Chapter 48: A Dangerous Compromise

Victoria’s gaze remained icy, her expression showing no intention of backing down or hiding. She stood tall in the dim dorm room, her aura dark and overwhelming.

Julian felt a bead of sweat slowly form at the nape of his neck. His mind raced at breakneck speed. If she refuses to hide, Tom will walk through that door, see Victoria Sterling—the feared, ruthless President of Sterling Group—standing inside my dorm room late at night, and the news will explode across Capital University before midnight!

Worse yet, Victoria’s possessive instincts were notoriously unpredictable. If she felt insulted or provoked by Tom’s intrusion, she might very well have her security team erase Tom from the city’s business landscape entirely, or simply drag Julian back to Rose Manor in handcuffs to ensure he never set foot on campus again.

Julian closed his eyes for a split second. Desperate times call for desperate measures!

He stepped forward, cupped her face in his hands, and pressed his lips firmly against hers in a deep, coaxing kiss.

Victoria’s pupils contracted in sudden surprise.

"Victoria..." Julian whispered against her lips, his voice soft and pleading. "Can you please hide for just two minutes? For me?"

A flicker of satisfaction replaced the darkness in her eyes. She nodded slightly. "Alright."

Julian’s eyes lit up with relief. As expected, a gentle approach worked far better on her than trying to argue.Julian’s lungs expanded in a quiet sigh of relief. As expected, a gentle, affectionate approach works infinitely better on a yandere than trying to debate her with logic.

"Three..."

"Two..."

"One..."

Receiving no answer from inside, Tom took out his key and turned the lock. The heavy wooden door swung open with a soft click.

Tom stepped inside, his sharp eyes instantly scanning every corner of the room. Desk, bed, wardrobe... nothing. There was no one here except Julian’s scattered textbooks.

The tight furrow between Tom’s brows relaxed slightly. I must be overthinking things, he thought to himself. What could a broke guy like Julian possibly be hiding from me?

Then, memories of the campus forum flooded back into Tom’s mind. Photos of Julian stepping out of a multi-million-dollar extended Rolls-Royce and effortlessly answering advanced valuation theories had dominated the school chat all day.Every comment on the forum praised Julian’s jaw-dropping looks, his effortless intelligence, and his mysterious, wealthy backing.

Tom felt a bitter knot form in his chest. As an illegitimate son in his own family, he had always been neglected and looked down upon. Being friends with Julian—who was even poorer and more miserable than him—had provided Tom with a twisted sense of comfort.

Seeing Julian suddenly become the most popular, handsome, and talked-about student at Capital University filled Tom with intense jealousy rather than happiness.

His sharp, narrow eyes immediately swept around the entire space. The small room was illuminated only by the faint desk lamp Julian had left on. .

There was no one standing in the room.

The tight, suspicious furrow between Tom’s brows relaxed slightly, though a faint look of disappointment flickered across his eyes. I guess I was overthinking things, Tom thought, letting out a dry breath. What could a broke, miserable guy like Julian Vance possibly be hiding in his dorm room anyway?

Yet, as Tom stepped further inside and tossed his bag onto the chair, he couldn’t push away the deep, bitter resentment gnawing at his gut.

"Julian? Where are you?" Tom called out, frowning as he stepped deeper into the room.

------

Inside the small ensuite bathroom, thick steam filled the air.

Julian was pinned firmly against the cold tiled wall by Victoria. Behind him was the icy porcelain tiles, while in front was the burning warmth of her slender body.

Victoria closed her eyes, kissing him with unrestrained passion, completely ignoring the fact that Tom was standing just a few feet away on the other side of the door.

Julian tried to answer Tom, but Victoria’s fierce touch made it impossible to squeeze out a single coherent word.

When she finally pulled back slightly, her dark eyes gleamed with a mischievous, predatory spark. Her warm breath fanned across his collarbone. "Jullian... tell me, do you feel the thrill of a secret affair? Mmh?"

Thump-thump! Thump-thump!

Julian’s heart hammered frantically in his chest. He had to admit—being trapped in a bathroom with a dangerously seductive heiress while his friend stood outside was terrifyingly thrilling.

"Victoria," Julian whispered, breathless. "You promised to let me go once he came in..."

"Wait a little longer," she purred softly.

Her hand reached out and flipped the shower knob. A heavy spray of warm water cascaded down from the showerhead, instant steam filling the glass stall.

