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Chapter 56 Jared Completely Overturned the Vinegar
‘What? He’s outside? He can’t be serious! Why would he be here?‘
As Julia was dwelling on her thoughts, her feet quickly stepped toward the window. Tugging at the curtains, she flung them aside and peered into the rain–soaked scene.
There, standing resolute at the doorstep, was the man himself.
‘He’s actually here? No way!‘ Julia inwardly exclaimed in surprise.
Only as her initial shock receded did she realize the rain was pouring outside. Realizing that, she couldn’t fathom why Jared came.
“Could it be that something happened to Shiloh’s leg?” Julia murmured, her mind attempting to decipher the puzzle of his unexpected arrival.
Swiftly, Julia descended the stairs, her every movement a delicate balance between hurry and cautiousness. Fortunately, the sound of rain outside was loud enough that even if her movements were slightly louder, it wouldn’t have much of an impact.
Upon opening the door, her gaze met the sight of a man drenched by the unforgiving storm.
“You didn’t bring an umbrella?” Julia asked in a low voice.
Deep and tinged with a rugged huskiness, the man’s voice replied, “It wasn’t raining when I left home.”
“Why did asked.
you come? Is something wrong with your younger brother’s leg?” Julia guessed and
Jared furrowed his brows. He had come all the way here, yet the first question posed was not about him but about his brother.
A bit disappointed and displeased, he replied, “He’s fine.”
‘He’s fine? Then why would he be here?‘ Julia wondered internally, looking puzzled as she gazed at Jared.
“Then you…” Julia’s words hung in the air, suspended by the man’s swift action. His large hand gently pressed against her forehead, a momentary touch that sent a shiver down her spine. Her eyes widened in surprise, pupils dilating as the unexpected gesture caught her off guard.
“You’re running a fever,” Jared’s observation broke the silence. Withdrawing his hand, he met her gaze, his eyes probing for any signs of distress.
Parting her red lips slightly, Julia found herself momentarily speechless. A whirlwind of thoughts swirled within her as the pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place.
‘So he came all this way in the rain, so late, because he was worried about my health?”
Thinking of this, an inexplicable emotion suddenly welled up in Julia’s heart. Like a seed breaking through the soil, this emotion emerged abruptly and began to sprout.
“I brought some medicine,” Jared’s words diverted her attention to the bag of medicine he held.
“I’m a doctor, you know.” These words were the only ones Julia managed to utter to change the atmosphere as she felt suffocated by it.
Yet, his retort cut through her attempt, a playful insult that landed like a feather and tickled her
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senses. “Doctors don’t heal themselves, dummy.”
Handing over the medicine, their fingers brushed fleetingly. Only then did Julia notice that his hands were so cold. Her gaze trailed along his hand, fingers delicate and pale, joints a subtle contrast against his fair skin. It wasn’t that surprising as he was drenched after being under the pouring clouds.
“You’re soaked. Come upstairs with me first,” Julia invited.
“Alright.” Jared nodded and followed Julia upstairs.
As they came in, Julia turned back and faced Jared. “Step lightly,” she cautioned and pointed towards Conrad’s room.
Getting what she was implying, a slightly displeased expression appeared on Jared’s face.
‘Is it taboo to disturb him?‘ he snorted inwardly in annoyance.
Once they arrived at Julia’s room, Julia picked out a set of her pajamas and handed them to Jared. “These are quite loose; you can manage with these for now.”
As Julia said that, Jared’s gaze fell upon the pajamas in his hand. It was a white fabric adorned with a playful Mickey Mouse pattern. Later, a subtle furrow formed between his brows, an unspoken reaction Julia astutely noticed. She had been to his room before and gone through his wardrobe. Everything was in black, white, and gray shades–all in a very minimalist and plain style. So, she knew he had never worn such a cute set of pajamas in his entire life. This was the first time.
“You don’t like them? I also have a pink lace set,” Julia said as she pulled it out.
Jared’s gaze shifted to the pink lace pajamas now in her hand. At this time, he couldn’t hold back a twitch of his lips. Without a word, he headed towards the bathroom, clutching the Mickey Mouse pajamas.
Julia suppressed a laugh and put the pink lace pajamas back in the wardrobe. She had deliberately teased Jared just now. She didn’t expect to witness such an unusual expression from him in her lifetime. As she was giggling, her phone suddenly rang.
‘Who’s calling me this time?‘ she wondered in her mind but picked her phone up in the end. Seeing it was Carter, she wondered, ‘Why is Carter calling me so late? Isn’t he supposed to be cuddling his “sugar pie” and sleeping at this hour? Why is he calling me?‘
After dwelling on her thoughts, she answered the call in the end. After it had been connected, she first greeted, “Hello?”
