CHAPTER 2: CHAPTER 2: EVEN SLEEPING AND HAVING CHILDREN ARE LEFT TO OTHERS

Lily Windsor grabbed her clothes with the other hand.

A glint of coldness flashed in Juliana’s eyes as she picked up a glass of water from the bedside table and smashed it against her head.

With a "bang," the glass shattered at the corner of Lily Windsor’s forehead...

Lily staggered two steps back, trembling fingers reaching for the wound, her eyes widening in disbelief.

"You dare hit me... I’ll fight you to the end!"

Lily charged at Juliana like a mad dog, fighting with her life.

Juliana, still not fully recovered from her injuries, was no match for her at all.

Lily grabbed her clothes and threw her to the ground.

At the exact moment Juliana was flung to the floor, a dark figure flew in from the doorway and caught her steadily.

Evan Grant knelt on one knee, the well-tailored suit highlighting the clean, crisp lines of his shoulders and back. Though travel-worn, he still exuded an intimidating nobility.

"Juliana..."

Seeing the person in his arms gradually losing consciousness, he lifted his gaze toward the instigator.

The atmosphere in the ward suddenly turned oppressive, and even the sunlight streaming in lost its warmth.

Mrs. Miller, frightened, clutched Lily’s hand and whispered, "Didn’t you say she had fallen out of favor? Is this what ’out of favor’ looks like?"

Lily was dumbfounded as well.

Evan should be watching over his daughter without leaving her side at this moment, so why did he suddenly come back?

Unable to bear the consequences, she sharply shook off Mrs. Miller’s hand, rolled her eyes, and "fainted" to the ground.

...

Juliana regained consciousness in the evening.

There was someone wiping her face.

Ethan Carter’s voice reached her ears.

"The two bodyguards were temporarily hired by the lady; they’ve been sent to the police station. They won’t be out for at least twenty years. Also, there will be someone auditing Mr. Miller’s company for tax issues tomorrow..."

Evan Grant tossed the towel back into the basin, evidently dissatisfied with the handling of the situation.

"You’re getting more and more competent. I’ve employed so many bodyguards, and you couldn’t even place two at the door to keep unrelated people out? Is that so hard?"

Ethan quickly apologized, "Yes, it was my oversight."

Juliana opened her eyes, and the man’s straight back came into view.

She took a deep breath and spoke, "The one causing trouble is Lily Windsor, and since you can’t do anything to her, you take it out on your assistant instead?"

Seeing she was awake, Evan turned and helped her sit up.

The man’s hair was meticulously groomed, and the scent of his cologne was still his usual choice.

If no one had taken photos of him, he would still be the Evan Grant—reserved and untarnished by any stigma.

"So because she blamed me, she filed complaints against the hospital and Caleb Shaw?" he teased.

Juliana knew he was trying to downplay the issue, but marital problems shouldn’t be glossed over.

"If it weren’t for you showing her, through your actions, that your heart is with someone else, would she dare to barge into my hospital room with people?"

Evan wasn’t at all surprised that she knew some things. He sat by the bed, the playful smile on his lips gradually fading.

"The business was urgent, I couldn’t change the schedule, but I didn’t ignore you. I personally confirmed your treatment team and emergency plans. You couldn’t use a phone in the ICU, but Caleb updated me on your condition every day. Outsiders might not know these things, but they are baseless rumors."

Such a perfectly insincere explanation could only come from Evan Grant’s mouth.

An indescribable bitterness gripped Juliana’s heart.

"I have doctors for treatment, Ethan to sign critical condition notices. Since everything has someone to handle, maybe sleeping and having children can also be done by others—wouldn’t that save you trouble, President Grant?"

"Juliana!"

Juliana, usually gentle and never before with words that felt like needles, made Evan uncomfortable, his expression becoming slightly stern.

Ethan, sweating profusely: "Why did she have to mention me out of nowhere?"

"Ethan, go out," Evan commanded.

"Yes."

The assistant slipped away.

Juliana couldn’t bring herself to directly mention "Stella Grant" to question Evan.

When facing a man like him, missing any of the balance, rhythm, or strategy in gauging him would only drive him further into hiding, leaving herself more passive.

She watched his sharp profile, him silent, and she said nothing.

After a moment, Evan’s tone softened, "I don’t want us to quarrel. If something is troubling you, feel free to say it, but I hope your expression is rational and clear, not impulsive with childish tantrums."

Juliana sneered.

When "childish" became her judgment, him using the authority of a superior to handle her seemed entirely justified.

"I checked your spending records; you spent quite a bit in Aldoria over the past four years."

The warmth in the man’s brow instantly vanished, "Who allowed you to investigate me?"

Juliana gathered her courage, "If I didn’t check, how would I know every time President Grant travels, whether to Eurydor or Noveria, it always ends with a detour to Aldoria?"

With the issue facing him, if he did nothing wrong to her and was only maintaining a normal relationship with Stella as step-siblings, what harm was there in explaining?

However, Evan reached out and pinched her chin instead.

Juliana’s heart skipped a beat: was he going to get rough with her?

A thin layer of frost formed on Evan’s brow, but after brushing his fingers over her pale, bloodless lips, he chuckled softly.

"Honey, who’s been sowing discord?"

Juliana’s eyelashes fluttered, not mentioning the photos at all, thus protecting the person who sent them to her.

"You sneaked around, and you don’t even have the courage to admit it?"

The curve of Evan’s lips flattened, and he let go of her chin.

He wasn’t a man of good temper, but he never showed his sharp edges in front of Juliana.

"Before you believe those rumors, think about your identity first. If you were like everyone else, would I have gone through the trouble to ensure the hospital saved your life?"

So he saved her just to prove the value of being Evan Grant’s wife.

A chilling emptiness surged to Juliana’s core.

So what Lily said about being a shield and scapegoat was true.

The thousand past affections, once torn apart, only left bone-chilling indifference.

She unconsciously clenched her fingers.

Just then, there was a knock on the hospital room door, and George Grant walked in.

"Evan, the police are here. Your assistant is negotiating with them. I overheard them saying Juliana’s injury this time was an accident, not a deliberate act of revenge."

Juliana looked at Evan, trying to find any clue of error in the police investigation on his face.

However, the man seemed completely unconcerned about the outcome.

"Dad, what brings you here?"

George’s eyes wandered, avoiding the piercing gaze of his son, and turned to Juliana instead.

"Are you feeling any better?"

Evan didn’t give him time to roundabout and get to the point, taking over the conversation.

"Dad always praises Auntie for her gentle nature, but today she’s quite fierce. Was it your indulgence that nurtured this ’virtuous’ side, using my wife as practice?"

Juliana was a bit surprised.

Despite their earlier squabbling, him still holding a grudge, he was now sticking up for her against his father.

George’s face turned pale.

"You know, she’s not well-educated, simple-minded, acts impulsively, but her heart is good, she meant no harm to Juliana. I’ve already sternly criticized her."

Evan’s eyes shifted slightly, "So what you’re saying, Father, is..."

George stepped forward, "Although Lily was at fault, Juliana shouldn’t have laid hands on an elder, and I hope she can apologize to her mother-in-law and admit her mistake."