[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-villain-of-fate-the-tyrant-system":3,"chapter-villain-of-fate-the-tyrant-system-villain-of-fate-the-tyrant-system-chapter-35":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Villain of Fate: The Tyrant System",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},560541,810,"Chapter 35: The Watch Worth Millions","villain-of-fate-the-tyrant-system-chapter-35",35,"\u003Cp>The Watch Worth Millions\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lina Ashford was already prepared to strike at any moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When she was on a mission, she used beauty like a blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A smile could open doors. A glance could disarm. A touch could control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she never allowed a target to cross the final line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Control was hers—always.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, he guided her straight out through the back door of MoonDrift Club.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She blinked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t part of the script.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Young Master Julian?\" she asked softly, lowering her voice as if shy. \"Why did you bring me here?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Julian stared at her for a heartbeat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he removed his watch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a limited-edition piece, easily worth millions of Euros.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He took her hand and placed it in her palm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A gift for you,\" he said casually. \"I like girls who are sensible and don’t constantly ask for money.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His golden eyes were steady.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Unlike Selene Aurevale,\" he added lazily, \"who only cares about my wealth. She makes me sick.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lina watched him carefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was contempt in his tone—but it felt... rehearsed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll go back and talk to her about breaking the engagement,\" Julian continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let’s have a drink together next time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A lopsided grin tugged at his lips when he looked at her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet just as he started to walk away, he moved in near once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"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.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lina tilted her head slightly. \"And do you appreciate them, Young Master Julian?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A glance passed her way - brief, but weighted with meaning. Not long enough to offend, yet too sharp to ignore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re beautiful,\" he admitted. \"Dangerously beautiful. The kind of beauty that makes men forget their names.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A trace of something real brushed across her mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You,\" she said, voice low, moving just slightly nearer, \"don’t match what people claim at all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Different?\" he chuckled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"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.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Julian smirked. \"Jealous?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Should I be?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Again she moved nearer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A hush passed through the room. Stillness crept in where noise had been. Then - light flickered like a thought changing its mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She leaned in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A step thought through beforehand. What happened next made sense only if you saw it coming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Test him. Measure him. Control him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But just as she tilted her chin up—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Julian gently stepped back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not roughly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not coldly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just... deliberately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He raised a hand and lightly pressed it between them, stopping her advance without hurting her pride.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not tonight,\" he said softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes flickered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had never been refused like that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I thought rich young masters liked this kind of thing,\" she teased, though there was a slight edge in her tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He smiled faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Liking something,\" he replied, \"and taking advantage of it are two different things.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a split second, Lina’s composure faltered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most of her targets begged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or boasted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or lunged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>None stepped back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He continued, tone relaxed but steady.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"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.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her fingers tightened slightly around the watch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was he pretending?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or was that sincerity?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She forced a light laugh. \"Young Master Julian, you’re making it hard for a woman.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shrugged. \"Then let it be hard.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned, then paused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Take the watch,\" he added. \"Consider it... compensation for tonight’s acting.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he swaggered back toward MoonDrift Club.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lina stood still under the streetlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The watch was heavy in her hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She slipped it into her bag casually. As an elite of the Obsidian Wing, she still liked money very much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But her mind wasn’t on the watch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had leaned in to kiss him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And he had refused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not out of disgust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not out of fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Out of control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her chest felt... irritated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frustrated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had never kissed a man during a mission unless it served a purpose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And tonight, for the first time, she had almost wanted to test something beyond strategy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet he had stopped her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(What kind of man are you?)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She inhaled slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then returned to her car.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside, the interior smelled faintly of leather and cold air. She started the engine but didn’t move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, she dialed a number.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The line connected quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What’s up, Lina?\" Evan’s voice came from the other end—calm, confident. \"Is the mission going smoothly?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Usually, when he called her \"Lina\" in that warm tone, she felt a quiet satisfaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tonight, something was different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The nickname felt... hollow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even slightly hypocritical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ve gotten close to the target,\" she reported evenly. \"But I encountered Julian D’Aurelius and Selene Aurevale while approaching.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a brief silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Julian?\" Evan’s voice sharpened. \"What was he doing with Selene?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They were drinking at the bar.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint crackle of tension traveled through the line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is that bastard trying to get Selene drunk and then take advantage of her?\" Evan’s voice darkened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman he liked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wouldn’t allow anyone to touch her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Obsidian King’s wrath would flow rivers of blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lina hesitated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a fraction of a second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she answered carefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They didn’t drink much,\" she said. \"But they were hugging and holding each other. Selene seemed very proactive.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other end—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Impossible—\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1081,"2026-05-30T15:14:54.973Z","2026-06-01T04:31:33.482Z",1,"novelbin.me","a8600663ff7b7508d5ebe5806ef95549b3d1ee6995bd3ae3d72a248840ab10d0","villain-of-fate-the-tyrant-system-chapter-36","villain-of-fate-the-tyrant-system-chapter-34",232,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fvillain-of-fate-the-tyrant-system-cover.jpg"]