All The wrong places episode 19

🌼ALL THE WRONG PLACES🌼🌻EPISODE NINETEEN🌻

Jin Starck was in the foulest of moods when he sat in one
of the chairs in the gazebo in the Adams Mansion. He wasn’t
expecting the turn of events that day.
First, he wasn’t expecting to see Julianne that afternoon,
looking more beautiful than the last time he saw her. She
looked fresh, without a hint of makeup on her face. He didn’t
expect to see her with the adorable kid who looked nothing
like her, like she didn’t give birth to him at all.
But more importantly, he wasn’t expecting to see that
handsome gentleman picking up both of them for an
afternoon date.

River Jefferson, he said his name was.
Fifteen minutes after Julianne left, his phone beeped. A
stream of emails flooded his mailbox, all with information
about River Jefferson.
He’s the CEO of RJ Holdings. Son of sh¡pping tycoon
Robert Jefferson. He was a product of his father’s affair with
stage actress Tiffany Ronson. He wasn’t recognized by his
father until his father’s wife and son died in a tragic car
accident. After that, he was taken into his father’s custody
and became the latter’s legal heir.
He went to Harvard, that’s how he met Justin. His
company handled several of Adams Industries’ sh¡pments in
different countries.
Jin looked at the list of assets that River Jefferson
stood to inherit from his father, plus the assets he was
slowly acquiring on his own. His net worth may not be as
huge as his or Justin’s, but the figures Jin saw were still
impressive. River Jefferson also deserved an A-list status.
River had only two serious relationsh¡ps. One in high
school, which ended because his father took him into custody. The other one was after college, which ended
because the woman relocated to Europe. He didn’t have any
criminal record, no child out of wedlock, no gambling or any
form of addiction. The only time he ever went to a shrink
was before college, after his father took him in and he was
finding it hærd to cope with his new status in life.
Jin concluded that River Jefferson was clean. He had
money. He was smart and decent. And the worst part was,
he seemed keen on winning Julianne’s heart—along with her
son’s.

F-cking hell!
Jin told himself that he shouldn’t care. But the
emotions in,side his chest were getting more and more
difficult to control. The heart he’d forgotten he had skipped
a beat every time he saw her.
Damn her for leaving me all those years ago! Damn
her for cheating on her fiancé with me!
Damn her for introducing Jared to another man!
He hoped that she hadn’t dated many men seriously
and introduced them all to Jared. The boy did not deserve to
have false hopes of finally having a complete family over
and over again. But on the other hand, if River Jefferson was
the first man she introduced to Jared, then it was worse than
what Jin expected.
Their relationsh¡p could be getting serious!
Jin made a frustrated sigh. He reached out for the
pack of cigarettes that Justin left on the table and then he lit
a stick. He puffed a smoke and stared into space, still lost in
his thoughts.
He didn’t know how long he was sitting there, looking
mad and about to hit something. He didn’t care. Justin and
his sister were used to him being rude, ruthless and
forgetful of his manners once in a while.

“I wonder when Jin will come back to us.” He heard
his sister say to her husband. Or at least that’s what he
thought she said.
He inclined his head sideways and raised a brow at
her. But instead of being intimidated, Adrienne only smiled
at him widely. “Oh, you’re here!” She beamed at him. “I
didn’t know you smoke.”
“I don’t,” he muttered.
“Really? What you’re doing now looks smoking to
me,” Justin said in a teasing tone.
Jin puffed a smoke and stared into space again.
He heard Adrienne stand up and come up to him. She
put a tender arm around his shoulders. “Sweetheart, what’s
up? What’s eating your non-existent patience away?”
He continued smoking the cigarette. He sighed and
said, “I love you, Yen. But please I beg you to let me be.”
Instead of being offended, he felt his sister lean down
and k-ss him on the head. “I love you too, Jin. And you know
we’re just here for you. Anytime you want to channel that
anger into a more open, healthy conversation, we’ll be
there.” Then she sat back on her seat beside her husband.
They were quiet for a while and Jin just continued to
smoke.

