The Retired CEO's Guide To Being Spoiled

Chapter 372: The Invisible Curse

Ethan Caldwell knew with absolute certainty that this was not a physical wound. Julian’s frantic scratching and the tightening grip on his own wrist during his earlier panic attack could never have created a bruised indentation that perfectly mimicked the shape of an iron shackle.

The man’s pupils violently contracted. His mind was instantaneously dragged back to Julian’s haunting, fragmented accounts: the horrifying, chilling clatter of colliding iron chains, the solitary iron cell suffocatingly thick with darkness, and the absolute, extreme isolation residing at the very bottom of the abyss.

The very thing that caused Ethan’s chest to constrict and his breathing to grow unbearably heavy was the horrifying fact that this physical mark had manifested despite Julian never having been actually bound by iron and steel in their current reality.

It acted exactly like an invisible curse.

The mental resonance with that test subject, B-00, was no longer simply confined to fragmented, stitched-together "memories" or mere hallucinations lingering within the mind. It had actively begun to directly influence, brutally ravage, and forcibly assimilate Julian’s actual, physical body.

The hand Ethan was using to grip the warm towel unconsciously clenched tight. He squeezed with such tremendous force that warm water seeped out through the crevices of his fingers, his protruding knuckles turning completely stark white.

An uncontrollably gloomy, bone-chilling aura of murderous intent began to violently churn within the depths of the man’s eyes. Absolutely anything in this world that dared to lay a hand upon his person, leaving such agonizingly painful traces on Julian’s body, rightfully deserved to be utterly pulverized into ashes and dust.

Julian was utterly exhausted by this point. He sat obediently, leaning his back entirely against the smooth edge of the bathtub, his lazy eyelids drooping low to partially conceal his overwhelming haggardness. The pitch-black locks of his hair, thoroughly soaked by the humid steam, clung obediently to his smooth, pristine forehead.

Even though his mental energy had been thoroughly drained, his acute sensitivity toward the man right in front of him had never once diminished. Julian easily detected the suddenly oppressive aura and the entirely abnormal pause from his beloved.

Julian slightly lifted his right hand, his water-slicked fingers gently tugging at Ethan’s shirt sleeve, which had been rolled up past the elbow, as the youth softly murmured: "What kind of random thoughts are running through your head again?"

Ethan did not offer an immediate response. The enclosed space within the bathroom was left with nothing but the soft, trickling sound of flowing water. Only after several heavy, oppressive seconds had passed did the man slowly lower his gaze, staring fixedly at the dark indentation on Julian’s wrist, speaking in a deeply lowered voice: "I absolutely despise seeing the marks of anything else appearing upon your body."

Julian blanked out for a brief moment. He quietly observed the man’s bloodshot eyes that were so desperately trying to suppress their surging emotions, and then suddenly let out a soft, light chuckle. It was an incredibly exhausted, pale smile, yet it was unexpectedly, infinitely tender.

He reached out, proactively grasping Ethan’s large, rough, and entirely stiff hand, pulling it over to place it directly atop his own left wrist, right over that red, bruised indentation. As their skin pressed together, the subtle, rhythmic thumping of their flowing blood vessels transmitted seamlessly between them.

"It does not belong to anything else." Julian murmured softly, his perfectly clear eyes gazing firmly and directly into Ethan’s: "It is mine."

That exceedingly brief sentence caused Ethan’s entire body to freeze in place. He profoundly understood exactly what Julian was desperately trying to convey.

No matter how horrifically agonizing that mess of memories was, and regardless of how terrifyingly absurd the mental resonance with B-00 truly was, the person currently residing here, the person directly facing and actively enduring all of it, was still Julian himself.

Julian tilted his head ever so slightly.

He spent a very long time simply looking at the man who was resting on one knee beside the bathtub. The most deeply hidden fear, the very thing Julian had always kept entirely concealed beneath his usual sharp, flawlessly arrogant exterior, had finally been ruthlessly dragged out into the glaring light. He was not terrified of the CORE organization, nor did he fear that monstrous entity known as B-00.

The single entity that he feared the absolute most was Ethan’s gaze. He was deathly afraid that one day, when this terrifying assimilation went much too far, this man would begin to look at him as if looking at "something else", an unnatural anomaly, a grotesque monster merely borrowing a human shell.

"Do you find me... terrifying right now?"

His voice was paper-thin, precisely like a fragile layer of morning mist that could instantly dissipate into absolute nothingness if struck by a strong gust of wind.

That single, fragile question acted exactly like a brutal knife plunging straight into the very final limits of Ethan’s endurance, coming dangerously close to forcing him entirely over the edge of madness.

