Chapter 2

Sylvia's POV

The voice on the other end of the line was filled with pleasant surprise.

"It stands! Of course it stands! It will always stand."

He spoke incredibly fast, as if afraid I would back out.

"Sylvia, is that true? Have you finally thought it through?"

I didn't answer his question.

"Give me a few days to handle things here, then I'll go to New York to find you."

"It's a promise! I'll be waiting for you."

After hanging up, I didn't go home but told the driver to turn around and head straight to a law firm.

"Please draft a set of divorce papers for me."

Once I got the divorce papers, I went home and started packing.

Before I could pack much, my phone rang.

The caller ID showed Joe Stone, one of Julian's friends.

"Sylvia! Come quickly!"

Joe's voice was so loud it sounded like he was screaming for his life.

"Julian has gone crazy! He insists on racing someone for his life, and none of us can stop him!"

"What race?"

"Dead Man's Curve outside the city! Sylvia, please hurry. He won't listen to anything we say. Only you can stop him!"

I hesitated for a moment. In the end, I still couldn't bring myself to completely ignore whether he lived or died.

I grabbed my bag and headed out.

Joe had been waiting for me by the roadside. The moment he saw me get out of the car, he grabbed me and ran inside, explaining what happened as we ran.

"There was a necklace at the auction tonight that Julian was determined to get. But he stepped out to take a call, and by the time he got back, someone else had snatched it."

"Julian wanted to buy the necklace back from that buyer, but the guy had a grudge against him. He insisted on racing Julian at Dead Man's Curve, saying he'd only give him the necklace if Julian won."

"Sylvia, that track is incredibly dangerous. Even professional racers have to think twice. Julian racing there is practically suicidal!"

By the time we arrived at the scene, it was already too late.

The barrier at the track entrance had been lowered, and Julian's car had long since sped away.

A few of his friends gathered around the big screen, looking tense.

"What do we do? Julian hasn't touched a race car in years, and now he's tackling Dead Man's Curve right off the bat!"

"Look how fast he's driving. It's like he doesn't value his life. Is it really worth it just for a necklace?"

"How is it not worth it? Chloe is coming back tomorrow, and that's a gift for her. Other than Chloe, who else could make Julian risk his life?"

Joe coughed loudly behind them.

The men turned around and their faces turned pale when they saw me.

"Syl... Sylvia!"

I didn't say anything.

On the big screen, the two cars chased each other through the curves, neither showing any intention of backing down.

The gap between them never widened; they were driving almost bumper-to-bumper.

My heart ached sharply.

I finally saw with my own eyes how Julian risked everything for Chloe.

It turned out this was what he looked like when he truly loved someone.

Suddenly, someone shouted, "It's raining!"

"The last section consists of consecutive hairpin turns. It's the most dangerous part! Once the road gets wet, you can't brake at all!"

"This isn't racing; this is suicide!"

The men paced around in panic.

I stared at the screen, my fingernails digging into my palms.

On the screen, Julian's car suddenly accelerated before the final curve.

He didn't care about his own safety at all.

His car was the first to cross the finish line.

But immediately after, the car skidded violently and crashed into the guardrail of the track.

A deafening sound of metal colliding erupted from the screen.

Everyone rushed over.

By the time I ran over, Julian had already been dragged out of the car.

Blood trickled down his forehead, and he was unconscious.

Looking at his blood-stained face, my eyes finally turned red.

I reached out, wanting to wipe the blood from his face, but my hand was trembling.

"A bet is a bet."

The buyer walked over and glanced down at me as I crouched on the ground.

"If Julian risked his life for you, I could actually understand it."

He handed the necklace to me.

The friends looked at each other, but none dared to speak.

I silently took the box and put it in my bag.

They hesitated to speak, but no one dared to stop me.

Julian was rushed to the hospital.

When Julian woke up, the first thing he saw was me, asleep at his bedside.

Startled awake, I lifted my head to look at him.

Seeing his softened expression, I knew he assumed I would be heartbroken and must have cried for a long time over his injury.

He raised his hand and gently stroked my hair.

But when he saw my eyes, Julian froze.

My eyes were neither red nor swollen; there wasn't a single trace of crying.

I had never been like this before.

"Sylvia, are you alright?"

"I'm fine. You're awake."

My tone was flat as I poured a glass of water and handed it to him.

