Obsession Over the Line

Everyone knew I had spent sixteen years shamelessly chasing after Julian Kingsley.

The two of us grew up in an orphanage together, founded Boundless Tech together, and fought sidebyside. Yet, Julian had always kept me at arm's length, playing hot and cold.

Until three days ago, when a drunken Julian shared a night of passion with me.

I thought my years of devotion had finally paid off, that the dark clouds had finally parted to reveal the moon.

Never did I expect that from that moment on, Julian would become a completely different person.

Not only was he convinced that I had intentionally seduced him while he was drunk, kicking me out of the company, but he also turned around and started dating Giselle Sutton.

Sylvia's POV The moment Julian opened his front door, I lunged at him from the shadows of the porch, throwing my weight onto him.

Caught off guard, Julian stumbled forward a few steps from the impact, and we both tumbled through the doorway.

I pinned him down, wrapping my arms tightly around his neck, and pressed my lips to his. Julian turned his head to dodge, but I chased after him, kissing him relentlessly.

My lips brushed frantically against his cheek while my hands desperately yanked at his tie. "Sylvia!

You're drunk!" "I'm not drunk!" I mumbled back, ripping his tie off and starting on his shirt buttons. "I know exactly what I'm doing!" Julian grabbed my wrists, trying to push me off.

I clung to him, refusing to let go, struggling to tear his buttons open. "Julian, don't you dare think you can get rid of me!" "Sober up first before you speak!" "I am perfectly sober!" I kept clawing at his shirt, pressing my hands against his chest. "I just want to know what's so great about Giselle!

Why would you stand in the freezing wind by the beach watching stars with her late at night, and even drape your coat over her shoulders afterward?

Since when did you become so caring?" Julian pried my hands off his chest. "Who I watch the stars with is my business.

It's none of your concern!" "None of my concern?" I looked up to glare at him, my eyes so red they looked as if they might bleed. "That night, you knew very well it was me!

You were the one who initiated it, and now you won't even admit it!" I was talking about three nights ago, during the collaborative banquet between Boundless Tech and Sutton Group.

Julian had drunk too much, so I helped him upstairs to a private room to rest. I laid him on the bed.

Just as I turned to fetch some water, Julian grabbed my wrist and pulled me down onto the bed with a sudden yank.

With an almost frantic urgency, he rolled over and pinned me beneath him, raining kisses down upon me like a storm.

He kissed me so breathless that only one thought remained in my mind: He is kissing me. Julian is kissing me.

The man I had waited sixteen years for was finally responding to me of his own accord. That night, Julian was unusually rough.

My clothes were torn, and his movements were devoid of any gentleness. It was my first time, and the pain made me bite my lip until it bled. But I didn't tell him to stop.

Sixteen years. From the orphanage to starting our business together, I had chased him for sixteen years. Tonight, he had finally responded.

No matter how much it hurt, I welcomed it gladly. We had barely finished and hadn't even put our clothes back on when a horde of reporters burst through the door.

Camera shutters clicked frantically, exploding into a deafening wall of noise. I instinctively pulled up the blanket to cover myself.

Someone shoved a microphone right in front of my face. "Ms. Spencer, someone leaked that you drugged Mr. Kingsley to seduce him.

How do you respond to this?" I froze and turned to look at Julian, waiting for him to clarify.

But with a dark, sullen face, Julian simply put on his clothes and walked out of the room in front of all the flashing cameras, never once looking back at me.

That very afternoon, my employee badge was deactivated. We had built Boundless Tech from scratch together, yet Julian kicked me out as if discarding a terminated employee.

That night, the media reported that Julian was dating the Sutton heiress, Ms. Giselle Sutton. The next day, the media reported that Julian accompanied Giselle to an art exhibition.

Yesterday, they said Julian watched the stars with her by the beach and draped his coat over her shoulders.

The Julian in those reports was romantic and passionate—a side of him I had never been shown in sixteen years.

Tonight, I downed half a bottle of whiskey and came to corner him at his door. At this moment, I simply dragged him down with all my might, and we both crashed onto the floor.

Before Julian could even get up, I had already straddled him. "You say I drugged you? Fine! You say I'm manipulative? Fine! You kicked me out of the company, and I endured that too!

