Julian turned his face away, unwilling to watch the act any longer.

The drizzle grew thicker, and Scarlett turned to go to the car to get an umbrella.

The sorrow on Xavier’s face vanished instantly. He leaned closer to Julian, his lips curling into a malicious arc. "What’s wrong? Does it hurt to see Scarlett and me together?"

"Your parents died quite timely. Otherwise, seeing their son shamelessly trying to seduce his foster mother, they would probably be so angry they'd die all over again."

Julian trembled all over. "Shut up!"

Xavier sneered and suddenly reached out to grab the necklace around his neck—

It was the only heirloom his parents had left him.

"Give it back!"

Julian struggled, but the necklace was violently snapped by Xavier, and the beads scattered across the ground.

"You!" Julian’s voice shook, tears streaming down his face. "What exactly do you want?! I’ve already stepped aside for you, why do you still do this!"

Xavier was about to speak when he caught sight of Scarlett approaching with an umbrella and instantly transformed.

"Scarlett..." he choked out, turning as if to leave. "Julian doesn't welcome me. In the future... you'd better not bring me here anymore."

Scarlett’s face darkened instantly. "Julian! Xavier came out of the goodness of his heart to see your parents, and this is your attitude?"

She took Xavier’s arm, her voice icy. "Xavier and I are one. Since you won't let him come, you don't need to call for me either in the future."

She finished speaking and pulled Xavier away.

Julian stood there, watching their receding figures as rainwater mixed with his tears.

He crouched down, trembling as he picked up the beads from the ground.

His parents' heirloom, his last keepsake, had been destroyed just like that.

Just like the feelings he had carefully cherished all these years.

Shattered completely.

...

The cold rain lashed against his face as Julian shakily tucked the broken necklace into his bag.

The road outside the cemetery was empty. He stood in the rain for a long time, but no one accepted his order on the ride-hailing app.

Rainwater dripped from the ends of his hair. He wiped his face and was about to try another app—

Blinding headlights suddenly pierced through the curtain of rain.

Boom!

The moment the searing pain hit, Julian didn't even have time to make a sound. His body was thrown through the air like a broken doll, slamming heavily onto the water-logged pavement.

Warm blood seeped from his forehead, mixing with the rain to bloom into a scarlet stain beneath him.

His vision began to blur. Instinctively, he pulled out his phone. Before his brain could even process it, his fingers habitually dialed the number he knew by heart.

"Hello?"

Xavier’s voice came through the speaker, carrying an ill-concealed sense of triumph.

"Scarlett said she doesn't want to see you right now." He gave a light chuckle. "Julian, you're on your own. If you call again, we're blocking you."

The call was hung up decisively.

Beep— Beep—

The cold dial tone exploded in his ear like a dull knife, carving into his heart.

Julian lay in a pool of blood, the rain hitting his face and mixing with his tears.

"Julian..."

"Remember today... remember this pain..."

"From now on, even if you die..."

"You are not allowed to depend on her again. You must set her free and leave her world completely."

His trembling fingers clicked on the contact list. That pinned number was still painfully familiar.

Scarlett.

He stared at those characters for a long time, until the screen dimmed and then lit up again. Then, he pressed the delete button.

Finally, using the last of his strength, he dialed the emergency services.

"Help... me..."

...

When Julian woke up again, the first thing he saw was the stark white ceiling of the hospital.

"Mr. Julian, you're finally awake."

He turned his head slightly and saw Scarlett’s secretary standing by the bed, holding a medical chart.

"In order to save you, President Scarlett mobilized top medical resources from home and abroad. She stayed by your side for three days and nights before going to rest." The secretary’s tone was accusatory. "Don't upset the President anymore. She has been troubled enough by your affairs lately."

Julian gazed blankly out the window.

It had been two lifetimes now.

In his last life, he ran away from home, and she searched for him for three days and nights, eventually dying to save him.

In this life, he was in a car accident, and she still watched over him for three days and nights.

He thought that as long as he let go of his obsession with her, she could be happy.

But it seemed that his very existence was a form of torment for her.

Fortunately, it was all about to end.

On the day he was discharged from the hospital, he returned to the villa alone.

As he pushed the door open, he was met with the sight of Scarlett pressed against the wall, being kissed by Xavier.

Seeing him, Xavier pulled away abruptly. "Julian is here, let’s continue in a bit..."

Scarlett, however, remained composed, her arm still draped around Xavier's waist. "We are in a relationship. It’s perfectly normal for people in love to kiss."

She looked up at Julian by the door, her gaze indifferent. "Besides, it doesn't matter if he sees."

"Knowing who I love should make him understand—" Her voice was cool and clear, each word sharp and deliberate. "My feelings for him have only ever been familial, never romantic."

Every word was like a knife, stabbing precisely into Julian's heart.

He remembered his past life; even when he had drugged her, she had called out Xavier’s name in her blurred consciousness. After they married, she never touched him, refusing to give even a simple embrace.

He had once naively believed that time could warm her heart.

Only now did he realize that forced love would never be sweet.

He headed upstairs in silence. His phone vibrated with a message from Vivian: "Julian, our visas are approved. We can leave tomorrow. Have you finished packing?"

Just as he finished replying, his door was suddenly pushed open.

Xavier barged in, unceremoniously rummaging through his things.

"Don't touch my stuff!" Julian stepped forward to stop him.

Xavier sneered. "Scarlett and I are getting married sooner or later. This will be my home. As someone living under another's roof, what right do you have to tell me what to do?"

He pulled a bottle of pills from a drawer, his eyes lighting up. "Aphrodisiacs? Julian, I knew you hadn't given up!"

Julian’s face went pale.

In his previous life, he had harbored designs on Scarlett and bought the medication long ago, but after his rebirth, he had forgotten to dispose of it.

"Give it back!" He lunged for it, but Xavier shoved him to the ground.

Xavier ran downstairs with the bottle, embellishing the story to Scarlett. "Scarlett, look at what he prepared! If I hadn't found it, who knows what he would have done?"

Scarlett stared at the bottle, her eyes turning instantly cold.

"Julian," her voice was terrifyingly low. "What did you plan to do with this?"

Julian opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

How could he explain? Should he say he truly had those thoughts in his past life? Or that he simply forgot to throw it away in this one?

No one would believe in rebirth.

His silence caused the light in Scarlett's eyes to turn to ice.

Slap!

A heavy blow landed on his face.

Julian’s head snapped to the side, his cheek burning with pain.

This was the first time Scarlett had ever laid a hand on him.

He bit his lip hard, forcing back the tears.

"Scarlett, if I hadn't found this..." Xavier pulled Scarlett into his arms, his voice trembling with feigned fear. "Who knows what he would have done? He clearly hasn't given up on you. Do you still want to keep him around?"

Scarlett’s expression was deathly dark.

"Butler!" she barked. "Take him to the suburban villa immediately. He is not to set foot in this house again without my permission!"

Julian stood quietly, offering no defense and no plea for mercy.

That night, Julian packed his belongings in silence.

Before leaving, he took one last look at the place where he had lived for over a decade.

Scarlett stood by the second-floor window, watching coldly as he got into the car, without a single word to ask him to stay.

The next morning, as the first light broke, Julian went to the police station.

"Hello, I’d like to change my name. I want to change my surname to match Scarlett's," he said calmly, handing his documents to the officer. "And I want to be moved into Scarlett's household registration. List my status as her son."

Seven years ago, Scarlett had suddenly mentioned formalizing his adoption, wanting him to take her name and be part of her family registry.