"The doctor said you have cracked ribs and stitches on your forehead, but no internal organ damage. After another day of observation today, you can be discharged."

Julian looked at my calm demeanor, his brow furrowing. I knew he was feeling an indescribable discomfort.

In the past, even if he had just had too much to drink, I would pace around in anxiety, crying as I watched over him until dawn, not daring to close my eyes.

This time, he was hospitalized after a car accident. He was definitely wondering why I wasn't anxious and why I wasn't crying.

But I didn't care anymore.

"Oh, by the way."

I took the necklace out of my bag and placed it on the nightstand.

"Your item."

Julian's hand hovered over the water glass; he didn't reach for it immediately.

After a moment of silence, he spoke up, feeling a bit guilty.

"Chloe is your sister. She's been abroad for several years and is about to return. I thought about giving her a welcome gift on your behalf, which is why I—"

"I know."

I interrupted him. "I understand. No need to explain."

Julian looked at me in confusion, his expression complex.

"You're not angry?"

"Why would I be angry? Weren't you doing it for my sake?"

"Of course."

Julian let out a sigh of relief, squeezing my hand. "It was indeed for your sake."

I didn't respond.

I pulled a document out of my bag and handed it to him along with a pen.

"I recently set my eyes on a beachside villa. Could you buy it and give it to me?"

Feeling guilty, Julian didn't even look at it. He flipped straight to the last page and signed his name.

"Of course I can. You can have whatever you want, Sylvia. Even if you wanted the stars from the sky, I'd pluck them down for you."

I curled the corners of my mouth, but didn't say a word.

I put the divorce papers into my bag and stood up.

"I'll come pick you up from the hospital tomorrow. I didn't get much sleep last night, so I'm going home to catch up on some rest."

Julian Vance froze.

He looked at me, and I knew he found it strange.

He was hospitalized, yet I wasn't going to stay with him? I was actually leaving?

His instinct was to stop me and demand an explanation, but what came out of his mouth instead was something else.

"Chloe is coming back tomorrow, and Charles Hayes wants to throw a welcome-home dinner for her. Let's go back to the Hayes house together, okay?"

I stopped in my tracks.

Julian knew I didn't have a good relationship with the Hayes family.

Over the years, he had never once suggested I go back. Even during holiday gatherings, he would step in and make excuses on my behalf.

But this time, for Chloe Hayes, he was asking me to return to that place.

"Sure."

I gave a faint smile and pushed the hospital room door open to leave.

Once I stepped outside the hospital gates, I pulled out my phone and sent a message to a certain number.

"Look into Chloe Hayes's life abroad over the past few years. The more detailed, the better."

The next morning, I went to the hospital to pick Julian up.

When I arrived, Julian was already packed and ready.

He had put on cologne, dressed in a brand-new suit he'd specifically ordered to be delivered, and was meticulously styling his hair in front of the bathroom mirror.

I clenched my fists so hard that my fingernails dug into my palms.

The car pulled up at the gates of the Hayes estate.

Chloe Hayes quickly rushed out to greet us, affectionately wrapping her arm around mine and pulling me inside.

"Sylvia! Long time no see! I missed you so much!"

Before I could even respond, a sudden tickle hit my nose.

Tears welled up uncontrollably, followed by a succession of sneezes.

The living room was filled with Casablanca lilies, their heavy, sweet scent drifting all the way from the front door to the hallways.

I was allergic to Casablanca lilies.

When we were kids, once Chloe found out about my allergy, she made a point of telling everyone that Casablanca lilies were her absolute favorite.

Every few days, she would have a massive bouquet bought and placed right in the living room.

She even had them placed in Charles Hayes's study.

From then on, I never dared to linger in the living room, nor did I dare to look for Charles in his study.

Slowly but surely, there was no longer any room for me in this house.

The house full of Casablanca lilies was meant to welcome Chloe, but it was meant to keep me out.

Julian frowned.

He knew I was allergic to these flowers; we never kept lilies in our home.

Yet, looking at Chloe's joyful expression, he merely tugged at my hand.

"Chloe just got back and she's happy. Let's not ruin the mood for everyone."

Charles Hayes walked down from the second floor. Seeing me standing at the door with tearing eyes and sneezing, his face instantly darkened.

"Crying the moment you walk through the door! Your sister just returned from abroad with great difficulty, and this is how you choose to ruin the mood?"

Julian handed me an antihistamine.

"Take one and bear with it."