But now, for Sienna’s sake, he had solved the problem of the discontinued cupcakes and the fire ban, almost as if he were afraid she would cause trouble for Sienna.

A cynical smile touched Lydia’s lips. Just as she was about to take it and say thank you, a scream came from nearby.

It was Sienna’s voice. Lydia felt the hand on her shoulder tighten.

The unspoken 'thank you' was instantly chilled. She expressionlessly removed Julian’s hand.

"Go to her. I..."

Before she could finish, the row of fireworks tipped over due to Sienna’s 'mistake,' the launch tubes pointing directly at where they were standing.

Julian’s eyes widened in alarm. "Watch out!" He pushed the person in front of him aside and lunged forward to shield Sienna with his body.

The cupcake was crushed under his foot, and Lydia was sent sprawling to the ground by that push.

As her wrist hit the floor to brace her fall, there was a sickening crack as it dislocated. Lydia cried out in pain.

But before she could even check the injury, the bursting fireworks sprayed into her eyes.

In that instant, it felt as if her eyeballs had been set on fire. The pain was so intense her scream caught in her throat.

She frantically fumbled for her phone to call for help, but the continuous sparks burned the backs of her hands and scorched her clothes.

In the chaos, her phone was lost somewhere. The terror of being unable to see made Lydia shrink back in fear.

As she retreated, fumbling for the rooftop door, she suddenly bumped into someone.

In that moment, like a drowning person catching a piece of driftwood, Lydia gripped the person's trouser leg.

Even as she tried her best to calm herself, her voice was trembling beyond recognition.

"Is that you, Julian? Take me..."

But before she could finish, the person in front of her forcibly yanked their leg away.

The familiar voice now sounded like a judge pronouncing a death sentence.

"Lydia, Sienna has fainted. I’m going to take her out first. Find a safe place and wait for me. I’ll be back very soon."

Chapter 5

Waves of heat radiated against her cheeks. Though Lydia couldn't see, she could feel the wall of fire closing in.

She frantically reached out to grab the person in front of her. "No, Julian, I can't see..."

But her hand only caught a passing hem of a jacket. The sound of footsteps faded into the distance, as if crushing her heart along the way.

And that promise to wait for him was once again nothing but a mirage.

In truth, Lydia had long since stopped expecting anything from Julian. Yet, in the endless waiting, the moment she confirmed once more that he truly wouldn't come back, her heart still trembled with pain.

She shook her head with a bitter smile. Straining with her elbows, she pushed herself up and began to crawl inch by inch, her eyes weeping blood.

But the moment she stepped through the rooftop door, she missed a step on the stairs due to her blindness and fell straight down.

Before she even hit the bottom, Lydia lost consciousness.

When she opened her eyes again, there was a white cloth covering her vision. The lingering sharp pain in her eyes made her groan.

She raised a hand to touch them, but it was suddenly caught by someone.

"Lydia, you're awake? How do you feel? Does it still hurt? Should I call a doctor?"

Underneath the string of worried questions, Lydia’s heart remained flat.

She forcibly pulled her hand away. Her tone was peaceful, but it hid a suppressed loathing. "Get out."

Julian froze for a second, his voice filled with guilt. "Lydia, are you blaming me for not saving you?"

"Let me explain. Sienna was fainted from the shock. If she had stayed there, her life would have been in danger. That’s why I was in such a hurry to take her away. I came back as soon as I got her downstairs, but I found you lying on the ground. Lydia, I’m sorry... I didn't know about your eyes..."

Julian spoke with deep sincerity, his voice choking up.

But Lydia had no reaction, because she knew he hadn't actually come back.

Her throat moved slightly as she gave a calm nod. "Mhm, I see. I'm tired. Please leave."

She didn't blame him or question him, but Julian felt as if his heart had suddenly gone empty.

This version of Lydia made him inexplicably anxious. He firmly grasped her hand.

"Lydia, don't be mad at me, okay? I’ve made sure the people who sold those low-quality fireworks pay the price. They won't be seeing the light of day for the rest of their lives."

"I won't let anyone have the chance to hurt you again, including myself. This was all my fault. You can punish me however you like."

Lydia just wanted to laugh.

Hadn't he hurt her enough already?

Even this time, was it really a matter of low-quality fireworks, or did the person who bought them have an ulterior motive?

He clearly knew the truth, yet he chose to gloss over it and protect Sienna.

In that case, she truly had nothing left to say.

Lydia slowly pried his hand away, turned her head into the pillow, and said, "I'm sleepy."

The empty palm made Julian’s eyes darken, and a hint of impatience crept into his tone.

"Lydia, I’ve explained everything. What else is there that you don't believe? Those people have already been sent away. What exactly are you still dissatisfied with? If you don't like this solution, then tell me..."

Before he could finish, Lydia suddenly sat up and cut him off, her voice an uncontrollable roar.

"Fine! Then I’m telling you, Sienna is the culprit. I want you to send her away too! Do you dare?"

As her words fell, the man fell silent, and the hospital room was plunged into a long, heavy quiet.

After a long time, Lydia let out a cold laugh, realizing she had once again invited humiliation upon herself.

The white cloth over her eyes was stained with a few spots of red. Even her breathing went still.

Julian’s brow was furrowed in confusion. "So you’re angry because of this? But I would have saved anyone that day. What does it have to do with Sienna?"

Lydia no longer had the heart to argue with him. She just felt that it was all so pointless.

"Mhm, it was just me being petty. Can you leave now?"

Lydia’s attitude left Julian speechless. The words he had prepared were now stuck in his throat.

He looked at her incredibly calm and indifferent eyes, and a sudden strange sensation rose in his heart, though he couldn't quite grasp what it was.

Julian wanted to say something more, but Lydia had already pulled the covers over her head.

He felt lost for a moment. "Lydia, I didn't mean it like that..."

But Lydia didn't say another word. Julian gave a helpless sigh, tucked the covers in for her, and stepped out.

"Lydia, get some rest. I’ll come be with you after I finish some work."

When the sound of the door closing rang out, Lydia’s phone also rang.

"The arrangements are for one week from now. When the time comes, you’d better leave immediately. Don't try any tricks with me."

Lydia gave a soft laugh. "I won't. I’ll disappear from the capital as promised, and I’ll never see any of you again."

Just as the words left her mouth, the door was suddenly pushed open.

"What do you mean, never see us again?"

Chapter 6

Julian’s sudden return caused Lydia’s heart to skip a beat. She hurriedly hung up the phone.

“It was nothing. Just an old friend I’ve cut ties with, saying goodbye for good.”

Julian’s brow furrowed with disbelief, but he didn’t push further.

However, for the next three days, he remained by Lydia’s bedside, never leaving her side—just as paranoid and anxious as he had been when she first returned three years ago.

But Lydia remained lukewarm, even indifferent.

Julian felt an inexplicable sense of unease. Just as he was looking for an opportunity to talk to her, he vanished on the day she was scheduled to be discharged.

Lydia didn’t ask a single question. She handled the discharge paperwork alone and went straight to see her lawyer.

She handed over the divorce settlement, signed a power of attorney for her representative, and then went home to pack.

There wasn’t much to take, really—just a few mementos left by her parents.

But just as she finished organizing her things, the bedroom door was violently thrown open.

Julian, who had been missing, was now standing there, his face flushed with rage. He grabbed her wrist without a word.

“Lydia, why would you do this? I already explained that Sienna was hired because of a referral. Saving her last time was just a split-second decision. She was so traumatized by her mistake that she’s been having nightmares in the hospital. Why did you have to go after her again!”