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Chapter 17
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Leaving You Bereft Chapter 18
Now that autumn was here, the streets had transformed into rivers of fallen leaves.A fleet of sleek black cars drove into a villa in Brindlewood, making a grand entrance. There were maybe seven or eight in total.The servants tried to stop them from entering, but how could they hold back over 20 men in black?An elderly servant was forcibly dragged in front of Willow. He couldn't stop trembling in fear.Willow's eyes were glacial. "Is Catherine Burke home?"The old servant feigned ignorance, avoiding eye contact and mumbling evasively.Willow paid him no attention and walked straight into the grand hall. Behind her, Annie and the 20-odd security personnel followed closely.Catherine was lounging on her sofa enjoying a self-pamper session when she suddenly found herself surrounded.Startled, she tried to act tough. "What do you think you're doing? This is trespassing! I'm warning you—it's illegal!""Illegal?"Willow emerged from within the crowd, a mocking smile tugging at he
Leaving You Bereft Chapter 19
Without the slightest sliver of mercy, the guards dragged Catherine away.Very soon, her delicate limbs were covered in bruises that were especially stark against her pale skin. Her shrill, unrestrained screams rang through the entire villa."You old hag! You're just jealous because you can't have children yourself. Julian will never forgive you. He'll only love me more and treat me better!"Her words were like needles piercing Willow's heart, inflicting a deep, unrelenting pain.She walked up to Catherine, raising her hand to deliver another slap.But her hand never landed.Julian had arrived in the nick of time.The evening twilight cast shadows over his face, making his grim expression all the more terrifying.He took in the scene before him—the wreckage of the villa, Catherine's swollen face, her bruised limbs. As the frail girl wept pitifully, a storm brewed in the depths of his dark eyes.At that moment, his anger boiled over, clouding his reason. It drove him to commit
Leaving You Bereft Chapter 20
Annie took a deep breath. Choking back her tears, she continued, "Catherine almost killed Ms. Harper's grandmother! She lied and told Madam Harper she was pregnant with your child, causing such a shock that she almost died. Yet, here you are, slapping Ms. Harper for her instead."Julian was taken aback for a moment.Catherine, pregnant? How was that possible?His gaze darkened as he turned to her. "You told Willow's grandmother that you were pregnant?"Catherine was scared out of her wits.Pitifully, she tried to explain to him, "I just couldn't stand her! She's always putting on airs in front of me, so I... Julian, I didn't mean any harm."He abruptly released her and strode out, ignoring her desperate calls.He didn't even spare her a second glance.Catherine was left in shock.For the first time, she had failed to keep Julian on her leash.She refused to believe that Willow still held a place in his heart. Their marriage had clearly been a transaction. How could he possi
Leaving You Bereft Chapter 21
Julian stood there. His face was devoid of emotion. It was impossible to tell what was going through his head.…While Julian was outside, Catherine's parents had rushed over to the villa. Nancy screamed when she saw how the house was in a complete mess."What on earth happened here? Who was it that had the audacity to do this to the Nebula Group's CEO's house?"Catherine held one hand over her cheek. "It was Willow."Nancy's anger diminished almost instantly. However, she snickered a few seconds later. "She won't be able to act haughtily like this for long. We can do pretty much anything we want to an orphan like her once Julian divorces her."Charlie felt his conscience telling him this was not right. He furrowed his brows. "Don't say that. She's Julian's lawfully wedded wife, after all."Nancy was irked. "Lawfully wedded wife? If you ask me, the two of them are just pretending to be a couple. If it weren't for what happened back then…"Charlie called out to Nancy and stopped
Leaving You Bereft Chapter 22
Willow did not want to speak to him. She excused herself and went into the bathroom.She leaned against the wall and stared blankly into space. Willow was waiting for Julian to take the hint and leave.Ten minutes later, the bathroom door opened with a soft creak. A ray of light streamed in through the opened door, and Julian slipped in shortly afterward.There were only the two of them inside that dark space.Willow did not look at him, a sign of her refusing to communicate with him.Julian stopped before her. With his tall form, he towered over Willow. Julian reached out and lightly placed his hand against her cheek. His voice was hoarse yet gentle. "Does it still hurt?"Willow turned her face away. She was repulsed by his touch, and she made sure to show it clearly.However, Julian was not someone who would give up easily. He pushed one leg between Willow's legs and held her chin. He gently caressed her cheek as if he was looking at something precious to him. Yet, Willow mere
Leaving You Bereft Chapter 23
Willow left the hospital and headed home. Julian quickly hurried after her.After she stopped her car, Willow could see Julian standing next to his car, which was parked beside the sycamore tree.When Willow exited her car, Julian moved to block her path. "We need to talk."Willow walked past him and headed for the elevator. "There's nothing for us to talk about, Julian. I'll see you in court."She went up to her floor, and Julian followed behind her. However, Willow did not let him into her apartment.She leaned against the door after closing it. Julian took up a big part of her youth. It was actually really painful for Willow to try and cut him off now.She spent some time organizing her thoughts. Then, Willow took her bathrobe and went for a shower. As for whether Julian would linger outside or leave, it was none of her business anymore.As the night deepened, one could see through the windows of the building the lights going out one after another.Inside a black car parked
