On the other end of the line, Juliet Jennings clutched the phone after the call ended, her chest heaving. She had co with Julian Donovan today to et a director. The director had called Julian in for a private discussion, and Julian had casually left his phone on the table as he went inside. When she saw the na "Naomi Shaw" on the caller ID, a woman’s intuition told her this might be the wife Felix Draper had ntioned.
So she had deliberately answered it. Just as she expected, the other end went silent. But what infuriated her most was hearing a baby cry just before the call ended. It seed Felix Draper hadn’t been lying. Julian and that woman really did have a child together.
After getting this news from Felix Draper, she hadn’t rushed to confront Julian. She knew the worst thing she could do right now was to rashly start a fight. He had always disliked won who threw tantrums; he preferred to solve problems rationally. So, as long as he didn’t bring it up, she would pretend not to know. She planned to wait for the right mont to talk to him about it.
With a swipe of her finger, she deleted the recent call from the log. Of course, she wouldn’t let him know that woman had looked for him.
When Julian Donovan finished his discussion with the director and ca out, Juliet Jennings nonchalantly handed him his phone. Julian took it and began scrolling through it as he asked,
"Did anyone call for ?"
Juliet Jennings stepped forward intimately, linking her arm with his and exuding a seductive charm.
"Julian, why don’t you co to my place tonight?"
"I have other plans tonight!"
Julian Donovan raised a hand to adjust his tie, discreetly freeing his arm from her grasp.
"Let’s go. I’ll take you ho first. I’ve secured the role for you, so make the most of it. Even though it’s just a small supporting part, getting screen ti in a major Hollowind blockbuster is an excellent opportunity."
As they spoke, they reached the underground parking garage. Juliet Jennings, who had been walking beside Julian Donovan, suddenly stepped in front of him, blocking his path. She pressed her sultry figure against his, wrapped her arms around his neck, and whispered against his chest,
"Julian, thank you! Thank you for everything you’ve done for ..."
As Juliet Jennings spoke, her voice broke with emotion, and tears of genuine gratitude welled in her eyes. ’I thought that now that he’s so incredibly rich and powerful, he wouldn’t even give a second glance.’
In Julian Donovan’s mory, Juliet Jennings rarely cried. She was incredibly strong-willed; even when she was upset, she never allowed herself to shed a single tear. So, seeing her eyes glistening now, he couldn’t help but soften his voice.
"Don’t say that. Of course I’d help you if you were in trouble."
Juliet Jennings leaned in and kissed him passionately, her slightly lancholic tone making her seem all the more pitiable.
"Julian, I love you. Do you... still love ?"
Julian Donovan froze, his mouth opening and closing.
He wanted to say, ’I still love you,’ but the words wouldn’t co out, as if sothing was caught in his throat.
"Julian..."
Juliet’s lips murmured by his ear, urging him on. Just as Julian was struggling for a response, he saw a sudden flash. The CLICK of a cara shutter echoed through the silent garage. He narrowed his eyes, scanned the area, and then shoved Juliet away, striding toward the photographer.
Ever since hearing what Ken had said, he’d beco paranoid about being photographed by the dia. The thought of his picture being published filled him with dread. Although he had intentionally staged those previous photos for the press, the price he paid had been too steep—so steep that the sound of a cara shutter now instantly brought back the image of her fall.
With a frosty expression on his handso face, he stord up to the photographer and barked,
"Delete the photos!"
Since this was a hotspot for the film industry, reporters often staked the place out for candid shots of celebrities. Caught by Julian Donovan, the reporter tried to defend himself.
Julian Donovan stood there, his expression cold and his presence terrifyingly intense.
"Delete it now! I don’t want to say it again!"
The reporter was reluctant. Julian strode forward, snatched the man’s cara, and smashed it on the ground, shattering it to pieces. Juliet had been watching, ready to intervene as things spiraled out of control. After all, a photo like that would bring her a new wave of publicity. But the sight of him smashing the cara sent a chill straight to her heart.
’He used to tacitly approve of the dating rumors to help my career. Why the sudden change in attitude? Could it be... because of that woman? And just now, he completely avoided my question about whether he still loved .’ This ominous feeling made her clench her fists tightly.
Julian Donovan dusted off his hands and said to the terrified reporter,
"Go to SEVEN to get reimbursed for the cara. From now on, I don’t want to see my picture in the dia. Ever. And make sure you tell your colleagues. Otherwise, you won’t like the consequences."
Although the reporter was furious at being treated this way, he didn’t dare say another word. He’d heard that so of SEVEN’s owners had underworld connections. It was best not to ss with them, or he might end up dead without ever knowing why.
Once the reporter had left, the intimate atmosphere Juliet had so carefully crafted to force his confession of love had completely vanished. Though inwardly frustrated to death, Juliet was smart enough not to press the issue. And so, the two of them got into the car in silence.
After dropping Juliet Jennings off, Julian Donovan drove ho, picking up his phone to call Naomi Shaw. ’She should be awake by now, right? No matter how cold she’s been, I should at least call her.’
Naomi Shaw had just lain down to take a quick nap when a call ca in from Julian Donovan. She frowned. ’Did his first love tell him I called? Well, I’ve already decided on the na, so there’s no need to discuss it with him. I might as well not answer.’
With that, she closed her eyes and tried to go back to sleep, but the phone kept ringing relentlessly. She had no choice but to answer. She said a single "Hello?" and then fell silent. ’He’s calling back now... Don’t tell he wants to flaunt his perfect relationship with his first love.’
But to her surprise, he was silent for a long mont before he finally spoke.
"About the other day, with Juliet, I’m sorry..."
She froze. She hadn’t expected him to apologize. A mont later, a mocking laugh escaped her lips.
"You definitely should be sorry."
She laughed softly.
"But not to . You should be apologizing to Miss Jennings! Being so deeply in love but unable to be together openly... it must be agonizing for you."
With that, she coolly hung up.
’What’s the point? What’s the point of apologizing after I’m already hurt? Does he think that helps?’
Julian Donovan stared blankly at his phone where she had hung up on him, her sarcastic words echoing in his ears. A surge of fury burned in his chest. His foot slamd down on the accelerator, and before he could register the road ahead, the car crashed head-on into a roadside barrier.
After the loud CRASH, he jumped, startled by his own actions. He quickly got out to inspect the damage and saw the front of the car was completely wrecked. He kicked the tire in frustration and let out a string of curses.
Luckily, he was unhurt. He pulled out his phone, about to call for assistance, when a call from Felix Draper ca through. He answered irritably, and Felix’s smug voice imdiately filled the line.
"Julian Donovan, I’m almost embarrassed to admit I know you. How do you manage to crash a high-performance car like this into a road barrier?"
Felix’s taunts made Julian’s insides twist with aggravation. ’Why does he always manage to show up whenever I’m in an embarrassing situation? What a cursed fate! Can I really tell him I crashed the car because I got pissed off during a phone call? I called her with the sincere intention of apologizing, but not only did she reject it, she had to throw those cold, sarcastic words at .’
As he seethed, he looked around for Felix Draper and spotted his flashy yellow sports car parked in front of the mall across the street. The flamboyant owner himself was leaning against it, waving at him.
"Just wait there, I’ll co get you. Tsk, tsk. You’re such an embarrassnt."
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