Jude shoved his hand away. "By what right do you question me? Julian, if it weren't for you, Sienna wouldn't have ended up where she is today."

With that final remark, he strode away.

Julian froze in place. The cold air from the air conditioner hit him, seeming to blow straight into his heart.

His voice was hoarse: "Sienna... she never forgot me at all, did she? Today’s engagement party was a fake, too."

Chapter 13

Hearing this, Jude’s footsteps faltered. "The engagement party was real, but it wasn't Sienna’s."

He turned back to look at Julian’s back. "But if it were possible, I truly wish Sienna could forget you."

"She took a taxi to the airport. As for her destination, I don't know. If you want to find her, it might still be in time."

Julian’s pupils contracted, and he immediately sprinted toward the hotel exit.

Jude stood there watching him go, letting out a silent sigh.

As her brother, he understood his sister better than anyone.

Her obsession with Julian was etched into her bones and written in her heart; there would never be a day she could truly let go.

So if it were possible, and if Julian had truly developed feelings, he hoped they could be together.

He also hoped Julian could bring his sister back, so their family wouldn't truly be torn apart...

At the airport.

I bought a ticket for the earliest flight available, not caring about the destination.

Before the boarding gate, I flipped through my photo album. There were family photos, but the majority were of Julian.

I deleted them one by one, allowing myself enough time to store them in my heart instead.

Suddenly, an announcement came through the airport.

I looked up, removed the SIM card from my phone, snapped it in half, and tossed it into the trash can.

Then I walked through the boarding gate without looking back.

By the time Julian tracked down Sienna’s trail and reached the gate, all that awaited him was cold emptiness.

The flight had already taken off.

Julian stood there, letting the cold air wrap around him.

He had never been in a relationship, nor did he want to be, because no one had ever moved his heart.

In his mind, Sienna was family he had grown up with.

Family affection was warm; romantic love was restless.

The restless period of his and Sienna’s youth had been very short; they had practically skipped that stage and moved straight into warmth.

Because of this, Julian couldn't tell the difference.

Now that Sienna was truly gone, a restless sense of emptiness began to consume him, leaving him in a dilemma.

He pulled out his phone, wanting to find another way to search for her.

But he suddenly realized that the only connection between him and Sienna was that they had grown up together.

Furthermore, that fragile connection had been shattered to pieces by his own words.

Julian turned and walked out of the airport in a daze. Looking up, a plane streaked across the sky, leaving a white trail in the silent night...

He didn't know how he made it home.

The next morning, the sun rose.

Among the lush green leaves, the osmanthus flowers were clustered together, their faint fragrance spreading with the breeze.

Julian sat in a rattan chair under the osmanthus tree.

He looked up at the blossoms, thinking only of how, not long ago, the girl had expressed her seven years of love to him right here.

Just then, Yara parked her car by the roadside and hurried over.

"Julian!"

Julian turned his head. Seeing Yara running toward him, a vision of Sienna skipping and jumping suddenly flashed before his eyes.

Back then...

He would open his arms to catch her, sometimes spinning her around until she couldn't stop laughing.

Yara stopped in front of Julian and said anxiously, "You didn't go to work all day. The supervisor said you were looking for someone. Do you need my help?"

Julian looked at Yara in silence, making her feel uneasy under his gaze.

"You can't help with my private matters," Julian said flatly.

Yara smiled. "How can I not help? There’s no need for such boundaries between us."

Those polite words sounded wrong coming from Yara’s mouth.

If Yara had only intended to help a colleague, Julian might have accepted her kindness.

But since her purpose was to get closer to him, he would show no more mercy.

Even Sienna would never have said something like that; how did she dare?!

"Yara." Julian’s face darkened, his voice laced with a trace of coldness. "You are just a colleague. Don't overstep."

With that, Yara gripped the hem of her clothes, her eyes looking at Julian with resentment.

Seeing such a familiar look, Julian’s vision blurred; it was as if he saw that girl glaring at him with that same resentment.

And now she was gone.

Julian slumped his head in dejection. He finally tasted the bitterness of regret—like a dried persimmon left out too long, so astringent and unpalatable that its sweetness was forgotten.

After a moment of silence, Julian stood up and snapped off a branch of osmanthus.

Yara gasped. "You’ll be fined if you're caught!"

Picking flowers in the park was forbidden. Julian had never done anything out of line before; he must have truly lost his mind today.

But he didn't care.

He only thought that if it were Sienna...

She would have given him all the osmanthus in the entire city.

Chapter 14

Three years later, in the Magic City.

Everything seemed to have changed, much like how my long hair, once draped over my shoulders, was now pinned up, making me look more mature.

Yet, everything also seemed unchanged; I was still pursuing perfection, even to the point of making a single cup of coffee to its absolute limit.

The faint aroma of coffee enveloped my life. I had been working at this Crimson Coffee Shop for two years now, captivated by that flavor where bitterness meets a mellow fragrance.

"Yu, I have to go pick out new coffee beans on behalf of the manager today, so I’ll leave things to you this afternoon," I instructed my subordinate while taking off my coffee-colored apron.

"Leave it to me, Sienna."

The wind chime at the door jingled, and I instinctively said, "Welcome."

"Are you Sienna?" a female voice asked.

Confused, I looked up and saw a face that was both a stranger's and familiar.

I searched my memory for a long while before a name surfaced: "Yara?"

Yara was wearing a black uniform suit, her hair specially styled, with a work badge hanging around her neck. She looked as though she had just come from her office.

Yara looked the small shop up and down, unable to resist a sneer. "You were a top student back then. How did you end up reduced to being a waitress?"

I knit my brows slightly, having no desire to argue with her.

We were never close to begin with.

Under Yu’s worried gaze, I coolly put on my coat and walked out.

Yara tried to chase after me but was blocked by Yu. "Ma'am, do you need any help?"

"Get out of my way!" As a mere clerk, Yara was no match for Yu’s strength.

Closing the door behind me, I shut out the noise inside.

I pushed my small scooter, strolling through the quaint, ancient streets.

Reaching the intersection, I put on my helmet, about to depart.

A tall figure approached from the front. My body stiffened, and I stared ahead, motionless.

That was the man who had occupied my dreams for three years.

Julian looked even more mature than he did three years ago. His bangs were swept back, revealing a smooth, full forehead, and his silver-rimmed glasses added a touch of severity.

He was also wearing a work badge; he must have come here on a business trip with Yara.

Julian didn't notice the person by the roadside. He walked straight ahead, brushing past me.

By the time he had passed, my hands were covered in a cold sweat.

I shook my head and started the scooter.

On the way, I couldn't help but marvel at the fact that I had indeed grown; I could actually restrain myself even when face-to-face.

Julian found the coffee shop Yara had mentioned. As soon as he pushed open the door, he heard an argument inside and frowned with displeasure.

"Your badge says you're a prosecutor, yet you look down on servers. What a terrible person!" Yu scolded indignantly. "It’s lucky Sienna is magnanimous, otherwise..."

Julian’s eyes widened instantly. He never expected to hear that name.

Disregarding whatever the two were fighting about, Julian stepped forward and grabbed Yu’s arm, asking, "Are you talking about Sienna?"

Yu was startled. Looking back and seeing a handsome man, she instinctively replied, "Yeah."

Julian let go and looked around, but failed to find that familiar figure.