Xavier pulled out his phone and made a call with perfect composure.

Only after hearing the confirmation that Julian had left several days ago did his heart finally find some peace.

The tires screeched against the ground as Scarlett gripped the steering wheel with a death grip.

The navigation showed fifteen kilometers to go, and the speedometer was nearing its limit.

Gravel on the mountain road constantly struck the undercarriage, yet she didn't even consider slowing down.

Suddenly, with a loud bang, the SUV crashed heavily into the mountain slope on the right.

The airbags deployed instantly. Scarlett’s forehead grazed the windshield, and blood flowed down her brow and into her eyes.

She tore off her silk scarf to press against the wound and restarted the car.

When the silhouette of the villa finally appeared in her sight, Scarlett practically kicked the car door open.

Her blood-stained shoes left messy footprints on the marble floor. She rushed up the stairs and threw open the door to Julian’s room.

He indeed hadn't come here to stay. The entire room was exactly as it had been before.

There wasn't even a trace of his belongings having been moved in.

The room was terrifyingly silent.

"Where is he?"

Scarlett grabbed the butler by the collar.

The butler was terrified by the sight of her face covered in blood.

"President Scarlett, why are you here? You didn't give any notice."

"I asked you, where is he?"

"The Young Master specifically instructed me before he left not to disturb you while you were handling group affairs..."

A seed of doubt flashed in her heart.

Based on her understanding of Julian, he would never say something like that.

"Did he never move in at all?"

She suddenly gripped the butler's collar tighter and asked coldly.

The butler immediately began to stammer, unable to speak clearly.

"Don't make me repeat myself."

"Yes... the Young Master never came. It was Mr. Xavier who told me not to tell you, saying he didn't want you to worry."

"Xavier?"

The butler’s words made her face turn increasingly grim. She never expected this to be Xavier’s doing.

She had already sent Julian here.

Why would he still do this?

Scarlett couldn't understand.

"President, please have mercy! This has nothing to do with me!"

"Where is the surveillance footage I asked for?"

The butler didn't dare hide anything further and tremblingly handed over the surveillance video.

On the screen, Julian got out of the car and dragged his suitcase away into the curtain of rain.

In the final shot, he looked back at the villa, his face wearing a calmness Scarlett had never seen before.

Scarlett released the butler and went downstairs.

Carrying a final sliver of hope, she returned home.

However, when she burst into the house, she saw Xavier sitting leisurely in Julian’s original room.

"Scarlett, why are you back so late?"

"I called you, but you didn't answer."

Xavier was interrupted before he could finish.

"Julian is missing."

"Isn't he at the suburban villa? How could he be missing? Is he still throwing a tantrum at you?"

Xavier feigned surprise.

"Perhaps."

Only then did Scarlett remember that the rooms had already been swapped.

The moment she closed the door, she remembered what the butler had said.

She suddenly felt as if she didn't truly know Xavier.

Scarlett clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms.

This time, she was truly panicked. An unprecedented dread completely consumed her.

She didn't know where to look for him, and even less if she still had a chance to bring him back to her side.

Looking at the many missed calls on her phone, the unease in her heart grew even stronger.

And on the day Julian had called, she had seen it and simply chose not to answer on purpose.

Seeing that the WeChat messages were from several days ago, she immediately sent a message, but only received the bright red error prompt.

Refusing to give up, she continued to call, only to find the line wouldn't go through.

Scarlett couldn't sit still. She irritably grabbed her coat and hurried out the door.

The plane took off slowly. Julian stared out the window, somewhat lost in thought.

His fingers unconsciously traced the edge of his boarding pass as the scenes from three months ago surfaced in his mind again.

"Scarlett, let’s go to the ocean. We haven't traveled together in so long."

He had handed the travel itinerary to Scarlett with a heart full of expectation.

At that time, Scarlett was staring at her phone. Without looking up, she said, "The company is too busy lately. Maybe next time."

Later, he mentioned travel plans several more times, but the answer was always "next time."

Until one day, he saw a photo of Scarlett and Xavier on social media.

In the photo, Scarlett’s gaze was tender as she carefully straightened Xavier’s wind-blown hair. The background was the Maldives—the place he had been longing to visit.

In that moment, Julian felt his heart contract sharply.

It wasn't that she didn't have time; she just didn't want to go with him.

The many confessions he had carefully prepared were nothing more than a burden in her eyes.

The heart he had offered up had ultimately been given to the wrong person.

Recalling that name again, he couldn't stop the faint, lingering ache in his heart.

But since he had decided to let go, he had to make a clean break.

Scarlett had raised him, and he had saved Xavier’s life with a blood transfusion.

Regardless, he had settled the debt. From now on, he had nothing more to do with the family.

"Meow." A faint kitten’s cry interrupted his thoughts.

Julian thought he had misheard. He looked around but saw no sign of a cat.

Until a well-defined hand reached out from the side.

"I’m sorry. I applied to bring a pet on this flight; I hope we aren't disturbing you."

The gentle female voice held a hint of apology.

Julian turned and met a pair of deep eyes. The woman appeared to be about twenty-seven or twenty-eight, wearing a simple white dress and possessing a gentle aura. She pointed beneath the seat, where a small orange kitten was poking its head out, its watery eyes looking at him with curiosity.

As she spoke, the woman took several exquisite little gift boxes from her bag. "These are small gifts for the nearby passengers, as an apology."

Julian took the box. Inside were handmade snacks in the shape of cat paws, emitting a faint milky aroma.

"It’s okay. I really like cats."

He said softly, reaching out to gently pet the kitten’s head.

The kitten squinted its eyes comfortably and let out a satisfied purr.

The woman smiled. "Her name is Clementine. She’s usually very good, though she occasionally can't help letting out a meow. My name is Vivienne. It’s a pleasure to meet you."

"My name is Julian."

Julian couldn't help reaching out again. The kitten immediately nuzzled his palm, purring contentedly.

During their conversation, he learned the woman was a veterinarian.

She pulled up her phone’s photo album and showed him many of the animals she had rescued.

Perhaps because of Clementine, Julian felt an inexplicable sense of closeness to her.

When the plane hit some turbulence, Clementine suddenly let out a startled cry.

Vivienne immediately unwrapped her scarf to cover the pet carrier, softly humming an unknown tune.

Julian watched her gentle, comforting manner, and his eyes suddenly grew hot. He once had a kitten that was afraid of thunder, too...

"Want to try?"

Vivienne’s voice interrupted his thoughts. She was gently placing Clementine on his lap.

"She likes warm places best."

The kitten curled into a ball of fur, its paws unconsciously kneading.

Feeling the warmth on his legs, Julian’s mood improved instantly.

The broadcast announced the upcoming landing, and only then did Julian reluctantly return the kitten.

After the transfer, Julian’s seat was no longer by the window.

However, he couldn't help but think of that kitten from earlier.

The round head, the amber eyes narrowed like crescent moons, and the layered fur on its neck—it looked very much like the kitten in his memory.

"I’m sorry, could I switch seats with you?" A familiar voice suddenly sounded from above.

Julian looked up and met a pair of apologetic eyes.

Vivienne was holding the pet carrier in her arms, with stray cat hairs still clinging to her fingertips. "It's you! What a coincidence!"

Julian was pleasantly surprised. As if sensing his gaze, the kitten suddenly made a small leap, its wet nose brushing against the back of his hand.

The warm sensation made his eyes sting. He hurriedly looked away, only to hear her say softly, "It seems she really likes you."

"I didn't expect us to be heading to the same destination. Is Clementine a cat you raised back home?"

"Yes and no. I returned to the country specifically to get her. She was originally a stray I rescued."