Prosperous Marriage: Married to My Brother-in-law

"Miss, are you trying to skip out on the fare?" the cab driver asked when he heard her, his expression souring as he suspected she was making excuses.

"I'm not..."

Three red hundred-yuan banknotes were passed from behind, landing in front of the cab driver. "This is the fare," James Horne's deep voice announced.

Julia Bluen turned around and called out, embarrassed, "James."

The cab driver took the money, returned the change, and drove off.

"What's wrong?" James Horne asked, standing before her with a cool, indifferent gaze.

"My bag is missing. I don't know if I left it at Serendipity Cafe," Julia Bluen said urgently. "James, since you drove, could you take me to the cafe to check?"

"Don't panic yet. Let me call and ask for you," James Horne soothed her calmly, a hint of gentleness flitting through his cool eyes. He took out his phone, dialed a number, and once the call connected, he asked in a low voice, "Hello, have you by any chance found a bag there? If so, please send it, without opening it, to Huayi Toy Industries Co., Ltd. in the First Industrial Zone. What? Taken by two men in black? Alright, I understand."

After ending the call, James Horne looked at Julia Bluen, his expression still composed. "Someone took it."

Upon hearing her bag had been found and then taken by someone, Julia Bluen couldn't help but blame herself. "How could I have been so careless? I've never been this careless before." She guessed it was probably because she had been too engrossed in her happy chat with Rachel Bailey that she'd completely forgotten to take her bag.

James Horne stood before her, his lips pursed, saying nothing.

Watching her self-reproach, he felt an impulse to pull her into his embrace, to tell her not to blame herself too much, that he could help her retrieve it. But the impulse was ultimately suppressed by reality: the woman before him was already his brother's wife, his sister-in-law. He couldn't do anything to hurt his older brother.

Just then, another taxi arrived and stopped in front of them.

A man in a black suit stepped out of the backseat. He was tall and well-built, with a stern, handsome face, and he held a bag—the very one Julia Bluen had carried with her that day.

The man walked up to her, handed her the bag, and said, "Miss, this is your bag, isn't it? I saw you left it at the cafe, so I made a special trip to return it to you."

Julia Bluen hurriedly took the bag. Just as she was about to thank him, the man turned, slipped back into the taxi, and it drove off.

"Sir, may I ask your name? Thank you!" Julia Bluen called out, taking a couple of steps forward to express her gratitude.

James Horne stood still, his expression unreadable.

If the man were just a stranger, how would he have known where Julia Bluen was? He had delivered the bag to her here with such precision.

They definitely weren't ordinary strangers.

They must be...

James Horne's thoughts turned to bodyguards. Knowing how his older brother doted on Julia Bluen, he would surely have arranged for her protection, especially since she disliked being followed. Perhaps they were protecting her covertly. If his brother really had hired unseen bodyguards to follow Julia, would he know about James's presence here today?

A flicker of unease tightened James Horne's chest.

Looking at Julia Bluen, he wanted to leave immediately, yet he greedily wished he could stay and look at her for just a moment longer.

Today was her first day taking over the company, and he had wanted to see if there was anything he could do to help her.

But now, should he still go in?

Julia Bluen checked her bag, confirming all her things were there. She couldn't help but say, "That person was so kind, truly honest for returning what they found. James, would you like to come in and sit for a bit? Oh, by the way, what brings you here? Don't tell me Glades sent you to help again, did he? Let me be clear upfront: I don't need your help."

She said this as she started walking towards the office building.

Her phone rang—the "Pleasant Goat... Beauty Goat..." theme.

Julia Bluen quickly pulled out her phone. Seeing the call was from Glades Horne, she inwardly rejoiced. What a relief that kind person had returned her bag! Otherwise, if she'd missed Glades's call now, he would definitely have worried.

Julia Bluen promptly pressed the answer button. "Glades." To James Horne, her quick response seemed unmistakably eager.

A pang of pain shot through his heart.

The pain made James Horne halt, extinguishing any thought of going inside.

Glades Horne had called to ask if she was back at the company. After their short, sweet call, Julia Bluen realized James Horne hadn't followed her in.

She turned her head and saw James Horne standing by his car. He made a goodbye gesture to her and then pointed to himself, indicating he had things to do and wouldn't be coming in.

Julia Bluen didn't mind. She smiled, waved goodbye back at him, then turned and walked into the office building, disappearing from James Horne's view.

He had waited here for half an hour but hadn't gone into the company.

James Horne slipped into his car but couldn't resist one last, deep look at the five-story office building. At least he had spent some time alone with her, even if only for a few short minutes. That alone was enough to satisfy him.

His foot pressed down hard on the accelerator, and the red Audi, just as it had arrived, departed silently and unnoticed.

His appearance in Julia Bluen's world was as unremarkable as that of his brothers, Henry Horne and Harry Horne, earlier that morning. It would leave no trace in her heart.

In his own heart, however, he seared those few brief minutes they had spent together, bringing a small measure of solace to his conflicted soul.

「Julia Bluen's afternoon was a whirlwind of activity.」

She spent the entire day at Huayi, the largest of the six companies under her name. She planned to master Huayi's operations first before moving on to the others.

Still, she made sure to call the other five companies to check in.

At four-thirty that afternoon, Glades Horne arrived to pick her up. Even though she had her own car, Glades insisted she ride with him; one of his bodyguards drove her car home.

They were attending Mr. Feng's birthday party that evening, so she needed to go home and change.