CHAPTER 020
CHAPTER 020
OLIVIA’S POV
“Yeah, about that…” Julian said, his voice trailing off.
I noticed the way his expression shifted, his usually relaxed demeanor turning somewhat tense. It was subtle, but I caught it. I suddenly
og hesitant about pressing
further. If it was something painful for him, I didn’t want to push.
“If you don’t want to talk about it, I understand,” I said softly.
Julian let out a small breath and shook his head. “It’s okay. The thing is… she’s dead.”
Hearing those words come out of his mouth made me gasp, my eyes widening in shock. I hadn’t expected that. I thought maybe she had cut ties with the family or something along those lines but death? That was something I wasn’t prepared for.
“I’m so sorry to hear that,” I said, my voice gentle
Julian gave me a small, almost reassuring smile. “It’s been a long time now, so I’m good.”
But even as he said that I could tell he wasn’t completely over it. There was a certain weight behind his words, one that lingered even if he tried to play it off.
“A while back, when I was still younger, my family and I, including my sister… we all went on a skiing trip,” he began. His voice remained steady, but there was a slight edge to it. “We got there, and as curious as she was, she wandered off on her own. At first, we thought she was just exploring, but when she didn’t come back… we started searching. We searched the entire place, called the police, hired private investigators… we did everything. But still, we couldn’t find her.”
I listened intently, my heart aching at the thought of what his family must have gone through.
“Law enforcement and my parents presumed she was dead, but I still feel she’s out there somewhere,” he said. His gaze drifted to the ground for a moment as if he was lost in thought.
“What was her name?” I asked gently.
Julian let out a small chuckle, though there was a hint of sadness behind it. “Olivia.”
I blinked in surprise. “Really?”
“Yeah,” he said, nodding.
It was strange to think that we shed. A part of me wondered if that
Successfully unlocked!
was why Julian had been drawn to me quoy when we first met. Maybe, in some way, I reminded him of his sister.
“That’s… quite a story,” I said, not really sure what else to say.
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ER020
“Yeah, it is,” Julian agreed. He leaned against a tree as we walked through the garden, his arms crossed over his chest. “I know how many times I caught my mom crying in the middle of the night, how many times I saw my dad drinking when he normally didn‘ t. It changed all of us.”
“And what about you?” I asked. “How did you feel?”
Julian took a deep breath before answering. “Well, I was still a kid back then, so I didn’t fully understand what was going on. My mom used to tell me that my sister went on a vacation just to make me feel better. But, of course, she couldn’t keep up that lie forever.”
He let out a humorless chuckle. “The first few weeks were the hardest. She was my best friend, and suddenly, she was gone. I didn’t really have anyone to talk to so I felt really lonely… until I met you.”
Hearing that made my heart swell a little. I had never realized how much of an impact I‘ d had on Julian’s life. I always saw him as a strong, reliable friend – the one who never seemed to be shaken by anything. But beneath all that, he had been carrying so much. seemed to be shaken by anything. But b
I smiled at him. “I’m glad I could help, even if I didn’t know it.”
Julian shrugged. “You were just being yourself, but that was enough.”
We continued walking in silence for a few moments before Julian spoke again.
“Why don’t we hop over to your side now?” he suggested.
“My side?” I asked, a bit confused.
“Yeah,” he said. “There’s a lot I want to know, too. Since the hospital, you never actually explained why you were there.”
His words made me pause. He must have noticed the state I was in that day, but he never pressed for details. He gave me space, and now, he was finally asking.
If I were to tell him everything… where would I even begin? He didn’t really know the full story of Adrian and me. He knew bits and pieces, but not the whole picture.
“Oh, yeah… you’re right,” I said in a low tone, suddenly feeling uneasy.
“You don’t want to talk about it?” Julian asked, watching me closely.
I hesitated. Part of me wanted to keep it to myself, but another part knew that I couldn‘
t keep him in the dark forever. He had shared something painful from his past, so maybe it was only fair that I did the same.
“No, I do,” I said after a moment. “I’m just thinking of where to start.”
“This might sound strange to you because I haven’t told you much in a long time,” I added.
Julian gave me a small nod. “I catch up on topics really fast.”
I took a deep breath and started explaining everything that had happened in the past
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CHAPTER 020
few weeks. I told him about Adrian’s coldness, about how our marriage had never
been what I thought it was. I told him about Dora – about how she pushed me, about the hospital visit, about the baby I lost without even knowing I was pregnant.
Julian listened intently, his expression darkening with every word. When I finally finished, he rubbed his chin in thought before speaking.
“Let me get this straight,” he said. “So the reason you were in the hospital was because Dora…Adrian’s lover pushed you, and you lost your child, which you
even know about?”
“Yeah… something like that,” I replied.
Julian clenched his jaw. “And has he tried contacting you since?”
“No,” I admitted. “I don’t think he even wants me back.”
didn’t
Julian scoffed. “So why did he marry you in the first place if he never loved you?”
His question caught me off guard. I hadn’t really thought about it before, not in those exact terms. Why did Adrian marry me? If he never truly loved me, then what was the point of it all?
“I honestly don’t know,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
Julian frowned but didn’t push further.
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “Hopefully, once things settle down with those stalkers, I’ll contact my lawyer and send Adrian the divorce papers.”
Julian nodded. “That’s probably the best thing you can do.”
We fell into silence again, but this time, it felt heavier. There were still so many unanswered questions, but for now, this was enough.
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