The more Julian spoke, the more absurd he sounded. Diana listened in disbelief. She looked at Julian, as if he had committed a grave mistake. "This isn't the first time you've suspected him of intentionally causing trouble for himself."However, the car accident was clearly just that—an accident. If anyone had to take responsibility, it could only be Diana. It was why she was working so hard to make amends."I hope this is the last time," Diana issued her final warning, her tone stern. "Also, if I'm not around, don't enter his room alone."After all that was said, she still didn't believe Julian hadn't given Simon a hard time just now. Julian wasn't pleased. "Whatever."His words were accompanied by an icy gaze, enough to make one shudder.He was angry, but Diana wasn't in the mood to placate him anymore. She was too tired to waste her thoughts on dealing with him.Seeing that she was ignoring him completely, Julian grew even angrier. The fury simmering under his skin was r
Diana looked at his defiant expression, and couldn't help but find it amusing. "Why is it that the more we talk, the more petty you become? You're an adult. Can't you just talk to me normally? Why do you have to make Betty relay your message?"However, Julian didn't listen and was persistent. "Sweetie, tell your mommy I don't want to talk to her."Betty hesitated for a while, but she quickly raised her adorable round eyes. In a childlike voice, she said, "Mommy, Daddy said he doesn't want to talk to you.""Julian, have you forgotten? What did the doctor say last time during the child psychology lecture? He said we must create a healthy family environment to—"Before Diana could finish her sentence, Julian interjected, "Sweetie, tell your mommy I'm done eating."With that, Julian left, intending to return to his own room. Diana watched his retreating figure. She was so angry, she could feel herself getting a heart attack."Julian, do you really not care about the children? Do yo
In Julian's bedroom, Sean told him, "Go apologize to Mommy."He was frowning when he pushed the door open. When he ordered Julian, his tone was startlingly mature. It was quite interesting. Diana was angry with Julian, and so was the little one.Julian crouched to Sean’s level. "Do you know what happened between your mommy and me? And now, you want me to apologize to her?"Sean shook his head, arms crossed. His one leg was on the ground, while the other was raised against the wall. He looked at Julian, his face icy and aloof. "Women need to be appeased," he said with a stern face, like the strictest teacher in school. He sounded dead serious. "Whether she's right or wrong, it's always your fault. This is the only way your love can last."Julian was shocked by his son's words. "...Little man, do you even know what love is?""Of course." Sean glanced at him flatly, then turned and left the room. Shortly after, he returned with a small backpack. Betty rested her cheek on her
Such a young child had taught Julian how to do things with such a mature tone, with a cool and aloof expression to boot.Julian took the doll from Betty, then went to Sean to borrow an electric toy motorcycle."Daddy, what are you going to do?" Betty asked curiously.She followed Julian like a little tail, never leaving his side for a moment.Julian didn't want her running around behind him, so he picked her up and held her with one arm while continuing to work with the items in his hand.Layla had come to clean the room, when she saw Julian working with Betty in his arm. She thought it was hard on him. She wanted to advise him not to carry Betty all the time, just like she did with Diana. "If you keep carrying Ms. Betty like this, she'll get used to it."Betty was almost three years old. Yet, she still clung to Julian every day. She didn't even want to walk on her own anymore.Julian sneered. "How long will I be able to carry her like this?"When the children grew up, he wou
On the small motorcycle was the doll Betty often carried. As for the toy motorcycle, it belonged to Sean. It was a toy Simon once bought for Sean to play with in the past. Even though Sean often moved it around, he had never played with it.Why did he suddenly decide to play with it today?Diana, curious, approached the small motorcycle and picked it up.Simon's thoughts matched hers. "Did Sean bring it in?""Seems like it." Diana opened the letters stacked behind the small motorcycle. After a quick glance, her expression changed.Simon saw her troubled expression, and quickly asked, "What's wrong?" "Nothing." She forced a smile despite her uneasy face. She checked the massage machine's timer, and said to Simon, "I need to do something for a bit. Wait here for me, okay?"With his legs in their current state, there was little he could do other than wait."Is it about Sean?""Yes. I need to discuss something with Julian."Saying that, she took the small motorcycle, the doll,
To maintain a peaceful relationship between the two, it might be best to avoid mentioning Simon's existence altogether. At the very least, Diana should try to downplay Simon's significance in front of Julian. The fact that he was personally speaking to her now, instead of having Betty relay messages, was already a sign of submission. She understood this man's oddities, even though they were often unexplainable. Although his quirks were often a bit puzzling, she could still read him well. "Sure." As expected, Julian was being difficult. He refused to give in easily. "Tell me, then. Why are you here?" Diana was speechless. Well, it was true she was the one who initiated this meeting. She was a bit stifled inside, but she followed his lead and continued, "What's the deal with these love letters?" "What could be the deal? Sean’s just popular." He raised an eyebrow and asked her, "Aren't you happy? Or do you think Sean is too young for this?" It wasn't that. Diana could u