Without a single word of warning, Ethan slid his hands beneath Julian’s armpits and the backs of his knees, exerting his immense strength to effortlessly lift the youth entirely out of the bathtub. Foaming water splashed wildly everywhere, thoroughly soaking the entire front of Ethan’s shirt, yet the man paid absolutely no mind to it. He took long, purposeful strides, forcefully setting Julian down onto the freezing cold marble surface of the bathroom vanity.

Ethan’s solid, muscular arms slammed down heavily onto the counter on either side of Julian, securely caging the youth within an impossibly narrow space. The man pressed his towering physique flush against Julian, aggressively forcing those wavering, pitch-black pupils to look directly into his own eyes.

"Did you genuinely think that I fell in love with you just because you were normal?"

His voice was taut and rigid, carrying a profound anger because Julian had dared to doubt his affections, yet it concurrently overflowed with an absolute, insurmountable heartbreak. Not allowing Julian even a fraction of a second to react, Ethan aggressively swooped down, utterly sealing the youth’s slightly parted lips with a punishingly deep kiss.

That was not a kiss born out of carnal lust or the desire for physical domination. It was a kiss heavily laden with sheer desperation, representing the volatile explosion of intensely suppressed emotions.

Ethan bit and relentlessly suckled upon Julian’s lips, utilizing the tip of his tongue to ravage the entirety of the youth’s mouth, exactly as if he wished to transfer his entire breath and his very lifeforce over to Julian, all to unequivocally prove that he himself was real, and that his love was just as undeniably real.

Only when Julian could no longer draw a single breath, forcing him to raise his hands and tightly grip the man’s broad shoulders, did Ethan finally, reluctantly tear himself away. The man pressed his own forehead firmly against Julian’s, his massive chest heaving with violent intensity.

"Regardless of whatever you are."

"You are still undeniably mine."

Just a handful of incredibly short words, yet they acted precisely like an unbreakable covenant sealed with searing hot iron, forever deeply etched into the very core of Julian’s soul.

Following that agonizingly tense period, the bathroom remained submerged in silence for a long time before the atmosphere slowly began to mellow out.

Ethan retrieved a massive cotton bath towel, meticulously wrapping it entirely around Julian’s body, which was currently shivering slightly from the freezing air. He personally dried every single inch of his beloved’s skin and flesh, his movements exuding an unwavering patience and boundless tenderness. Immediately after, he reached for the hairdryer, adjusting it to the warmest temperature setting, and slowly, methodically dried the soft, pitch-black locks of the person cradled within his arms.

Julian was exceptionally obedient today. He completely abstained from his usual teasing antics, nor did he talk back even half a word. He merely sat there in absolute silence, his eyes narrowed as he thoroughly savored the meticulous care, willfully allowing Ethan’s rough fingers to weave seamlessly through every single lock of his hair. Occasionally, he would subconsciously nuzzle his cheek against the back of the man’s hand, acting exactly like a small, dependent kitten actively seeking out a source of warmth.

Upon successfully dressing Julian in his familiar black silk nightclothes, Ethan once again effortlessly lifted him straight up into the air, taking long, purposeful strides right out of the bathroom before gently setting the youth down onto the massive bed, whose sheets had already been smoothed out immaculately.

The precise moment his back made contact with the soft mattress, Julian absolutely refused to let go. His long, slender fingers subconsciously maintained a death grip on the corner of Ethan’s dress shirt, giving it a soft, insistent tug. His beautiful eyes were entirely flooded with a glistening layer of unshed tears as his voice, carrying an aura of absolute, unwavering dependency, echoed through the serene tranquility of the room.

"Come to sleep with me."

Ethan’s gaze instantaneously melted into a puddle of absolute softness. The man swiftly discarded his cumbersome outer shirt, pulled back the heavy duvet, and lay down directly beside Julian, wrapping both arms securely around that slender physique to drag the youth entirely into his embrace.

The two of them lay tightly entangled in each other’s arms, the surrounding atmosphere so profoundly quiet that they could clearly discern the steady, rhythmic thumping radiating from the other person’s heart.

The night had grown exceptionally late, yet Julian seemingly possessed absolutely no desire to sleep just yet. He rested his chin comfortably atop Ethan’s broad chest, his slender fingers playfully poking at the distinct muscular ridges hidden beneath the man’s undershirt. A very long time later, he abruptly broke the silence, his gentle voice floating aimlessly within the suffocating darkness: "Ethan... If, on that specific day, I hadn’t actually transmigrated into a novel..."

Julian hesitated for a brief second, his delicate chest heaving ever so slightly: "But had instead been forcibly dragged here... then what?"