The Retired CEO's Guide To Being Spoiled

Chapter 373: The Warmth That Dispels the Dark

This was the first time Julian Sterling truly wavered and felt disoriented regarding his so-called "old world." The resonance with B-00 had caused the boundaries between reality, memories, and spatial dimensions to blur into nothingness. What if everything he had ever believed in was nothing more than an orchestrated theatrical play? What if his very ego and true self had belonged to this pitch-black darkness from the very beginning?

Ethan Caldwell remained in silence, his hand that was gently stroking Julian Sterling’s back pausing for a brief moment, but very soon after, Ethan resumed his steady, rhythmic caresses. He displayed no signs of astonishment, nor did he dismiss Julian’s profound anxiety. The man pondered deeply for a few seconds, and then replied with an incredibly solemn demeanor, striking precisely at the absolute core of the matter: "If that is the case, then I am grateful to it."

Julian Sterling was slightly taken aback; he lifted his face, his almond-shaped eyes widening as he gazed at Ethan Caldwell through the enveloping darkness. He simply could not fathom why the man would say such a thing.

Ethan Caldwell lowered his head, pressing a soft kiss against the tip of Julian’s nose which was growing cold, and gently explained: "If it did not exist."

"I would never have been able to meet you."

It was merely a simple sentence, yet it carried the devastating power to shatter all the invisible shackles that were tightly binding Julian Sterling’s fragile mind.

It signified that, to Ethan Caldwell, where Julian originated from was absolutely of no importance whatsoever. The man did not care whether Julian was a soul transmigrated into a book, experimental subject A-01, or any other bizarre identity. The sole thing this man cared about, the only treasure that Ethan Caldwell cherished and protected, was simply the "Julian Sterling of the present," the very person who was resting snugly within his embrace at this exact moment.

The insecurity and the terrifying dread of losing his sense of self that had tormented Julian Sterling throughout the entire evening were finally, completely dispelled. For the first time, he truly relaxed, his entire body feeling as though a weight of a thousand pounds had been lifted off his shoulders.

Julian Sterling smiled, taking the initiative to nuzzle deeper into the broad expanse of Ethan’s chest, seeking out the most comfortable position possible. He closed his eyes, murmuring in a tone laced with a sweet, affectionate laughter: "You spoil me far too much."

Ethan Caldwell let out a low chuckle, his chest vibrating with every rhythmic beat. He held Julian Sterling tightly, his chin gently brushing against the soft crown of Julian’s head, resolutely cementing his stance: "Yes."

"So do not even dream of running away from me."

That night, Julian Sterling fell into a profoundly deep sleep.

Wrapped within the embrace of the man who possessed a warmth akin to a roaring fire, for the first time after a long series of exhausting days, he no longer dreamt of those thick, viscous patches of darkness. He no longer heard the spine-chilling, clashing sounds of iron chains, nor was he locked away in any freezing, desolate laboratory room anymore. Everything was nothing but an absolute, unadulterated state of peace.

However... in some exceedingly faraway place.

Deep beneath the surface of the earth, within a gloomy, pitch-black room that was completely isolated from the outside world.

B-00 was curled up, sitting with its back leaning heavily against a freezing and rough stone wall. The surrounding space was so deathly silent that even its own feeble, shallow breathing began to echo throughout the room. Its two scrawny wrists remained tightly locked in place by heavy, rust-covered iron shackles.

All of a sudden, it slowly opened its eyes.

Those clouded, murky pupils, which had inherently always been as still and lifeless as a stagnant pool of water for the past several decades, now faintly flickered with movement. It sat completely motionless for a very long time, as if trying to digest and comprehend something that had just swept violently through its barren, desolate nervous system.

Then, with great difficulty, it lifted the arm that was heavily bound by the heavy chains. The metallic clanking of the collision rang out in sheer solitude. For the first time since existing in this endless string of torturous days, B-00 took the initiative to bring its wound-riddled hand up to touch its own emaciated, fleshless chest.

Because in that fleeting moment just now, piercing through the complex frequency bands of space, by means of a mystical resonance with another consciousness...

It had felt something incredibly peculiar.

That emotion did not bear the shape of flesh-tearing, excruciating agony. Nor was it a sense of isolation so profound that it incited a desire for self-destruction.

Rather, it was... a surge of scorching, fervent heat. The feeling of safety and pure contentment when being tightly embraced by another person, enveloped and cherished tenderly like a priceless, irreplaceable treasure. A warmth potent enough to entirely dispel the darkness that had reigned supreme for decades.

