Chapter 3

Leaving the visa center, I drove straight back to the villa I shared with Julian.

Inside the walk-in closet, an entire wall of cabinets was filled with gifts Julian had given me over the past few years.

Limited-edition handbags lined the shelves.

Sets of fine jewelry acquired at auctions.

Another wall was completely occupied by haute couture outfits.

In the past, whenever I received one, I treated it like a treasure, carefully storing it away, reluctant to wear it.

Looking at them now, they felt entirely laughable.

To ensure Chloe could be with Sebastian in peace, he had truly spared no expense.

These items were worth a fortune; there was no reason to leave them behind.

I cleared out all the bags, jewelry, and clothes, contacting a familiar luxury reseller to come over and take the whole lot.

Then, I began packing my luggage and photography equipment for heading abroad.

While I was in the middle of packing, the sound of the front door opening drifted up from downstairs.

Julian had returned. Seeing the suitcases spread out on the floor, he knitted his brows. "Why are you packing?"

Keeping my head down, I wiped my camera lens. "Too much clutter. Just sorting things out."

Believing me, his brow smoothed, and he wrapped his arms around me from behind. "I missed you, Nicole. In just a little over two weeks, we'll finally be married."

I let him hold me, asking in a seemingly casual tone, "Julian, in my family, everyone always chooses Chloe and expects me to back down. You won't be like that, will you?"

I tilted my face to look at him, not missing a single flicker in his expression.

His body stiffened—only for a split second, before quickly returning to normal.

"How could I?" He tightened his embrace. "You're the most important person to me. No matter what happens, I'll always choose you."

If I had heard those words in the past, I would have believed that meeting him was the greatest blessing of my life.

Yet I had already watched that footage. I had seen how they acted together at the restaurant.

I didn't believe a single word he said.

Turning around to face him, I said, "Marriage means everything to me. Don't lie to me. In this life, I will only marry someone who truly loves me. If you aren't that person, I won't marry you."

Julian Foster gripped my shoulders, his gaze tender enough to drown someone in affection. "Nicole, I love you. Marrying you is my sincere wish, and I will love you for the rest of my life."

He sounded so earnest; there wasn't the slightest flaw in his expression.

For four years, that was probably how he had fooled everyone—and how he had fooled me.

This was the very last chance I would ever give him.

Since he failed to grasp it, he had only himself to blame for what came next.

Just then, my phone rang. It was my mother.

Instead of answering right away, I looked up at Julian.

He maintained a natural expression. "Go ahead and pick it up. It might be something important."

I gave him a searching look and swiped to answer.

Over the line, my mother sounded unusually pleasant. "Nicole, come home for dinner with Julian tonight. Chloe is back. After so many years, it's time you let go of your anger."

After that incident four years ago, my relationship with my family had grown distant overnight.

In the past, I had always thought about going home more often, spending time with them, pleasing them—all just to earn a second glance from them.

After that incident, however, I rarely went back. Whenever we met, keeping up superficial pleasantries was the best I could do.

Julian clearly knew about tonight's gathering beforehand.

He ruffled my hair. "Nicole, let's go back. After all, they're family. You can't avoid each other forever."

He spoke with utter sincerity, as though genuinely caring for my well-being.

Remembering that some of my certificates and documents were still kept at the Shaw residence, and that I needed to collect them before leaving the country, I agreed.

At dusk, we arrived at the Shaw residence.

The moment we stepped out of the car, Chloe Miller came rushing out from the front door.

Catching sight of us, her eyes lit up, and she came dashing toward us, crying out, "Sister!"

At the bottom of the steps, she missed her footing and tumbled to the ground.

She grazed a bit of skin on her knee, and a few drops of blood seeped out.

Julian rushed over instantly, kneeling down to inspect her knee with a face full of distress. "Why the rush? Does it hurt?"

Looking past his shoulder, Chloe shot me a triumphant smirk.