“I am so glad that River and Ian are hitting it off,”
Adrienne said, finally cutting through the thick silence.
“Yeah. I haven’t seen Ian laugh in a long time. And
she’s smiling more often these days,” Justin said. It was
obvious in his voice that he was pleased. If Jin had to guess,
it was Justin who set up River Jefferson with Julianne.
Damn him!
“What time do you think you they’ll be home tonight?”
Adrienne asked. “I can’t wait to talk to Ian.”
“If I had to guess, just as the sun was about to rise,”
Jin butted in sarcastically.
Adrienne stared at her brother in shock. “I didn’t
know you were interested in gossip, little brother,” she
teased lightly. “But what made you so sure? They haven’t
been seeing each other that long.”
“Why? Some women sleep with a guy on the first
date,” Jin said sarcastically.

Adrienne cleared her throat and then she gave her
husband a knowing look.
“Why, Jin? Do you judge a woman that way?” Justin
asked. He gave Jin a warning look and there was an edge to
the tone that he used. Clearly, he was annoyed with Jin’s
comment.
Jin sighed. “I don’t know your cousin. So, I can’t judge
her.”
“Exactly!” Justin muttered. His tone was hærd but
when he looked at Adrienne again, there was only
gentleness in his eyes. “Do you mind leaving us for a while,
honey?” he asked her.
Adrienne hesitated a little bit, but then she gave her
husband smack on the l-ips and said, “I’ll go and check up on
our kids. See what chaos they have concocted this time.”
Once they were alone, Justin stood up and took a seat
beside Jin. He took a cigarette from his pack and lit it.
“What’s the deal, Jin?” he asked. “Clearly, something
is bothering you and you’re taking it out on the women in
my life.”

Jin took a deep breath. He knew he couldn’t tell Justin
what was going on with him and Julianne. For sure, she
hadn’t told them how she met him seven years ago. As far
as their family knew, they have no connection to each other.
“I’m sorry if I said something offensive. I’m having a
really… really bad day.”
“No offense taken. I know you’re going through some
things you didn’t want to tell us,” Justin said. “Honestly, I
don’t even know you anymore, bro. You used to be the most
charming guy I have met. Then something must have
happened to you that changed you. We love and respect
you and we have learned to accept the new you. But lately,
you have been acting weird. Well… weird-er.”

Jin took a last puff of his cigarette and then put out
the light. He stood up from his seat and then he looked at
his brother-in-law apologetically.
“I apologize for my actions. But sometimes, some
things can keep you chained for life no matter how hærd
you’ve tried to get away. I don’t know if you get that.”
“That woman,” Justin said quietly.
“What?”
“That woman you spent years chasing around the
world. Is it still her?”
Jin looked away from him but didn’t say anything. How
could he tell Justin that the woman he was talking about
was his cousin?
“I thought you were going to marry Vanessa Bernard,”
Justin said. “A few weeks ago, when Adrienne was trying to
talk you out of it, you weren’t listening. I didn’t meddle
because I could tell when you’re not going to change your
mind about one thing. And I know that you were hell-bent
on going through this marriage of convenience. But now… I
can tell… something changed your mind.”
The man was right again. Justin wasn’t just smart.
He’s good at reading people too. And the more Jin opened
his mouth, the closer Justin would be to guessing what he
was going through.
“The Bernards are getting impatient,” Justin informed
him. “Pierre was on the phone with Adrienne this morning.
He was wondering why you were extending your stay here
in the States. The Bernards are demanding a meeting with
you and your father to discuss what happened at that failed
engagement party. They’re willing to give you another
chance. Vanessa was persistent.”
Damn!

“I’m going back to Paris tonight,” Jin replied curtly.
“Good,” Justin said. “You want me to arrange for the
Adams jet to take you?”
“Gatwick can arrange for my flights. Don’t bother.”
“I’m just offering you a faster way out,” Justin told
him. “Why didn’t you go back earlier? Were you avoiding the
Bernards?”
“You know I took care of business at White Rock,” Jin
replied.

