All Chapters of Taking Back the Charm: He Panicked: Chapter 11 - Chapter 19

The frustration that had been building inside Julian for days finally boiled over. It was like someone had lit a fuse, and then everything went off at once. He ripped the boutonniere from his suit jacket and threw it onto the floor. It bounced twice, then rolled onto the red carpet, where it lay abandoned.“What the hell are you people playing at?!” His voice rang through the wedding hall, and everyone jumped. “This is my wedding! How could you change the bride without even telling me?!”The entire hall erupted in noise.The guests started whispering among themselves, and the hall filled with excited chatter. A buzz filled the air as everyone waited to see what would happen next.Yvonne stood on the red carpet with a pale face. She looked completely lost. Her hands gripped the hem of her dress so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Her eyes were red, and she looked like she was about to cry.Zara’s face darkened. She shot to her feet. “Julian, watch your tongue and remember

There were stacks of love letters in pink, blue, and white envelopes. Some still had stickers on them. The stickers were crooked, as if her hands had shaken when she put them on.There were newspaper clippings, magazine covers, and newspaper articles. They were all pictures of him. Some came from magazines, and the edges were cut perfectly straight. Others were blurry, low-resolution printouts. She had kept them anyway.There was also a lollipop wrapper. It was wrinkled and made of clear plastic, with little strawberries printed on it.He had tossed it away without a second thought. She had picked it up and kept it.Then, there was a photograph from a gathering with both families. He looked annoyed and had turned away. She smiled so widely that her eyes curved into crescents. A little bit of her white teeth showed. There was a short line of writing on the back, but it was too blurry to read.Julian stared at those things. His fingers gripped the edge of the desk so tightly that

Julian froze. Tears clung to his eyes, but they did not fall.“Think about it.” Colin looked him straight in the eyes and spoke slowly.“You said she was boring. But when she practiced the piano until her fingers were covered in calluses, didn’t you secretly watch her? “You claimed that she’s uptight, but some part of you enjoyed it when she told you to do something, right?“Then, there’s all the talk about you hating her, yet you never really pushed her away when she chased after you for seven years. Did you ever really push her away?”Julian opened his mouth, but he could not say a word. His throat felt as if something was stuck in it.“You paraded Yara around and kissed her right in front of Stella. Don’t you think that was cruel and childish?”Colin’s voice was quiet, but every word hit Julian like a hammer. “You don’t love Yara. You were trying to make Stella angry. You wanted to make her jealous and chase after you because you wanted all her attention on you.”“Shut

Julian sat outside the inn all afternoon. He did not leave.He sat on the steps. His suit jacket was draped over his knees, and his shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. His skin was swollen with several mosquito bites, but he did not even scratch them.He called Colin. His voice was hoarse. “Look into Yara.”“Look into what?”“Everything she’s done over the years, especially anything that has to do with Stella.”Colin was silent for a moment. Julian could hear the sound of his keyboard through the phone. “You finally figured it out?”“Stop talking and get it done.”An hour later, Colin sent him a file. It was more than a dozen pages long. It contained screenshots, audio recordings, bank transfer records, and pages of detailed information.Julian opened it. The more he read, the darker his expression became.What Yara had done over the years went far beyond the kidnapping and the false accusations.She had paid someone to tamper with Stella’s car. Someone had cut the br

Stella froze. Tears clung to her lashes and trembled there.Julian let go of her and took a step back. He pulled the ring from his pocket. The gemstone was a brilliant green. A few faint scratches covered its surface from when he had thrown it.“Here. Take it back.” He held out his hand. The ring rested in his palm. “If you don’t want something, I won’t keep it. But if you don’t want me anymore…”He looked at her. His expression was firm and determined, as if he had just made a very important decision.“Then, I have nothing left to live for.”Stella’s eyes widened, and her face went deathly pale. “What do you mean?”Julian said nothing. He turned and walked away. His steps were long and heavy. His dress shoes struck the concrete floor of the hallway with a steady thud. Every step felt like a blow to her heart.Stella stood in the doorway and watched his back disappear at the end of the hall. A terrible feeling suddenly swept over her. It felt as if something had finally snapped