But you turning around to pursue Giselle? No way!" "Sylvia!" He grabbed my waist to throw me off, but I beat him to it, reaching down and pulling straight at his zipper.

With a sharp zip, I yanked his zipper down.

His hardness instantly sprang free, rigid and demanding. "If you have no feelings for me, how do you explain this!" "Sylvia, do you have no shame?!" The tips of Julian's ears flushed crimson. "I don't care about shame." I leaned down and began frantically biting and kissing his neck. "I only want you!" Pushed to his limit, Julian let out a low groan from the back of his throat, flipped us over, and pinned me beneath him. "You brought this on yourself!" He leaned down and kissed me with fierce urgency.

The sheer friction of it bruised me, but I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck and locked my legs around his waist, refusing to let go. "Even if you throw me out of the company a hundred times, I'll still cling to you!" Julian didn't reply; he merely silenced me by kissing me even harder.

Afterward, curled up in Julian's arms, the alcohol and exhaustion washed over me all at once. In my haze, I felt his phone vibrating. Julian answered it.

I couldn't make out what the person on the other end was saying. I only heard Julian say, "I'll be right there," before he started putting on his clothes.

I reached out to grab his sleeve, but my fingers were too weak to hold on. "Don't go..." Julian looked down at me, hesitated for a brief moment, but then pried my hand away and left anyway.

When I woke up, my phone pinged with a breaking news notification: [Sutton heiress Giselle Sutton hospitalized with sprained ankle; Boundless founder Julian Kingsley spotted at the hospital overnight, providing constant care.] In the photo, Julian was crouching by the emergency room door, tying Giselle's shoelaces.

Just a sprained ankle. Was that really worth him abandoning me and rushing over in the dead of night? My heart ached so deeply that my entire body trembled.

Sylvia's POV I rushed to the hospital to demand answers from Julian. But Julian wasn't there. Giselle was the only one in the hospital room.

She was leisurely scrolling through her phone, not looking like a patient at all. Seeing me burst in, Giselle didn't even look up. "Julian went to get me breakfast.

If you're looking for him, you'll have to wait." Panting heavily, I stood by her bedside and glared at her. Only then did Giselle put down her phone.

She swept her eyes over me from head to toe and smirked. "Look at you, acting like a psycho. No wonder Julian is sick of you." "Cut the crap. I'm here for Julian.

This has nothing to do with you!" "How do you know it has nothing to do with me?" Giselle leaned back against her pillows, her smile thick with hidden meaning. "Actually, you should be looking for me.

What happened at the hotel that night? It had nothing to do with Julian.

I set it up." I froze. "I slipped something into your drink." Giselle looked at me with pure disdain, running a hand through her hair. "I even arranged for a man to be in the room next door.

The moment you went back, he would have satisfied you.

When the reporters burst in to take photos, your face plastered next to some stranger would have been all over the internet the next day.

Once Julian saw that, he obviously wouldn't keep you around anymore." My mind went completely blank. I had thought that night was just an accident because Julian drank too much.

I never imagined it was all Giselle's cold calculation. "Sigh, it's a shame you got lucky. Julian drank that glass instead of you.

He was the one who got drugged, and you ended up dragging him back to your room." Giselle sounded rather frustrated. "I ended up giving you an opportunity instead!" She grumbled, deeply annoyed. "What a steal for you!

But since plans have a way of changing, the reporters had to pivot on the spot and report that you drugged Julian to seduce him." Fury instantly ignited inside me, nearly boiling over.

Back then, I couldn't understand how the reporters knew the room number, why they arrived at such a perfect time, and why all fingers pointed at me.

It turned out Giselle had orchestrated such an insidious plot just to drag me into hell! "But fortunately, the goal was still achieved. Julian believed it.

He kicked you out of the company and is completely disappointed in you." Giselle concluded with a smug chuckle. "Even though you got to enjoy yourself a bit, the outcome isn't bad." I couldn't hold back anymore.

I lunged forward, raising my hand to slap her hard across the face. Just as my palm was about to land, someone grabbed my wrist firmly from behind.

Julian had returned at some point.

Holding an insulated bag, his face was pale with anger. "Sylvia, what kind of crazy stunt are you pulling now?" He flung my hand away and bent down to check Giselle's ankle. "Did she hurt you?" His voice was so gentle he seemed like an entirely different person.