“And yet you’re still here,” Justin countered. “Come
on, bro. This is me. You used to tell me everything, ask for
my advice about business. And your engagement to
Vanessa Bernard is not a matter of the heart. It’s a matter of
business.”
Jin sighed. “Unfortunately, big bro, you cannot help
me this time. I admit, the thing with the Bernards is
something I need to face sooner or later. But right now, I
just can’t wrap my head around it yet. I have more
important things to attend to.”
“Okay, I respect that,” Justin said. “But you know,
we’re just here for you, right?”
“I know.” Jin nodded. “And I appreciate that.”
“I know that there was a woman who did a number on
you,” Justin said carefully. “Maybe it’s time you open your
heart up. Maybe your engagement with Vanessa Bernard
need not be about business at all.”
Jin heaved a sigh. “Some of us may be capable of
loving only one woman in our lives. You are lucky you
managed to hold on to yours.” And then he stood up from
his seat and walked away.
Jin waited for another three hours in the Adams
Mansion. In five hours, he needed to board the plane back
to Paris. His father had been calling him non-stop about the
Bernards. It was not fair that he was letting his father face
the problems he created. He needed to go back. But damn!
He can’t go without seeing Julianne once again. Maybe talk
to her one last time. And if he’s lucky, maybe even steal a
k-ss or two.

He paced on the balcony, looking at his watch every
five minutes. It seemed like the longest day of his life. His mind was reeling with a lot of unwelcomed thoughts.
Thoughts of River Jefferson holding Jared’s hand, teaching
him how to skate and then laughing and k-ssing Julianne
afterwards were driving him crazy.
F-ck!
He hated the thoughts in his head. And he couldn’t
help imagining how it would feel to be River Jefferson right
now. He didn’t know how much he wanted that feeling. Not
until now!
He heard voices from under him. He looked down and
saw River carrying Jared piggy-back style, the boy was
squealing in laughter. Julianne was behind them. She too
was laughing, and a memory flashed in Jin’s mind.
She was holding his hand. They were walking the
streets near the Louvre.
“Do you want to go in?” he asked.
She smiled.

“Who wouldn’t want to go in once they are in
Paris?” She looked at the long line of people waiting to get
in. “But I think we’ll be wasting hours waiting in line. So
maybe on my next visit.”
He smiled and leaned down to give her a k-ss on the
l-ips. “You’re right. I hope, The Louvre is not the only reason
you’re coming back to the city.”
A hint of emotion crossed her face and he couldn’t
make out what it was. She averted her eyes, making it more
difficult for him to read her.
He touched her cheek gently. “Hey… I hope… this
thing that we have will go beyond your holiday.”
She took a deep breath. Then she raised a brow at
him. “We’ve only met four days ago, Monsieur. What made
you so sure you’ve already captured my heart?”
He grinned at her. “If I haven’t done so already, then I
have a week more to work on capturing your heart,
Mademoiselle. For you have surely captured mine.”
She blushed a beautiful shade of pink. She was
growing more and more beautiful to him.
“See?” he said. “I make you blush. It means I’m close
to achieving my goal already.”
He felt her pinch him on his left side and then she
laughed. “You’re cute, Jas Mathieu,” she said. “But you’re a
bundle of conceit, aren’t you?”
“Determined is more like it,” he replied. And he knew
he meant those words when he said them. For years, he
had his way with women. Nothing was serious, all was just
part of life, of growing up. But this one… this one was
different.

He had never fallen in love with any of the women
he’d been involved with. But this one… he fell in love with
her at first sight, and he fell for her more and more each
day he spent with her. He could drown in the blue of her
eyes forever and he would live to hear her laughter for all
eternity.
Jin shook himself back to reality. Many things have
happened after that memory. He was younger then, he was
stupid. He gave his all to one woman in the two weeks he
spent with her. He didn’t leave anything for himself. He fell
for her charms without knowing her well enough.
She was soft, and innocent. She was everything he
had dreamt of all his life. She had everything he was
looking for in every woman he had met in the past.

