LOGINJulian was so provoked by my words that when I left, he roared angrily, lunged at me, grabbed the iron fence, and shouted my name."Eloise! I'm going to kill you, you bitch! And Rite! I'm going to kill all of you!"I stopped in my tracks at the doorway. I couldn’t help but turn around.His frenzied appearance was like that of an enraged wild beast. His bloodshot eyes, desperate movements, completely meaningless except for venting his anger.He howled in an almost mournful voice. "You've ruined me! I'm going to kill you all!"For a moment, I felt like I was seeing the real Julian; a look I had never seen before. I shook my head and sighed. Pitiful… he only had himself to blame.Did Rite and I ruin him? No. He ruined himself. Even though Rite used him, it was because he was wicked that he became her pawn.After that, I left the meeting room, and Julian's mournful cries faded into the distance.When I went out, Hayes and Jamie were sitting in the rest area, waiting.They were looking ove
He looked down, shaking his head. "When the teacher came chasing after us to demand tuition, the whole village surrounded our house. Eloise… do you know what I was thinking then? I thought… it’s better not to go to school."He lifted his eyes, voice cracking. "When I told my mother this, she slapped me. She said even if she had to sell her blood, she would send me to school. She cried, she scolded me… 'You must remember this well today,' she said. 'I want you to make something of yourself in the future and trample all those who bullied us under your feet! You have to make me proud, you know?'"Julian’s shoulders shook. "Later… when I was in middle school, even though it was nine years of compulsory education, textbooks were still required. The school knew my family was poor, so they applied for free textbooks for me. But do you know what? Eloise… the textbooks of poor students all had a red stamp with the words 'Free Textbook' written on them."He wiped at his tears, his voice trembl
“You mean… Rite deliberately showed you that website?” I pressed Julian, leaning slightly forward, my eyes narrowed.He ran a hand through his hair, face pale. “I’m not sure. After she came out of the shower, I asked her why she bought medicine from India.”He paused, as if remembering every detail. “She said her brother had some mental problems. A doctor in Switzerland recommended this medicine. She was… doing research, comparing the advantages of this medicine with other drugs.”I frowned. “And you bought it?”Julian nodded, shoulders stiff. “Yes. I bought the medicine… and I was waiting for the right opportunity. I had considered switching to a vitamin pillbox, but I worried that if the items I gave away were discovered during the investigation, I’d become a suspect. I couldn’t risk it.”He exhaled sharply, jaw tight. “Then that day… when you asked me to buy blood pressure medication for Professor, I knew my chance had come.”The thought made my stomach twist. If I hadn’t asked Jul
Once Julian’s affair with Ivy was exposed, not only would he fail to graduate with his doctorate, but his application for postgraduate studies would also be re-examined. Even if he was admitted on merit, he would still be the subject of gossip.Ivy would also be expelled for abusing her position; a scandal that would disgrace Melbourne University, a century-old prestigious institution.No wonder, not long after Julian graduated, Ivy resigned, and no one knew where she went.I felt a deep sadness. I never imagined Julian could stoop so low. I couldn’t reconcile him with the sunny, cheerful boy I once knew. They were completely different people and utterly unrelated.I sneered. “Did you confess these things to the police?”“I confessed but so what?” Julian’s eyes flashed arrogantly. “My guilt was already established, wasn’t it? There’s no point in saying more.”I clenched my fists under the table, keeping my voice calm. “I don’t need to do anything to you. Your crimes will be judged by
“From the first day I came here, I’ve been waiting… waiting for you, Eloise, to come and see me.” Julian leaned back slightly, his fingers tapping the table, a smug glint in his eyes. “We were both too excited that night, and we didn’t have time to talk about many things.”I folded my hands in my lap, keeping my expression calm. “Since you know I’m here to talk to you, please don’t hide it. After all, there’s no need for us to meet so often, which would only increase our resentment. Don’t you think so, Julian?”He chuckled, licked his lips, and glanced at me sideways. “Eloise, do you know? Your arrogant demeanor is somewhat similar to Rite’s. That attitude— I hate it the most.”I raised an eyebrow but didn’t respond.“I’ve already met Rite,” I said simply, cutting straight to the point.Julian’s lips curled into a disdainful smirk. “And then?”“Rite’s account differs greatly from yours.” I recounted what Rite had told me: the reason she approached him, and the timeline of their acquai
When I woke up the next morning, a blank stretch of memory left me feeling disoriented.This had to be what they called a blackout.Hayes was still asleep next to me, his chest rising and falling in calm rhythm. I hesitated, then slipped quietly out of bed, washing my face as if the cool water could wash away the fuzzy fragments of last night. How did Hayes end up sleeping beside me? I couldn’t recall a single detail.I stepped out of the bathroom to find Genny already awake, perched on the bed, hair roughed, rubbing her eyes.“Eloise… I’ll never dare to drink with you again,” she murmured, her voice a mix of amusement and exasperation. “How… how is your alcohol tolerance so bad?”A jolt of panic ran through me. “W-what shameful thing did I do?”Genny waved her hand dismissively, her grin widening. “Nothing at all. You were… surprisingly well-behaved. No crying, no fussing. You just slept. But I couldn’t carry you at all. In the end… Hayes carried you back.”My heart stuttered. “What
A black Bentley Continental was parked at the entrance of the residential area. I unbuckled my seatbelt, stepped out, and thanked Hayes.But I hadn’t expected Julian, who should have still been at the company, to appear there.He was already at the entrance, the driver’s side window half-rolled dow
The next few days were surprisingly peaceful.Julian was impossibly attentive, smothering, even. Every night without fail, he brought me a cup of hot milk, coaxing me in a dozen different ways to drink it.Just like tonight.I pushed it slightly away. He leaned closer, resting his arm against mine.
The moment I heard Julian's question, a bad feeling rose in my heart. How did he know I was in the hospital? Was following me? But at that moment I told myself not to panic, to stay calm.So I casually asked him, “Yeah, honey, how did you know?”“When you answered the phone just now, I heard someon
“Miss Vale, life isn’t a novel,” Josh said, leaning back slightly. His eyes were calm, but I could feel the weight behind his words. “These rich kids who grow up seeing backstabbing and scheming are not all innocent. Rite comes from a family like that. Her life isn’t something she can control. Eve







