"The person he loved just passed away not long ago, and he’s been in a bad mood recently. It’s nothing."
Eleanor Hollis spoke up, her voice trembling slightly.
If it were Gloria Galloway, what would she think? She was so kind, surely she wouldn’t want Julian Sterling to continue suffering because of her. Julian was the man she loved; she’d rather wrong herself than let him suffer.
Eleanor understood Gloria, which is why she answered this way.
Julian nodded, saying nothing, feeling inexplicably stifled inside.
"You don’t need to come see me; I’m fine. A rest period of six months is just fine."
His head ached, and he rubbed his temples, but seeing everyone around made him hesitant to nap.
Hugo Quinn noticed he was tired and signaled the others to leave.
Eleanor got into the car with him, feeling gloomy all along.
It’s good that Julian can forget that painful past, yet it pains her inside.
"Go home, don’t think about anything. The doctor also said he can’t handle any stimulation now. Let everything take its course."
Hugo rubbed her head, a slight smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.
Eleanor nodded, wrapping her arms around his waist, letting out a tired yawn.
After everyone left, Julian finally closed the door and went to the bedroom upstairs.
Strangely, this place always felt unfamiliar to him.
He entered the bedroom, which was neatly arranged, reflecting his style, yet he always felt something was missing.
He lay on the bed, habitually reaching to the side, but there was nothing beside him.
He got up, took a pillow, and hugged it in his arms, finally feeling somewhat comforted.
The pillow smelled of detergent, as if the whole room had only ever been inhabited by him. The odd feeling in his heart gradually faded away as he hugged the pillow, soon falling asleep.
Hugo had the room cleaned thoroughly, not leaving even a single strand of Gloria’s hair, nor were her clothes in the wardrobe. All the bedding was changed, so even Julian couldn’t notice anything unusual. Besides, Gloria simply didn’t exist in his memory.
Julian slept soundly, but many others were sleepless that night.
Julian awoke, went to the bathroom to freshen up, and noticed that only his toothbrush was on the shelf. He paused, feeling strangely like something was missing, making him anxious and fearful.
He rummaged through the cabinets for a new cup, placed it there, and finally felt a little more at ease.
After leaving the room, his phone rang; it was Hugo calling.
For some reason, Hugo seemed strange to him, as if he was very worried and wanted to hide him away completely.
Julian looked down at the number and answered the call.
"Hugo, I’m fine, don’t worry. I’m not an idiot; I can take care of myself."
Hugo mentioned sending a few people over to take care of him, but Julian refused.
After hanging up the call, Julian cooked himself a bowl of noodles and ate it quietly.
At noon, his doorbell rang.
He wondered if Hugo had come over, but upon opening the door, he found Yvette Jacobs standing there.
The woman he thought of day and night, whom he loved and hated.
Julian froze in place, unable to move.
Yvette, with her face full of tears, rushed into his arms.
"I heard you had an accident, Julian. It was my fault before. Forgive me, please. This time, I’m sincere. I was truly worried about you."
Yvette cried wretchedly, and Julian didn’t push her away. Listening to her sobs felt so unreal.
It’s really strange. Although this was the woman he loved, seeing her appear so joyfully and watching her tears, he wasn’t happy but rather annoyed.
He was supposed to love her; she was always the one he loved.
He called her name softly, as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
Yvette nodded frantically, lifted her face, and clung to him tightly.
"Julian, you’ve always loved me. Stop sulking with me, okay? I was terrified after you left the entertainment industry, scared that I’d never see you again in this lifetime."
A flicker of emotion passed through Julian’s eyes. Seeing this tear-streaked face, he slightly smiled.
"Yvette, are you back for me?"
Back then, she left him so ruthlessly, ignoring his pleas, never contacting him again.
Yvette was a bit taken aback, sensing that something about Julian today seemed off. In the past, he always showed disdain when he saw her, but today, he seemed much gentler, with a hint of warmth in his eyes.
Could it be that he finally figured out who he truly loved?
"Yes, of course, I came back for you, Julian. If you still love me, I’ll be by your side, always."
Julian gazed at her face, wanting to say he still loved her, but somehow he couldn’t get the words out.
The word "love" seemed stuck in his throat, making his face blush red.
"Julian, what’s wrong?"
Yvette raised her head, seeing his flushed face, thinking he might have a fever, promptly reached out to check his forehead.
Julian took a step back, a hint of bewilderment in his eyes, evading her hand in the process.
Yvette paused, feeling he still loathed her. But what could she do? The debt collectors had already come to Serenford, giving her only two weeks.
Once two weeks passed, the huge debt owed by the Jacobs Family would be exposed, ruining her reputation and future in the entertainment industry.
Julian also found it strange. Clearly, the woman he loved was in front of him, but why did he react this way?
"Julian, let me help you in to rest. You don’t look well."
Yvette, unaware of his loss of the past three years’ memories, behaved exceptionally attentively.
Facing her attentiveness, Julian felt somewhat at a loss.
"Julian, let me cook for you."
Yvette went to the kitchen. Ever since Gloria showcased her culinary skills in front of everyone, Yvette had been diligently honing her cooking, just to outshine Gloria.
It was truly a stroke of luck for her that Gloria had died. She was trembling with excitement, managed to calm down after a few days, then decided to come find Julian. She didn’t expect Julian to appear so gentle; they might be able to rekindle their past relationship now that Gloria was no longer an obstacle.
Julian sat on the couch, occasionally glancing towards the kitchen. There used to be a girl who cooked for him .
As this thought surfaced, his face turned pale, frowning tightly.
Did that really happen? He always kept himself away from women, never bringing them home. Yvette was the first. Besides Yvette, who else had cooked for him?