Chapter 2

On the eve of our wedding, I received a call from the police department.

The officer told me my fiancé, Julian, had been arrested for assault and battery. They needed me to come down to the precinct.

When I arrived, I found Julian in a holding room.

He was sitting on a plastic chair. His white lab coat was gone, and his button-down shirt was wrinkled and stained with blood.

An older, middle-aged man sat across from him with a thick bandage taped to his forehead. The man was gesturing wildly, shouting at the officer.

"I want him locked up! I don't care if he's a doctor! He thinks he can just beat people up? All because of that little whore..."

As he cursed, he pointed toward the corner of the room.

Only then did I notice someone else sitting in the shadows.

It was a young girl wearing a blue hospital intern uniform. She was curled up in her chair, sobbing quietly. That was Chloe.

Julian slammed his hands on the table and stood up, his voice deadly cold.

"Say that again."

The man flinched, shrinking back, but his mouth didn't stop. "I said, she dresses like she's begging for—"

Julian threw a punch.

The officer nearby reacted instantly, grabbing Julian’s arm and slamming him back down.

"Stop! This is a police station! Sit down!" the officer barked.

Julian’s chest heaved violently as he glared at the man, his eyes wild and murderous.

I stood at the doorway, watching the scene in silence.

I knew that expression all too well.

During our freshman year of college, I took a part-time job off-campus. One night, my boss, Mr. Harrison, cornered me in his office. He was in his late forties, and his hand kept sliding onto my thigh.

"Maya, you're a bright girl," he had whispered, leaning so close I could feel his breath. "But talent isn't enough in the real world. I hear your family is struggling..."

I had frozen, my nails digging into my palms, terrified.

Then, the door was kicked open.

Julian had stormed in, his eyes bloodshot. He pulled me behind him and grabbed Mr. Harrison by the collar, slamming his fist into the man's face.

"Where the hell do you think you're putting your hands?" he had roared.

The fallout was massive. Mr. Harrison tried to get Julian expelled. The university dean called Julian in, hinting that he should apologize to save his future career.

But Julian had stood in the dean’s office, his spine perfectly straight.

"My future?" Julian had let out a cold laugh. "My girlfriend was sexually harassed, and you want me to worry about my career?"

Back then, he had that same reckless, throw-it-all-away intensity. The exact same look he was giving that man today.

"Julian Sinclair, this is your final warning!" the officer’s voice snapped me back to reality.

Julian was forced back into his chair.

Chloe, the intern, timidly reached out and touched his arm. Without hesitation, Julian turned to her, his gaze softening into a reassuring look.

"Don't worry," he whispered. "I'm here."

I walked into the room.