Now, Julian seemed like a child who had done something wrong. His thoughts were a mess, and he was unable to understand where Diana's sadness was coming from."In our children's hearts, you want to replace me, their dad. Shouldn't I be the sad one?" Julian quickly took Betty in his arms. Like coaxing a child, he used a tissue to gently wipe Diana's face. He comforted her softly, "Shh. Don't cry. Be good. Let me wipe away those tears, okay?" Seeing his slightly hunched and nervous appearance and his increasingly soothing tone, Diana's heart suddenly softened. It was like being brushed by a feather, a gentle touch.She lowered her head. She acknowledged his words, like a child admitting her mistake. "I won't cry."She had such a good boyfriend. In moments when she was being difficult, when she was stubbornly trying to take everything on herself, thinking she could handle and balance everything, he always offered her the greatest patience.Independence...It wasn't about not rely
Julian’s eyes gleamed coldly. When he turned to look from Diana to Simon, his demeanor changed. It transformed from a burning flame to a piercing chill.Diana poked him, reminding him to watch his attitude.Julian started getting impatient, but he remembered the vulnerable look Diana gave him when she hugged him. He controlled himself. “Okay,” he said. He removed the massage device from Simon.Simon looked cautiously at him. “Julian…” Simon kept ruffling Julian’s feathers, but Julian went on smiling. “What’s the matter?”“Nothing.” Simon glanced at Diana, looking slightly anxious. “It’s just that… Next time, let me remove the device myself.”His words made Diana immediately notice that something was wrong. “Was Julian too rough on you just now?” “No, no.” Simon waved his hands. “He’s just very strong. He probably didn’t do it on purpose.”Julian’s face darkened with displeasure.How was he strong just now? How did he not do it on purpose just now?Julian reined his temp
“Life is all about reconciliation.” Decades passed in the blink of an eye. Diana’s children had all grown up.Kate and Isaac had both passed away. Even Diana’s old friends, Fanny and Oliver, had left the world too.Fanny was never able to get pregnant again after that rainy night. She had gradually let go of her desire to get pregnant under Oliver’s persuasion.They stayed relentlessly by each other’s side, albeit childless. Over the years, having experienced all that life had to offer and being each other’s best friend, Oliver died on a peaceful night, never awaking again.Fanny held his hand while sending him off, and closed her eyes forever as well.Diana had seen too many people off in her lifetime.She had grown old herself, too. She could see her life slowly ebbing away.“Julian, I’m so happy to have lived my life with you.” She had transformed from a disgraced young woman to Mrs. Fulcher, respected by all in Richburgh. Julian even took care of her in person when she
He blurted those words instinctively.He had been waiting so long for a pair of daughters, yet when the doctor came over, he saw a pair of sons instead.Diana thought the hospital must have made a mistake and kicked up a fuss, insisting that she had a pair of daughters. She insisted for them to check the footage from the surveillance camera to see if there was a mix-up. The culprit, Julian, could only stand guiltily at a corner and mumble, “Actually…sons are fine too.”As long as it was their children, it didn’t matter whether they were girls or boys. Either way, Diana was the only woman he loved his entire life. Even his love for his only daughter Betty didn’t match up to that.After witnessing Diana giving birth, Julian’s love for Diana went up a notch, to the point of paranoia.For the rest of their lives, he made sure to never let her worry or touch cold water.He took great care of her.Kate finally appeared two years after Diana gave birth.When the mother and daughter
Nina mentioned the Jenningses. “The Jennings family is gone overnight, just like that.”Diana wasn’t shocked.She guessed that Julian had wanted to do that for a while. Not just for her and to seek justice for the Lemmington family, but also for Simon.Although Julian never allowed Simon to call him his brother, he had wanted to annihilate everything that was involved with the Hughes family since Simon’s death.Him making his move on the Jenningses indicated that the time had come.“Congratulations,” Diana said to Nina. “Has Vans come back to you?”“No,” Nina said with a shake of her head. “Lina Jennings isn’t the only thing standing in between us. We have problems of our own to overcome.”Diana sighed. “I think Marcus is pretty good.”She felt relaxed and comfortable around him.Even if Vans came round and worked with Julian to bring down the Jenningses, and had no feelings whatsoever for Lina, Diana wasn’t exactly eager to be with him.As if they had telepathy with each oth
“He doesn’t need to be jailed,” Fanny said, confused. “One word from him, and his lawyers will be able to exonerate him. I just don’t understand why he’d rather go to jail.”“He wants to pay for his father’s sins,” Diana said with a sigh.Fanny didn’t know what to think of that. Was Oliver innocent, or not? He even went to such great lengths to stop her.Yet, the moment she declared that she would never compromise and would rather be under the protection of Diana than to be involved with Oliver, he clearly looked like he was in a daze.Diana noticed that Fanny hardly smiled over the past few days, and rubbed her hand comfortingly. “He just wants a clean start with you.”Fanny’s heart shook. She couldn’t sleep the entire night.The next morning, she told Diana, “Today’s the day of his trial and sentencing. I want to see him.”Diana asked Julian to send a few bodyguards with Fanny on her trip there.When she returned, she looked as if a heavy burden had been lifted from her shoul
Fanny bet that he wouldn’t dare.That was equivalent to eliminating all chances he stood with Diana.Julian witnessed the scene unfolding before him. Instead of getting frustrated, he stood quietly there, ready to protect Diana, as he watched Fanny and Oliver fight it out with each other.Oliver was confused. “Why not?”He glanced at Diana, and went on, “I did like Diana in the past, but I have since given up on those feelings for her. Fanny Smith, is your heart made of stone? Can’t you tell who the woman I like is after all this time?”Fanny was stunned, feeling suffocated as if something was stuck in her throat. “Don’t tell me it’s me.”Oliver was dumbfounded. Who else could he be talking about? The stars in the sky?Fanny felt indignant under his glare. “If you like me, why did you say that I’m just a child-bearing tool for you?”“If I didn’t say that, would I be able to keep you confined in the villa? Would I be able to dash all your hopes and make you feel hopeless?”
