Chapter 121: Who Are You?
Before Jared could finish his worried words, Julia had already leaped out of the window.
Jared’s face turned ashen, but he swiftly rose from his seat, flipping on the lights and rushing to the window to peer down below.
To his astonishment, there was no sign of her.
‘Did she really jump? From that height? Isn’t she worried about getting hurt?‘ He pondered, his mind racing.
Once again, he scanned the darkness for any trace of her presence or even a shadow. But, finding nothing, he eventually relented with a grave expression.
“What’s her purpose exactly?” Jared mumbled.
‘Could it be about money? No, that’s unlikely
After some contemplation, a thought crossed his mind.
‘Could it be…‘
Narrowing his eyes, Jared considered the group that had made several attempts at Shiloh’s life. He raised his hand and brushed his chin, lost in thought for a moment before murmuring, “She couldn’t possibly be a spy sent by the other side.”
Despite the lack of concrete evidence, he simply couldn’t believe that Julia would pose a threat to him and Shiloh.
Jared lifted his gaze, peering into the night once more. “Who exactly are you?”
Meanwhile, Julia limped her way back to Purple Garden Manor, her ankle swollen and red from the impact of her jump.
“Am I really that fragile? I just jumped out of a window, right?” she muttered, playfully poking fun at herself.
‘This body really needed some proper exercise!‘ She thought.
After tidying herself up, she finally settled onto the bed and closed her eyes. Not long after, her mind was consumed by the vivid memories of her earlier encounters with Jared.
Jared’s combat skills had surpassed her expectations. Although her physical condition was far from her previous life, her training during this period significantly enhanced her strength compared to an average person. Even so, when she faced him, she still found herself utterly defenseless.
Aside from that, what bothered her most was that he had now discovered her intrusion. Thus, she had to be more careful from now on. The safe’s password was to be added too.
“First things first, I need to figure out a way to extract the password from him,” she determined. The following day, when Julia returned to the villa, the servants were already serving breakfast.
“Back already?” Jared asked, his calm gaze briefly flickering to Julia’s feet.
Meanwhile, Julia’s immediate reaction was to glance at the man’s chest.
She remembered that her bite from last night was pretty severe. She wondered if he was okay. ‘Did it bleed?‘ She even wondered in her mind.
As Shiloh emerged, having washed his hands, he noticed Jared and Julia in a prolonged gaze. He immediately felt he was about to lose his appetite and didn’t feel like eating any longer.
14:05
Chapter 121: Who Are You?
So, before it happened, Shiloh cleared his throat, capturing the attention of the two. With at half–amused, half–exasperated expression, he said, “It’s been an entire night. Your commotion kept me awake. And now, here you are, engaging in morning romance. Are you two determined to drive me insane? If you continue like this, I’m considering moving out.”
“What night?” Julia feigned innocence, turning her gaze to Shiloh.
Shiloh regarded Julia with a bemused yet bewildered expression. He wanted to voice his astonishment, saying, ‘You two are really going all out. However, being a relatively inexperienced young man, he refrained from uttering such thoughts aloud.
In the end, Shiloh fabricated an explanation, stating, “Oh, it’s nothing. There was just a lot of thunder last night, and it kept me awake.”
“Thunder? I slept so deeply. I didn’t hear a thing,” Julia responded with calculated nonchalance, hoping to dispel any potential suspicions Jared might harbor.
While she had managed to remain silent during their encounter last night, she couldn’t be sure whether the man had recognized her. To err on the side of caution, she aimed to eliminate even the slightest doubt.
Jared’s gaze brushed over Julia’s features without revealing any hint of recognition.
Truthfully, based solely on the faint sound she had made, he couldn’t definitively identify her. However, during the moments she was on top of him, that unique softness, that tactile sensation–it could only belong to Julia.
Furthermore, he had always been meticulous and possessed an unwavering disinterest in other women. His emotional and psychological shifts had occurred solely in the presence of Julia. Casting a discreet glance at Jared, Julia discerned no unusual reaction, finally easing the mild apprehension in her heart.
