Chapter b12 /b

b+25 /bBonus

Early the next morning, Willow was woken up by the garbage truck passing by her apartment building while sting her favorite

song “Strangers Again” to all the neighbors.

The sun rays streamed in through the windows as the curtains danced gently in the early morning breeze.

Julian wasn’t next to her anymore.

Last night, he never forced her into sex. However, he did keep waking up in the middle of the night repeatedly to kiss her every

time.

It felt as though he’d been holding it all in for a long, long time.

Willow could even vaguely recall hearing Julian mention something about starting over while kissing the living daylights out of

her.

“Willow, let’s start all over again.”

Start all over?

Truth to be told, the three words sounded incredibly enticing to Willow. However, all the pain and suffering she’d gone through

had given her plenty of trauma. Julian’s expression had scared her enough at Veil Club the other night too. She was scared that

everything would eventually turn out to be a dream instead.

Julian spent the next few daysing in and out of her apartment.

Nothing happened much when he came over, though. He would just suddenly show upte at night, eat some dinner that Willow

made, and then hug her to sleep. He never asked for sex, and he would also always be gone by morning before she woke up.

He was as clingy as a schoolboy experiencing his first rtionship.

After that, however, Julian stoppeding altogether. D

He never called her, and neither did she. She was busy preparing to open up her art studio. She nned to first open up an art

gallery and start small. Her ultimate goal was to start an auction house for paintings and works of art.

Willow did continue keeping in touch with Heather, though. After hearing Willow’s ns, Heather was simply in awe. “You’re

such ba /bcapable person, Mrs. Ziegler!”

Willow never told Heather about her private matters with Julian. Nothing had been carved in stone just yet, and Willow didn’t

want to go about spreading rumors.

Days passed. The season was starting to change as the end of fall approached. Most of the trees were already barren by then.

That day, Willow breceived /ba call from Maureen. She sounded anxious on the phone. “Madam Harper just had a nasty fall. She’s

now at Heartwell Hospital. Ms. Harper, I think you shoulde and check on her.”

b+25 /bBonus

Willow had been meeting with a client at that time. But when she got the call, she immediately rushed to the hospital after that.

Nothing was more important to her than Grace, after all.

It had been the middle of winter, many years ago. Willow had only been five years old, and she’d been shivering out in the cold. It

was Grace who took her in and wrapped her up in a warm nket at home, feeding her nutritious food until she finally managed

to gain some healthy weight.

Willow and Grace had always been relying on each other ever since. Grace went through a lot of hardships raising her, and Willow repaid her kindness by buying her a big house and employing two caretakers for her after she was capable after her marriage.

Half an hourter, Willow finally reached Heartwell Hospital. Luckily, Grace had only had a twisted ankle. Willow suddenly felt as

if a burden had been lifted from her shoulders.

She crouched down by Grace’s bed and petted her silvery hair. Then, in a soft voice, she said, “In that case, let me go and settle the paperwork with the hospital.”

ra Hopkins, another one of Grace’s caretakers, praised Willow in front of Grace. “Ms. Harper is such a capable person! Madam

Harper, did you know that you got the best ward in the whole hospital? The dean agreed to room you here as soon as he heard you

were rted to her!”

Grace grinned until her eyes disappeared. “Of course. Willow has always been very capable.”

Willow petted Grace on the hair again before getting up and leaving.

The VIP rooms in the hospital were located in a separate wing, with two buildings facing each other, nestling a beautiful flower

garden in the center. The scenery there was beautiful and stunning with the red and orange leaves on the trees and the ground.

Willow couldn’t help her gaze lingering on the flower garden for a while longer. However, a split secondter, Willow had the

shock of her life.

At the other end of the corridor, Julian was standing right there, carrying Catherine in his arms, with both her parents–Charlie

Burke and Nancy Rogers–trailing behind them. Catherine’s head was resting against Julian’s shoulders as she looked small,

weak, and vulnerable. Meanwhile, Julian had a gentle look on his face as he doted on her.

Willow stared at them with a numb expression. She watched as the man who held her every night and asked if they could start

over, held another woman in his arms in public just a short whileter, seemingly not the least bit afraid of how other people

would perceive him at all.

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