Better Late, But Never His Again novel Chapter 23

Julian held her hand, his voice endlessly gentle. "Don't be scared, Evelyn. I'm here. I won't let anyone hurt you again. I'll get your divorce finalized as soon as humanly possible."

Evelyn's eyes instantly welled with tears. She leaned forward, resting her head on his shoulder, her voice shaking as she recalled the violence.

"Julian, I was so terrified. I thought I had hidden far enough away from him. How did he still find me?"

Julian wrapped a protective arm around her, gently rubbing her back. "He won't anymore. I promise you."

Evelyn sobbed pitifully against his chest, making Julian's heart clench with guilt and sympathy. He coaxed and comforted her for a long time until she finally calmed down.

Suddenly remembering something, Evelyn looked up at him. "Oh, right. Hazel actually stepped in to save me earlier. Julian, you really should thank her for me."

Julian froze.

Through his adrenaline haze, he vaguely recalled seeing Hazel standing there, and maybe she had been caught in the crossfire?

But she was surrounded by her colleagues, so she was probably fine. Besides, Hazel knew kickboxing and basic self-defense. Reassured by that thought, he smiled.

"I will. I told you Hazel is actually very reasonable. She just had a misunderstanding about you before, but now that it's cleared up, everything is fine."

A subtle shift rippled across Evelyn’s face. She looked at him, forcing a pale, strained smile.

"Julian, do you love Hazel?"

Julian was taken aback. "Why are you asking that?"

Evelyn looked down, a sad, self-deprecating smile on her lips. "It just makes my heart ache a little to hear you defend her like that."

Tears shimmered in her eyes as she continued. "If I hadn't gone abroad back then, I would have been the one you married. I wouldn't have ended up in such a toxic, abusive marriage, and none of this nightmare today would have happened."

Hearing those words, Julian completely melted. He pulled her tightly against his chest.

"Don't think like that, Evelyn. You've done amazingly well."

Evelyn nuzzled into his embrace, but her heart sank like a stone. He hadn't answered her question.

He never said whether or not he loved Hazel, and that ambiguity left a gnawing sense of unease in her gut.

...

It was absolutely laughable.

She looked up at him. He was staring back at her with his usual, easy gentleness. A chilling realization washed over Hazel—he hadn't noticed the massive bruise on her face. Or rather, he saw it, but his brain simply chose to ignore it.

He didn't even notice the band-aid on her hand.

Of course he didn't.

How could he?

His eyes were only ever looking for Evelyn.

Hazel let out a soft, hollow laugh. "Keep it."

She grabbed the handle of her suitcase, stepped around him, and walked out the door.

Julian stood frozen in place, the velvet box still resting in his palm.

He watched her walk away, his brow furrowing. Something felt off. Was Hazel angry? And if she was, how would she usually act?