Chapter8
Even after the helipad jet took off with a roar, Nurse Evelyn stood frozen in place, still in shock.
She never would’ve guessed that the injured young woman who’d spent days in the hospital without a single visitor… came from such an elite family.
Still dazed, she started heading downstairs, only to run right into the head nurse clutching her
stomach, her voice urgent:
“Evelyn! Go draw blood from Miss Sterling in the VIP suite, now!”
Before she could even react, the head nurse had already rushed into the restroom.
Suppressing an exasperated sigh, Evelyn wheeled the treatment cart toward the VIP suite.
Rumor had it that Julian Lancaster had flown in the world’s top psychiatric experts just to ensure Bianca Sterling hadn’t suffered any long–term effects from the drowning incident.
The consultation fees alone could fund an average person’s entire life.
As soon as she pushed open the door, Evelyn was greeted by the sight of Julian Lancaster holding a
hand over Bianca’s eyes.
Her manicured nails were digging into his forearm, drawing blood, but he didn’t even flinch.
Even as the needle pierced Bianca’s skin, he remained motionless, his expression unreadable.
As the IV was removed, Julian gently cradled the tubing in his hands, warming the fluid meant for
her veins.
Even as Evelyn backed away toward the door, she heard Bianca’s sweet, syrupy voice say:
“Julian, do you want a slice of pear? I’ll share mine with you.”
His low chuckle carried a hint of surrender. “No, thank you,” he murmured.
“I won’t leave you, Bianca.”
Evelyn silently sighed.
Men like him–handsome, powerful, and utterly devoted–who’d throw caution to the wind for love?
Chapter8
40.00%
Bianca Sterling was truly blessed.
But what she didn’t know… was that Julian’s gaze had frozen on the piece of pear in Bianca’s hand.
And in the very next second, an old memory came flooding back.
It had been a sunny day.
A breeze carried the sound of wind chimes through the open window, laced with the scent of
wisteria.
He’d sat on the edge of a bed, staring at a girl with her legs crossed, reading a book.
She’d bitten into a pear with delight, her bare legs swaying as she chewed, the soft, milky white of her skin enough to make his heart trip over itself.
“Yeah, it’s sweet,” she’d said, then casually shoved the half–eaten slice into his mouth.
By the time he realized what he’d eaten, his heart had already cracked in two.
“You wouldn’t leave me, right?”
The girl had blinked in surprise at his theatrics, her face blurred like a fogged–up mirror he couldn’t quite see through.
So like two idiots in love, they boarded a plane and flew halfway across the globe just to find his parents on a business trip.
It wasn’t until they were in the air that she burst out laughing.
“You really couldn’t bear to part with me,
huh?”
Watching the “curse” being broken, he finally relaxed, his palms still clammy from nerves.
But his voice had been firm, almost possessive:
“Of course I can’t. And I’ll never give you the chance to leave me.”
Julian pressed a hand to his chest, the memory leaving his heart pounding.
That version of himself, how fiercely he had cherished her.
It was as if letting go of her hand would drown him in a never–ending storm for the rest of his life.
Chapter8
40.00%
Panic bloomed in his chest.
Who was she?
Was it… Charlotte?
The unease returned like a tidal wave, stronger than it had ever been.
It felt like something vital, something irreplaceable, was slipping away from him.
He thought of the kidnapping at the engagement party.
When Charlotte and Bianca were thrown into the ocean, he hadn’t even hesitated, his body had
moved before his mind could catch up.
He saw Charlotte dragging Bianca to the surface, pushing her onto a floating plank while she herself sank like a broken kite into the dark.
Logic had screamed: Save Bianca. She’s your fiancée. She’s your love.
Charlotte had bodyguards. She’d survive.
But the moment he reached Bianca, some instinct yanked at his wrist… pulling him toward the
depths.
That wasn’t right.
Julian tried to rationalize.
They were childhood friends.
Even his parents, and Charlotte herself, had said he only saw her as a sister.
She shouldn’t matter this much.
But what if that girl in his memories was Charlotte?
What did she mean to him then?
Suddenly, Julian stood up.
The chair scraped harshly behind him.
Bianca looked up, confused.
Chapter8
40.00%
He quickly composed himself. “Your IV’s almost done. I’ll go ask the doctor to change it.”
He paced the hallway several times before pulling out his phone.
“Find Charlotte,” he told his assistant. “I need to speak to her.”
He had to ask her himself. Who were they to each other?
The assistant paled, he hadn’t expected this.
Back when they’d arrived at the hospital, Julian Lancaster hadn’t even blinked at Charlotte.
He’d dropped her off at the ER and followed Bianca straight into the VIP suite.
No one had kept track of her since.
Cold sweat dripped down the assistant’s spine as he stammered out a “Yes, sir.‘
He rushed to the ER and began asking around.
“Charlotte Wynn. Where is she?”
The ER nurses exchanged blank looks.
They clearly didn’t recognize the name.
Frustrated, his voice rose.
“She was brought in the same night as Miss Sterling, the one who nearly drowned!”
At that moment, a nurse who had cared for Charlotte happened to pass by.
“Oh, her? She was picked up this morning.”
“By her family.”
She hesitated, then added with a note of awe,
“They left on a private jet.”
