Roman and Julienne's heart desire

Chapter 199: The suprise: Damiano Thompson

"May God soon bless you with a baby," an older woman said warmly, handing her a tiny black baby suit.

Julie’s breath hitched.

Her eyes widened instantly, her cheeks flushing a deep shade of red.

Out of everything.

That wish struck her the most.

More people came forward, one after another, placing gifts into her already full arms, offering kind words, blessings, and smiles.

The air around her filled with warmth, with kindness, with a strange, overwhelming affection from strangers.

Julie didn’t know what to say.

Her heart pounded rapidly, her thoughts scattered.

But slowly, a soft smile formed on her lips.

She lowered her gaze shyly, her lashes falling over her eyes as her hand instinctively moved to rest gently on her stomach.

Her cheeks still burned with embarrassment.

But her smile...

It was tender.

And full of quiet, overwhelming happiness.

"Thank you, ma’am," Julie said softly, lifting her gaze to the elderly woman who had just placed the baby suit into her arms.

The woman looked back at her with eyes full of warmth, the kind that carried years of wisdom and blessings. Her smile was gentle, almost motherly, and the soft lines around her face deepened with affection.

"Hmm," she hummed in satisfaction, giving Julie one last fond look before turning and walking away into the slowly dispersing crowd.

Julie stood there for a moment, frozen beneath the dim golden lights of the theater.

The gifts in her arms felt heavier now not because of their weight, but because of what they meant.

Every ribbon, every velvet box, every blessing whispered into her ears carried the lingering touch of Roman’s love.

The room that had moments ago been filled with gasps, laughter, and admiration slowly began to settle into the usual cinema atmosphere.

The rustle of seats folding back, the faint squeak of shoes against the carpeted floor, and the distant buttery smell of popcorn mixed strangely with the floral sweetness still clinging to Julie from the bouquet she had left in the car.

By the time she walked out of the theater, the cool evening breeze met her flushed cheeks, calming the warmth there.

The sky outside had darkened into a soft velvet blue, city lights glowing in the distance like scattered stars.

Valentine decorations still glittered around the theater entrance, their red ribbons and heart-shaped lanterns swaying lightly in the night breeze.

Julie’s hands were so full of gifts that two guards had to step forward to help her.

One carefully took the larger red boxes from her arms, while the other carried the shawls, baby suit, and smaller jewelry packages.

The contrast of their black uniforms against the bright romantic wrapping made the entire scene feel surreal.

It still felt like a dream.

"Your grandson is really romantic beyond words," Denovan said as they approached the car, his voice carrying both amusement and genuine admiration.

Lisa chuckled beside him, her laughter soft and pleased. "That boy always had a dramatic streak in him, but this..." she glanced at the pile of gifts and smiled knowingly, "this is Roman at his finest."

Julie lowered her gaze, her lips curving into a shy smile.

The thought of Roman planning all this while being miles away made her chest ache in the sweetest way.

The driver, after helping load most of the gifts into the car’s bonnet, closed it carefully. But even that spacious compartment wasn’t enough.

Several boxes still remained.

"You can head back home," Denovan said, extending his hand for the car keys. "I’ll drive the ladies."

The driver nodded respectfully, placing the keys into Denovan’s palm before stepping away.

Soon, they were settled into the car.

Denovan took the driver’s seat, adjusting the mirror with practiced ease, while Lisa sat elegantly beside him.

Julie slipped into the back seat.

The soft leather embraced her instantly, but she barely noticed the comfort.

Gifts surrounded her on both sides heart-shaped boxes, velvet cases, elegant shopping bags, and wrapped packages stacked carefully beside her because even the bonnet could no longer hold them all.

The inside of the car smelled faintly of leather, roses, and the sweetness of chocolate from one of the boxes.

Julie’s fingers slowly reached out, brushing over the satin ribbon of the nearest package.

A warm smile spread across her face.

Her eyes softened.

Her mind replayed everything.

Roman’s face on the cinema screen.

His voice.

The way he called her my gorgeous wife.

The laughter from the audience.

The blessings from strangers.

Her lips trembled into a deeper smile.

Love bloomed inside her chest like something alive, something growing petal by petal, warm and impossible to ignore.

At the front, Lisa and Denovan exchanged a quiet glance through the rearview mirror.

Both of them smiled.

Lisa turned slightly, stealing a look at Julie in the back seat.

The younger woman was clearly lost in her own little world, her fingers absentmindedly tracing ribbons while her expression glowed with quiet joy.

