Julian took a slow drag of his cigarette before stepping into the VIP ward.
Leonard happened to be inside, going over Grace’s case.
Seeing Julian walk in, he smiled and greeted him, “Perfect timing. We’ve finalized the surgical plan. All that’s left is setting the date.”
Grace’s condition was still fragile, so she needed more time to regain her strength. In the end, Leonard scheduled the surgery for two weeks later.
Willow finally felt a sense of relief.
Leonard had an old friend to catch up with, so Julian personally escorted him to the parking lot.
On the way, Leonard couldn’t stop praising Willow. Just before getting into the car, he clapped Julian on the shoulder and said, “You’d better treat her right. She’s a good woman. Let this one slip, and you won’t find another like her.”
Julian smiled slightly and held the car door open for him. “I hear you, Mr. Frost.”
Leonard smiled before getting in.
A moment later, the sleek car slowly pulled away, brushing past Julian as it left.
Julian lingered for a moment before heading back to the ward. Willow was chatting with Grace. When she saw Julian return, she gave him a faint smile. “Grandma wouldn’t be having this surgery if it weren’t for you. Thank you.”
Julian walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder. “You’re my wife. No need to thank me.”
Willow felt the gesture was too intimate and instinctively tried to pull away.
Grace noticed. She had advised Willow to divorce Julian before, but now that he was acting like a devoted husband, she hesitated. Ultimately, she just wanted Willow to have a normal, stable home, so she chose not to say anything.
Julian played the role of a loving husband well. Even Maureen was starting to believe he had turned over a new leaf and was fully committed to his marriage.
Only Willow knew the truth. This was just a mask. Everything he did had a price tag attached.
Julian wanted something from her, like her connections to Heather and the influence she wielded over Project Aurelia.
Sure enough, the moment they left the hospital, he brought it up in the car.
Willow said calmly, “Mrs. Chapman got in touch. Aurelia Group is interested in working together. However, they have some concerns about Nebula’s management and feel there’s a lack of basic trust.”
”
Julian kept his eyes on the road and responded smoothly, “They mean Catherine?”
Willow’s expression cooled. “I left Nebula Group a long time ago. How would I know?”
They hit a red light, and Julian brought the car to a stop.
Resting one hand on the wheel, he turned to look at her and said seriously, “Believe it or not, there’s nothing between me and her.”
Willow was stunned for a moment before smiling faintly.
A man’s words were as trustworthy as a magician’s tricks.
Julian wanted to build something with Willow. So, without hesitation, he decided to remove Catherine from the project team. She was irritating and a distraction
anyway.
When he brought it up to Willow, she remained indifferent. “I don’t work at Nebula Group anymore. That’s none of my concern.”
The light turned green.
Julian stepped on the gas. His eyes were fixed on the road ahead as he let out a quiet laugh. “I’m your concern, though, Mrs. Ziegler.”
His words were unmistakably suggestive. Willow understood him perfectly but chose to act oblivious.
Julian didn’t mind the cold shoulder. After driving a little farther, he pulled up in front of a pharmacy and eased the car to a stop.
Willow turned to him. “Are you sick?”
Julian unbuckled his seatbelt and grabbed his wallet. “No, I’m buying something else.”
A few moments later, he stepped inside the pharmacy and casually grabbed two boxes of condoms from the counter–extra–large, of course.
When the cashier scanned the items, she glanced up and was momentarily stunned.
Julian was the kind of man women couldn’t help but notice. She worked up the nerve to chat him up. “Would you like to check out some other options? The strawberry and mint flavors are really popular.”
Julian looked at her with a blank expression. “No.”
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