But she wasn’t real!
She didn’t even share with him her real name and
when she left him, she had no intention of being found. If it
wasn’t for a lucky accident and a twist of fate that they were
related by the marriage of Justin and Adrienne, he wouldn’t
have found her at all—in spite of the highly-paid
investigators he hired to search for her.
“Uncle Jin?” A small voice called behind him,
interrupting his thoughts.
He turned around and immediately his heart softened
at the sight of the little man in front of him.

“You are still here?” Jared asked.
Jin approached the boy and knelt in front of him. “How
was today?”
“It’s great! I can skate now! I wish you saw me! I was
good! I can’t wait to ask Mommy for my own skates.” Then
the little boy hesitated.
“What’s the problem, sweetheart?” Jin asked.
“Mommy may not buy me my own skates. But we can
always rent.”
“Why won’t Mommy buy you your own skates?”
“I think it’s expensive. Mommy works very hærd. I
don’t want her to work too much because the skates are
expensive.”
Something deep in,side Jin’s guts twisted.

Arabella’s family was rich. She’s an heiress to the
Sanders’ family businesses. Why was she depriving Jared of
the things she grew up having? Wasn’t she going overboard
with teaching the boy the value of money?
“Don’t worry,” Jin said. “I will get you your own skates,
so you don’t have to worry about your Mom working too
much for it.”
Jared’s eyes w¡dened. “Really, Uncle Jin? But Mommy
will get mad at you.”
“Let me handle that, okay?” He smiled brightly at the
boy. He couldn’t help it, he pulled Jared in his arms and gave
him a tight hug. When he pulled away, he said, “I’m going
away for a little while.”
“Where?”
“Back to Paris,” Jin replied. “I’ll be back after a week.
When I come back, I will take you to the mall. We’ll get you
your skates. And then I’ll teach you how to play hockey.”
“Really?!”
Jin nodded. “But you can’t tell your Mommy yet, okay?
We’ll… er… surprise her.” More like shock her!
“Okay,” Jared smiled excitedly.
“Meanwhile, I have something for you,” Jin said. He
reached for his pocket and handed Jared a blue slim phone.
“What’s this?”
“Your new phone.”
“Mommy gave me a phone for when I travel,” Jared
said.

“Well, this one, you can have all the time. So I can call
you anytime. You can call me any time too. Press the
number one and the call button and it will connect you
straight to me,” he said. “Make sure you always bring this,
especially if you go out.”
Jared nodded. “Okay, Uncle Jin. Does it have games?”
Jin chuckled. “Some. But not much. Mommy will not
like it if you spend so much time playing your phone.”
“Okay. You’re the best, Uncle Jin!” Jared threw himself
in Jin’s arms.
Jin hugged the boy back. Then he stood up and carried
him to his bedroom. Jared’s nanny was there waiting for the
boy.
“You go get ready for bed, okay? I’ll see you when I
get back,” he promised the little boy.
“Okay. Bye Uncle Jin.”
He turned to Jared’s nanny. “I placed the box of the
phone on his bedside table. Make sure you charge it every
night and that he takes it with him all the time, especially
when he’s going out.”
The nanny nodded. “Yes, sir.”
After k-ssing Jared goodbye, he went back to the
balcony. He saw River Jefferson getting in his car and
speeding away.

When River was walking away to his car this afternoon
with Jared and Julianne, it took all of Jin’s energy to fight the
urge to go after them, tell the guy to disappear, so he could
take his proper place beside her, making her laugh and
sharing every moment of raising Jared.
Arabella may look like an angel, but she plays
games… she made you fall madly in love with her and then
she left you alone and bleeding.
She came back to where she came from, thinking you
would never find her again. You were not the only one
breaking in,side at the sight of this woman. McAllister was
broken and revengeful too.