“Let’s have breakfast,” Jared announced, making his way to the dining table.
“Sure, just let me wash my hands first,” Julia replied, masking her discomfort while gingerly limping toward the kitchen.
Jared squinted at Julia’s leg, noticing her injury. It was clear she had hurt herself.
Just then, the same thought resurfaced in his mind. ‘Just as I thought. Jumping from the window is like falling from the third floor. So, there’s no way she could be unscathed after that jump.‘ Regardless, Julia didn’t need to jump at all. Jared had explicitly told her not to. And if she had any desires or needs, he was more than willing to fulfill them without the necessity of reckless
actions.
“What happened to your foot?” Shiloh suddenly inquired as he also noticed Julia’s injured leg. Julia’s heart skipped a beat at the unexpected question but she swiftly regained her composure, She had strategized her response before returning to the villa.
“I slipped on a wet road and twisted it a bit,” Julia reasoned, offering a nonchalant explanation.
However, Jared remained skeptical of Julia’s casual explanation. He rose from his seat and approached her.
“Give me your foot,” he demanded.
Instinctively, Julia recoiled, pulling her leg away. “I told you, it’s fine,” she protested.
Jared didn’t wait for Julia to acquiesce. He took the initiative, lifting her foot and placing it on his thigh.
Chapter 121: Who Are You?
Efficiently, he removed her shoes and socks, unveiling a sizable bruise on her ankle. The bruise stood out starkly against her fair skin, casting a soft glow.
“And this is what you called “fine“?” Jared rhetorically quipped, his exasperation evident.
He wanted to ask about her intention and say he would fulfill any request without resorting to such risky actions. Yet he found himself incapable of uttering these sentiments, so he remained silent.
“I’ve already applied medicine to it. That’s why I said it’s fine now,” Julia retorted, her brow furrowing slightly. Her heart raced anxiously, fearing Jared might deduce something from her injured foot.
Shiloh glanced at Julia, then at Jared, and finally at the unfinished breakfast before him. Eventually, he lost his appetite.
Revengeful, he thought, ‘One day, when I have a partner, I’ll bring her home and flaunt it just like they do. Let’s see if they could handle it.”
After breakfast, Jared headed straight to the company. However, he was absentminded while he was at work. He was preoccupied with thoughts about Julia.
At that moment, a series of knocks disrupted his reverie, bringing him back to present reality.
“Come in,” Jared responded to the knocks
at his office door.
Joseph entered with a cheerful smile and asked, “Sir, can I request three days off next month?” “Hmm? What for?” Jared inquired, his curiosity piqued.
Joseph had been a steadfast presence by his side for numerous years and rarely asked for time off, except during his mother’s surgery and hospitalization. Thus, Jared found it unusual for him to suddenly request three days off, especially with such an upbeat demeanor. He suspected it wasn’t for the same reasons as before.
“I’m getting engaged,” Joseph announced with evident joy.
Jared couldn’t help but detect a trace of pride in Joseph’s tone.
“Engaged, huh? Isn’t that a bit troublesome? Wouldn’t it be simpler, like me? Just get married right away,” Jared quipped, comparing his swift marriage to Julia, which had occurred on the day they
met..
“Sir, some things can’t be rushed. The relationship between a man and a woman involves certain significant milestones to make her feel cherished, like selecting an engagement ring, choosing a wedding gown, going on proper dates, and so on. Being the man who accompanies her through these steps is what brings her happiness,” Joseph explained, his tone earnest,
Listening to Joseph’s explanation, Jared absentmindedly stroked his chin, contemplating the situation. Before he knew it, he had sunk into deep reflection, musing. Could it be that we’ve made no headway because we haven’t followed these conventional steps?’
Jared was lost in thought until he noticed Joseph staring at him with wide–eyed intrigue. “What’s with that expression?” Jared inquired, his eyebrows raised in curiosity.
“Sir, would you like to hear how I convinced my girlfriend to agree to our engagement?” Joseph teased, evidently eager to share his experience.
“I have no interest. Now leave,” Jared responded dismissively, his patience wearing thin due to Joseph’s boastful demeanor.