Water instantly soaked through Victoria’s thin silk blouse, making the fabric translucent and clinging to her breathtaking curves.

Julian cleared his throat loudly, trying to project his voice above the rushing water. "Tom! I’m in the shower! We can talk in a minute!"

Before the last word left his mouth, Victoria stood on her tiptoes, sealing his lips again. Her kiss was fierce, completely masking any muffled sounds under the steady roar of the showerhead.

Outside, Tom sighed, sitting down at Julian’s desk. "Fine, I’ll just wait for you to finish."

Twenty minutes passed, and the water was still running.

Inside the steamy bathroom, Julian was completely helpless against Victoria’s clingy, demanding affection. Every touch was an overwhelming test of his willpower.

Suddenly, a soft, breathless murmur escaped Victoria’s lips, echoing faintly against the wet tiles.

Hmm~

Outside, Tom froze. He stood up from the desk, his eyes darting toward the frosted glass of the bathroom door.

That sound... it clearly belonged to a woman!

Was there a woman hidden inside Julian Vance’s bathroom?!

"Julian!" Tom called out, his voice sharp with suspicion. "It’s been almost half an hour. Are you still showering?"

Inside, Julian panicked. He knew he couldn’t let Tom turn that handle. Pushing Victoria back gently, he grabbed a towel, wrapped it around his waist, and pulled open the door just enough to step out, quickly clicking it shut behind him.

"Sorry, Tom," Julian said, drying his wet hair with a towel, trying to sound completely natural. "I was washing up and couldn’t open the door earlier."

Tom looked at him, his brow furrowed in confusion. "Why are your clothes soaking wet?"

Julian coughed slightly. "I forgot to bring fresh clothes into the bathroom, so I accidentally splashed my old shirt while turning off the shower."

He quickly grabbed a clean set of his own clothes from the closet, along with an oversized cotton hoodie for Victoria, and slipped back into the bathroom.

"Put these on so you don’t catch a cold," Julian whispered softly, handing the hoodie to Victoria.

Victoria smiled, her eyes shamelessly scanning his bare torso as he pulled on a dry shirt. Julian felt intensely uncomfortable under her intense, possessive stare.Victoria inside the bathroom . She was wearing Julian’s oversized black cotton hoodie, the hem falling well past her thighs, her damp hair resting against her shoulders. The stark contrast between her usual intimidating, high-fashion corporate attire and her current casual, vulnerable appearance made her look ridiculously captivating.

After changing, Julian stepped back out into the main dorm room, closing the bathroom door tightly behind him. "So, Tom, what did you need?"

Tom stared at Julian’s face, an undeniable wave of envy rising in his chest. The wet, styled hair framing Julian’s sharp jawline made him look ridiculously handsome.

Tom had initially suspected a woman was in the room, but then he remembered seeing Natasha earlier at the cafeteria. Since everyone knew Julian was obsessed with Natasha, Tom convinced himself he must have misheard the soft sound over the noise of the shower.

Suppressing his jealousy, Tom gestured to a bag on the desk. "I brought over some extra study notes and fruit."

"Thanks," Julian said plainly.

"By the way, Julian," Tom asked, feigning casual concern, "what was with that luxury car you arrived in today? As far as I know, the Vance family would never buy something like that for you. And why are you suddenly dressing so differently?"

Julian leaned against his desk, giving a neutral answer. "The car isn’t mine. As for my appearance... I used to be insecure and sloppy. But I’ve realized I don’t need my birth family’s approval anymore, so I decided to change my look and start fresh."

Tom’s eyes widened slightly. "Are you planning on cutting ties with the Vance family entirely?"

"Yes," Julian replied calmly.

Tom’s tone immediately grew tense and anxious. "Julian, are you crazy?! Leo Vance is still sitting comfortably in that house! He’s an outsider who’s been stealing your place for years! If you walk away now, he’ll inherit the entire Vance family estate and fortune. Are you just going to stand by and watch your enemy take everything that belongs to you?!"

Back when Julian lived with the Vance family, he was constantly neglected, beaten, and verbally abused by his parents and siblings. Tom had secretly taken immense pleasure in watching Julian suffer through that constant pain.

If Julian truly cut ties and built his own successful life elsewhere, Tom would lose his favorite punching bag—and the one person who made him feel superior.