Leaving You Bereft Chapter 24
One week later, Willow secured the unit for her business.She signed a contract for five years since the price and location of the unit were ideal. She wrote a check and passed it to the landlord.With the economy having slowed down in recent years, the landlord was very pleased with the fact that Willow wanted to sign a contract for five years.The landlord left shortly afterward since he had other arrangements. On the other hand, Willow remained seated as she tried to finish her coffee. It was a habit she had had for a long time.Just then, she heard a soft female voice. "Willow!"Willow paused for a split second.It was Natalie, Jeffrey's younger sister.Natalie was still a college student. She and Willow were not exactly close. However, she was being very friendly to her that day. Natalie hurried over and clung to Willow's arm while speaking to her enthusiastically.Even someone who was usually aloof and distant like Willow liked how bubbly and lovely the young lady was. Wi
Leaving You Bereft Chapter 25
"Julian's wife is celebrating another man's birthday behind Julian's back.""Well, Julian caught her red-handed.""Julian doesn't love Willow, though. I don't think he'll make a fuss about it."…Julian leaned back against a couch placed in a corner of the room. With his black attire, it was as though he had blended in with the darkness.Even in a place like that, Julian exuded an air of refinement. He seemed like he could be a celestial being who would never be tainted by matters of the mortal world.Julian fixed Willow, who was standing at the door, with an intense gaze.It was obvious that she had dressed up for the occasion.Willow was wearing a greyish-blue satin dress with a fitted waistline, a pearl necklace around her neck, and a pair of diamond earrings. She also paired her outfit with a handbag and a watch of matching colors.She looked both elegant and feminine.No one knew exactly when it was that Willow had started showing these changes.She started showing this
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Leaving You Bereft Chapter 30
After Willow left, Julian headed off to another place. He went up to the rooftop of the Manning Building.The black coats that the two men were wearing flapped in the night breeze. Both men gave off the intimidating auras of the nightjars, which usually came out at night to hunt their prey.Facing the wind, Julian lit a cigarette. He put it between his lips and drew on it. His cheeks were a little sunken as he pulled on the cigarette, making his handsome features a lot sharper.When only half of his cigarette was left, Julian directed his gaze to Jeffrey. His voice was steely."I'm calling off all of our collaborative work. Also, I'm putting the divorce lawsuit between me and Willow on hold for now. If I'm going through with it, I'll have someone else take over the case instead…"Jeffrey asked, "Why?"Julian dropped the butt of the cigarette on the floor and put it out by stepping on it with his leather shoe. His voice hardened even more. "Jeffrey Gibson, you're asking me why?"
Leaving You Bereft Chapter 29
Willow was aware of that, of course. That was why she did not turn down Julian's offer right away. After all, who would say no to earning more money?However, she was no fool. Julian would not just make such a nice offer for no reason. He was not someone who would give away his money so easily.Willow smiled slightly. "What are the duties that I'll have to fulfill?"Julian looked at her and said crudely, "You need to cooperate with me for Project Aurelia. Also, you'll need to satisfy me in bed.""Julian Ziegler!""I have urges."Willow did not agree to it right away. She replied flatly, "I'll consider it."Julian produced a document and handed it to Willow. "This is the agreement. You can get a lawyer to go through the details listed in the document. We can discuss more if you have any other conditions."Even if there's no love between us, we're still family. Think about it, Willow."Willow agreed to consider his offer. Still, she insisted on leaving. She refused to stay there
Leaving You Bereft Chapter 28
Julian took Willow to the suite and opened the door with the access card. It was their first time staying in a hotel room together.The lights were off. All of their senses were heightened. While Willow was still in a daze, she was pressed against the sturdy door and forced to accept Julian's kisses.The faint scent of aftershave and the strong smell of tobacco lingered on his body. All of that invaded Willow's senses while Julian was kissing her passionately. Willow could hardly stay on her feet since her legs were shaking…The two of them stumbled across the room and got to where the couch was. Julian's coat had been taken off, followed by Willow's stockings. Her legs trembled slightly as she felt the fabric of Julian's black suit pants against her skin.Julian caressed her face and demanded, "Say that you don't like Jeffrey."There was no way Willow would say something like that.She did not have any special feelings for Jeffrey. At the same time, she did not want to say those
Leaving You Bereft Chapter 27