The radiant, brilliant sunlight of autumn pierced through the gaps in the heavy, thick curtains, casting a pale golden streak of light across the velvet carpet on the floor. The atmosphere within the bedroom was tranquil, immensely peaceful, and carried the crisp, chilly breath characteristic of early mornings.

Julian Sterling slowly opened his eyes.

His consciousness gradually recovered after a remarkably long slumber. The very first thing he perceived was not the bright light streaming in from outside the window, but rather the incredibly firm, muscular arms of the man tightly constricting his waist.

Ethan Caldwell hugged Julian from behind, pressing the entirety of Julian’s slender back flush against Ethan’s broad, scorching chest. The strength in his arms was immense, so fierce and unyielding that it was as if he had maintained this posture of fiercely guarding a precious treasure for the entire, exhaustive night without having loosened his grip for even a single second.

Julian Sterling blinked softly, attempting to shift his body a fraction to loosen his stiff muscles and joints.

However, with just an infinitesimally small stir, the arm draped across his waist immediately reflexively tightened, dragging him backward deeper into Ethan Caldwell’s chest. The man’s breathing right above the crown of his head experienced a momentary, chaotic disruption.

This trivial little detail made Julian Sterling suddenly realize that last night, Ethan Caldwell had slept incredibly lightly. Perhaps the man was constantly in a state of high alert, where even the slightest fluctuation from Julian was enough to abruptly awaken every single nerve in this man’s body.

Julian Sterling lay perfectly still, quietly observing the tiny specks of dust floating aimlessly within the sunbeam. He suddenly realized a wondrous miracle: last night, he had truly enjoyed a good night’s sleep.

Immeasurably deep and flawless.

There were no horrifying nightmares entangling his mind. There were no sudden waves of mental resonance dragging him forcefully down into an abyssal depth. There was no spine-chilling clinking of iron chains, and there was absolutely no pervasive, bone-deep sensation of frigid coldness and solitary despair.

This was the very first time after so many arduous days of being tormented by the lingering phantom of B-00 that he was finally able to relish in a genuine, meaningful tranquility. Perhaps, it was precisely the warmth and the overwhelmingly powerful presence of Ethan Caldwell that had forged an impenetrable fortress wall, thoroughly and resolutely blocking out all intruding frequencies from the outside.

The moment this thought crossed his mind, Julian Sterling’s inherently guarded heart involuntarily melted into softness.

Right at this exact moment, the man behind him had also fully awakened. The sheer instinct of someone who was perpetually accustomed to controlling everything caused Ethan Caldwell to open his eyes incredibly swiftly, devoid of even the slightest trace of grogginess typical of someone who had just woken up.

His very first reaction was not to loosen his grip or stretch his shoulders, but to immediately spin Julian Sterling around, his sharp gaze swiftly sweeping over Julian’s complexion, forehead, and neck to conduct a thorough inspection.

"How are you feeling?" His voice carried the rough hoarseness of the early morning, yet it utterly failed to conceal his overwhelming urgency: "Is there any discomfort anywhere? Does your head still ache?"

Julian Sterling looked at Ethan’s excessively tense expression and could not hold back a soft chuckle. He raised a hand to brush back the disheveled locks of hair falling over the man’s forehead, blossoming a tender smile mingled with a hint of gentle helplessness: "What has gotten into you so early in the morning? Do you treat me as if I am fragile porcelain? Bound to shatter with merely a gentle touch?"

However, Ethan Caldwell did not play along with his playful banter at all. His large, imposing hand grasped Julian Sterling’s hand that was resting upon his forehead, pressing it firmly against his own cheek. The man fell silent for a few agonizing seconds, his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly, before he replied in a deeply hushed tone: "I am just terrified of you being in pain again."

The spoken words were so incredibly gentle, lacking any trace of pathetic weakness or sorrow, yet it felt akin to a heavy boulder being tossed into the placid surface of the lake within Julian Sterling’s heart. That single sentence alone was more than enough for him to comprehend that the horrifying resonance and his own sheer panic from the previous night had truly left a profoundly haunting scar within the heart of this perpetually arrogant and self-assured man.

He was terrified of his own utter powerlessness when watching the person he loved being torn apart by some incomprehensible spiritual force, entirely unable to storm in and take his place.

Julian Sterling pursed his lips, actively leaning forward to press a gentle, feather-light kiss to the corner of Ethan’s lips as a substitute for any verbal answer.

In the midst of pulling his hand back, Julian Sterling’s gaze inadvertently swept over his left wrist. The blindingly red indentation from last night had now almost entirely faded away, blending seamlessly into his pale white skin. Yet, if one were to look closely, beneath the morning illumination, a faint, translucent ring of an imprint could still be vaguely discerned, lying there in complete stillness.