The butler was horrified and immediately contacted the top medical team for him. After hanging up, he said in a dilemma:

"Sir, they are in M-Country and won't be back for a short time. What do you think..."

Julian said indifferently:

"Then I’ll go to M-Country."

Perhaps he could encounter some trace of Elena...

As he boarded the cruise ship again, Julian suddenly found that he had developed a fear of the sea.

Whenever he saw the seawater, he thought of Elena’s despairing expression.

Arriving in M-Country, he was temporarily placed in the hospital, where the attending physician seemed to be very busy.

After waiting for a day, he finally waited for that doctor, but the other party went into the room next door first.

"I told you, your left leg hasn't healed, don't run around!"

Julian smiled. It seemed the room next door had a mischievous child.

But the next moment, another playful female voice rang out:

"I know I was wrong... Dr. Sebastian, please forgive me just this once."

This voice had appeared in Julian’s dreams countless times.

It was Elena!

Chapter 12

Julian stumbled out of the room and pushed open the room next door.

Sebastian frowned and turned around:

"I told you to knock before coming in, you... who are you?"

Julian ignored him. His gaze passed over Sebastian’s tall figure and fell straight onto Elena, who was sitting on the bed behind him.

The smile on Elena’s face slowly stiffened, ultimately turning completely icy.

She hadn't expected to run into Julian again.

He looked much thinner, his whole frame gaunt, the dark circles under his eyes prominent, and his eyes filled with bloodshot veins.

He’s haggard, she thought to herself.

But that had nothing to do with her anymore.

Julian’s lips trembled:

"It really is you... Elena, I knew you wouldn't leave me!"

Elena let out a scoff:

"I have already left."

Julian shook his head, stepped forward insistently, and grabbed her wrist:

"Elena, come back with me."

Elena forcefully shook off his hand, her expression indifferent:

"Julian! The grace you showed by saving me before—these three years, I’ve paid it back."

Julian’s eyes widened in disbelief:

"Grace? Are you saying that for the past three years, you were only by my side because of gratitude?"

"Elena, I know you like me, I..."

Sebastian’s pupils constricted slightly as he looked at Elena.

But Elena only looked at Julian calmly:

"That was in the past. Julian, whether it was me being by your side or me liking you, that’s all in the past."

"When you punished me for Summer, when you jumped into the sea without a care—the feelings between us were already gone!"

The more Julian listened, the worse his face looked.

The atmosphere stalemated, and Sebastian spoke coldly:

"Mr. Julian, Elena is my patient. No matter what, I won't let her leave."

Julian’s gaze slowly shifted to him, his brows furrowing:

"You? Who do you think you are! What right do you have to intervene in my affairs with Elena!"

Before Sebastian could speak, Elena stood up, unable to tolerate it any longer, and slapped him across the face:

"Julian! Watch your tone!"

To her, Sebastian was a benefactor who had saved her, and more importantly, someone who had brought her into a different life.

Elena had never expected to encounter Julian here, and involving Sebastian was not her intention.

But Julian knew nothing of what had happened between them; he only lifted a hand to touch his cheek, his voice hoarse:

"You actually laid a hand on me for the sake of an outsider?"

Elena withdrew her hand, her fingers trembling slightly.

She also hadn't thought that one day she would lay a hand on Julian.

Perhaps it was the grievances of many days finally erupting. Elena bit her lip, tears welling up in her eyes.

She turned her head away, not wanting Julian to see.

Sebastian stood directly in front of her and adjusted his glasses:

"Mr. Julian, your butler said you have mental health issues and unstable emotions; it seems it’s true."

"Please do not disturb Miss Elena during the rest of her treatment, otherwise, I will immediately have you sent back to your country."

Julian’s hand clenched and released, his veins bulging.

As a man, he could tell that this doctor had impure motives toward Elena.

But staying here was the only way to be closest to Elena.

He looked at Elena behind Sebastian for a long moment before turning to leave.