Just then, Jared opened the bathroom door, just about to step out, when he heard Julia’s voice speaking through her phone.
As such, he couldn’t help but think, ‘It’s already late, who else would be calling her aside from me?”
Thinking this, Jared squinted his eyes.
“Is something wrong?” Julia asked.
“Are you feeling better?” Carter replied with a question, his voice accompanied by an inexplicable feeling.
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Hearing his question, Julia’s eyebrows shot upward in a mixture of surprise and skepticism.
“You care about me? Aren’t you only capable of caring about that ‘sugar pie‘ of yours?” Julia remarked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Jared’s demeanor shifted as he observed Julia’s interaction with Carter. His features tightened, a subtle indication of his discomfort at this late–night exchange. He thought the two had completely severed ties, yet here they were, entangled in conversation once again. A cloud of tension settled. over him, his expression growing more somber by the moment.
“Julia, can’t you stop insulting Vivien by calling her ‘sugar pie‘?” Carter said, full of displeasure.
“Alright, alright. She’s not a sugar pie because she’s your queen, right?” Julia mocked, her words. laden with playful disdain.
Carter’s frustration bristled, his breath hitching as he struggled to maintain his composure. “You…” The word hung in the air, his anger palpable.
“I mean, Mr. Ross, you’re calling me so late just to argue with me? It seems you have too much free time on your hands. Too bad, I don’t have much time for that. So, if there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up.” Julia’s voice held a finality, a declaration that she had no intention of engaging in a fruitless argument.
“Julia!” Carter exclaimed, laden with urgency, and heaved a deep breath, trying to suppress the anger in his chest.
“Don’t hang up. I need to talk to you about something,” he continued in a softened tone.
Intrigued by the unexpected turn of events, Julia held her silence, her gaze fixed on the phone as she awaited Carter’s following words.
Seeing that Julia was waiting for him to speak, Carter heaved a deep breath once again before finally saying, “Is Divine Doctor the one who healed your brother’s face?”
That question of Carter was enough for Julia to know his intention of calling her.
As such, Julia replied, “More or less.”
Carter’s excitement was palpable as he seized upon the opening, his words tumbling out with eagerness, “Then can you…”
However, Julia didn’t let him finish his question; she cut in decisively, “No.”
Carter’s expression immediately changed from hope to disappointment.
Julia switched the phone to her other hand. “So, basically, Mr. Ross, you want me to bring in the Divine Doctor to treat your mother’s illness as well as Vivien’s. Am I right?”
Carter’s face turned gloomy, the clouds of his mood descending like a stormy winter sky. For a couple of seconds, a brief silence settled between them, a space filled with unspoken tension. Soon, Carter’s determination pushed through his tightly clenched teeth as he said, “Name your conditions.”
“Oh? Are you sure?” Julia uttered with a smile, pretending to be surprised and delighted.
But Carter seemed to see through her smile as he immediately said, “Except for breaking up Vivien.”
Julia wasn’t disappointed at all, as she had already anticipated this response.
with
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“But I only want you to break up with Vivien. I don’t have any other conditions to propose,” she replied, putting Carter’s back against the wall.
Meanwhile, the longer Jared listened to the conversation between the two, the tighter his fist clenched, turning his knuckles white.
‘What’s so great about that scum of a man? Why can’t she just let go of him!‘
Throughout his life, Jared had never felt jealous of anyone; it was always others who were jealous of him. But at this moment, he couldn’t help himself but feel envious.
“Julia! You know it’s impossible! I love her and will never be separated from her in this lifetime!” Carter’s declaration rang through the phone, his unwavering conviction cutting through the air.
“Oh, just like how you once claimed to love only me, promising care and a future together, yet you turned back on your words?” Julia spoke calmly, her face showing no signs of anger or happiness.
Carter’s fury escalated, his voice growing louder as he unleashed his pent–up frustration, “Because you changed! You turned into a conniving, vindictive person, repeatedly hurting Vivien!”
Julia’s lips curled in a knowing smile, and she clicked her tongue, “Tsk tsk tsk. Carter, I despise people like you the most–those who are clearly at fault but insist on shifting blame onto others. Just wait. I’ll soon reveal Vivien’s true colors to you.”
Carter’s anxiety flared at Julia’s ominous promise, his voice taking on a warning edge, “What do you intend to do to Vivien? I’m warning you, don’t take any reckless actions, or else…”
Julia let out a long yawn, interrupting Carter’s words. Eventually, she remarked with casual nonchalance, “It’s getting quite late, and I need my sleep. If you have something to discuss, save it for the 18th. I’ll attend your wedding ceremony, and we can continue our conversation there.”
With that, she hung up the phone. As soon as the call ended, Julia heard a whisper in her ears, asking, “Are you really planning to crash the wedding?”
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Chapter 57 Falling into the Bathtub
