Chapter 4

After getting out of that warehouse, the memory of that day haunted me for a long time.

Being betrayed by someone I once called a friend, the fear of being locked up, and the shame of losing all my dignity were like a blunt knife, hacking at my heart repeatedly and leaving scars that would never fade.

I was on the verge of a breakdown.

And during those darkest days, it was Julian, the guy everyone knew for being cold and sharp-tongued, who stayed by my side.

I'd never seen him so gentle and patient, especially not with me. He seemed to easily sense every little shift in my mood.

The guy who used to be so short-spoken started racking his brain every day, coming up with all kinds of topics to keep me talking, trying to pull me out of my self-enclosed shell.

I moved into his place. He helped me take a long leave from college and hid the truth from my parents.

As for Miles and his crew, Julian used the Foster family's connections to take care of them behind the scenes, making sure they paid dearly without anyone finding out.

He found every excuse to keep Axel and Blake, his closest friends, away from me.

He wouldn't let anyone bother me or give anyone the chance to rip open my wounds again.

He was like a warm spring breeze, chasing away the storm clouds above me. Silently, he wrapped me up so tightly in his protection that nothing could touch me.

His maturity, composure, and reliability made me want to grab onto him, like a drowning person clutching driftwood. Somehow, I started to rely on and trust him.

Finally, one afternoon, I couldn't hold it in anymore. With a mix of hope and nerves I didn't realize I had, I asked him softly, "Julian, why do you treat me so well?"

I still remembered that moment clearly. Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting warm patches of light across the carpet.

Julian was dressed in a soft, off-white loungewear set, his signature gold-rimmed glasses nowhere to be seen. A few strands of hair fell lazily across his forehead, giving him a relaxed, gentle vibe.

We sat side by side on the carpet, and Julian was idly twirling a pen between his fingers.

When he heard my question, he turned to me, and those eyes that were usually so cold were now filled with a tenderness and fondness that words couldn't capture.

Instead of answering, he gave me a smile and shot back a question of his own. "How about being my girlfriend?"

In that instant, I could hear my own heart pounding out of control.

I fell into the gentle trap he'd set for me, and there was no way I could fight it. How could I possibly say no?

With gentle care, he helped me find my way out of the darkness, and I became cheerful again.

Those days felt unreal, like a beautiful dream I never wanted to wake up from.

Julian might have seemed distant on the surface, but underneath, he had this undeniable, commanding presence.

When we were crazy about each other, Axel's habit of getting too handsy was instantly shut down by one look from Julian. As for Blake, he never dared to run his mouth or joke around me again.

If I so much as hinted at being upset, Julian would treat it like it really mattered.

I was practically drowning in his affection. Sometimes, I'd grin like an idiot, daydreaming about our future wedding. I'd imagined the style of wedding dress a thousand times in my head.

But in the end, it was all a lie. All that kindness, tenderness, and protection was an elaborate performance.

I could never forget that day. It was his birthday.

Because he casually said he wanted to eat something I cooked for his birthday, I cooked for the first time in my life.

My hands were covered in band-aids. After going through countless ruined ingredients, I finally managed to serve up a whole table of food: eighteen dishes in total, every one made with all my love.

When the doorbell rang, I ran to open it, my heart full of joy, hoping for his hug and praise.

But the person at the door wasn't him. Instead, it was a crowd. And they burst out in ruthless, ear-splitting laughter.

Blake was laughing so hard he could barely stand up, clutching his stomach with tears streaming down his face.

Axel was whistling cheekily, recording me with his phone. There I was, in an apron smeared with oil, spatula in hand, looking clueless and embarrassed.

And then there was Julian, my boyfriend. He lounged against the doorframe, hands in his pockets, a slight, superior smile tugging at his lips as he looked down at me.

He looked like a cool-headed mastermind, calmly watching the endgame of his perfect victory play out before him.

Blake laughed, "Who would've thought? Charlotte, the fearless heiress of the Whitney family, could turn into such a domestic goddess.

"Luckily, our bet only lasted a month. If we'd kept it going, Julian, she'd probably be dying to have your babies."

"This is hilarious. It's my turn to play, right?" Axel said, shooting me a quick look, shrugging like he didn't care, turning back, and still grinning. "Oh, she heard that. Even better. Next time, let's come up with a new way of playing."