front of him as his deep, gravelly voice cut through the air:
"I see you’ve forgotten how to knock on a door, Julie. Next time, I’ll—"
In that exact second, his dark eyes slowly lifted to look at me, and the words died instantly in his throat. He went completely silent. His pupils dilated in sheer, sudden shock as his intense gaze swept over every detail of my body, taking in how the tight, short fabric clung to my curves.
I stood frozen under his heavy, terrifying stare, my heart hammering violently against my ribs. I had no idea what I had done wrong, or if I had somehow triggered his volatile temper. *Was he going to kill Steve because of how I looked?*
Suddenly, he pushed back from his desk with an explosive movement, his entire frame tense with a raw, mounting fury. He gritted his teeth, his voice a dangerous, low growl:
"What the fucking hell is this?!"
I took an uneasy step back, my voice barely a whisper.
"What?!"
He didn’t answer. Instead, he stormed out from behind his desk, his heavy, furious strides vibrating through the floorboards as he closed the distance between us. In one swift, aggressive motion, he ripped his heavy black suit jacket off his broad shoulders and threw it over me with enough force to nearly knock me back. The jacket completely enveloped my frame, draping all the way down to my knees.
"Go change out of this garbage right now, damn it!" he snarled, his teeth clenched in roaring anger.
The heat of his furious breath fanned across my face, and a sudden, rebellious urge flared inside me. Staring back into his eyes with a burning defiance, I yelled right back:
"You’re the one who brought this filthy outfit and threatened to kill my brother if I didn’t wear it! I’m not changing! I am not a toy you can just mess around with whenever you feel like it!"
His massive fingers clamped around my jaw with a painful tightness, forcing me to look directly into his crazed, burning eyes.
"You are going to go change out of this damn thing right now..." he hissed venomously. "Without speaking another single word!"
I violently slapped his hand away from my face. In a sudden, defiant outburst, I ripped his heavy jacket off my shoulders and tossed it carelessly onto the floor, glaring at him.
"I won’t! I’m not following your orders!"
His body went terrifyingly rigid. He bent down in a flash to snatch the jacket off the floor, and within seconds, he wrapped it back around my shoulders with a violent force that made my bones ache. Pinning my arms to my sides, he grabbed me firmly and pushed me toward the office door, growling through gritted teeth:
"Move! Now!"
He pushed me roughly down the long hallway as we retraced our steps.
He kept casting frantic, tense glances to the left and right, his eyes scanning the empty corridors with a strange, paranoid desperation as if he were terrified that one of his men might lay eyes on my exposed skin. He kept up the aggressive pace until we reached my bedroom door. Shoving me inside, he slammed the door shut behind us and commanded sharply:
"Take this trash off right now!"
I stood before him, panting heavily, my chin lifted in wounded pride as I mocked him:
"You’re the one who brought it to me! You literally swore my brother would die if I didn’t put it on!"
He dragged a tense hand over his face, his breathing heavy and chaotic.
"I changed my fucking mind! Take it off!"
I took a step back, my voice dropping to a cold, stubborn flat.
"No."
He didn’t hesitate for a single second. He lunged at me like a storm. Before I could even blink, his massive hands gripped the collar of my short white top, and with a brutal, overwhelming burst of strength, he ripped the fabric right down the middle. The sound of tearing cloth echoed terrifyingly in the room.
The shirt tore completely in half, leaving my bra entirely exposed. I froze in absolute, paralyzing horror, a hoarse shriek tearing from my throat as I frantically covered my chest with my shaking hands.
"You psychotic bastard!" I screamed in agony.
He stared at my body, his breathing heavy, thick, and uneven for a few agonizing seconds. Then, he abruptly whipped his head toward the door, his deep voice carrying a rough, breathless edge as he looked away from me.
"Put something else on... and get to my office immediately. Don’t be late."
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Robert’s POV
I slammed the heavy wooden door behind me with enough violence to nearly wrench it from its hinges. I stormed down the hallway, my chest heaving, my mind boiling like a volcanic crater. My hands were still trembling, the phantom sensation of gripping her cheap white top and ripping it apart with such raw, primal aggression clinging to my palms. How the hell did I let my own mind play me like that? How could I have made such a massive, glaring mistake and hand her that filthy, revealing outfit to wear?
I entered my private office with furious, sweeping strides, locking the door to isolate myself as the voice in my head relentlessly lashed at me. Damn you, Robert. Damn you to hell.
I paced the floor, my movements rigid and tense. I couldn’t comprehend how I had lost control of my iron composure so easily because of her.
I had completely lost my mind; the mere thought of another man any of my men patrolling these halls laying eyes on her exposed skin in that tiny, pathetic skirt had made my blood run boiling hot.
I took a deep, agonizing breath, pressing my palm against my forehead in bitter frustration as I muttered in a low, dangerous hiss to steady myself.
"Get a grip, Robert. You are a mountain. You do not let a little siren break you. Not for a single second, damn it."