Giselle leaned into his chest with the opportunity, shooting me a triumphant smirk.

Tossed back by his force, I stumbled two steps and slammed my lower back hard against the corner of the table. The sudden spike of pain made cold sweat break out on my forehead.

Julian didn't even notice. His attention was entirely on Giselle. "Julian!" I forced myself to stand straight despite the pain. "I didn't drug you that night! Giselle set it up.

That drink was meant for me, but you drank it by mistake!" Julian didn't even turn his head. "Enough!" Tears of frustration stung my eyes. "I'm not lying to you!

Giselle just admitted it herself!" "I said, enough!" Julian finally turned around to face me, his gaze freezing cold. "You barge into the hospital to make a scene, try to assault a patient, and now you make up some story to throw dirt on someone else.

Do you really think I'd believe you?" He picked up a document and stepped toward me. "Since you're here, let's settle this now.

Sign this Equity Transfer Agreement for Boundless, take the thirtymilliondollar check, and leave.

From now on, we have nothing to do with each other." I stared at the document, my brain buzzing.

Kicking me out of the company wasn't enough; he wanted to erase every last trace of me? Boundless Tech was something Julian and I built with our own bare hands.

In our poorest days, we shared a single rented office, where I handled sales while he wrote code. Sixteen years of blood, sweat, and tears were poured into this.

But deep down, I knew that what kept me from letting go wasn't the shares at all. Boundless Tech was my last remaining link to Julian.

If I signed this agreement, I wouldn't even have an excuse to appear in front of him. "I won't sign!" "Thirty million dollars is plenty, Sylvia.

Don't push your luck." "I said I won't sign!" I swatted the agreement away, and the pages scattered all over the floor. "You can take anything else, but not this!" Julian stared at me coldly, bending down to pick up the papers. "Don't think that refusing to sign will keep you by my side." I bit my lip, staying silent.

I was afraid that if I opened my mouth, I would burst into tears. I didn't want to cry in front of Giselle. Giselle leaned back against her pillows, enjoying the show.

Seeing my stubborn refusal to comply, Julian pinned me against the table, trapping me in his arms.

He splayed the agreement right before my eyes and shoved the pen into my hand. "Sign it!" I twisted my body to struggle wildly, but I couldn't break free from his grip.

Sylvia's POV Pinned against the table by Julian, I trembled with pure rage. "Julian, let me go!

You bastard!" Julian forced the pen into my fingers and gripped my wrist, pressing it down toward the paper.

I clenched my fist tightly, refusing to take the pen. "Sylvia, I'm saying this one last time: sign it!" "I won't!

Even if you kill me, I won't sign!" Julian's patience had clearly run out. He grabbed my hand directly, trying to force me to write. I struggled with all my might. "Julian!

Even if you force my hand to sign, this agreement is invalid! I'll sue you, I'll sue you for coercion!" "Then go ahead and sue!

But even after you do, don't think you'll ever step foot in Boundless Tech again." I turned to look at him in disbelief. We were extremely close.

I could clearly see the chill in his eyes and feel his burning chest pressed against my back. Yet, his words were so cold they froze me to the bone.

Was this man truly determined to tear me out of his life completely? No, that couldn't be right. Julian and I had stood side by side for sixteen years.

From the orphanage to starting our business, what storm hadn't we weathered together? I knew Julian too well. He was cold, yes, but he was never a fickle person.

It was impossible for him to suddenly kick me out of the company and force me to hand over my shares out of nowhere.

Unless... he had planned to do this all along. "You knew all along that I didn't do it that night, didn't you!" I suddenly spun around and screamed at him. "You planned to get rid of me from the very start!

The hotel incident was just your excuse!" Julian looked down, avoiding my eyes. "If you want to blame something, blame yourself for crossing my line." "You really did know." Hot tears instantly welled in my eyes, spilling over without warning.

Growing up in an orphanage, I had learned to grit my teeth and endure early on. I never cried in front of others.

During the hardest years of building our company together, even when humiliated by clients or crushed by competitors, my eyes hadn't even watered.

But now, I couldn't hold it in anymore. "You knew I was framed..." My voice was hoarse. "You knew Giselle set me up.

