Chloe immediately let out a shrill, terrified scream:

"No! No!!! I’m not going! Let go of me! Let go of me!!! Ah!! Help!!"

The Jiang family bodyguards remained expressionless, slapping her directly to silence her cries.

The bodyguards were tall and sturdy, having practiced boxing for years.

He didn't hold back, and with one slap, Chloe was left dizzy and disoriented.

She hung her head, coughing and spitting out blood; the blood was mixed with two teeth.

When she opened her mouth again, her voice was weak and slurred: "Please… let me go… let me go…"

Jiang Ziyan just watched her with a smile that wasn't quite a smile, his eyes ice-cold.

On the other side, Julian made no move to rescue her from start to finish.

Chloe’s heart plummeted into a frozen abyss.

Once Chloe had been dragged away, Jiang Ziyan turned his attention to Julian:

"You want to beg for Elara’s forgiveness?"

Julian nodded hurriedly: "As long as Elara can forgive me, I will pay any price!"

Jiang Ziyan laughed, mocking: "So you love her that much."

Julian’s face turned pale, but he still said in a trembling voice:

"It was my fault; I failed Elara, but I swear, I have never for one second stopped loving her."

Jiang Ziyan couldn't help but let out a scoff.

Slowly, the smile on his face vanished, leaving his expression emotionless and chillingly cold.

He reached out, pulled out a dagger, and tossed it at Julian’s feet.

"Since you say you love her, fine. Show me your sincerity."

Julian looked at the dust-covered dagger on the ground and instantly understood Jiang Ziyan’s intent.

Without hesitation, he bent down to pick up the blade, then drew it without pause and plunged it deep into his own thigh.

Julian let out a pained, muffled grunt, his entire body swaying.

Julian’s bodyguards turned pale with shock and rushed forward: "Mr. Julian!"

Julian raised a hand: "Do not come over!"

Jiang Ziyan watched him nonchalantly and gestured with his palms: "Not bad."

Julian was deathly pale from the immense pain, his forehead covered in cold sweat.

After Jiang Ziyan’s words, he pulled the dagger directly out of his thigh.

As blood splattered, he stabbed the dagger ruthlessly into his own abdomen.

Jiang Ziyan narrowed his eyes and signaled with his hands: "Continue."

Julian was in too much pain to stand and fell directly to his knees.

His face pale, he stared fixedly at the direction of Elara’s room.

Even though he could only see the closed curtains.

Then, he slowly pulled the dagger out and plunged it into his abdomen once more.

With the third stab!

The blood on his body had already soaked the ground.

The color had long since vanished from Julian’s face entirely.

In the midst of agonizing pain, he slowly drifted into a stupor.

What flashed through his mind was the image of him in the room, carving bloody streaks onto Elara’s arm.

Back then, her expression was so pained, her screams so miserable.

She had begged him to stop, but he had been so cruel… hurting her again and again…

Julian could no longer hold it in, tears of remorse streaming down his face as he slumped slowly to the ground, losing consciousness completely from excessive blood loss.

Jiang Ziyan let out a cold scoff and said to Julian’s bodyguards with disgust:

"Take him away! Don't let him die at our doorstep and soil the Jiang family’s land!"

Julian’s bodyguards rushed forward, provided emergency treatment for his wounds, and hurried to get him to the hospital.

Jiang Ziyan looked at the blood covering the ground and told the maid:

"Clean it up thoroughly; don't let Elara see it and get upset."

Chapter 20

The maids, knowing their young lady had come home heartbroken, hurriedly began to clean up.

Jiang Ziyan glanced at the bloodstains on his clothes, returned to his room to change, and then went to Elara’s room.

There was a large suitcase unfolded in the room.

Elara was not influenced by Julian’s arrival and was carefully packing her luggage.

Jiang Ziyan stood silently at the door watching her for a long time before saying:

"Heartache?"

Elara paused, looked up at Jiang Ziyan, her eyes showing a trace of helplessness:

"Brother, if I had time to feel heartache for him, I’d rather feel heartache for myself. Don't probe me. I won't debase myself again, and I wouldn't feel bad for him after he’s already cut me with a knife."