When she looked back up, her eyes were already brimming with tears. "I was just so excited to see my sister. It doesn't hurt. It really doesn't..."

Before she could finish, tears began rolling down her cheeks.

Pained yet helpless, Julian said, "Always trying to be tough! You're crying from the pain, yet you claim it doesn't hurt?"

He scooped Chloe into his arms. "I'm taking you to the hospital."

Passing by me, he finally remembered I was still standing there. "Nicole, go inside first. Chloe's injury can't wait. I'm taking her to get checked out."

Glancing at the tiny scratch on Chloe's knee, I agreed it truly couldn't wait.

Any later, and the wound would heal all on its own.

Without a word, I walked straight into the Shaw residence.

The moment I stepped inside, Sebastian Vance came forward to greet me.

Not having seen him for four years, his features looked slightly more mature, though the look he directed at me was dripping with vigilance. "Why are you alone? Where's Chloe?"

"She fell. Julian took her to the hospital."

I had no desire to deal with him and moved past his side.

He grabbed my arm tightly. "Nicole, I'm the one who wronged you. It has nothing to do with Chloe. If you want revenge, come at me. Don't hurt her again."

The same old routine.

Four years ago, Chloe had staged a fall right in front of him, crying as she pleaded on my behalf, claiming that her sister hadn't meant it and begging him not to blame me.

From that moment on, Sebastian was convinced I had pushed her.

There had clearly been a surveillance camera installed in that hallway. I told him to check the footage, but four years had passed, and he had never once looked at it.

I had long realized that he only believed what he chose to believe; the actual truth meant nothing to him.

In the past, I would have felt wronged and heartbroken.

Now, I didn't care in the slightest about what he thought.

"She fell on her own. I was ten meters away from her. Your friend Julian Foster is a witness."

I shook off his hand and walked farther inside.

Sebastian froze in place before hurriedly catching up. "Nicole, if you ever run into trouble in the future and need help, you can always come to me."

Without slowing down, I said, "No need. You disgust me."

In the dining room, dinner was already laid out.

A table drowned in red chili oil, every single dish one of Chloe's favorites, without a single non-spicy option in sight.

I had a weak stomach and couldn't touch spicy food. My family all knew this, but none of them cared.

Sure enough, the moment Chloe returned, everything reverted to how it was four years ago.

My mother emerged from the kitchen, saw me, and said, "Wait a bit. We'll start when Chloe gets back."

Stepping closer, she gave another warning. "Chloe and Sebastian rarely get to visit. As the older sister, you need to be mindful of the occasion. Don't pull a long face later, do you hear me?"

Following behind, Sebastian looked at me with deep agreement.

Before I could reply, the front door opened.

Clara Reed and Lucas Shaw walked in, Clara cradling a large bouquet of Chanel tulips.

Chanel tulips were Chloe's absolute favorite flowers.

Clara had been my college roommate.

Back then, her family struggled financially. To earn living expenses, she worked three part-time jobs at once, pushing herself until she collapsed in a milk tea shop.

Pitying her, I paid for all her living expenses and tuition out of my own pocket throughout our four years of college, and whenever we ate out, I always rushed to cover the bill.

Knowing her finances were tight, I never let her buy me so much as a single cup of milk tea, nor had I ever accepted a single flower or gift from her.

I had assumed she simply didn't understand social etiquette and never took it to heart.

Now that she had married into the Shaw family, she suddenly understood everything, brown-nosing Chloe to the absolute extreme.

Spotting me, Clara briskly walked over, linked her arm through mine, and pulled me toward a corner. "Nicole, you know Chloe will be back in a minute, right?"

I nodded impassively, waiting to see what she had to say.

Sighing, she advised me with earnest gravity, "You know that marrying Lucas was marrying above my station."

"For me to have a good life in your family, I have to stay on good terms with her. For my sake, don't pick a fight with her, all right?"

"I know you've been wronged. But you've treated me so well all these years—for my sake, just endure it this once!"