Chapter 2

As Julia walked downstairs, she saw Lawrence lounging in the garden under the sun. There was a rare smile playing at the corner of his mouth.

"Where's my breakfast?" she asked as she approached him.

The moment Lawrence heard her voice, his smile vanished. "I didn't make it."

"Why not? You know I always want your breakfast in the morning." Julia frowned. She could sense something was off about Lawrence today.

"I'm heading out to meet a client and don't have time. You can ask the maid to make it."

Lawrence turned to leave, but Julia grabbed his arm.

"What's wrong?" Noticing his odd behavior, she softened her tone.

"Is it because I'm getting engaged? That's what my family wants, and I haven't agreed to it yet."

"You misunderstood, Ms. Ware. Who you marry is your choice. No matter what, you told me from the start that our relationship is purely physical with no emotional strings attached."

He shrugged off her hand and walked away without looking back.

When Lawrence returned to the office, he noticed a gift box on his desk.

One of his colleagues, Elliot Wyatt, walked by and teased, "Mr. Hale, another admirer sending you a gift?"

Lawrence opened it nonchalantly. Inside was a limited-edition tie—the third one exactly like the others he had received.

He knew exactly who it was from. The gift was typical of Julia. After every intimate encounter, a new tie would appear on his desk.

He once mentioned liking ties, so every gift Julia gave him was a tie.

She would give him different colors of the same style, various versions from the same collection, or even the exact same tie over and over again.

At first, Lawrence had loved them, even though he knew she hadn't put any thought into them. But now, he wasn't interested anymore.

"Do you want it? You can have it."

He handed the tie to Elliot, who excitedly put it on around his neck. "Really? This is a limited-edition tie, Mr. Hale! You're so generous!"

Elliot proudly walked around showing off the tie. Just then, Julia stepped off the elevator.

Seeing him give away the gift she had given him made her furious.

She pulled Lawrence into her office. "What's going on with you, Lawrence? I told you from the start that I won't be marrying you."

"I know," Lawrence responded quietly. "I know very well, Ms. Ware."

"Then what are you trying to do?"

"Nothing. I already have three of the exact same tie. I'm tired of them. I don't want another one."

Julia was taken aback. Had she really given him three identical ties?

They were all the latest designs, limited editions, and expensive. She had bought them casually, thinking he'd love them.

"I'll buy you something else next time."

"No need. There won't be a next time." Lawrence glanced at his watch. "Ms. Ware, it's 9:00 am. You should be in your meeting."

As he walked away, Julia stood there, lost in thought.

Later, when Lawrence was preparing some materials for Julia's meeting, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his stomach.

In the past, he would have pushed through it.

But this time, he called a hospital and made an appointment without hesitation. He was going to take the day off and see a doctor.

Julia wasn't paying attention during the meeting. Her thoughts were consumed with Lawrence. Her dark eyes were fixed on him, but through the entire meeting, he didn't even spare her a glance.

When lunchtime came, Julia went to look for him, but he was nowhere to be found.

"Where's Lawrence?" she asked.

"Didn't Mr. Hale tell you? He's on leave this afternoon."

"Where did he go?"

On leave? He'd never taken a sick day before. Even when he was burning with fever and close to fainting, he never took time off.

Why would he suddenly take a day off without telling her?

"I don't know."

"Find out. I want to know where he went," Julia ordered.

…

At the hospital, the doctor told Lawrence that his stomach issues were caused by not eating properly for too long.

Indeed, these years of working for Julia had made him forget what it felt like to sit down and enjoy a proper meal.

After the appointment, Lawrence didn't rush back to the office. Instead, he found a quiet spot to sit and relax.

The afternoon sun was warm. Sitting by the window, he sipped his coffee leisurely.

It had been a long time since he had the chance to sit and enjoy the moment.

These past years working for Julia had drained him completely. It was time for him to start living for himself.

Just then, his phone vibrated. He looked down and saw a call from Julia. He glanced at it and didn't answer.

Julia, growing anxious, called him again and again.

Lawrence grew irritated and turned off his phone.