Lisa’s eyes softened.

She said nothing.

Some moments were too precious to interrupt.

So she simply let Julie sink into the sweetness of it.Outside, the city lights stretched past the tinted windows in glowing streaks.

Restaurants buzzed with couples celebrating, streetlights shimmered against polished roads, and distant music from nightlife spots drifted faintly through the glass whenever the car slowed near intersections.

Yet none of it reached Julie.

Her world was somewhere else.

With Roman.

Far away, in a seven-star grand hotel in X City, warmth did not exist.

Luxury filled every inch of the presidential suite towering crystal chandeliers, gold-trimmed walls, imported marble flooring that reflected the soft amber lights above, and floor-to-ceiling windows revealing the glittering skyline beyond.

But despite the elegance, the room felt colder than ice.

The air itself seemed heavy with danger.

A man knelt on the polished marble floor, his hands tied tightly behind him.

Sweat dripped from his temple, rolled down his jaw, and splashed silently onto the floor beneath him.

His breathing was uneven.

Panicked.

Every nerve in his body screamed fear.

Standing before him was Roman.

Gone was the tender husband from the cinema screen.

Gone was the soft smile, the warmth, the lover whose eyes had overflowed with affection.What stood here now was a king.

Dark.

Terrifying.

Untouchable.

"Don’t you know mistakes are unforgivable?" Roman asked.

His voice was low, calm, and controlled but somehow that made it even more frightening.

The tied man trembled violently.

"King, I have no idea how it happened," he stammered, barely able to keep his teeth from chattering. "Everything happened so fast.

In the blink of an eye, after I reached the basement, everything blew up into ashes."

Roman’s expression darkened.

A dangerous stillness settled over him.

"So it was completely your fault," he said slowly, each word sharp as broken glass, "when I told you not to leave the basement, Rolf."

The sound of his name from Roman’s lips made the man nearly collapse.

Rolf swallowed hard, his throat dry.

"Bring the CCTV footage," Roman ordered without taking his eyes off him.

Rolf’s eyes widened instantly.

"There is n-no footage," he stuttered. "Everything blew up."

Roman’s jaw tightened.

His gaze sharpened into something lethal.

"I believe there is one at the corner near the street. Find it."

"Yes, sir."

One of the guards standing near the suite doors bowed slightly and left at once.

The door clicked shut.

Silence.

Heavy silence.

Rolf slowly dragged himself backward on the floor, his tied hands scraping against the marble as he tried to put even the smallest distance between himself and Roman.

But it was useless.

No one escaped Roman once they had reached this room.

"Bring the gun," Roman said, extending his hand without looking.

The guard beside him immediately placed a sleek black pistol into his palm.

The metallic weight settled naturally in Roman’s hand.

He lifted it.

Slowly.

Deliberately.

The cold barrel touched the top of Rolf’s head.

Rolf froze.

His entire body went rigid.

"No... no, sir, please!" he gasped, tears instantly filling his eyes. "Please, you should see the truth! I wasn’t the one who made this mistake—I wasn’t—it was all—"

His words broke apart into terrified breaths.

Roman leaned slightly closer.

"It was who, Rolf?"

His tone was almost soft.

But his aura screamed death.

Rolf’s lips trembled violently.

Roman struck the side of his head with the gun not enough to injure, but enough to send terror crashing through him.

"Who?"The man broke.

"It—it was Mr. Damiano Thompson," Rolf cried out, tears spilling freely now.

The room went still.

Even the guards shifted uneasily.

Roman’s eyes narrowed.

The air temperature seemed to drop.

A dark shadow passed through his expression.

So it was him all along.

His uncle.

For a moment, Roman said nothing.

But inside, rage churned.

Questions rose like smoke.

Why now?

Why sabotage the basement?

What exactly was he trying to destroy?

Roman’s jaw tightened so hard the muscle ticked.

"He was the one who told me to set the basement on fire," Rolf continued desperately, words tumbling out in panic. "He gave me five hundred thousand dollars.

He said no one would ever know." Roman’s grip around the gun tightened.

His knuckles turned pale.

The polished calm on his face remained but his eyes had gone deadly.

Outside the suite windows, X City glittered with life.Inside, death hovered in the air.

And for the first time that night, Roman’s mind split into two world the sweetness of Julie’s tearful smile in the cinema, and the poisonous betrayal of family.

His uncle had crossed a line.And Roman Thompson was not a man who forgive betrayal.