Even during the initial period after he had first transmigrated into this unfamiliar world, back when his feelings were still ambiguous and undefined, Julian Sterling had maintained a fortress around his heart. In those early days, he had adopted a mindset of calculated survival, feigning compliance with Ethan Caldwell's wishes solely to leverage the man's power. He had operated with a perpetually cool head, his emotions kept in check behind a wall of rationality, always prepared to retreat and cut ties the moment the situation became unfavorable. He was a strategist in a strange land, playing a role to ensure his own safety.
But now... looking at his current state, Julian felt a chill that had nothing to do with the temperature of the room.
