"Julian, do you still remember your promise to me?" He had said he would protect the child.

"Do you think it’s meaningful to say these things now after you escaped on your own? Clara."

Her heart tightened.

"This surgery—did you sign it?"

"I agreed to it." Julian seized Clara’s chin and said sternly, "A woman like you is simply not qualified to be a mother!"

If she hadn't run away, the car accident wouldn't have happened, and things wouldn't have turned out like this.

Clara didn't care about the life or death of the child in her belly at all!

"Julian, I hate you."

"Then hate me!"

The man left the operating room without stopping.

Her heart ached so much she couldn't breathe.

Yes.

She shouldn't have fallen in love with this person.

In his heart, she was not qualified to be the mother of his children.

...

"Mr. Lin, the patient is hemorrhaging severely."

Chapter 15: A Ten-Year Post

Three months later, in the top-floor CEO’s office.

Zhao Feng placed a thick pile of autopsy reports in front of Julian.

"None of the DNA from these bodies matches Clara's DNA."

"She isn't dead."

Zhao Feng disagreed, saying, "The hospital caught fire suddenly that day. Some bodies were still in a condition to be tested, but many were too badly burned to perform DNA comparisons. You shouldn't hold onto such unrealistic thoughts. Clara was hemorrhaging after childbirth that day, and being in such a massive fire—the chances of her escaping are slim. Moreover, you have turned this city upside down for the past three months; how could there be no trace at all? I think there is a high probability that Clara died in that fire."

In just three short months, Julian had transformed into someone unrecognizable.

With deep dark circles under his eyes, a face full of stubble, and clothes that looked like they hadn't been changed in days—wrinkled and clinging to him like a pile of pickled vegetables—was this really the Lin family heir, Julian, who used to drive countless girls crazy?

Zhao Feng pointed out the low probability of Clara’s survival bluntly, hoping Julian would face reality soon and stop spiraling into this decadence.

"Besides, you said the person you liked was Eva. Since Clara was just a ruthless and scheming woman, even if you feel guilty for not saving her, you’ve done enough. It’s enough." Zhao Feng didn't understand why Clara's death had hit Julian so hard.

Julian used to be desperate to get rid of Clara. Although it happened in this way, Zhao Feng wondered why, having shed a burden, Julian seemed so burdened himself.

"Don't tell me that after all these years of trouble, you suddenly realized the person you love is Clara?"

Julian opened his mouth, but the words stuck in his throat and he swallowed them back.

Seeing this, Zhao Feng circled him in amazement. "You can't be serious, are you?"

"No." Julian shook his head. "I don't know how to describe this feeling. The last time I saw her was in the operating room. She asked me if it was absolutely necessary to induce labor for the baby. I said yes. In the end, she said that she hated me and never wanted to see me again for the rest of her life. At the time, I didn't care. But since the fire, I dream about her every night—looking at me with despair in the fire, saying she hates me."

Zhao Feng covered his forehead. "Did you ever tell her the doctor’s diagnosis?"

Clara was in a car accident and was trapped for too long. Combined with her severe hemorrhage, the doctor suspected the baby in her womb had already died of asphyxiation.

The doctor had asked Julian to choose between saving the mother or the child.

At the critical moment, Julian chose to save Clara’s life first.

Julian smiled bitterly. "There was nothing to say. Regardless, it was me who chose to give up the life of the child in her womb." He added, "Even if there hadn't been an accident, I was considering taking the child out early. That child might have died anyway. I, Julian, have never covered up the things I’ve done; there’s nothing to explain."

Zhao Feng rolled his eyes.

Julian and Clara—one arrogant, one stubborn. It would be a miracle if these two didn't run into problems together.

"That’s how I feel. The person is already dead; saying anything is useless. One must look forward."

Julian saw Zhao Feng off and returned to his office. He took a bottle of whiskey from the liquor cabinet and tilted his head back, taking a large gulp.

The spicy taste spread up his throat, rushed through his nasal cavity, and surged into his brain.

This stimulation gave his numb nerves a slight sensation.

He understood everything Zhao Feng said, but he didn't know what was wrong with himself.

The person he loved was indeed Eva. He had clearly planned to give Clara a large sum of money to ensure she would live a comfortable life after the child was born.

But how did it end up like this?

Beep—beep—

Julian picked up his phone. The screen was pitch black—it wasn't his phone ringing.

He pulled open the drawer at his desk. Inside lay a broken, white, old-fashioned mobile phone.

This was Clara's phone. Because he hadn't allowed her to contact the outside world, he had taken it from her.

The white, old phone was a flip-phone model; he had no idea how many years old it was.

A faint smile crossed Julian’s lips. Such an antique—only Clara would insist on using it.

The old phone didn't even have a password function. Julian flipped it open and entered the main page.

The notification he received was a reply.

【It seems like we haven't been in touch for a long time. Back then, it was because of the post you made that we were both people suffering in the same way. I don't know how you are doing now after all these years?】

He hadn't realized Clara liked to post on forums. Curiosity drove him to click on the thread.

It was called a post, but it read more like a diary.

The earliest date was ten years ago.

【It’s truly strange. Many people's feelings seem so short-lived. If the other party doesn't love them back or they can't get a response, they slowly fade away. But I seem like an anomaly. He doesn't even remember my name, yet I am still being pulled deeper and deeper into the swamp bit by bit. I could never love someone like this ever again in this lifetime.】

【I perhaps won't get married, because the person I love is someone I have already determined never to approach. He is very happy now, and I just want to quietly watch his happiness from the sidelines.】

【I don't have any special thoughts; it's just that seeing him so sad now makes my heart ache, too. I know he still loves her, and I just hope this temporary company can make him suffer a little less. Isn't there a saying? The deepest love is to become his lifelong best friend. Perhaps one day he will break up, but a good friend can accompany him for a lifetime. I think I’ll just be a good friend by his side.】

Julian vaguely knew who the "he" in Clara’s lines was. He held his breath, his fingers involuntarily pressing the keys, and flipped to the later posts.

【I think we should break up, but today I discovered something. In fact, I have never told you about my background. I...】

The screen went black. Julian pressed the keys twice, but the phone didn't respond at all.

Damn it. This phone had been lying here the whole time; although it hadn't been used, it had been too long and the battery was dead.

Julian turned the charging equipment upside down but couldn't find a compatible charger.

The assistant’s forehead broke out in a sweat. "Mr. Lin, this model of phone is ten years old. It’s no longer on the market. I contacted the manufacturer, but it was discontinued a long time ago. I can't find a suitable charger."

He had just been called up by Julian’s phone call, thinking there was a problem with the company's financial report; he never expected Julian to ask him to find a charger for a mobile phone.

Julian said, "Forget it. Try looking for the charger through other channels. See if anyone has ever used this phone model before; I can pay ten times the price for the cable. Now, go help me do one other thing: go investigate what Clara's true background is."

Julian stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, looking out over the bustling city from the 30th floor. He clutched the white phone in his hand. That woman had actually wanted to break up, but what had happened back then that caused her to change her mind?