Willow lowered her gaze. “It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

Julian’s gaze darkened. “If it doesn’t hurt, why were you crouching on the street, crying? Willow, you could have-”

Willow interrupted, “Could have what? Cried in your arms? Julian, your arms are too upied.”

He wanted to exin but gave up in the end.

Willow no longer trusted him. Exining would’ve been pointless. Besides, he sincerely wanted her to live freely, just as he’d promised when he proposed.

“My Willow would stand at the pinnacle of power, admired by all.”

They had made it, bing the most powerful couple in Brindley. But this marriage was crumbling. Willow didn’t want him anymore.

The love she had for him had disappeared into disappointment.

After a long pause, Julian reached out and ran his fingers through the ends of her hair. “Let’s go home.”

The night was enchanting.

A ck Rolls–Royce Phantom pulled up beneath an apartment building. Julian unfastened his seat belt and turned to Willow. “I’ll carry you up.

“1

Willow refused, but he still carried her out of the car, straight toward the elevator.

On their wedding day, he had carried her like this down the aisle. That day, in his suit, he was the most dashing man in the world to her.

Neither of them spoke during the short journey upstairs. Julian carried her all the way to the bedroom and ced her on the bed.

Her arms were still hooked around his neck.

He lingered for a moment before removing her arms from his neck. He whispered, “I’ll leave now.”

Willow didn’t stop him and simply watched as he walked away.

Just as he reached the door, without turning around, he asked, “That day at the Ziegler residence, you said you loved me. You said that even if bit /bcost your life, byou /bwouldn’t regret it.

“Did you really mean it?”

After a long pause, she answered, “Julian, I did.”

Julian rarely showed emotions, but at this moment, something inside him cracked.

He turned to look at his wife. All the warmth and happiness he had gained from her came rushing back like a shockwave.

He felt as if his soul was leaving his body.

Julian didn’t know what that feeling was, bhe /bhad never felt it before.

He only knew that he was reluctant to let her go.

But he left anyway.

The night breeze in spring blew against the curtain, carrying the faint scent of white gardenias.

Willow sat on the bed, lost in thought.

After a long time, she gently reached for the ne around her neck. Hanging from it was ba /bsmall, emerald pendant.

On New Year’s Eve, he told herb, /b“With this giftb, /bI want you to be safe, bto /bbe happy, and to be free from worry for all your yearsb./bb” /b

Willow held the pendant tightly, her slender neck trembling,

Six years of love and four years of marriage. How could it not hurt?

Julian returned to Grandview Manor just before dawn.

The moment bhe /bparked the carb, /bir greeted him, “Sirb, /bwould you like a midnight snackb?/bb” /b

b+25 /bBonus

Julian stepped into the entrance, the bright lights revealed his gloomy face.

He took off his coat, and after a long while, he said softly, “Make me a bowl of pasta. Do we still have any of the sauce left? The one Willow usually makes?”

ir was stunned. “There’s still a little left. I’ll make the pasta for you.”

Julian nodded. He walked into the dining room and lit a cigarette.

He rarely smoked indoors, but tonight, he couldn’t calm his thoughts.

His phone on the table had been ringing again and again, all from Grandsburg, but he ignored them all.

His mind kept reying Willow’s words.

“Julian, I’ll never have my own children anymore.

“Julian, sometimes, I really hate you.”