Mr. and Mrs. Thorne kept trying to call him, wanting him to come back.

But after a dozen calls, there was still no answer.

Seeing the food already on the table, Selina thought for a moment and spoke softly. "He’s likely with his girlfriend right now. It’s just a meal; it’s no big deal if he misses it. Let’s not interrupt their date, shall we?"

They had a plane to catch, and indeed, they couldn't wait any longer.

The Thornes finally put down their phones and motioned everyone to sit.

The meal was filled with nostalgia as the two families reminisced about the past.

Selina listened in silence, focusing on her food and rarely speaking.

After finishing, they all took a group photo in the courtyard as a keepsake.

At one o’clock in the afternoon, the Sterlings set off with their luggage, accompanied by the Thornes who came to see them off.

At the airport, Mr. and Mrs. Thorne tried calling Julian several more times.

Still, there was no response.

The couple sighed, looking at their old friends with regret and apology in their eyes.

"Julian has been so busy with the engagement lately. He doesn't even know you’re moving away. When he comes back to find the house empty, he’s going to be heartbroken."

Selina shook her head gently, her voice faint.

"He won't be."

The four elders turned to her in surprise.

"Why?"

The intercom just happened to announce the boarding call. Selina didn't explain; she simply gave the Thornes a polite farewell.

Mr. and Mrs. Sterling took out a red envelope and placed it in their friends' hands.

"We won't be able to make it to the kids' wedding. Julian's dad, please pass on our message. Tell them we wish them a very happy marriage."

In the moment of parting, both families were overwhelmed with emotion.

Selina stood slightly apart, opened her phone, and proceeded to block and delete every single one of Julian’s contact methods.

Once finished, she took her parents' arms, waved to the Thornes, and turned toward the boarding gate.

She never looked back.

Chapter 10

It was nearly midnight when Julian finally returned.

He tossed his coat casually onto the sofa, looked at the empty living room, and asked the maid with a yawn.

"Why was my family calling me so many times yesterday?"

The maid, who was tidying up, answered respectfully.

"The Master and Mistress invited the Sterlings over for dinner. They left yesterday—"

Still simmering with leftover resentment, Julian became impatient the moment he heard the name "Sterling" and cut her off.

"Enough. From now on, you don't need to tell me anything about the Sterlings."

With that, he headed straight to his bedroom.

When he woke up, it was already noon the next day.

As he came downstairs, his parents were having lunch and waved him over.

"Julian, give Selina a call. Ask her if they’ve arrived at—"

He sat down at the table and refused with a cold expression.

"I have to go check out the wedding venue. I don't have time."

Mrs. Thorne didn't press him and instead initiated a video call herself.

The moment the call connected, Nina’s phone call came through to Julian as well.

A tender smile appeared on Julian’s face as he put on his headset.

"Up so early today? I'll come pick you up for breakfast then."

Julian stood up as he spoke. As he passed his mother, he caught a glimpse of the screen.

He saw Selina’s face with a faint smile, set against a background that looked suspiciously like a hotel room.

Why isn't she at home at this hour?

A flicker of suspicion arose in his heart. Just as he was about to ask, he heard Nina ordering breakfast.

"I want crab roe noodles. Come over and let's go together."

He didn't linger. He went to the foyer to change his shoes, vaguely hearing voices from the living room.

"Selina, have you arrived? How's the weather over there?"

Arrived where?

Are the Sterlings on vacation?

Julian could only think of this one possibility.

However, he didn't give it much thought and hurried out the door.

For the next month, Julian was consumed by wedding preparations, leaving early and returning late every day.

Time gradually eroded the anger in his heart.

Slowly, he began to let go of the incident at the bar. He figured that as long as Selina came to apologize and give him a way out, he would act as if nothing had happened.

But Selina seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth. No news, no traces.

Julian wasn't worried in the slightest.

After all, no matter where she had gone, given the history between their families, the Sterlings were bound to attend his wedding.

When the time came, Selina would be forced to attend even if she was unwilling.

He was full of confidence and relaxed, already imagining the scene of their reconciliation. He had even thought of the exact words he would use to give her a "graceful exit."

Yet, until the day before the wedding, as he passed by the Sterling residence on his way home, the entire villa remained dark.

He intentionally stopped the car and rang the doorbell. He waited a long time, but no one came out.

Looking at the dark windows, Julian felt an inexplicable sense of unease.

He took out his phone and opened his chat with Selina.

The latest message was still the invitation he had sent on his birthday.

He couldn't help but type out a line.

"Just letting you know, my wedding is tomorrow."

His finger hovered over the send button for a long time, but in the end, Julian didn't press it.

In his relationship with Selina, he was accustomed to being the one in control, the one in the superior position.

He didn't want to be the one to back down first.

However, he was restless all night and didn't sleep well.

The next day, he was up by three or four in the morning to begin his hair and makeup.

After the traditional ceremonies, he took Nina to the wedding venue.

He had stepped into this hotel countless times before, feeling nothing but the joy of finally achieving his heart's desire.

But today, for some reason, as he looked at the dreamlike, romantic hall, Julian felt a sense of trance.

Am I really getting married?

Am I truly taking Nina as my wife?

The moment he had longed for was now within reach.

Yet, he wasn't as certain as he once was.

Chapter 11

There were only ten minutes left before the wedding ceremony was set to begin.

Julian had searched the entire hall and backstage area, but there was still no sign of the Sterling family.

A sixth sense told him that Mr. and Mrs. Sterling—and Selina—would likely not be attending this wedding.

The moment the thought surfaced, Julian’s already frantic heart began to beat even faster, nearly leaping out of his chest.

What followed was a wave of endless irritability and dread.

He took out his phone, tapping through his contacts and WeChat interface with visible agitation.

A few minutes later, the best man informed him it was time to take his place.

Finally making up his mind, Julian rushed toward the stage area while simultaneously placing a call to Mr. Sterling.

A minute later, a resonant voice boomed from the receiver.

"Julian? Isn't your wedding about to start? What made you think to call your uncle at a time like this?"

Hearing the continuous sound of crashing waves, Julian’s heart sank to the bottom. He forced out a faint smile.

"Yes... it's precisely because of the wedding. I wanted to ask if you and Auntie were coming to watch the ceremony?"

"I'm sorry, Julian. Our whole family is traveling right now. We won't be able to make it to your wedding. We wish you and Nina a happy marriage and a lifetime of harmony."

The words were clearly meant as a blessing, but to Julian’s ears, they tasted like ash.

He glanced at his watch and uttered a sentence that even he found hard to comprehend.

"It’s okay. You’re at the beach, right? You can drive back right now; you should still be able to make it in time for the ceremony."

There was a long silence on the other end before Mr. Sterling’s shocked voice came through.

"Julian, we are in Barcelona. Didn't your parents tell you..."

At the mention of Barcelona, Julian froze completely.

Spain?

What were the Sterlings doing in Spain?

And what was it that his parents were supposed to tell him?

A string of questions bubbled up like foam, completely taking over Julian’s mind.

He forgot all about the wedding, spun around, and ran back to the backstage area. He grabbed his parents, his tone more urgent than ever before.

"Mom, Dad, Mr. Sterling says they’re in Spain. Didn't you tell them I'm getting married today?"