CHAPTER 126: CHAPTER 126: HIS GAZE WAS FIXED ON HER FEET

Juliana did not feel soft-hearted at his forbearance and painful appearance.

"Don’t think that just because you got rid of Stella for me, you’ll gain my favor. Evan, I gave you a chance before and you didn’t want it. Now you put on this face—it’s laughable!"

After speaking, she tried to push him away.

However, she couldn’t move him.

Juliana knew that after a few days of being subdued, this person was back to his old tricks.

"Move, or I’ll stab you with snake venom again!"

Evan braced his hands against the edge of the sink, not giving her any opportunity to escape.

"I’ve prepared all kinds of anti-venom serums. Do you think I’d fall for the same trick twice?"

Juliana could only regret that there were few people using the restroom at this time; otherwise, this man might have had some scruples.

Seeing her struggle until her face turned red, Evan didn’t want to pressure her too much and said, "Juliana, give me a feasible plan, I’ll do it, and afterwards, you can consider whether to give me a chance to ease our relationship."

"Sure, bring my grandfather back to life."

Evan’s body suddenly stiffened, pain he couldn’t argue against swirling in his eyes. Just as he was about to speak, a man’s relaxed and magnetic voice came from behind, "Vice President Grant, since your demotion, you seem quite leisurely."

Evan turned his head, only to see Elias Langley in a well-tailored dark suit, looking at them with a faint, mocking smile.

Juliana took advantage of his distraction, pushed him away without a moment’s hesitation, and quickly left the restroom.

Elias Langley’s tall figure blocked her escape.

The two men locked eyes, and the restroom fell into a dead silence.

Finally, Elias broke the silence, his voice laced with undisguised sarcasm.

"President Grant, since you’ve decided to let go, you should do it gracefully like a real man."

Evan glanced at the ring on Elias’s left ring finger and retorted, "A man wearing a wedding ring, so eager to intervene for someone else’s wife—how is that any manlier? Does the President’s wife know you’re so helpful?"

Elias wasn’t angered by the remark; instead, a confident smirk appeared on his lips, "You and I are different; you’re not worthy of comparison."

After saying that, he gave the other man no chance to retaliate—he turned crisply on his heel and strode quickly in the direction Juliana had left.

After returning to the party, Juliana greeted Summer Shaw briefly before leaving early.

Feeling unsettled and worried that Evan’s ghost would linger around, she walked quickly.

Arriving at the parking garage via the elevator, as she was about to reach her car, she heard footsteps behind her.

Thinking it was that madman following her, she tripped over her own feet and fell forward.

Luckily, Elias Langley was quick to grab her before she hit the ground.

Seeing it was him, Juliana’s anger flared up even more.

"Are you a cat, sneaking up behind people without making a sound?"

"If I were a cat, and started talking, you’d be scared to death anyway."

Elias calmly steadied her before gentlemanly letting her go.

However, his gaze remained fixed on her feet.

"What are you looking at?" Juliana asked, lowering her head as well.

She had chosen pants for today’s signing ceremony.

From the hem of her pants, a pair of small black high heels poked out.

"Not all heights need heels to support them. Actually, being five centimeters shorter suits your impressively proportioned figure better."

Was he suggesting she had a poor figure?

Juliana recalled waking up that morning wearing his shirt.

Feeling embarrassed, she hadn’t asked him how it got changed.

Now he was mocking her figure, meaning he’d... seen it?!

Juliana got angry and kicked at him.

Elias bent down, caught her heel, and held it gently, not daring to use force.

"Why is it that you have balance when kicking me but not when walking? Are you deliberately trying to get my attention?"

Juliana got even more annoyed and was about to pull her foot back when she saw Elias’s face turn cold in an instant.

Before she could react, he let go of her foot with one hand and wrapped the other around her waist.

In that swift moment of turning, a steel pipe swung past Elias’s shoulder and crashed to the floor with a thud.

