Chapter 5

Biting her lip, Briar snuggled into Julian's arms, playfully pounding his chest with a shy blush.

Julian chuckled softly, apologizing to Briar that it was all his fault, while subtly observing my expression.

When he noticed that I wasn't angry at all,

that familiar tightness he'd felt in the hospital room inexplicably returned.

"Celeste, you've been on your phone ever since we got in the car."

His tone was displeased, sounding almost jealous:

"Are you chatting with your cousin, or someone else I don't know?"

Having just booked my flight, I turned off my phone screen.

"Just browsing the news."

Hearing me say that, Julian's displeasure only intensified.

He snatched my phone before I could react.

He asked me gruffly for the password.

"My birthday."

Nine years of marriage.

Such a simple six-digit number, yet he kept entering it until the phone locked itself, unable to open it.

The journey was silent until we reached our destination.

As soon as the car stopped, Julian tenderly helped Briar, who was suffering from morning sickness, into the master bedroom.

Then he asked Chef Martha, the cook, to prepare Briar's favorite foods.

As he came downstairs, Julian saw my lonely figure walking towards the guest room.

After a moment's thought, he told Chef Martha,

"Also prepare two of Mrs. Thorne's usual dishes. And set three places for dinner."

In the guest room.

I opened my luggage, surprised to find all my clothes slashed to pieces.

Fortunately, my passport and other documents, placed in an inner layer, were undamaged.

As I gathered my documents, ready to leave, Briar blocked the doorway.

She held a black bottle in her hand, eyeing me up and down with disdain.

"Celeste Davies, I didn't realize you could endure so much. You've been publicly humiliated, a laughingstock in the entire upper echelon, yet you're still clinging to the Thorne family and refusing to leave."

"Oh, right, that old woman from your family just passed away last month. With her gone, you have no choice but to desperately cling to Julian Thorne, the rich tycoon."

At this, Briar suddenly remembered something amusing.

"Celeste, you cried and pleaded with Julian to fly you by helicopter to the hospital to see your grandmother one last time, do you know why he refused? Because he'd promised to take me to watch the sunset by the ocean that day. Look, this kissing photo on my phone screen, that's from then, you see?"

I slapped Briar's phone out of her hand with a loud crack, unable to bear it any longer, and grabbed her by the neck.

The bottle in Briar's hand slipped and fell. I immediately smelled a pungent odor of gasoline.

In the struggle, a panicked Briar lit the gasoline on the floor.

Thick smoke billowed, flames raged.

Having just been discharged from the hospital, I quickly choked, lost all strength, and collapsed to the floor.

Just then, I heard Julian's voice:

"Celeste!"

Followed closely by the staff's shouts of protest:

"Sir, it's too dangerous in there, you can't go in yet! Wait for security to bring the fire extinguisher before—"

"Get out of the way! Celeste is still in there!"

He disregarded the danger and rushed into the house after all.

Only, he hadn't expected Briar to be in there too.

"Julian, darling, help—"

Without Briar needing to finish, Julian unhesitatingly swept her up in his arms. He didn't even glance at me, turning and leaving directly.

Half an hour later.

After comforting Briar, Julian searched the entire villa but couldn't find a trace of me.

Late at night at the airport.

After mailing my package, I coughed as I boarded the flight to England.

Just before the plane took off, I received a text from Julian:

[I don't have time to play hide-and-seek. Briar has her prenatal check-up tomorrow morning at ten. You come along, too, for a lung check-up.]

I didn't reply. I pulled out my SIM card and turned off my phone.

Julian Thorne, from now on, you and I are through.