Married for five days, Julian Sterling had not returned to the Sterling home even once. The old phone the original host used had been thrown away by Julian, SIM card and all. Ethan Caldwell bought him a new model and spent money to open a VIP bank account for him, refusing to let him use the account provided by the Sterlings anymore. This arrangement suited Julian perfectly.
Was this a joke? If he used their money, what if they cut off the funds or froze the card halfway through?
These days, if he had to go to school, he went; otherwise, he sat at home dabbling in the stock market. To be honest, Julian did not like this field of investment very much, but it was the fastest way to make money he could do right now.
Naturally, the money for buying stocks belonged to Ethan Caldwell.
On the first day Ethan taught him how to play, Julian intentionally executed a wrong transaction, causing Ethan to lose a sum of money. It was just a small amount, so Ethan did not care much.
But in reality, that transaction was to buy stocks that he was holding in another account. On the surface, it looked like he traded at a loss, but secretly, he was transferring money into another account of his own.
He could not arbitrarily withdraw or transfer Ethan's money. Although Ethan put a lot of money into his account, Julian knew that Ethan was fully capable of investigating what he did with that sum.
Only when that money was completely separated could he use it with peace of mind.
Julian knew that for a small amount, Ethan would not care, nor would he ask what he used it for. But what Julian was doing was preparing a way out for himself.
Since it was a back-up plan, how could he leave clues for people to trace?
In recent days, he would cling to Ethan, letting him watch him trade on the stock exchange, making some gains and some losses. The profit part was transferred to his VIP card, while the loss was transferred to the other securities account.
The operation was seamless, utterly flawless.
Ethan had just gone on a business trip yesterday and was estimated to return tomorrow. Julian had no classes in the morning, so he took a taxi to the old Caldwell house to visit Grandpa Arthur.
While traveling, Julian looked up information about banks in this world.
---
Afternoon, University X.
Today there was a specialized class related to project management. The lecturer was quite boring; Lucas Hill reluctantly sat for half the session before sprawling out on the table. He looked at the mess on the board, then at the open laptop with a blank Word file, and sighed again.
After languishing for a while, Lucas turned and poked Julian. "What are you doing? You keep scrolling on your phone."
"I am looking for a place to open a bank account."
"Huh? Your dad didn't open one for you?" Lucas sat up straight. "What kind of person is that weird?"
"Yes, Edward opened one for me before. But... it gets frozen often." Julian pursed his lips, looking at Lucas. "I haven't gone back there for a few days. I, I... don't like them very much. And if I don't go back..."
"If you don't go back, your precious brother will lock your card?" Lucas widened his eyes, and when he saw Julian nod, he felt furious. What kind of person was that strange? Suddenly treating an adopted brother picked up from who knows where like a fragile egg, while treating his own biological brother like an outcast.
Obviously, Lucas had heard the story of the scuffle between him and Edward Sterling on the wedding day. To be honest, from the day he learned about the real and fake young masters of the Sterling family, he had already disliked them. Knowing that raising an adopted child for a long time made it hard to let go, was it not cruel to abandon one's own biological child?
A bunch of lunatics.
Julian pressed on his phone while saying, "So I want to open a new account. Actually, Ethan also opened a VIP card for me. But... I still want to open another one, transfer a part of the money I have into it, just in case..."
Even though he didn't finish the sentence, Lucas understood. Whatever one does, one must leave a way out for oneself. Julian didn't trust his father and brother, so how could he dare to trust someone he had lived with for less than a week?
"I know a private bank with very good security. I'll take you there after class. My family knows people there, they can keep your identity confidential."
"Really? Thank you, Lucas." Julian turned to look at Lucas and smiled brightly.
Lucas saw this and laughed too.
Oh, why is my friend so cute?
---
In the evening, when Julian returned home, it was nearly six o'clock.
Since he was the only one home, Julian was too lazy to cook. Because Ethan Caldwell was on a business trip, he had told the cooking auntie not to come for these three days.
Julian decided to skip dinner. After showering, he only wore a thin bathrobe and collapsed onto the bed, not wanting to do anything.
Occasionally, Julian fell into such a state of fatigue. He didn't understand why, he just felt like he didn't want to do anything at all.
He lay on the bed, scrolled through his phone for a while, and then groggily fell asleep.
But having not slept for long, Julian felt himself being embraced. The familiar scent made him breathe out a sigh of relief and nuzzle into the other person's embrace.
In return, there was the sound of a suppressed intake of breath.
Ethan looked at the little one sleeping soundly in his arms, feeling his desire increasing.
Knowing that he had been too rough the first time, for the past week, Ethan at most only kissed him a little and did not do that thing again.
Yesterday he received the schedule for a business trip, originally thinking he would return tomorrow afternoon. But the negotiations went quite smoothly, and the contract was signed at noon today. So Ethan told his assistant to book a flight back.
When he arrived home, the surrounding lights were all off, only the bedroom emitting a faint light. Ethan pushed the door open and saw his little boy sleeping on the bed.
As if by design, he was wearing a bathrobe. That bathrobe was of the same style and color as Ethan's. The black silk fabric wrapped around him, revealing fair legs resting on the pitch-black mattress. Not to mention Julian's sleeping posture was a bit messy; the bathrobe was hitched up, his curved buttocks half-hidden half-visible, and his nipples were exposed, pink and utterly seductive.
The stimulating image made him unable to resist wanting to kiss him. Who knew that as soon as he hugged him, Julian would burrow his head into his chest, his long slender legs brushing past his crotch.
The fire of lust rose high, impossible to suppress.
Ethan lowered his head and kissed those pink lips.
The temperature in the room rose higher and higher; the moonlight outside seemed to know shame and hid behind the clouds.