Chapter 5 The Price of Silence

Sylvia left with Gideon so he could get his wounds treated.

The moment she was gone, the bodyguards hauled me to my feet.

"Sorry," one of them muttered. Then they started punching me over and over.

Pain spread through every inch of my body. At that moment, I was reminded of elementary school.

Back then, I was quiet and constantly bullied by my classmates.

While everyone else looked the other way, Sylvia had been the one who stood up for me.

When I agreed to her mother's terms and married Sylvia, it had not been only to repay my mother's debt.

I had also wanted to get one step closer to the light that had once saved me. But now, every bit of darkness in my life came from her.

Their fists crashed into me again and again. I was nothing more than a punching bag.

Just then, Claire rushed in. "What are you doing? Stop this right now!"

One of the bodyguards answered apologetically, "Mrs. Rivers, these were Ms. Rivers' orders. If we don't finish, we'll all lose our jobs. Please don't make this harder for us."

"You…"

Furious, Claire pulled out her phone and called Sylvia, but no matter how many times she tried, Sylvia would not answer.

Claire could only watch as they beat me until they finally stopped.

She helped me up. My entire body ached, and I could barely stand. Her voice choked with tears as she said, "Julian… you've suffered enough. There's no point waiting anymore. You need to leave now."

She took me out of the hospital.

After arranging for my injuries to be treated, she prepared a private jet for me.

A tear rolled down Claire's cheek. "I was wrong. The grudge between your mother and me should never have become your burden. Go… and don't ever come back.

"Here's ten million. Consider it my apology. Please, you have to take it."

She tried to press the bank card into my hand, but I shook my head.

Then she placed my mother's urn in front of me and said, "I've spoiled Sylvia. She's always acted without thinking. I hope you can forgive her and not hold her responsible."

I understood.

She was not giving me this money out of guilt. It was hush money. She wanted me to leave and keep quiet.

Knowing I would not be allowed to leave unless I accepted it, I nodded.

I took the card, cradled my mother's urn in my arms, boarded the plane, and left that city behind forever.

The city that had exhausted both my body and my soul.

…

Third-Person POV

Sylvia did not come home until seven days later after a business trip. Only then did she realize her husband had never returned.

She suddenly remembered ordering her bodyguards to beat him seven days earlier and hurriedly called them. "Is Julian dead? Put him on the phone."

One of the bodyguards replied, "No, he isn't dead. Mrs. Rivers took him away."

Sylvia flew into a rage. "So he ran to my mother to tattle again. What a spineless coward!"

She hung up and headed straight to her mother's house, determined to settle the score with her husband.

The moment she stepped inside, she heard Gideon's arrogant voice coming from the living room.

"Mrs. Rivers, I know I abandoned Sylvia when your family fell on hard times, but I've realized my mistake and come back to her. There's no need for you to keep treating me like an enemy.

"Besides, I should thank you. If you hadn't found Julian to put on that little act and convinced Sylvia that he was the reason we broke up back then, Sylvia and I never would have gotten back together so quickly.

"And I should also thank you for sending Julian away. Don't worry. From now on, Sylvia and I will take good care of you together."