This woman may not want your money. She was born
with it too. But she’s a heartbreaker and she seems proud of
it. You don’t want a woman you couldn’t trust. You may end
up hurting each other in the end!
River Jefferson was a good-looking man for sure. And
clearly, he was enchanted by Julianne. He remembered he
was like that seven years ago, maybe even more besotted.
And look at him now.
When Julianne left him, he lost his trust in all women.
He didn’t trust them well to begin with. But she made him
worse. She brought him inconsolable pain, and deep in,side,
he wanted her to know and feel how much he’d suffered
because of what she did.

Jin went to the guestroom that he usually occupied
whenever he visited. He needed to calm his nerves. He was
full of emotions he could barely handle. He was proud of
himself for having extreme emotional control. He had
mastered the devil-may-care attitude well all these years.
Sometimes, he even came across as thoughtless or rude to
people because he didn’t show much affection or
compassion to another human being. But now…
Now, I need a cold shower!
He showered with ice cold water, hoping that it would
calm his nerves and make him gain control over the twisting
knots in,side his chest.
After dressing up in a fresh pair of jeans and a long-
sleeved shirt, he went out of the room. He needed to be in
the airport in less than an hour.
As he walked the quiet, dimly lit corridor, he passed
by Julianne’s room. By now, she must have been back in her
bedroom, getting ready for bed. He wouldn’t see her until
next week.
He stood in front of her room, placed both his hands
on the door frame, deciding what to do next.

Walk away, Starck! Go to the airport now!
He took deep breaths. The thought of not seeing her
again seemed unbearable. He remembered how easily she
melted in his arms, how she gave in to his k-sses.
Their bodies melded together like interlocking pieces
of a puzzle. She fitted him like no other woman ever had
before, like she was specifically created for him. There was
no doubt in his mind that they’re s€×ually compatible. In
bed, he shared a passion with her which he had never felt
with anyone else.
Jin must have been staring at Julianne’s door for about
five long minutes.
You don’t need to fall into this again, Starck! You have
responsibilities to your family. And she’s a temptress
created to derail you from your goals.
One second, two seconds, three…
F-cking hell!
Before he knew it, he was knocking on the door. His
heart pounded in,side his chest as he waited for what
seemed like an eternity for her to respond.

Will she even open the door?
Then he heard a clicking sound. Slowly the door
opened and Julianne peeked out. She looked shocked the
minute she saw him standing outside her room.
“Can I come in?” he asked in a low, hoarse voice. He
was trying his best to steady his nerves.

“Somebody will see…”
“The kids and the maids are all sleeping. Christine and
Jac are out of the country. Justin and Adrienne are still
drinking in the gazebo,” he said. “No CCTVs in the hall.”
She nodded and then she opened the door to let him
in. He stepped in,side. The room was just as big as Jared’s.
Obviously, it was one of the guestrooms, designed for
temporary occupancy. There was nothing fancy about the
room either. No luxurious lush chaise lounge or gold-
trimmed dresser with a life-size mirror. No walk-in closet,
just a small white wardrobe. Her room was smaller than half
of Adrienne’s room in Paris. Jin expected more for someone
in Julianne’s stature.
He turned to face her. She was looking at him with
blank eyes. He took a moment to look at what she was
wearing. It was a pink silk robe over a matching sleeveless
top and shorts. Her hair was carelessly tied in a bun and she
looked fresh from a shower. His blood stirred and he could
feel desire creeping through his veins.
A blush crept over her cheeks when she realized that
he was studying her. She closed her robe over her body.
“Well, what is it?” she asked.
Yeah? Why am I here in the first place? What was it
that I wanted apart from seeing her one last time before I go
back home?

“I just came to…” he started saying but trailed off,
completely clueless about what he would say next. No
woman had rendered him tongue-tied before.
She raised a brow at him.
Shit!
And because he genuinely didn’t know what to say, he
followed his instincts and stepped closer to her. In one swift
motion, he was cupping her face with his palms and he was
k-ssing her thoroughly.
Electricity was shooting up from every part of his body
and he could feel himself growing hærd. She always had this
effect on him.