Even if you didn't want to help me, how could you collude with her to bully me?

Just because the Sutton family is wealthy and powerful, and because I have nothing, you think you can treat me like this?" Tears streamed down my cheeks, dripping onto the agreement on the table and blurring the words "Equity Transfer." Seeing my tearstained face, Julian's heart wavered slightly, and his grip on my hand loosened a fraction.

Just then, Giselle chimed in from the hospital bed in a quiet, warning tone. "Julian, you promised me you would get rid of her.

She has ulterior motives toward you." "Besides, my dad said that Sutton Group won't negotiate a partnership with a CEO who only owns half the company's shares." Julian's expression instantly turned cold again.

He tightened his grip on my wrist and forced the pen back into my hand. "Sign!" My heart plunged straight to the abyss.

With just one sentence, Giselle had completely erased any trace of hesitation he had shown. To him, the partnership with the Suttons was far more important than I was.

I bit down hard on the back of Julian's hand. Grunting in pain, Julian let go. Seizing the opportunity, I snatched the agreement, tore it into shreds, and bolted for the door.

Just as I reached the door, I ran straight into someone.

It was Julian's assistant, Ian Ward. "Ian, move!" Ian blocked my path, his tone polite but unyielding. "Thirty million dollars for your shares is a price well above market valuation.

If you don't sign now, the terms will only get worse. You know Mr.

Kingsley's temper better than I do." I glared at Ian, trembling with rage. "Ian, you're forcing my hand too?" "I am simply helping you make the optimal choice." "How many years have you endured alongside Julian and me?

Don't you know how much of my life's work went into this company?" Ian didn't reply, merely nodding slightly toward someone behind me.

Julian stepped out of the hospital room and stood right behind me.

With Ian in front and Julian behind, I was trapped in the middle with nowhere to run. "Sylvia, I don't want to make this ugly," Julian's voice came from behind. "Sign it, and leave with your dignity." I was still struggling.

Left with no choice, Julian stepped forward, clamped his hand over mine, and forced my hand to sign my name. Ian handed him a red ink pad.

Julian pried my fingers open and pressed my thumbprint onto it. The red ink looked as glaringly bright as fresh blood.

Utterly drained of strength, I slid down the wall onto the floor. "From today on, you have nothing to do with Boundless, and nothing to do with me." Julian handed the agreement to Ian to file away, then looked down at me on the floor.

I looked up to glare at him, my face covered in dried tear tracks. "In your dreams, Julian!" "You can forget about getting rid of me.

If you think a cheap piece of paper is going to make me vanish, you've sorely underestimated me." "Even if you throw me out ten thousand times, I will show up ten thousand times more!" Julian didn't spare me another look.

He turned and walked back into the hospital room. Ian called two security guards, who hoisted me up and escorted me out of the hospital.

I sat slumped on the curb by the roadside, staring down at the thirtymilliondollar check in my hand. Sixteen years of devotion, bought out and settled with thirty million dollars.

Tears fell from my eyes once again. Ever since the day I met Julian when I was ten years old, my entire life had revolved around him. I didn't care about shares or money.

I just wanted to be by his side. But he had pushed me away with his own hands. He had held me, kissed me, and possessed me with such intensity.

I knew that the affection I felt from him wasn't fake. So how could he force me to sign with such violence and cast me aside without a shred of mercy?

Clasping the check tightly, I shook with silent sobs. "In your dreams, Julian..." I whispered, as if speaking to him, and to myself. "I won't give up!"

Sylvia's POV What I didn't know was that up on a high floor of the inpatient department, Julian stood motionless by the window, watching me.

His hand gripped the window frame tightly, his expression so grim it looked as if it might shatter, his face masked in unbearable pain. But he didn't come down.

After a long, quiet moment, he drew the curtains shut. Once I had cried myself out, I wiped my face fiercely with my sleeve. What was the point of crying?

I, Sylvia Spencer, have never been the type of person to sit around and wait for pity. In all the years I've known Julian, he has frozen me out, avoided me, and rejected me.

When did I ever give up? This time would be no different. Besides, the more I thought about it, the more off it felt. I knew Julian's character.

No matter how ruthless he was, he was always rational. He would never conspire with an outsider to frame me.