A group of thugs quickly surrounded them.

The previously gentle and refined man now exuded a chilling aura.

"Who sent you?" Elias asked.

One thug replied with a smirk, "Your dad," and the others rushed forward.

However, even with Juliana in his arms, restricting his movements, Elias only needed a few punches to knock all the thugs down.

He pressed his polished shoe against the face of the thug who had spoken, slowly applying pressure.

Unable to bear it, the thug quickly said, "Someone hired us to give the woman in the photo a beating."

As he spoke, he clumsily pulled out his phone to show Elias.

It was a candid photo of Juliana, taken in the garden of Platinum Bay.

In the photo, Juliana’s expression had no trace of heaviness or gloom, only the tenderness and innocence of a new bride.

It was clear the photo was taken years ago, and the photographer could only have been Evan.

However, Juliana’s first suspicion was Stella.

Stella must have copied her photo secretly on Evan’s phone.

"Who is behind this? How do you contact them?"

Elias, not noticing Juliana’s distraction, focused all his attention on the interrogation.

"We don’t know the client’s identity; we just follow the rules and take jobs. All contact is virtual, and after completion, we go to the designated place to collect payment; there’s no face-to-face interaction throughout," the thug replied, dejectedly.

Just then, Quinn Shepherd drove up, stopping beside them.

Elias turned to him, "You came just in time."

Quinn got out of the car, looking exceptionally apologetic, and whispered, "I only wanted to give you two some more alone time. Who could have guessed more lamp posts would show up."

Leaving Quinn to clean up the mess, Elias confiscated the thug’s phone and drove Juliana away.

Watching the defeated thugs in the rearview mirror, Juliana suddenly realized Yvonne Quinn had placed the dagger back in Stella’s hands.

...

Meanwhile, in the hotel room.

Stella had just ended a call, nearly throwing the phone away in anger.

"Can’t even discipline a person properly, a bunch of useless bums, deserved..."

Before she could finish, a bruise pulled at her mouth, making her inhale sharply from the pain.

Actually, the injuries on her face were minor; her body was covered in bruises with barely any unblemished skin.

The worst part was even her bra had been torn by Yvonne’s "close friends."

She and Yvonne both leaned against one end of the bed.

Yvonne was tired from hitting.

She was unable to stand up due to the beating.

"You believe everything she says? We’ve known each other for three years; if I had a divided heart, why would I give up such a good man like Evan to you? Besides, you have leverage over me, what reason do I have to invite trouble?"

Yvonne waved her hand, "Don’t talk about nonsense. Evan is handsome and rich; I don’t believe you’re not tempted by him. What do you really want by pushing us together?"

Stella blinked; now that Yvonne believed she was making matches for them, it made things easier.

"I just want to stay by my brother’s side, but Juliana can’t tolerate me."

Yvonne gave a contemptuous smile, "Stop pretending to be noble. You let me marry Evan just to get some benefits while I’m inconvenient. Your way of doing things is no different from a concubine bringing a dowry from ancient times."

Stella said, "My family background isn’t as good as yours, nor is my appearance, but at least I have self-awareness. You should know I’m guessing right."

Yvonne was silent, as if contemplating.

Stella snorted, "You listen to her slander me, but she sneaks around with Evan again. She’s using you as a stepping stone while pretending she genuinely cares about you, huh!"

Yvonne made up her mind and punched the spring mattress.

"Playing me dirty, I have ways to make her life worse than death. Destroying a woman is my specialty."

Saying this, she pulled out her phone to make a call...

In the car.

Juliana sat in the passenger seat, sneaking glances at Elias several times.

Though she owed him for the trouble today, she couldn’t bring herself to say the words "thank you."

Elias waited until she’d peeked at him numerous times before leisurely saying, "No need to thank me."

Juliana raised an eyebrow, not believing he could be so kind-hearted.

"As long as you give me two..."

Before Elias could finish his sentence, Juliana’s phone rang.