【The second male lead is too miserable... He came to see a doctor, and the second female lead didn't even ask what illness he had.】

【His depression is self-inflicted, isn't it? If he loved her so much, why didn't he care about the second female lead before?】

【But I feel his mental state is really bad, he even self-harmed...】

Elena’s gaze froze.

Julian had depression, and he self-harmed?

Was it... because of her?

If it were in the past, she would probably have felt a mixture of heartache and happiness; as long as Julian’s emotions could be stirred even a little because of her, she would have been ecstatic.

But now, she only felt annoyed.

Chapter 13

Julian had been in the hospital for three days, and his relationship with Elena hadn't progressed in the slightest, leading him to one conclusion:

Elena did not listen to Sebastian.

Sebastian forbade her from running around, yet Elena would go out wandering all day, only to return and listen to Sebastian’s nagging;

Sebastian insisted she take her medicine on time, yet Elena would claim she forgot or that it was too bitter, and she would only be obedient if Sebastian watched her take it...

Initially, Julian had felt relieved.

Because Elena had never disobeyed his orders; that kind of obedience was something Sebastian would never receive.

But soon, he couldn't be happy anymore.

Because he discovered that in Sebastian’s presence—or rather, when Elena was away from him—she revealed her true nature.

She had a temper, she could act spoiled, and she was afraid of bitterness and pain...

This was an Elena Julian had never seen before.

He couldn't help but panic.

The psychologist working with Sebastian had diagnosed him three days ago, suggesting he go out more and stop obsessing.

But Julian couldn't do it; when it came to Elena, he was willing to obsess.

Finally, upon seeing Elena taking her medicine from Sebastian’s hand, her soft lips brushing against his palm, Julian lunged and pulled Sebastian away with bloodshot eyes.

He knelt abruptly before Elena’s bed:

"Elena... I know you’re angry about Summer, but stop giving me the cold shoulder, okay?"

"I’ve figured it out now, Elena. It’s not Summer I love; I only felt gratitude toward her."

"The person I love is you."

Elena stared at him in a daze.

She had played this sentence over in her dreams a thousand times, longing for it for three years.

But now that she actually heard Julian say it, she only felt a sense of absurdity in her heart.

Julian seemed to remember something suddenly and said in a panic:

"Elena, are you angry because I kissed Summer? It was all fake!"

"I was just pretending to kiss her for the camera; after I hung up the phone, I never touched her again!"

Elena suddenly recalled the look of utter indifference on Julian’s face when she had been stabbed in the shoulder by Cole.

But Julian, if you didn't kiss her, was it because you didn't love her?

No, it was because you cherished her.

Because he cherished Summer, he had risked his life to win a priceless treasure, yet hadn't dared to even ask for a kiss.

Because he didn't cherish Elena, he had been able to ignore her intense love for three years without the slightest regard for her feelings.

Elena said exhaustedly:

"Leave. Don't come and disturb my life anymore."

Julian’s eyes widened sharply. His heart ached, and his body couldn't stop trembling.

In an instant, he grabbed the fruit knife from the table, shoved it into Elena’s hand, and pressed her hand down to plunge it into his own shoulder!

Julian let out a muffled groan of pain, but the corners of his lips curled into a fragile smile.

Elena released her grip in shock, staring at him in disbelief:

"What are you doing?!"

Dark red blood trickled slowly from the wound. Julian smiled palely:

"Elena, every suffering you’ve endured, I will endure it too."

"Forgive me, okay?"

【I feel like the second male lead really knows he’s wrong!】

【He’s already like this, Elena should just pity him a little... what else does she want?】

【This is barely even the beginning! Elena suffered so much, and it was all caused by him!】

Elena’s fingers trembled. Sebastian stood in front of her and dialed the psychologist’s number directly:

"The patient is exhibiting irrational behavior. Come and take him away, send him back to his country..."

The words suddenly trailed off. Sebastian froze, looking down at Elena’s hand, which was gripping his own.