"Whatever happens to Julian is none of my business anymore."

Jiang Ziyan smiled: "That’s my sister."

Elara let out a light laugh.

"But I don't want to see him again. I’ll be leaving in a bit."

Jiang Ziyan nodded:

"Fine, but I’m worried about you being alone. I happen to have a friend in the place you’re going who can look after you."

Elara looked back at him: "I’m not a child anymore."

Jiang Ziyan was expressionless: "Yeah, only a child wouldn't get themselves into such a wretched state before coming home. When a child is bullied, they know to come home and report it immediately."

Elara didn't dare say another word.

That same day, Jiang Ziyan personally saw her onto the plane and gave her a number, telling her to contact his friend upon arrival.

Elara had originally planned to stay abroad for a short while, avoiding Julian before returning to the country.

After a ten-hour long-haul flight, Elara finally arrived.

After dragging her suitcase to the arrivals hall, Elara was instantly drawn to a tall, extremely handsome man.

The man saw her immediately and waved at her.

Elara walked toward him immediately: "Are you… Xie Yuzhou?"

Xie Yuzhou was wearing a silver-gray suit, looking tall and elegant.

He nodded and took the suitcase from her hand: "Yes."

Elara said somewhat awkwardly: "Mr. Xie, sorry for the trouble."

Xie Yuzhou curled his lips and led her outside.

Elara didn't know Xie Yuzhou, but fortunately, although he looked slightly distant, he knew how to start topics at the right time.

The atmosphere wasn't too awkward.

Elara soon followed him to the residence he had arranged for her.

She thought he would simply arrange a place to stay to satisfy Jiang Ziyan.

Little did she expect that when she arrived, looking at the house with its strong masculine characteristics, her gaze landed on the man’s jacket on the sofa.

She stared blankly at him: "Mr. Xie… this…"

He had arranged for her to live with him?

Xie Yuzhou raised a hand and loosened the tie around his neck slightly.

The ascetic temperament of his body was broken, replaced by a touch of casualness and wildness.

A hint of a smile lingered in his eyes, and he said calmly: "Your brother said to ensure your safety. I thought, it’s only safe to keep you under my own eyes."

Elara felt like a little kid who had been dumped at a friend’s house by her own family.

Sensing her constraint, Xie Yuzhou said with a smile:

"Don't worry, I’m at the company most of the time; I only come back to sleep at night."

"Feel free to use anything in the house, and buy whatever you need; don't be too constrained."

Xie Yuzhou briefly introduced the layout of the home, received a call, and hurried into the study to get busy.

Watching him enter the study, Elara finally relaxed a little.

She pushed her suitcase into the guest room and discovered that the renovation and layout of the guest room were completely different from the outside; it looked much softer, as if it had been specially prepared for her.

Elara tidied up her things and immediately pulled out her phone to curse Jiang Ziyan from head to toe.

Who would have thought that after hearing what she said, Jiang Ziyan laughed for a long time before saying:

"Xie Yuzhou is a high-quality golden bachelor, much better than that dog Julian. It’s been said that the best way to get over a relationship is to start a new one. Brother is waiting for your good news!"

Elara was so angry that she hung up the phone with a snap.

Chapter 21

Jiang Ziyan was afraid that she would forgive Julian if she stayed, so he hurriedly sent her away.

In his heart, he probably thought any random man on the street was more reliable than Julian.

Elara cursed him for it, but deep down, she knew Jiang Ziyan was worried about her and meant well.

Afraid of making her family worry, she didn't leave, even though she wasn't quite used to it yet.

Fortunately, Xie Yuzhou was very busy and highly respectful of her boundaries.

She stayed at Xie Yuzhou’s place for a full month.

He spent most of his time at the company, and even when he stayed at home occasionally, he was often in his study for long meetings.

Living with him, Elara felt very free; whether she was sleeping at home or going out shopping, he never raised a single objection.