Listening to his voice, thick with anticipation and nerves, Selina remembered that a month before Nina had moved abroad, Julian had already been preparing this confession.

Even though fate had missed its mark back then, it was simply arriving a few years late.

Upon hearing Nina say "Yes," Selina let out a soft laugh and continued toward the examination room.

The moment she turned the corner, the crowd burst into thunderous applause.

Julian turned at the sound and caught a glimpse of Selina’s lonely, fading figure.

The smile on his face froze for a second, and a strange, hollow sensation tugged at his heart.

But the discomfort lasted only a moment, quickly drowned out by a wave of joy.

He reached out—honestly, openly, and proudly—and pulled Nina into his embrace.

Chapter 4

That night, Selina opened a travel app to look for a direct flight from New York to Madrid.

She had just finished paying for her ticket when Julian walked in with Nina.

"Sel, I’ve got great news. Nina agreed to be with me. I'm a good friend, right? You're the first person I'm telling."

Looking at their tightly interlaced hands, Selina nodded, her tone flat.

"Congratulations."

Nina’s eyes were brimming with happiness as she gave a shy smile. "Thank you for the well-wishes. Your mother told us your injuries were quite severe. How are you feeling? I brought some fish soup; you should have some."

As she spoke, she nudged Julian to serve the soup.

Seeing him follow her instructions so obediently, Selina was stunned for a moment before she regained her composure.

"Thank you, but I don't need the soup."

At those words, Julian’s face instantly darkened. He looked at her with blatant dissatisfaction. "Nina stayed in the kitchen for hours to make this. I didn't even want to give any to you. It was only because Nina was worried about your injuries that I reluctantly agreed to bring some. Don't be so ungrateful."

He poured a bowl and shoved it into her hand, insisting she drink it right then and there.

Selina tried to explain, but he gripped her wrist to keep her from pushing it away.

In the struggle, the bowl was knocked over, and the scalding soup poured directly onto her bandages.

"Ah!"

The pain was so sharp that cold sweat broke out on her forehead. Her face crumpled, turning as pale as a sheet of paper.

Nina gasped in shock, reaching for tissues with a look of pure guilt.

Fearing Nina might get burned, Julian immediately pulled her behind him. "Nina, this has nothing to do with you. She’s been tough as nails since we were kids; she'll be fine. Don't blame yourself."

Selina’s hand trembled as she held the tissue, her heart feeling like it was being squeezed.

A second later, Mr. Sterling burst into the room. Seeing his daughter's wound bleeding again, he frantically called for a nurse.

Mrs. Sterling was heartbroken, but she still managed to politely set the soup aside and explain to Nina.

"Nina, honey, Selina is allergic to seafood. She can't have fish soup. We appreciate the gesture, though. Thank you."

Julian stood frozen in place, his expression becoming awkward and uneasy.

"Why didn't you say something earlier?"

Looking at the blood-soaked gauze, Selina felt nothing but bitterness.

Once, he remembered every single one of her dietary restrictions.

Whenever they went to a restaurant, he would repeatedly emphasize to the server: no seafood, no onions, no cilantro.

But now that he had Nina, his heart and mind were entirely filled with her. Naturally, he wouldn't remember such "small" things.

A person’s heart is only so big; it can only hold one person.

The person he loves most.

After a long silence, she forced a thin smile and replied.

"You never gave me the chance to speak."

The room fell into a deathly silence. Nina looked as if she were about to cry from guilt.

Julian, protective of Nina, said nothing more and led her away.

Due to a wound infection, Selina stayed in the hospital for another three days before being discharged.

As the date for their move drew closer, the Sterling household was busy packing.

Mr. and Mrs. Sterling were too occupied to leave, so they prepared a generous gift and asked Selina to drop by the Thorne residence.

The moment she entered, Mr. and Mrs. Thorne pulled her aside, apologizing profusely.

