Chapter 3

After leaving the villa, I went to a small cottage.

This was the same cottage where Julian had nursed me for two weeks after he saved me seven years ago.

Later, I bought this cottage, holding it as my most cherished memory.

Seven years passed, and all the decorations in the cottage remained unchanged. Not even a speck of dust could be found.

I knew this was because Julian had people clean it every day.

I had once told Julian.

If we ever got married, I would choose this place as my bridal home.

Since then, he would often come to check on it.

He said he would always protect everything I cared about.

But now, it seemed like my own words were coming back to haunt me.

The wedding day would likely never arrive.

Lying on the bed, I changed into my pajamas, preparing to clean my abdominal wound.

The sound of the lock turning on the door echoed, and Julian, smelling faintly of alcohol, walked in.

Seeing the wound on my abdomen, his eyes immediately filled with concern.

“Maya, how did you get hurt again? This mission was just to retrieve a necklace!”

Then, he familiarly pulled out the first-aid kit from the bedside cabinet, expertly wiped the wound with alcohol, disinfected it, and finally applied a fresh bandage.

Julian performed the entire sequence of actions with practiced ease.

It felt as though I was back in the past.

I subconsciously reached out to gently caress Julian’s face.

But my hand brushed against a deep red hickey on his neck.

In that second, it felt like a knife was lodged in my throat, and I couldn't utter another word.

Not until Julian put the first-aid kit away, ruffled my hair, and continued,

“Don’t push yourself so hard next time. You’re a woman; you don’t need to risk your life like men do. If anything were to happen to you, what would I do?”

I looked up at him.

Julian's downcast eyes were full of tenderness for me.

Yet this was the very man who had broken his vows to me!

“Julian Blackwood, did you get engaged to Seraphina today?”

After a long silence, I finally asked the question.

He frowned slightly, and his voice suddenly turned cold.

“That’s my private business. Why are you asking so many questions?”

I pressed my lips together, stubbornly meeting Julian’s gaze.

It was the first time I had ever looked at him like this.

And it was the first time Julian had ever brushed me off with "private business."

In the early days of our relationship,

Julian hadn't been like this at all.

He would go to great lengths to make me understand him, even sharing confidential contracts with me without reservation.

Fearing I might inadvertently cause problems, I instinctively kept away from his study.

One day, Julian held me close, telling me he would always be transparent with me, always have no secrets!

Now I knew his "always" had only lasted a mere five years!

His so-called transparency with me was, in fact, highly selective.

The pressure in his eyes grew, quickly turning to cold indifference.

“Come on, don’t be difficult.”

“The Maya I know is a very obedient woman; she wouldn't make me unhappy!”

With that, Julian left without a second thought.

A moment later, the roar of a sports car engine echoed from downstairs.

I couldn't hold back anymore; my nose stung, and tears streamed down my face.

A chill of despair seeped into my soul. Now, he wouldn’t even spare me a flimsy excuse.