Chapter 4 Julie Jinkins.

Julie, who had been sleeping peacefully on the bed, slowly opened her eyes. She gazed at the window, where the soft, diffused light hinted at a rainy day. The black tin cotton curtains filtered the outside light, casting a melancholic ambiance over the room.

However, Julie's attention was drawn to a person's silhouette standing by the window, and her eyes widened in surprise.

As she continued to stare at the figure, the decision she had made the previous day came flooding back to her mind. She winced at the mere thought of it, her heart racing with a mix of emotions. Roman, who had been standing by the window, gazing out at the cityscape, turned around as he sensed Julie's movement. His eyes locked onto hers, and he stated, "You're awake."

Julie sat up comfortably on the bed, her voice barely above a whisper as she replied, "Yes, good morning." Roman remained by the window, his gaze fixed intently on Julie. He didn't blink or look away, his eyes filled with an unnerving intensity that made Julie feel uneasy.

Roman's thoughts were a jumble of conflicting emotions as he stood there, unsure of how to proceed. 'Should I tell her what I want her to do, or should I let her be for now?' he wondered, his eyes never leaving Julie's face. His gaze was filled with a palpable pressure that made Julie feel like she was under a microscope.

Julie, who had been meeting Roman's gaze, slowly lowered her eyes, thinking to herself, 'He doesn't know how to greet someone properly, or what? Does he usually stare at people like he's going to devour them any moment?' The thought sent a shiver down her spine, and she felt like disappearing into thin air.

The silence between them stretched out for two minutes, with Roman's gaze never wavering. Finally, he broke the silence, his voice low and serious. "Did you make your decision?" he asked, his eyes narrowing slightly as he awaited her response. His expression was reminiscent of a businessman about to close a deal, and Julie felt a surge of trepidation.

"Make a decision on what?" Julie asked, trying to feign ignorance, her voice laced with a hint of curiosity.

Roman's eyes locked onto Julie's, his gaze piercing as he asked, "About moving in with me, since you have no one to be with you right now?" He deliberately added the last half of his sentence, his voice low and persuasive, hoping to sway her into agreeing to his request.

Without waiting for her response, he continued, "What is your name?"

Julie's eyes dropped, her gaze falling onto her hands as she whispered, "Julie Jinkins." Roman repeated her name, "Julie Jinkins," his tone searching for confirmation. But it was more than that - the name seemed to stir something within him, a faint memory that he couldn't quite grasp.

Julie's eyes snapped up, meeting Roman's gaze as she began to nod, but then her expression changed. A flicker of fear danced across her face, and her eyes widened in alarm. She shook her head violently, her long hair whipping around her face. "No, I'm not Jinkins. I'm Wilson. Yeah, Wilson. Julie Wilson," she stammered, her voice trembling as she corrected herself.

Roman's brow rose, his curiosity piqued. What was going on with her? Why the sudden change? Julie's eyes welled up with tears, and she looked away, trying to compose herself. But it was too late. The dam had burst, and tears began to flow down her cheeks like a river.

Roman's expression softened, his eyes filled with concern. He watched as Julie struggled to brush away her tears, but they kept coming, streaming down her face like a torrent. "Why are you crying?" Roman asked, his voice low and gentle, as he took a step closer to her.

Julie shook her head, her shoulders shaking with sobs. "N-nothing," she stammered, her voice barely audible. Roman's eyes narrowed, his gaze piercing as he tried to understand what was going on. He slowly nodded, his expression sympathetic, and turned to leave, closing the door behind him.

But as he took a couple of steps away, he heard Julie's voice, choked with sobs, and he froze. He turned back, his eyes locking onto the door as he listened to her heartbreaking cries.

Something about her pain resonated with him, and he felt a pang of sympathy for this fragile, broken girl.

Julie, oblivious to the fact that her words were being heard outside the room, continued to pour out her heart, releasing a torrent of emotions that had been pent up for so long. "Why would they do this to me? Seriously, after all these years of living as their daughter, I'm not even their daughter in the first place?" she questioned, tears streaming down her face like a river that had burst its banks.

"Though I love you, Mom, more than anything, I never expected you to do this to me. All this time, you've only seen Rachel, never me," Julie accused, her voice cracking with pain as the weight of her mother's neglect bore down on her.

"I chose to ignore everything and just live my life as if I didn't exist, but sometimes I couldn't help but see that you care about her more, Mom. Is it because she's your first daughter?" Julie asked, her words laced with anguish and a deep-seated sense of insecurity.

"For my entire life, all I wanted was for you to listen to my problems, but you shooed me away whenever I tried to tell you about Rachel's mistreatment. You never listened, never understood me," Julie sobbed, her body shaking uncontrollably as the dam of emotions she had built up over the years finally broke.

"MOM!!!" Julie screamed, her voice echoing through the room like a primal cry of pain and betrayal. "I'm happy to tell you that I disown myself from your family, and I'm no longer Jinkins, but Wilson," she whispered, her last words barely audible as she struggled to come to terms with the seismic shift that was taking place within her.

Roman took a step back from the door, his face etched with shock and disbelief. His expression transformed from cold indifference to pity and sympathy as he listened to Julie's heart-wrenching words. He felt like he had been punched in the gut, his emotions reeling from the sheer force of Julie's pain.

As he turned away from the door, he heard Julie's voice again, "Mom, it's painful, it hurts, my heart is melting because of the pain, Mom. It hurts like a volcano, but I know you must be laughing out loud with your precious daughter, the one you love the most."

Roman's face darkened as he made his way to the living room, his mind racing with thoughts of Julie's suffering and the people who had caused her so much pain.

He dialed a number, his voice low and menacing. "Boss," the person on the other end answered, without showing sufficient respect.

"Look into Julie Jinkins," Roman ordered, his body radiating a dangerous aura that sent a shiver down the spine of the person on the other end of the line.

"Everything, sir?" the person asked, seeking clarification.

"Every single detail. If you forget one, cut off your hands," Roman warned, his deep voice sending shivers down the man's spine.

He threw the phone onto the couch and slowly lowered himself onto the couch, crossing his legs and leaning back, his hands spread wide on either side.

Though his posture seemed relaxed, his face revealed a different story - a blank, emotionless mask that exuded absolute danger. Roman's eyes seemed to bore into the soul of the room, his gaze piercing and unyielding.

"Julie Jinkins," Roman whispered, his deep, menacing voice sending a chill through the air as he contemplated the secrets that lay hidden behind Julie's tears.