Her pure white dress was completely soaked in blood.

She collapsed to the ground with a thud.

She felt the strength slowly leaving her body, as if she were falling into a massive vortex.

She desperately wanted to open her eyes and look, but her eyelids were too heavy to move.

She didn't know who pulled the bar's alarm. In her daze, she seemed to see Julian.

To be precise, it was him from two years ago.

He was holding the kitten she had given him, flashing a peace sign at the camera with a happy face.

Scarlett looked at his face and smiled.

A single hot tear slowly fell from the corner of her eye.

Cherish the person in front of you.

Chapter 24

Julian knelt in front of the iron cages at the stray dog rescue station, observing the symptoms of a puppy before him.

The July sun filtered through the canvas tent, warming his back slightly.

His phone rang again. He glanced at the domestic number and, after a moment of hesitation, pressed the answer button.

"Young Master Julian, regarding the inheritance of the late Ms. Scarlett..."

His grip on the phone tightened suddenly. The puppy in the cage whimpered, nudging his palm with its nose. Julian looked at the veterinarian in the distance who was giving an injection; her face flickered in and out of his memories.

"She has already done more than enough for me," he said softly into the receiver. "I cannot accept this inheritance."

"The will was drafted three years ago, just after Ms. Scarlett was first diagnosed," the lawyer’s voice was calm, almost clinical. "The clauses explicitly state that if the beneficiary refuses the inheritance, the assets will be liquidated and used for illegal purposes."

The sweltering heat caused the puppy to pant. Julian recalled seeing a fundraising notice for the rescue station last week; with the increasing number of rescued animals, the funds were no longer sustainable.

"I understand. Then, I agree to inherit it."

He hung up the phone, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the puppy sticker on his phone case—a prize Vivienne had won for him at a pet expo last year.

He knew he had made a plan in his heart.

Julian called Vivienne. He wasn't sure when it started, but she had become his anchor. Whenever he felt hesitant, she always provided the right guidance.

"Vivienne," he lowered his eyes. "About Scarlett’s inheritance..."

"The lawyer contacted me this morning. I want to donate it all to the rescue station. Do you think that’s feasible?"

At the mention of Scarlett, Vivienne paused.

This was the first time he hadn't avoided the name but had brought it up directly.

"Julian, since you’ve decided, then go ahead and do it. I will always support you."

With her affirmation, Julian’s heart felt much lighter.

"Alright. I'll wait for you to come back so we can discuss it together."

The phone vibrated again. The lawyer sent a new message: If the procedures were not completed by noon tomorrow, the inheritance would be handled according to the special clauses. Julian opened the attachment and saw the detailed distribution of assets; sixty percent was marked for Julian’s inheritance.

In a daze, he remembered the first time he met Scarlett. Back then, she was in the prime of her life, and now she had met such an end.

He didn't hate her, nor did he resent her.

She had raised him for many years; it was time to settle the score.

As the elevator descended, Julian replied to the lawyer.

The mirror reflected his reddened eyes.

The news of Scarlett’s death had been kept quiet for a while.

Things had already been tumultuous because of the previous incidents with Xavier.

While the core business remained stable, the absence of the sole heir would inevitably lead to endless disputes.

Thus, the public was only told she was away on a business trip, with no specified return date.

Later, when friends shared stories about Scarlett, he had grown accustomed to it, assuming it was just another case of her using her power to make things difficult for others.

He never expected that the next time he heard of her, it would be the news of her death, and so sudden.

A car accident had taken both her and Xavier.

Though he had long let go of the past, he still felt a sense of melancholy in his heart.

After all, a person who had once been a part of his life had suddenly vanished from the world.

Recalling it now, he still felt some sorrow for the loss of life.

He gazed out the window at the lights of ten thousand homes flickering on one by one, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

Chapter 25

On the day the inheritance transfer procedures were completed, a steady autumn rain was falling.

Julian handed the final document to the person in charge of the rescue station. Looking at the zeroed-out figure in the bank account, he felt more at peace than ever before.

He never intended to keep the money, and using it where it was most needed was the best possible outcome for him.

His original goal was to ensure those stray cats and dogs finally had a home that shielded them from the wind and rain.

The rain began to fall harder. He opened his umbrella and walked home, the streetlights casting a warm yellow glow in the puddles.

The phone rang suddenly; it was a call from Vivienne.

"I'm coming back this afternoon. Want to have dinner together?"

Her voice carried a hint of joy.

Julian was about to answer when his foot slipped, and he fell heavily onto the road.

The sound of the rain mixed with the sound of the phone hitting the ground. Vivienne’s anxious voice came through the receiver: "Julian? What happened?"

By the time he fumbled to pick up the phone, there was only a busy signal.

His knee throbbed with pain and his palm was scraped. Just as Julian propped himself up against the roadside railing, a silver car screeched to a halt in the curtain of rain.

Vivienne rushed over without even grabbing an umbrella, completely drenched. Water droplets clung to her glasses. "Where are you hurt? Can you stand?"

"I'm fine, I just took a fall."

"Weren't you supposed to be back in the afternoon? How did you get here so fast?"

He couldn't help but ask as she appeared so suddenly.

"I was just about to go pick you up, and then I ran into you."

He felt a bit embarrassed as he watched her kneel to check his injuries.

Vivienne hadn't even had time to change her clothes; it was clear she had just stepped off the plane.

She pulled a wet wipe from her pocket and gently wiped the water from his forehead, her movements as careful as if she were handling fragile porcelain.

Julian tried to get up to grab a tissue, but he accidentally stumbled again, bringing the two of them inches apart in an instant.

"Julian,"

Vivienne suddenly grasped his hand, her palm burning hot. "I like you. I wanted to say it last time, but there was never a right moment."

In the glow of the streetlight, the rain on her eyelashes shimmered with fine light.

"I know your past, and I have the confidence to always support you in doing what you want to do. Are you willing to give me a chance?"

Julian felt his heartbeat drumming against his eardrums.

Memories surged—he remembered Vivienne secretly helping him clean the litter boxes at the rescue station, staying up late with him while he worked on proposals, and her always appearing just in time whenever he was overwhelmed by the affairs of the stray animals.

He realized that the companionship he had taken for granted was already filled with deep affection.

"I..."

He deliberately looked away and said, "I have to think about it."

Vivienne’s fingers tightened suddenly, and her throat moved as she found herself unable to speak.

The neon lights of a distant convenience store flickered in the rain. From the corner of his eye, Julian saw her eyes turning red.

"Vivienne."

He turned back. "Do you know why Scarlett left her inheritance to me?"

Without waiting for her to answer, he smiled softly. "She said I was too foolish, always living my life for others."

"But you are different. I trust you completely, just as you trust me."

Vivienne’s eyelashes trembled violently.

Julian reached out to wipe the rain from her face and leaned in closer under her shocked gaze. "Now, I want to write a new chapter for my own story. Are you willing to be the protagonist?"

The rain outside stopped at some point. Vivienne lunged into a hug, her damp clothes pressing against his skin, yet it felt exceptionally warm.

Julian heard her whisper in his ear, "I am willing."

On the short walk home, Julian insisted on giving her a piggyback ride.

Maya leaned against his back, looking at the two shadows reflected in the puddles. Julian suddenly felt that what he had learned was not just an anticipation for life, but the courage to learn how to love and be loved once again.

He believed that his future would hold even more possibilities.

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The End