Chapter 41
Chapter 41
.62%會
Julian’s fingers slid through Olivia’s hair, gently massaging her scalp. Warm air blew through the parted strands, soft and comforting. His fingertips. rough with calluses, sent tingling sensations across her scalp.
Olivia couldn’t help but remember how those hands felt when they roamed over her body.
The coarse pads of his fingers glided over her soft skin. Sometimes it stung a little when he pressed harder, but most of the time, it sent a rush of overwhelming sensation through her.
Her cheeks started to flush, and she quickly forced herself to stop thinking about it.
But she could really blame herself. Most of the time she spent with Julian revolved around sex, so it made sense that seeing him would bring all those memories rushing back.
Her hair was long and thick. It took Julian a full thirty minutes to dry it. When the hairdryer went quiet, the room fell completely silent. Olivia could practically hear both of them breathing.
Julian lowered his gaze, watching her quietly.
Olivia couldn’t stand the way he was looking at her, like she was some heartless woman. She broke the silence first. “I thought you said you were gonna be busy for a while. What are you doing here in Hillbron all of a sudden?”
Julian’s voice was soft and distant as he replied, “As soon as I saw your message, I came to find you. I just don’t get it. What do you mean, ‘it’s over‘? What do you mean, ‘don’t contact me again‘?
“What did I do wrong? Even if you’re going to cut me off, you should at least give me a reason. Instead, you just shut me out with no explanation and blocked me on everything. I couldn’t even reach you.”
Olivia lowered her eyes and said calmly, “I told you from the start–when I say it’s over, it’s over. I’m tired of this now and want to end it early. I’ve already paid you.
“I don’t think there’s anything left to say. You don’t need to act like I broke your heart and even questioned me about it. There were no feelings between us–this was just a business deal.
“I’d appreciate it if you’d act professionally and stop bothering me. Let’s end this on good terms.”
Julian crouched down in front of her, looking up to meet her lowered eyes.
Olivia instinctively avoided his gaze, looking up at her own reflection in the mirror.
“Why won’t you look at me?” Julian asked.
“I just don’t want to.”
“Don’t want to–or can’t?” Julian continued.
Olivia didn’t respond. The truth was, she couldn’t look at him–she was scared of seeing all that emotion in his eyes.
She’d always thought of herself as pretty ruthless, but when it came to Julian, she just couldn’t bring herself to say anything too cruel.
Maybe it was because he’d never hurt her–not with his actions, not with his words. He’d always treated her with respect and care.
If he’d treated her like Dylan did–or even if he hadn’t been quite as bad, just a little more careless or flippant–she could’ve hardened her heart and cut him loose.
Julian added, “We had such a good time on Silvermoon Island. You didn’t even want to leave me before we parted. So why, after just one day, do you want to end things with me?”
1/3
Sat, 21
5
62%
Chapter 41
“I told you,” Olivia said sternly. “I got bored. Isn’t that reason enough? I paid for pleasure. Now I’m bored and ready for someone new. That’s how this
works.”
Julian stared at her for a few seconds. Then he grabbed her hand and pressed it to his chest.
Almost out of muscle memory, Olivia’s fingers twitched slightly against his skin. She was completely embarrassed.
Julian said, “See? You still like my body. So much for your excuses.”
Olivia kept up her stubborn act. “I’ve been on my phone too much. My hand cramped.”
Julian slipped her hand beneath his shirt, letting her roam–every hard line of muscle bare to her touch.
Olivia took a deep breath and yanked her hand back, locking eyes with him. Then she said, “You really need a reason? Fine. I’ll give you one.
“I want to focus on my family and live a normal life with my husband, so I have to cut things off with you. Is that a good enough reason for you?”
Julian shook his head. “I don’t buy it. Your husband’s cheating on you. He doesn’t love you. All he’s ever done is hurt you and make you feel worthless.”
Olivia said calmly, “That doesn’t matter. I love him. And love makes the pain bearable.”
Julian grabbed her hand. The veins on the back of his hand bulged, but his grip was gentle. “You’re lying. You don’t love him. You never even mentioned him when we were together. And every time he called, you looked annoyed-”
“I love him,” Olivia interrupted him, her voice serious. “I’ve loved him for years. I got close to you just to piss him off. Acting annoyed? That was just playing hard to get.
“And it worked. He said he wanted to have a child with me. I got what I wanted, so I’m ending things with you. Don’t argue just yet. I’ll show you proof.”
She stood up, walked over to the bed, and grabbed her phone. Then she opened her Notes–kept completely private–and pulled up years‘ worth of entries: her obsession with Dylan, all the ways she’d tried to please him, and how desperately she’d longed for him.
She hadn’t written every day, but over the span of three years, there were more than a hundred entries. Any one of them was enough to prove her feelings–so intense they practically bled off the screen.
Olivia turned the screen toward Julian.
Julian pressed his lips together, his hand trembling as he started scrolling.
[October 1, 2021: I can’t believe the man I married is actually him… Ever since I first saw him on that surveillance footage five years ago, he’s been stuck in my mind.
[I never dared dream I’d marry him–I just wanted to see him once and say thank you. And now we’re husband and wife. I feel like the luckiest woman in the world. For once, fate is finally on my side.]
[October 1, 2021: It feels like my whole world just collapsed. We’d barely set foot in our new home when he handed me divorce papers. He said he already had someone in his heart, and he only married me because his grandpa forced him.
[He told me that once his grandpa passed away, we’d get divorced. I barely had time to feel happy before life punched me in the gut again.]
[October 2, 2021: The day after our wedding, I met the woman he loves. Turns out, it’s my high school classmate, Chloe. I never liked her–she was always talking trash about me at school.
[The worst was during a school trip–she paid the driver to abandon me in the middle of nowhere. On my way back in the rain, I saved a man who had fallen into a 16–foot–deep pit.
[I was exhausted, and then, like a total psycho, Chloe came back, swapped my brand–new dress for hers, and pushed me into the pit. She almost killed me for a dress. How could Dylan fall for someone so awful? I just don’t get it.]
2/3
14:03 Sat, 21 Jun G
Chapter 41
62%
[November 5, 2021: I was dying to know why Dylan would like someone like Chloe, so I spent a month digging. Turns out, he thinks Chloe saved his life.
[But the time, the place, and the few memories he has of being rescued all line up perfectly with the day I pulled someone out of that pit….
[I pieced together the truth. Back then, after Chloe ditched me, she saw the Wilson family’s bodyguards searching everywhere on her way back. Realizing someone important was missing, she doubled back–and found me with Dylan, whom I’d dragged out of the pit.
[Dylan was so badly injured that he couldn’t even stand. After I pulled him out, a few of my fingernails were torn, and I was completely drained, just lying there trying to catch my breath.
[When Chloe showed up, she heard Dylan mumbling that he hadn’t seen my face–only a flash of yellow, the color of the dress I was wearing that day.
[That’s when she came up with her twisted plan: she swapped my dress for hers, shoved me back into the pit, and took Dylan to his family, pretending she was the one who’d saved him.
[After learning the truth, I was both furious and excited. Dylan only likes Chloe because he thinks she saved him. If he knew it was me, would he fall for me instead? I have to tell him the truth!
[But he’s out with Chloe right now. He won’t take my calls. I’ll just have to wait until he’s back.]