"Selina, we are so sorry. After all these years together, Julian only protected Nina and ignored you during that crash. It breaks our hearts that you were hurt so badly. We’ll make sure he apologizes to you properly."

Selina shook her head and offered them a gentle smile.

"Miss Nina is Julian's girlfriend. It’s only right that he protects her. Besides, I'm fine now. Please, don't worry about it."

Seeing that she didn't seem to hold a grudge, the Thornes finally relaxed.

After some small talk, Selina brought up the main reason for her visit—the Sterlings' move abroad.

Hearing the news so abruptly, Julian's parents were stunned.

"So sudden?"

"It’s due to a corporate restructuring. We’ve actually been preparing for six months, but it was only confirmed recently. My parents wanted me to come and let you know."

Losing lifelong friends made Julian’s parents sentimental. "Will you ever come back?"

Selina smiled, her voice crystal clear in the quiet living room.

"Once we leave this time, we won't be coming back."

Just then, Julian pushed open the door and stepped inside. He frowned as he looked toward them.

"Who isn't coming back?"

Chapter 5

Mr. and Mrs. Thorne were about to speak, but Selina beat them to it.

"It’s no one. You misheard."

The two elders shot her a bewildered look.

Julian didn't notice his parents' strange expressions; he grabbed Selina and pulled her toward his car.

"Since you're here and the grown-ups are done talking, come with me. I need to take you somewhere."

They drove in silence.

It wasn't until the car came to a stop that Selina realized he had brought her to a high-end luxury boutique.

He ordered the staff to bring out a massive collection of clothes, shoes, and bags, insisting she try them on one by one.

She frowned, her eyes filled with confusion. "What is the point of all this?"

Julian pushed her toward the dressing room, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Just try them on."

Before Selina could refuse again, the staff had already closed the door and begun unboxing the items.

Each time she stepped out in a new outfit, Julian would snap a photo, and then she’d be ushered back into the fitting room.

The cycle repeated endlessly. Selina tried on over a hundred outfits until her energy was drained and her heels were bleeding from the friction of the designer pumps.

Finally, she pushed the staff aside and limped over to Julian, her voice low and heavy. "I don't need you to buy me these things to make up for—"

"Except for that burgundy gown, pack everything else up," Julian interrupted, his voice cool. "Send them to Miss Nina at the Xiangyun Hill Villa."

The rest of Selina’s sentence died in her throat.

She watched him swipe his card with practiced ease, her voice turning raspy. "You brought me here to try these on... just so you could gift them to your girlfriend?"

Julian nodded nonchalantly, a thin smile playing on his lips.

"Exactly. I wanted to buy her some gifts but was afraid I wouldn't pick the right ones. Since you two have a similar build, you’re the perfect fit model. It's foolproof."

"Next, follow me to the dessert shop, the jewelry store, and the cosmetics counter upstairs. You can taste and test everything for me. Only the best for Nina."

Hearing him arrange her entire day without even asking, Selina could no longer suppress the rage simmering in her heart.

"Julian Thorne! I am not a tool for you to use to please your girlfriend!"

Julian had never seen her lose her temper like this. He looked up in shock, only to see her eyes burning a bright, painful red.

"Do you have any idea? I never saw myself as your 'partner' for anything. Every hug, every kiss, even the nights we spent together... I was serious! You don't have to love me back, but you have no right to humiliate me like this!"

Her voice was thick with suppressed sobs. Julian stood frozen, a storm of complex emotions swirling in his chest.

He opened his mouth to explain, but Selina had already turned and vanished into the crowd.

Watching that small figure disappear into the sea of people, Julian’s eyes flickered for a moment.

But a second later, he returned to his usual indifferent self.

Back home, Selina pulled out her suitcases and began packing.

At the dinner table, she frequently heard her parents discussing Julian’s latest grand gestures.

"I heard Julian booked Universal Studios for three days to celebrate Nina’s birthday. He even had roses flown in from Europe. He’s certainly put a lot of heart into it."