Chapter 280

"Julian Roscente, you don't need to do this. We were never friends to begin with. Your words can't hurt me."

Evelyn Roland lowered her gaze, idly pushing food around her plate with chopsticks. The hurt dissipated like raindrops vanishing into water.

Julian's chest constricted sharply.

The phrase "never friends" cut deeper than any blade.

He forced a bitter smile. "After how I treated you, I understand why you'd refuse to acknowledge our friendship. But Evelyn, making mistakes is easy—atonement is hard. Don't I deserve a chance?"

A faint laugh escaped her lips. "You're all just passing figures in my life. Does forgiveness even matter? If you need it so badly, then fine—I forgive you."

"Life is nothing but laughing at others' misfortunes while occasionally becoming the joke yourself. Your happiness built on others' pain only proves you've never truly lost anything."

Finally, she met his eyes. "Julian, these past few years I've paused everything just to search for the meaning of existence."

She'd found it—and been wounded most deeply in the process.

Love had become an unattainable luxury.

"Evelyn... Adrian Valentine is getting engaged. Are you... alright?" He studied her expression carefully.

The name struck like a physical blow. Her heart contracted violently. "If there's no love left, why would it matter?"

"No love means no pain."

Julian saw the flash of anguish in her eyes. She hadn't moved on at all.

Adrian had betrayed her first, yet what had they all done to Evelyn?

If it were him, he'd want to tear the perpetrator limb from limb.

Yet they'd taken pleasure in hurting her.

The more Julian thought about it, the more monstrous he felt.

"Evelyn..."

"Evelyn..."

"I've been investigating your family matter. I'll inform you if I find anything. But don't misunderstand—this isn't for you. My own inquiry happens to intersect with your family's affairs. I don't hold grudges about the past because... I don't even remember what you said."

She stood, observing his stunned expression, then turned and walked away without another word.

Julian laughed bitterly. So this was how it felt to leave no impression on someone who didn't care about you.

They'd looked down on Evelyn, but when had she ever truly regarded them?

Stepping out of the restaurant into the night breeze, Julian didn't notice the shadowy figure emerging behind him.

"If there's no love left, why would it matter?" The words echoed relentlessly in Adrian Valentine's mind.

A sharp pain lanced through his chest as he quickened his pace after them.

Evelyn slid into her car, watching Julian's vehicle exit the parking lot.

Her gaze shifted to another car tailing his.

Just as Nathan Aldridge had warned—Julian was being followed.

Who could have sent them?

Starting the engine, she maintained a discreet distance behind the procession.

Adrian's car melted into the darkness, bringing up the rear.

Julian lived in the suburban villa district. As traffic thinned, the streets grew eerily quiet.

An inexplicable unease gripped him.

"Young master, several cars have been following us for a while now." The driver's voice tensed.