Chapter 245

Barely had Anna finished her sentence when she could literally see Julian's face turn stormy — as if someone just splashed black paint all over it. His eyes? Brewing with a storm of fury. Yeah, he was pissed. But so was Anna! She shoved down that tiny flicker of guilt and glared right at him, her stare not just bold — it practically screamed defiance. Julian took a couple of deep breaths, trying hard to keep himself from blowing up right then and there. He reached out toward her, and just when Anna thought he was about to slap her, his hand didn't land on her face — it grabbed her wrist instead. "Anna, come home with me. Don't push it too far," he said, eyes locked onto her, his voice surprisingly calm. Seriously? The classic carrot-and-stick play? Anna felt like something sharp was stuck in her chest — breathing hurt like hell… All those frustrations she'd been bottling up for days just exploded. "I'm not leaving!" she snapped back, her voice low and sulky. She yanked her hand hard a