Yet, that was exactly what he did—and he did it so hastily, so ruthlessly. It was too out of character. He must be hiding something from me. I took a deep breath and stood up. Fine.

If you won't tell me, I'll find out myself. It wasn't like I didn't have connections.

There were still a few veteran employees in the PR department of Boundless Tech who were close to me and hadn't had the chance to distance themselves yet.

I could get firsthand updates on Julian and Giselle's schedules and media movements. Over the next few days, I kept a close eye on any news about Julian.

But the more I followed, the more anxious I became. The media was flooded with reports about Julian and Giselle.

Julian himself was a toptier figure in the tech community—the founder of Boundless Tech and a genius programmer. Cameras followed him wherever he went.

Giselle, on the other hand, was the heiress of the Sutton Group, a socialite who naturally drew attention. Together, they made trending headlines almost every day.

Two weeks later, I was hit with an explosive headline. [Julian Kingsley and Giselle Sutton Officially Engaged, Engagement Party to Be Held Next Month] I stared at my phone screen, blood rushing to my head.

Engaged? It had only been two weeks since he threw me out, and now he was getting engaged to Giselle? What drove me even crazier came next.

Giselle did an interview, smiling sweetly at the camera. "Actually, we're childhood sweethearts. Our families lived close by when we were kids, so we grew up together.

Our parents even arranged a betrothal for us back then." "So you and Mr. Kingsley have a very deep emotional foundation?" Giselle smiled, looking bashful. "I suppose.

We even played house when we were ten. He insisted on playing the groom to marry me and even wove a ring out of a willow branch.

It was childish, but thinking back, it was really sweet." Childhood sweethearts? Arranged betrothal? I had only just met Julian in the orphanage when I was ten!

For the past sixteen years, Julian and I had been inseparable. Giselle hadn't even been a shadow in his life! I was the one who had always been by Julian's side!

What right did Giselle have to suddenly pop up and push me out? I combed through every single related report. The engagement party was set for next month.

The venue was The Peninsula Hotel downtown. A wild idea slowly began to take shape in my mind. Julian wouldn't give me a chance to speak, right? Then I would create one myself.

A month later, The Peninsula Hotel was brilliantly lit.

Wearing a wig and a mask, and holding an invitation I had managed to pull strings to get, I blended in with the guests and slipped into the banquet hall.

Holding a glass of champagne, I stood in a corner, watching the hall decorated with flowers and crystal chandeliers in a display of gold and splendor, watching the guests clinking glasses and laughing merrily, and watching Julian and Giselle's portrait printed on the stage backdrop.

In the photo, Julian wore a dark suit while Giselle held his arm. The two of them looked like a perfect match.

I downed the champagne in my glass in one gulp, my stomach churning with jealousy and bitterness.

On stage, the master of ceremonies was warming up the crowd, announcing that the happy couple would be making their entrance soon.

I took a deep breath, and while the staff wasn't paying attention, I rushed onto the stage and snatched the microphone from the MC's hand.

I took off my wig and ripped off the mask. "Sorry to interrupt.

I have a few questions that I must ask today's groom in front of everyone." The entire hall fell silent, and countless phones were raised.

Julian and Giselle were standing at the entrance of the backstage. When they saw who was on stage, both of their faces changed instantly.

Julian marched toward the stage, suppressing his fury. "Sylvia, get down here." "I'm not getting down.

You changed all your contact info, the company won't let me in, and there are guards at your door.

If I want to ask you something, this is the only way." Giselle caught up, grabbing Julian's arm.

She offered a reassuring smile to the crowd below, then turned her head and lowered her voice. "Sylvia, haven't you caused enough of a scene? This is my engagement party.

Believe it or not, I can have you dragged out of here right now." "Where are the guards?

Get her out of here!" I ignored her completely and stared straight at Julian. "Julian, I just want to ask you one question. We grew up together.

Can't I even ask you one question?" "What do you want to ask? Ask it and leave." "Fine." I looked at this man whom I had loved for sixteen years.

At this moment, he was getting engaged to someone else, with Giselle right by his side.

I gripped the microphone tightly and asked loud enough for the whole room to hear: "Julian, what do you plan to do about the baby in my belly?"