Chapter 322: An Unexpected Meeting
An Unexpected Meeting
Outside the office, the elevator doors slid open with a soft chime.
Julian D’Aurelius stepped inside alongside Felberta Ashbourne.
The spacious elevator was silent except for the faint mechanical hum as it began its ascent toward the executive floor.
For a brief moment, neither of them spoke.
Julian slipped his hands into his pockets and glanced sideways.
Felberta stood with impeccable posture, her long black hair cascading over her shoulders like a midnight waterfall. Her crimson eyes remained fixed on the changing floor numbers above the elevator doors, her expression as calm and distant as ever.
The silence felt almost too quiet.
Julian cleared his throat.
"So... Miss Felberta."
She turned her head slightly.
"Yes?"
"I have to admit, I didn’t expect someone from the Ashbourne household to come looking for me personally."
Felberta answered politely.
"Neither did I."
Her response was short, but her tone wasn’t cold.
It was simply how she spoke.
Julian smiled faintly.
"You always speak so little?"
"I only say what needs to be said."
"Fair enough."
The elevator continued upward.
Julian secretly observed her again.
[She really is different from Bianca.]
[Bianca is like blazing fire... always teasing people until they can’t breathe.]
[This one... she’s like a block of ice standing quietly on top of a snowy mountain.]
Felberta heard every word in her mind.
Yet outwardly, her expression didn’t change in the slightest.
Only the corners of her lips softened almost imperceptibly before returning to normal.
Julian noticed nothing.
Instead, another thought drifted through his mind.
[Still... she’s undeniably beautiful.]
[No wonder she’s considered Silverhaven City’s number one beauty.]
[That calm personality actually suits her quite well.]
Felberta lowered her gaze slightly.
For someone who suffered from androphobia, compliments from men normally made her uncomfortable.
Yet...
For some reason...
Hearing Julian’s honest inner thoughts didn’t disgust her at all.
Instead, they felt strangely natural.
She quietly answered his earlier question.
"I came because there are matters that require your help."
Julian blinked.
"My help?"
"You’ll understand soon."
The elevator stopped.
Ding.
The doors slowly opened.
Julian shrugged helplessly.
"Mysterious."
Felberta simply nodded politely before walking ahead.
The two soon arrived outside Bianca De Dominicis’ office.
Julian pushed open the office door and immediately noticed there were already two guests inside.
One was an ordinary-looking middle-aged man standing silently beside the sofa.
His posture was perfectly straight, resembling a spear planted firmly into the ground.
Although his appearance was plain, the faint pressure surrounding him betrayed his strength.
Julian immediately recognized him as an Old Martial Arts expert of the Gold Realm and one of the Ashbourne household’s enforcers.
Sitting comfortably on the sofa was a young man.
He possessed handsome features, but his complexion was unnaturally pale.
Dark circles lingered beneath his eyes, making him appear exhausted despite his expensive clothes.
Julian recognized him instantly.
It was none other than Zyan Ashbourne, the eldest young master of the Ashbourne household.
Coincidentally...
He was also the unfortunate fellow Julian had tricked not long ago.
Back then, in order to lure Steffan into a carefully prepared trap, Julian had arranged for several people to kidnap Zyan before conveniently placing all the blame on Steffan.
The plan had worked flawlessly.
As for whether it was shameless...
Julian never cared.
After all...
As a villain, if he wasn’t at least somewhat despicable, wouldn’t he be failing his own role?
Besides...
Compared with everything Steffan had done, Julian felt his methods were almost merciful.
"Oh, isn’t this Young Master Julian?"
"Long time no see."
Seeing Julian enter, Zyan greeted him casually with a faint smile.
Hidden beneath that smile was unmistakable disdain.
As the son of the wealthiest household in Silverhaven City, Zyan had never thought particularly highly of the young masters from Valemont.
Even someone from the prestigious D’Aurelius household wasn’t enough to impress him.
Especially this man...
Julian D’Aurelius.
The infamous "number one simp of Valemont."
To someone like Zyan, who prided himself on being surrounded by admirers, obsessing over a woman was the most embarrassing thing imaginable.
Julian caught the contempt hidden inside his gaze.
He simply smiled politely.
"Long time no see."
Nothing more.
There was no point wasting words.
Felberta had originally intended to speak and ask Julian for assistance immediately.
However...
Before she could open her mouth—
The office door swung open once more.
A confident pair of footsteps echoed across the room as Bianca De Dominicis stepped inside.
Her long crimson hair flowed behind her in soft waves, catching the light with every graceful stride. She carried herself with effortless elegance, her calm expression and poised posture naturally drawing attention the moment she entered.
The instant Zyan looked up and saw her, a faint spark flashed across his eyes.
He rose from the sofa without hesitation, smoothing the front of his suit as a warm, polished smile settled on his face.
"Miss Bianca."
His voice was smooth and welcoming, carrying the ease of someone accustomed to high society.
"You look even more beautiful than the last time we met."
There wasn’t the slightest hint of awkwardness in his compliment. It sounded sincere, delivered with refined confidence rather than empty flattery.
He reached toward the table beside him and carefully picked up an exquisitely crafted velvet gift box.
"A friend of mine returned from Japan a few days ago," he said as he held it out to her.
"He brought back a limited-edition Celestial Seraph Ruby Pendant, handcrafted exclusively for the Imperial Aurora Collection."
His gaze met hers, steady and composed.
"The moment I saw it, I couldn’t think of anyone more deserving to wear it than you."
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he extended the box toward her.
"I hope you like it."
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Authors Notes: Dear Readers, Thanks so much for joining me on this adventure! Your enthusiasm, feedback, and encouragement really keep me motivated to keep bringing *Villain of Fate: The Tyrant System* into existence. If you’re loving the Chapters, I’d love it if you supported my book with a Powerstone, review, or even a Golden Ticket—it helps me develop as a writer and lets more readers enjoy the story. I look forward to hearing your ideas and thoughts, so please don’t hesitate to share!
With love,
Saturn_Virgo_777
Creator of Villain of Fate: The Tyrant System
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