bCHAPTER /bb019 /b

OLIVIA’S POV

I got to the dining room and saw Julian already having breakfast. His eyesnded on me, and I gave him a small smile.

“You’re finally awake. Come join me,” he said, gesturing toward the chair beside him.

I nodded and took a seat next to him as one of the maids promptly ced a te of food in front of me – bread, eggs, and bacon. The aroma alone made my stomach grumble.

“How’s your arm?” I asked, ncing at the bandage wrapped around it.

Julian looked at his injured arm, flexing his fingers slightly before giving me a reassuring nod. “It’s getting better.”

I was relieved to hear that. Seeing him bleed like that in my dream had shaken me more than I let on. It wasn’t just the sight of him being hurt – it was the realization that, for the first time, my problems were affecting someone else directly. Thest thing I wanted was to drag Julian into my mess, but here he was, standing by me regardless.

I picked up my fork and took a small bite of the eggs. They were surprisingly well- seasoned and cooked just right. I sipped my coffee, enjoying the warmth as it spread through my body. But just as I was gettingfortable, my stomach suddenly clenched. A wave of nausea washed over me, making my throat tighten. I felt like I was seconds away from vomiting all over the table.

I dropped my fork, pressing my palm against my stomach as my face twisted in difort.

“Are you okay?” Julian’s voice was filled with concern.

I didn’t answer right away, trying to focus on my breathing. Sensing my distress, Julian quickly turned ito /ione of the maids.

“Bring her some warm water. Now.”

Within seconds, a maid rushed over with a ss of warm water. I grabbed it with slightly shaky hands and took small sips, letting the warmth settle in my stomach. A quiet burp escaped my lips, and the nausea slowly began to fade. I exhaled, relieved that the difort was passing.

“Better?” Julian asked, studying my face.

I nodded, cing the empty ss on the table. “Yeah. Just felt like vomiting for a second.”

“Was it the food?”

bSessfully /bunlockedb! /b

‘No, the food is great. It just happens sometimes,” I said, though I wasn’t convinced myself. This wasn’t normal for me.

Julian gave me a skeptical look but didn’t press further. I stared down at my te, debating whether to take another bite. I didn’t want to risk feeling sick again, but my stomach still growled in hunger. Hesitantly, I picked up a piece of bread and took a small, careful bite.

This time, the nausea didn’t return.

After finishing our meal, Julian wiped his mouth with a napkin, and I did the same. I knew this was the perfect time to ask him what had been on my mind sincest night.

“Do you have a moment?” I asked, pushing my te away.

“Sure.”

We stepped outside and took a stroll through his garden. The fresh air helped clear my

mind.

“So, what did you want to talk about?” Julian asked as we walked side by side.

I hesitated for a second before speaking. “This is all still new ito /ime. We’ve been friends for years now, and yet I’m only just finding out about… all this.” I gestured vaguely toward his estate. “It makes me feel like a horrible friend, honestly.”

Julian chuckled, shaking his head. “Like I said yesterday, it’s a long story. And you’re not a horrible friend. I just never talked about my life much.”

“Don’t try to make me feel better. The truth is, I never really asked. I was so caught up in my own problems that I barely paid attention to you.”

“It’s really fine, Liv. It’s not like I was dying to share my life story.”

“Well, I want to change that. So, make the long story short,” I said, giving him a pointed look.

Julian raised an eyebrow, amused. “You sure?”

I nodded. “Yeah. I want to hear everything. Starting with how you have all this.”

He exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Alright. Have you ever heard of Zenith Solutions?”

The name sounded familiar. I was never too involved in business matters, but I’d definitely heard Adrian mention it before.

“Yeah, I think so,” I said.

“Well, my parents own it.”

I blinked. “Wait, what?b” /b

Julian nodded. “Yep.”

It took me a second to process. “That exins everything.” Iughed, shaking my head. “And here I was, thinking you were just some average Joe”

Forgetting about his injury, I yfully punched his arm, only to realize my mistake when he winced in pain.

b2/4 /b

“Oh my god, I’m sorry!” I gasped, covering my mouth.

Julian chuckled, brushing off the pain. “It’s fine. I’ve been through worse, remember?”

I gave him a sheepish smile as we continued walking. “So, let me get this straight – your parents are billionaires, yet you drive around in an average car and live like a normal guy?”

Julian shrugged. “From my perspective, I am an average guy.”

“What do

you mean?”

i“/iSure, my parents are rich. But their wealth is theirs. They built Zenith Solutions from the ground up. That’s their legacy, not mine.”

“So, you want to build your own legacy?”

“Exactly,” he said with a nod.

“Do your parents know about your decision?”

“Not yet.”

“Why not?”

Julian sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets. “It’s just… not the right time. And

onestly, I want to be sure before I make that kind of decision.”

ilted my head. “You’re afraid of how they’ll react? Like… they might take away the mansion or something?”

He smirked. “Something like that.”

I gave him a knowing look. “You wanna hear my opinion?”

“Go ahead.”

–

“There’s no best time to tell them. You could call them right now if you wanted to. If they love iyou/i, they’ll respect your decision and I highly doubt they’d kick you out or take all this away.” I gestured toward the luxurious estate.

Julian was quiet for a moment before sighing. “The thing is… I’m the only heir to thepany.”

I blinked, processing his words. “Oh. Well… that changes a lot of things,” I said jokingly, nudging his side.

Julian let out a dryugh, but I could tell this was something that weighed heavily on him. Then, a thought crossed my mind.

“Wait… what about your sister?” I asked, remembering what he had said yesterday.

Julian’s expression shifted slightly, his jaw tightening for a moment before he responded.