Chapter 4

The private room door burst open with a loud bang. A shadowy blur shot straight in, kicking Mr. Thompson to the ground, then swiftly unleashed a flurry of punches, landing blow after brutal blow.

Immediately after, three to five tall, burly men in black suits entered. Cries for mercy filled the entire room. The others just stood by, watching helplessly, wanting to intervene but too afraid to step forward.

“Mike, when did Mom and Dad hire a bodyguard with *that* kind of strength? He’s had enough, tell him to stop.” I couldn't watch anymore, so I spoke to the head bodyguard.

“Miss, he’s not one of ours.”

???

I turned to look at the figure not far away, a suspicion forming in my mind.

“That’s enough. I remember you not being so impulsive.”

Hearing my voice, Julian finally stopped. To be honest, it was my first time seeing such a ruthless side of him. The Julian in my memories had always been easygoing and calm, as if losing control of his emotions was an impossibility for him. This included when he confessed to me because of a dare, when we first kissed, and even when we broke up. He didn't spare me a glance, didn't say anything, just walked out expressionlessly.

It was Chloe, however, whose expression subtly changed when she glanced at the watch on Julian’s wrist. That Patek Philippe alone could buy a luxury downtown condo.

After Julian left, I knelt beside Mr. Thompson with a look of feigned guilt. “That was a bit too rough.” The next second, with a practiced twist, I snapped his hand. A shriek echoed through the room once more.

“Everyone, please continue to enjoy your meal.” I waved goodbye to everyone with a friendly smile. When I walked out of the private room, Julian was already gone. He wasn’t answering his phone, and I was wondering what had gotten into him.

Not long after, Chloe came running out and called out to me. “Aria, don’t be so impulsive. If you don’t apologize, not only will you lose the female supporting role you secured, but the company will completely sideline you.”

She looked at me with a worried expression, but failed to control the upward curve of her lips. I was all too familiar with the true face beneath that facade. When we were both new hires at the company, she locked me in the dressing room. If Julian hadn’t arrived in time, I would have missed my audition for my debut movie.

“I haven’t seen you act so well in your roles, but you’re quite good at pretending. The female lead is yours, Liam is yours, you must be very pleased.”

“You misunderstood me.” Despite her words, when she leaned close to my ear, her tone turned chillingly cold. “How glorious you once were, Aria. Now you’re still crushed under my heel. You loved Liam so much, yet he still fell hopelessly in love with me.”

I suddenly thought of the shrimp-peeling scene I’d witnessed earlier. Chloe truly seemed to believe she had found true love.

“Then enjoy it while you can.” Once you see his true colors, I doubt you’ll be happy anymore.

Walking out of the restaurant, Mike couldn’t help but ask, “Miss, are we just going to let this go?”

“I have my own plans. And you guys, don’t tell Mom and Dad what happened tonight.”

After parting ways with the bodyguard team, I opened my phone’s navigation and walked to a nearby alley. After several twists and turns, I finally reached my destination. A crudely placed sign stood before me, with five words written on it: Mori Private Investigations.

Although the location was a bit out of the way, many wealthy socialites liked to hire them to collect evidence of their husbands’ infidelity, so I figured their capabilities must be decent.

…

It was late at night when I got home. The light by the front door had broken at some point, and I only saw a dark silhouette pacing back and forth. Feeling uneasy, I called a few security guards to surround the area from all sides.

Getting closer, I realized it was Julian. The moment he saw me, his eyes reddened and his lips quivered, like a scolded child. “Why are you home so late?”

I had never seen Julian drunk before. He reeked of alcohol; I had no idea how much he’d had. After explaining to the security guards, I practically carried him into the house.

“Why did you go to that drinking party? I don’t want you to be subjected to that kind of humiliation,” he murmured beside my ear, his breath gently brushing my cheek. I jolted, and my grip loosened, causing Julian to slide quickly down, and with a thud, his head hit the coffee table.

That really looked painful. As I helped him up, I faintly heard him apologize and ask what he had done wrong. I paused for a moment. “It’s not your fault. Perhaps I was just overthinking things.”

The next morning, the air was permeated with the aroma of food. Watching Julian busy in the kitchen, it felt as though time had suddenly rewound to a year ago.

“Breakfast will be ready soon. Don’t worry about the trending topic; I’ve already sent someone to handle it.”

“What trending topic?” My heart lurched, and my hand, pulling the chair, paused.