He backed her up against the door and pinned her
body between it and his body. He could feel her resistance waning. Her body was responding to him with full abandon,
like it always does.
Soon she was k-ssing him back. She wrapped her arms
around his neck. He cupped both her butt cheeks and lifted
her off her feet, making her wrap both her legs around his
h¡ps.
“Oh God!” she breathed. He knew that she could feel
him—hærd. And he wanted nothing more than take her—
right then and there.
He nuzzled her neck, s-cking on her skin. She mo-ned
as she pulled him closer. He breathed in the scent of her.
And he realized what’s been killing him all afternoon.

“Did he k-ss you, Arabella?” he suddenly asked.
“What?” she blinked back at him.
“River Jefferson,” he replied. “Did he k-ss you?”
Understanding dawned on her face and he was afraid
that she would mock him for being jealous. Because he was
—insane with jealousy. But instead, she smiled at him
weakly. Then she touched his cheek with her soft palm.
“No,” she replied, while gently shaking her head. “I
didn’t. I… couldn’t.”
Relief washed over him like a cold bucket. And he
captured her l-ips in another searing k-ss. He squeezed her
butt cheeks as he pulled her closer to him, effectively
rubbing her center against his arousal again. She mo-ned
his name once more.

He could take her. Right there. Right now. And he
wished he didn’t have to leave so soon. She told him they
couldn’t make love again after the last time. But now, they
both knew they couldn’t stay away from each other.
He slowed down his k-sses. Then gently he settled her
on her feet. When he pulled away from her, he saw that her
face was flushed and she looked disoriented.

He smiled at her gently. “I have a flight back to Paris
in two hours. I need to be at the airport now,” he said. “I want you so badly, but I promised myself that next time
we’re going to make love, it will be in a proper bed.”
She bit her lip and kept quiet.
Jin pulled her to him gently and k-ssed her forehead.
Then he looked into her eyes and said, “I have business to
attend to in Paris. I’ll be back in a week.”
She nodded.

“Will you wait for me, Arabella?” He knew that he
wasn’t asking. He was pleading.
“Why?” she asked.
“Well… for one, we’re not finished here yet,” he
replied in a teasing tone. “And I want to see you when I get
back.”
“Jin… we’re walking on thin ice,” she said. “No one
can know what’s happening between us.”
Damn!
If it were up to him, he would shout out to the wh0le
world that she was with him.
“Justin… Adrienne. I can’t hurt them. We can’t…”
He silenced her with a k-ss. Then he said, “Okay. They
won’t find out. But you can’t ask me to stay away from you,
Arabella. I tried that before. It’s not going to work! And don’t
fight it. Don’t deny it. You want me too. So, stop asking me
to stay away from you. I won’t!”
She closed her eyes for a moment. She didn’t say
anything more. He knew he was winning her over.

He pulled her to him again to give her a tight hug. He
breathed through her hair. She smelled like strawberries and
mint. He knew that scent would linger in his thoughts for a
very long time.
He slowly pulled away from her. “Seven days,” he said
again. “Okay?”
She didn’t answer.
He raised a brow at her. “Okay?” he repeated.
Finally, she smiled and said, “Okay.”
He k-ssed her again. Then he leaned his forehead
against hers and s-cked in a deep breath. He didn’t want to
let go. But he was a few minutes away from missing his
flight.
“Now, I wish I didn’t have to go,” he whispered.
He heard her take a deep, heavy breath.
“In another lifetime, I would ask you to stay,” she
whispered. She said it softly, but the blow he felt was hærd
and inexplicably painful. All he could do was hug her to him
tighter.

“You’re mine, ma belle,” he whispered.
She shook her head. “Only until you walk out that
door.”
He sighed. “Then let me stay just a little while longer.”
He felt her nod against his chest. He continued
holding her for another one hundred twenty precious
seconds. Then with a heavy heart, he pulled away. She took
a step away from him.
He felt like his chest would explode when he reached
for the knob of the door. And without another word, he
stepped out of the room, wishing they lived in another
lifetime, where their lives had no complications, and she
would be his forever.