Sera did not answer him. After struggling out of his arms, she prepared to leave immediately.

As the warmth left his embrace, Julian froze. When he reacted, he only saw her back as she walked away without hesitation.

A sharp, wrenching pain came from his heart; even breathing was agonizing. He struggled to get up and chase after her, his voice broken and out of tune.

"Sera, give me a chance to explain."

In the past, whenever she saw him injured, Seraphina would always be anxious, staying by his side day and night until he recovered.

But now, that worried figure overlapped with the current reality of Sera running toward someone else without a backward glance.

An unprecedented surge of jealousy and uncontrollable rage rushed into his heart, churning violently in his chest. He wanted to call her again, but a metallic taste suddenly rose in his throat.

The next moment, he spat out a mouthful of blood. His vision went black, and he collapsed, losing consciousness completely.

Chapter 19

The first thing Julian did upon waking was rip out the IV needles. Ignoring the excruciating pain in his back, he staggered out to find Sera, but his assistant stopped him.

"Mr. Sterling, the doctor says your body is at its breaking point. You must cooperate with the treatment. Now that we’ve found Ms. Vance, she won't be leaving anytime soon."

Julian paid no heed to his words. Ignoring the pleas of the doctor and assistant, he ran out the door barefoot, only to see Sera inside a makeshift tent, bandaging another man.

Sera knelt before Caleb, using a cotton swab dipped in iodine to treat the wound on his forehead. The concern etched between her brows was genuine, and the focus in her eyes caused a stinging pain in Julian's every breath.

A dense wave of jealousy and an instantaneous surge of fury swept through him. The color drained from his face; his fists at his sides clenched so hard the bone protruded and veins bulged.

Sensing the burning gaze from that direction, Sera and Caleb looked back simultaneously.

The moment their eyes met, a flash of surprise crossed Sera’s eyes, but it vanished instantly, replaced by a thick layer of ice. This cold, detached look nearly suffocated Julian.

No longer able to control the long-accumulated longing, he rushed forward, reaching out to pull her into his heart. But when he was just one step away, she stopped him with a sharp command.

"Sir, I do not know you. What are you doing?" Sera took a step back, instinctively standing behind Caleb. "Please conduct yourself with dignity."

Touching the coldness in her eyes caused Julian another bout of heart-wrenching pain. He struggled to force a smile that wasn't too hideous and explained in a trembling voice,

"Sera, I know you blame me. I did many wrong things before, but that wasn't my intention. You know I had a split personality. I’m completely better now. I’ve come back, Sera. Can we live a good life together from now on? Clarissa will never appear before you again."

The powerful business tycoon of Seattle stood there with reddened eyes, piteously begging for her forgiveness—a scene that caused even the assistant nearby to gasp in astonishment.

Sera looked at his wretched state but remained expressionless. Only when he mentioned that his illness was completely cured did a flash of complex emotion cross her eyes.

Since leaving Seattle, everything in the past seemed covered by a thick veil, becoming blurred and distant.

She had long since forgotten everything—forgotten Seattle, forgotten Julian. The only thing she remembered were the scenes of being tortured nearly to death in her midnight dreams. Even if she deliberately ignored them, whenever she woke up, her pillow would be soaked with tears.

She had long since let go of the past and Julian, but the things that hurt her over and over were like a sharp scalpel, repeatedly flaying her already numb heart.

Even if his split personality was completely cured, she would not forgive Julian—not in this lifetime.

The harm done to her was real, her mother becoming a person in a persistent vegetative state was real, and the countless scars on her body served as a constant reminder of what Julian had once done to her.

A brief moment of silence passed.

Their eyes met.

Sera looked at him and finally spoke with absolute composure, her tone carrying a deliberate distance.

"Julian, leave. It’s over between us. I don't want you to disturb my life ever again."

With that, she helped Caleb up and prepared to turn away, but after only a few steps, Julian grabbed her arm again. Before she could react, she was imprisoned in his embrace.

"Sera, don't do this to me. I was wrong. You know I’m not that kind of person. What happened in the past wasn't my intent. How could I ever hurt you?"

Her face was pressed tightly against his chest; she could hear his voice trembling and the frantic thumping of his heart. But she reacted quickly, struggling forcefully to break free. Then, in front of everyone, she raised her hand and slapped him hard across the face.

"Enough. I don't want to repeat myself a second time. Seraphina Vance is dead. Don't show your face to me again. What you owe me can never be repaid in this lifetime."

Every word was like blood.

He wanted to explain, but Sera gave him no further chance. Taking Caleb’s hand, she left without looking back.

Julian wanted to chase after them, but Caleb blocked him firmly, preventing him from getting close.

"Mr. Sterling, I hope you've been well. Since Sera said she doesn't want to see you, you should focus on taking care of yourself." Saying this, he touched the bandage on his forehead, a mocking smile curling his lips. "I’ll be going now. Sera still needs to finish treating my wound."

Caleb watched Julian’s face turn instantly pale, his smile becoming even more brilliant. Seeing Sera waiting for him nearby, he stepped toward her.

He said something to her, and Sera burst into laughter. The gloom in her eyes vanished, replaced by a vivid and lively spark; she even raised her hand to playfully punch him in the chest.

The unspoken understanding between them, their intimate and casual familiarity, fell completely into Julian’s eyes.

He stared fixedly at the two departing backs. An unprecedented jealousy, like a surging flood, instantly submerged him, leading him to immediately issue an order to his assistant.

"Investigate. Find out exactly who this man beside her is."

No matter what, he would never allow another man to appear by Sera’s side.

Chapter 20

Half an hour later, all of Caleb’s information was presented before him.

The assistant reported the data cautiously while observing Julian’s expression.

"Caleb Sterling. He is backed by a top-tier family in the United States and possesses countless assets. Six months ago, he went into hiding to escape an arranged marriage and joined this research institute, which is how he came into contact with Madam."

Listening to the report, Julian’s expression grew increasingly dark. When he heard that Caleb was actively pursuing her, he could no longer maintain his rationality. He stood up abruptly and checked himself out of the hospital, buying a luxury apartment near the institute just to be closer to Sera.

He even took it upon himself to cover the costs of post-disaster reconstruction, anonymously donating hundreds of millions in special funds to her laboratory.

To show gratitude for Julian’s sponsorship, the director of the institute held a thank-you gala seven days later.

Thus, Julian finally had this day—this hard-won opportunity to explain everything properly to Sera.

The gala was held on a luxury cruise ship, filled with people and the clinking of glasses.

Julian had specially put on a pressed suit and even styled his hair with wax, but even so, it could not hide the exhaustion on his face.

The moment he entered, after exchanging a few pleasantries with the director, he scanned the room for Sera.

After searching the area, he finally found her in the French restaurant.

At that moment, she was wearing a water-blue silk gown with a trailing hem, her long hair draped over her shoulders. Her temperament was exceptionally striking; she became the center of attention the moment she appeared.

Holding her hem, she walked toward a window seat with a smile. The movement of her beautiful eyes made her appear even more bright and moving.

When he saw Caleb sitting opposite her, his heart sank.

Then, he strode toward her and sat directly in the seat next to her.

"Why are you here?" Seeing him, Sera’s brow furrowed deeply, hiding none of the loathing and hatred in her eyes. "Caleb, let’s go."

Seeing that she was truly about to stand and leave, Julian grabbed her wrist, practically begging,

"Give me five minutes, please? Just five minutes. I’ll explain everything to you from start to finish."