The light reflecting off Elise’s knife flashed in Phoenix’s terrified eyes.
“Phoenix Reed, diet”
As Elise lunged with the knife, both Mason and Julian simultaneously moved to shield Phoenix.
Mason pulled Phoenix into his arms while Julian rushed in front, taking Elise’s knife in his chest.
Phoenix, sfill in shock, trembled in Mason’s embrace.
“Call an ambulance!”
“Murder!”
Everyone froze at the horrific scene. Chaos erupted throughout the restaurant.
Staff frantically reached for phones to contact emergency services.
“Phoenix, are you hurt?”
Mason held the frightened Phoenix, his voice full of concern.
Phoenix finally regained her senses, immediately checking if Mason was injured.
“I’m fine, Phoenix.”
Mason embraced her, softly reassuring her.
Elise, seeing Phoenix unharmed but Julian wounded, attempted to extract the knife from Julian’s body to attack Phoenix again.
Mason noticed her movement and pinned her to the ground.
Restrained by Mason, Elise suddenly laughed maniacally.
“It’s all because of you two that I’ve fallen so far! All because of you!”
When Julian next regained consciousness, he was in a hospital room.
He struggled to rise, searching the room for Phoenix, but found only disappointment.
A nurse entered, hearing the commotion.
“Please don’t move. You might reopen your wound.”
Julian immediately asked, “Has a young woman come to see me?”
The nurse thought for a moment before answering “Vae ”
Chapter 22
Julian relaxed, tension casing from his shoulders.
Phoenix had visited–surely she would forgive him soon. The thought that Phoenix might forgive him made the knife wound
worth it.
Julian spent two days in the hospital without seeing Phoenix again. Only Mr. Reed sent nutritional supplements.
When Mr. Reed’s assistant delivered more supplements, Julian demanded: “Where’s Phoenix?”
“Sorry, I’m just delivering these items. I don’t know anyone named Phoenix.”
Julian swept the supplements to the floor. “Tell Phoenix to come see me!”
The delivery person, frightened by his behavior, muttered “lunatic” and fled.
That afternoon, the hospital room door opened.
Julian eagerly looked up, expecting Phoenix, but his face immediately hardened when he saw Mason.
“Why you? Where’s Phoenix?”
Mason sat in the chair beside the bed, observing Julian.
“You saved my Phoenix. Professor Reed said he doesn’t want to see you, so he sent me to check on you.”
Julian stared at Mason. “Are you preventing Phoenix from seeing me?”
“I’m not you. I don’t force Phoenix to do anything she doesn’t want to do.”
Julian looked at the self–righteous Mason and laughed coldly.
“I saved Phoenix. Elise won’t appear in our lives again. Phoenix and I were together for years. We had a child. What makes you think you can compare to me?”
Mason looked at Julian, finding him both pitiful and laughable.
“You dare mention that child?”
Mason had heard Phoenix’s account of her relationship with Julian.
He didn’t judge Phoenix’s past–he only regretted not being the one with her then.
“If you hadn’t rekindled with Elise, repeatedly hurting Phoenix because of her, would Phoenix have terminated a five–month
pregnancy?”
“You claim you and Phoenix were married for years, that you loved her–then how could you mindlessly sign divorce papers?”
Julian said heatedly: “That was all because of Elise! She made me act that way!”
Mason looked at Julian’s unrepentant expression.
Chapter 22
about her after marrying Phoenix, and she certainly didn’t force you to sign those divorce papers.”
Mason delivered his final judgment.
“Julian, you destroyed your own happiness.”
Seeing Julian’s anguished expression, Mason wasn’t finished.
“I should thank you. If not for you, I couldn’t be with Phoenix now.”
