hapter 179 They Are Not Ugly 

Chapter 179 They Are Not Ugly 

For a moment, Quinn couldn’t take her eyes off his face. His lashes trembled as he looked up at her, eyes dark and filled with longing. 

“Quinnie, are you… going to do something to me?” 

His lips were slightly wet, completely irresistible. Indeed, she did want to do something to him. 

She leaned in and kissed him. 

His lashes fluttered, then lowered as he kissed her back, careful yet eager for more. 

When the kiss ended, the look in his eyes still rippled with emotion, as if one kiss hadn’t been nearly enough. 

“All right. Time to sleep,” Quinn said, taking a deep breath as she pulled the blanket over them and lay back beside him. 

“What?” Julius blinked. 

That was it? One kiss and that was the end of it? Was that really all she felt for me? 

“Am I not charming enough? Or did I do something wrong?” he asked, anxious. 

Her lack of desire rattled him. 

I 

“No. You’re very charming, and you didn’t do anything wrong,” Quinn said. If he weren’t, she wouldn’t have kissed him in the first place. 

“Then why didn’t you keep going?” 

Quinn looked at him, amused by how much he resembled a nervous newlywed. “Because it wouldn’t be fair to you.” 

He was puzzled. 

“I like you,” she said honestly, “but I’m not sure I love you yet.” 

She knew how real his feelings were. That was why she didn’t want to get intimate if her heart wasn’t completely there, not when she wasn’t certain yet. 

Julius stared at her, stunned by how honest she was. For her, liking someone wasn’t enough. She wouldn’t give herself fully unless she truly loved him. 

“Okay. I’ll wait.” He lifted her hand and pressed his lips to her palm. His cool kiss lingered, as if he couldn’t get enough of her warmth. “Quinnie, I’ll wait until you love me.” 

He would wait as long as it took, until her love for him was so deep she couldn’t bear to be without him. And for that, he’d do whatever it took. 

The warmth from his kiss flooded her palm, and her heart picked up speed. 

That night, Julius held her hand as he drifted off to sleep. Quinn, on the other hand, lay awake thinking about him, only falling asleep during the early morning hours. 

1/3 

When Quinn woke up the next day, her head was still foggy. She padded into the bathroom to freshen up, opened the door, then froze. 

Julius was standing with his back to her, just about to pull on a robe. He’d clearly just showered, water still clinging to his hair. 

“Sorry, I didn’t realize someone was in here!” Quinn blurted, instinctively stepping back to close the door. 

“Ugly, isn’t it?” Julius’s voice cut through the room. 

“What?” Quinn paused, confused. 

“The scars on my back. They’re ugly, aren’t they?” He didn’t move to cover up, letting her see the full view. His back was mapped with old, jagged scars. They were faded now, but still a testament to the brutal lashings he’d endured. 

He’d been only a child then. 

Quinn’s eyes stung. She’d seen them before, but every time, they hit her like a punch. The pain, the rage, the heartache returned. 

She regretted not hitting his father harder when she’d had the chance. She should’ve landed more blows. Maybe even used a whip herself, just to make him understand what he’d done. 

“If you really think they’re ugly, I can always-‘ 

“They’re not ugly,” Quinn cut him off. 

She stepped forward and reached out, tracing one of the scars with her fingers. 

His body went stiff. “You really don’t think they’re ugly?” 

“If scars are ugly, then I have a bunch, too. Do you think mine are ugly?” Quinn asked. She’d sustained them during her military missions. 

“Of course, not!” he said quickly, almost in panic. 

“Exactly. Yours aren’t either. The people who gave them to you–that’s where the ugliness is. These scars just make me want to treat you better.” 

She only wished she could erase every painful memory from his past. 

Then her lips touched one of the scars. A soft, deliberate kiss, as if to tell him she didn’t mind the scars at all. 

Julius stood frozen. The warmth of her mouth seemed to soak right through his skin, straight into his blood. 

Slowly, he lifted his head and looked at the mirror above the sink. In the reflection, he saw Quinn, bent over, gently kissing his scars with such care that it made his chest ache. 

His eyes started to shimmer. He knew what he was doing; he was using her kindness to win her heart a little more. It was selfish, even manipulative. But he wanted her love so badly. 

But if she ever finds out how calculative I’m being right now, what would she think? 

2/3 

“Quinnie, I-”