That day, for the first time ever, Jeffrey wanted to hold a woman in his arms. It was not out of lust or desire.Instead, Jeffrey simply wanted to hold Willow, wipe away her tears, and kiss those trembling lips.While the others remained silent, Jeffrey asked, "Why do you want a divorce?"The couple standing by the door turned around. Julian looked at his longtime friend with a stony gaze. His voice turned icy. "Do you know what you're doing, Jeffrey Gibson? You should go to the hospital and get yourself sobered up if you're feeling too drunk."Jeffrey rose from his seat slowly."I'm completely sober! I've always been! Have you sobered up, Julian? If you have, you should have realized by now that Willow doesn't love you anymore. You can hold onto her for one to two years, but you can't hold onto her forever."Julian scoffed. "She's still my wife now."Jeffrey fell silent.Natalie, who sat beside him, tugged at his sleeve. She asked cautiously, "Jeffrey, do you like Willow?""M
Leaving You Bereft Chapter 26
In the other corner of the room, Julian leaned forward and stubbed out his cigarette.With his perfect side profile and slender fingers, he looked charming even when he was just doing those simple movements. Then, he stood up and walked over to the group. Julian placed one hand on Willow's shoulder lightly."It's time to go home, Willow."A heavy silence lingered in the air.The others did not expect Julian to be so affected by this. They all assumed that he did not care that much about Willow.Besides, Jeffrey had not overstepped his boundaries. He merely said something ambiguous. It was not as though he had actually stolen something precious from Julian. Yet, Julian had reacted this way.Even back then, he had never acted so defensive when it came to that person. It seemed like being officially married did make a lot of difference.Everyone thought that Willow would surely listen to Julian and follow him home since he had given in first. She would most likely go back to being
Leaving You Bereft Chapter 25
"Julian's wife is celebrating another man's birthday behind Julian's back.""Well, Julian caught her red-handed.""Julian doesn't love Willow, though. I don't think he'll make a fuss about it."…Julian leaned back against a couch placed in a corner of the room. With his black attire, it was as though he had blended in with the darkness.Even in a place like that, Julian exuded an air of refinement. He seemed like he could be a celestial being who would never be tainted by matters of the mortal world.Julian fixed Willow, who was standing at the door, with an intense gaze.It was obvious that she had dressed up for the occasion.Willow was wearing a greyish-blue satin dress with a fitted waistline, a pearl necklace around her neck, and a pair of diamond earrings. She also paired her outfit with a handbag and a watch of matching colors.She looked both elegant and feminine.No one knew exactly when it was that Willow had started showing these changes.She started showing this
Leaving You Bereft Chapter 24
One week later, Willow secured the unit for her business.She signed a contract for five years since the price and location of the unit were ideal. She wrote a check and passed it to the landlord.With the economy having slowed down in recent years, the landlord was very pleased with the fact that Willow wanted to sign a contract for five years.The landlord left shortly afterward since he had other arrangements. On the other hand, Willow remained seated as she tried to finish her coffee. It was a habit she had had for a long time.Just then, she heard a soft female voice. "Willow!"Willow paused for a split second.It was Natalie, Jeffrey's younger sister.Natalie was still a college student. She and Willow were not exactly close. However, she was being very friendly to her that day. Natalie hurried over and clung to Willow's arm while speaking to her enthusiastically.Even someone who was usually aloof and distant like Willow liked how bubbly and lovely the young lady was. Wi
Leaving You Bereft Chapter 23
Willow left the hospital and headed home. Julian quickly hurried after her.After she stopped her car, Willow could see Julian standing next to his car, which was parked beside the sycamore tree.When Willow exited her car, Julian moved to block her path. "We need to talk."Willow walked past him and headed for the elevator. "There's nothing for us to talk about, Julian. I'll see you in court."She went up to her floor, and Julian followed behind her. However, Willow did not let him into her apartment.She leaned against the door after closing it. Julian took up a big part of her youth. It was actually really painful for Willow to try and cut him off now.She spent some time organizing her thoughts. Then, Willow took her bathrobe and went for a shower. As for whether Julian would linger outside or leave, it was none of her business anymore.As the night deepened, one could see through the windows of the building the lights going out one after another.Inside a black car parked
Leaving You Bereft Chapter 22
Willow did not want to speak to him. She excused herself and went into the bathroom.She leaned against the wall and stared blankly into space. Willow was waiting for Julian to take the hint and leave.Ten minutes later, the bathroom door opened with a soft creak. A ray of light streamed in through the opened door, and Julian slipped in shortly afterward.There were only the two of them inside that dark space.Willow did not look at him, a sign of her refusing to communicate with him.Julian stopped before her. With his tall form, he towered over Willow. Julian reached out and lightly placed his hand against her cheek. His voice was hoarse yet gentle. "Does it still hurt?"Willow turned her face away. She was repulsed by his touch, and she made sure to show it clearly.However, Julian was not someone who would give up easily. He pushed one leg between Willow's legs and held her chin. He gently caressed her cheek as if he was looking at something precious to him. Yet, Willow mere
