Chapter 86

Pulling up to the villa, the car rolled to a gentle stop.Yvonne sat rigid, her gaze locked on the scenery outside, lips pressed together in a silent protest.

A small smile tugged at his lips as Julian asked, "Are you still angry?"

Her head turned slowly, her eyes searching his. "Isn't there any room for us to negotiate about the budget?"

For a beat, he hesitated, then shifted his gaze aside with cool indifference, a gesture that only deepened her unease.

Yvonne's tone grew urgent as she continued, "Just think of it as a temporary loan. I promise,the moment this film turns a profit, you'll get every cent back!"

She had crunched numbers, trimming costs wherever she could, yet even then, filming with just two hundred thousand was a dream too thin to hold.Still,she refused to let the dream go.

Hope flickered in Yvonne's eyes as she looked at Julian. She had never once asked him for anything.But this time, she wanted his support.

For a moment, Julian's face gave nothing away.Eventually, he quietly undid his seatbelt, got out, and opened the door.

"Let me get dinner started. You and Grandpa can relax for a bit," he said, without glancing back.

Her heart sank, her body stiffening as she watched him walk away. Her teeth caught her lower lip,and disappointment filled her eyes until they shone.

Dinner that evening carried the weight of unspoken tensioh.

Yvonne could hardly bring herself to smile at Rodger.After forcing down a few bites, she laid her fork aside and rose to her feet. "I'm done."

Without waiting for a reply, she hurried upstairs. Another glance at Julian's face, and she feared she would burst, letting her anger spill in front of Rodger.

Julian didn't bat an eye,taking his time with his meal.

Rodger, on the other hand, looked ready to burst. HHis eyes darted between the stairs and Julian, mustache bristling, cane poised with indignation.

"You idiot! I gave you the perfect chance, and you still managed to drive her off again?" he snapped.

Though the cane never struck, it hovered threateningly, as though the next words out of Julian's mouth would decide if it came down.

Julian pressed his fingers against his forehead with a weary sigh, then gently guided the cane back to its place by the wheelchair.

"Grandpa, please trust me. Everything I'm doing is to keep Yvonne close," said Julian, his tone steady and sincere.

"Really?" Rodger's brows furrowed with doubt. "Really," Julian replied, his eyes calm and unwavering.

Eventually Rodger let out a heavy sigh, shaking his head. "Alright, I won't meddle in your business. But hear me, boy-if Yvonne ever walks away because you let her down, I'll be the one to make you pay!"

Back upstairs, Yvonne slipped into her room,quietly closed the door, and hurried over to her vanity. She pulled open a drawer and grabbed a small box.

Perching on the bed, she tipped the box over and watched a handful of bank cards and some jewelry scatter across the covers.

Giving up was out of the question. Even if it meant dipping into her own savings, she would see the film finished.

Being Julian's wife meant money was rarely an issue.In the last three years, she'd hardly stepped out or splurged, so Yvonne felt sure she'd built up a healthy sum. That confidence faded fast as she checked card after card, her stomach tightening with every low balance.

To her shock, all her liquid funds barely added up to a few tens of thousands.

Only then did the truth strike her-she had always been spending through Julian's supplementary card.

Living cushioned as a wealthy wife, she had never thought of saving, and so her funds were nearly nonexistent.

Regret pressed down hard, the weight of financial dependence suddenly unbearable.

The little cash she had couldn't carry the project, and her modest jewelry collection, never being one for extravagance, would barely make a dent.

Julian's refusal to support her left her at a dead end.Where else could she possibly find the money?

Her eyes fell on the supplementary card shoved into the corner of the box, and an idea sparked. Ever since asking Julian for a divorce, she hadn't touched the money in that account. Maybe he'd forgotten all about it.