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Taking another sip, I pondered my next question, hoping I wasn’t probing on a subject that was off-limits. “May I ask why he prefers triple?”
    Julien beamed at me, giving me a glimpse of his own dark , sexy beauty. He and Hugo shared that whole laissez-faire attitude, yet it was done with subtle elegance, great confidence, and an underlying power even right up to the way they held their heads high. They had some male ego competition going on, from what I was gathering. I wasn’t sure if it was by birthright or simply by being raised together, but I must admit, it was mesmeric to be around their casual air of certainty.
    “How do I explain this delicately… ?” Clearing his throat, he took a sip of his drink before focusing on our conversation. “Years ago, this woman he was in a relationship with fell in love with him even though he told her that nothing was going to come out of their union.”
    There was always that poor woman who fell for the bad boy. Thank goodness that wouldn’t be the case with me.
    “Let’s just say she made a big deal out of it and caused a lot of complications in his life.” When he broke his lips for a smile this time, it appeared sad. “From then on, he thinks having only one is dangerous to the woman’s mental health.”
    “A security blanket. One was surely complicated , having two would merely spark competition, but three? Three is perfect harmony.” I figured it out for myself. My thoughts travelled into the villa, picturing a woman smitten and doomed with her love for a man who didn’t accept it. How tragic it must’ve been for her.
    “Sure , you can call it that.”
    Well, whatever Hugo was harboring, he could rest assured I wouldn’t ever be in that same fate because , even though he was the most beautiful creature I had ever been graced to meet, my heart remained forever with Damen, who was patiently waiting for me to finish this “job” I had vaguely explained to him, needing space and an excuse for breaking his heart. My father was a selfish brute of a bastard. If it weren’t for my brother and mother, I wouldn’t be standing here tonight.
    Breathing out my frustration, I carried on with the conversation. “What about you? Do you have a similar outlook with women?”
    Julien laughed wholeheartedly. “You’re forward, aren’t you, viande fraîche?” I gave him a puzzled look before he produced the answer. “Fresh meat. Viande fraîche is what I shall call you from now on.”
    Oh , please. Maybe to his standards I was. I was far from being one, but I didn’t dare argue with him.
    “More champagne?”
    “I’m afraid your waiting services are no longer needed, Julien.” Hugo’s arctic voice interrupted us, making us both turn while my breath caught as our eyes clashed. I supposed whoever he had spoken to earlier on, it hadn’t gone as planned.
    Hugo harshly said something in rapid French, making me bite my lip as I stared at the both of them, uncertain if I should hide. He sounded like he was infuriated, but Julien’s easy smile contradicted my assumptions.
    “Isobel, it was marvelous to speak to you this evening. I will see you again.” He made a gallant bow before he brazenly winked at Hugo and then left us in quite a heavy shroud of thick silence.
    Damn.

Chapter 8
    Isobel
     
    “Hugo.” Frowning at him, I failed to understand what was going through his mind. This man was far too complex for my naïve outlook on men. Apart from my father, I had no close experience with men like Hugo and Julien—men with too much power. At a snap of their fingers, the world fell at their feet. They exuded it—even that Callum Kensington man earlier on had shown similar assured confidence.
    Money. Obscene amount s of it could lead a man into believing they could walk on air, or on any ground for that matter.
    “We’re leaving,” he gritted out before he gave me a slashing look.
    Wait . He seemed almost accusing. What was that look for anyway? I was merely