Oliver would never let her go. “Fanny Smith, don’t even think about leaving me in this life!”That was when Diana and Julian hurriedly made their way.Sean located Oliver very accurately. Diana saw the scene unfolding before her, and couldn’t help but recall everything that happened in Jacroaof. She hurriedly told Noel to take Sean outside and wait. She couldn’t afford to gamble on Sean’s safety. She didn’t want Sean exposed to any form of danger right under her nose.Her actions made Oliver tense. “Diana, do you think I’ve gone mad?” He grabbed Fanny’s hand, as if he was holding onto the most precious treasure in the world.Diana didn’t answer him, but she threw her bag that Julian was helping her carry toward Fanny.She was exerting so much force for a pregnant lady, looking as if she wanted to fight with Fanny.Even Julian didn’t know what Diana was trying to do, not to mention Fanny herself.By the time he snapped back to attention and wanted to stop Diana from doing s
However, Fanny must let go of her hatred and past grudges first.The mention of children made Fanny waver. The hatred in her eyes grew even more intense. “Oliver Channing! The cheek of you to mention children!” What gave him the right to say that?!“We agreed,” Oliver said. He didn’t find anything wrong with that. “Fanny, if you want to leave that villa and be free once more, you must give birth to a child of ours.”“What about the child I lost just a few days ago?” Fanny demanded. She found him unreasonable. “Over the past few days, have you ever thought of him, or felt like you let him down? We haven’t even resolved the issues between us, and you want me to get pregnant again. Are you really ready to be a father?!”“I want you to get pregnant again?” Oliver said as he drew closer to her. His eyes were dark, looking as if he wanted to crush Fanny and put her in his pocket. “Weren’t you the one who tried to seduce me by wearing a revealing dress in my house? Fanny Smith, do
Julian stopped talking to the butler, but he was already making plans in his heart.He returned to the study, and told Diana, “Fanny and Oliver have been fighting for a long time, and it might be over something that might potentially destroy their relationship.”In fact… “Fanny might no longer love Oliver right now.”However, the fact that Oliver faked her death and confined her was enough to show that he still cared for her.If he realized that Fanny no longer loved him, he might do something even crazier.“Let’s hurry up and save her, then!” Diana said.“Wait,” Julian said calmly, “I’m not done with my prediction.”“What?”“Oliver really doesn’t like you now.” Julian’s mood lifted as he arrived at his final conclusion. “We can step in to help Fanny.”Diana was dumbfounded.She had thought that Julian went to such great lengths to analyze the situation for the sake of saving another. To think that his possessiveness took over, and he prioritized figuring out Oliver’s feeli
The three of them entered the study.None of them expected to see a portrait of Diana right in the middle of the study.The portrait was most likely drawn by copying a photo. In the portrait, Diana was eating something with a smile. It looked like the day when Diana encountered a pervert on the train and Oliver stepped in to help her and treated her to a meal.Did she smile so tenderly at him at that time?“You couldn’t have smiled so happily at that time when we were fighting over Kayla.”It was a portrait, not a photo. It was likely that the owner of this portrait added his own interpretation and features when he commissioned this portrait.“He still has feelings for you,” Julian said coldly.He no longer wanted to interfere with the affairs of the Channings.However, Diana disagreed. “If he really had feelings for me, he wouldn’t hang my portrait up so boldly right here.”The fact that Oliver could display the portrait for all to see proved that his feelings for Diana were