Better Late, But Never His Again novel Chapter 98

Upon arriving home, Julian parked the car in front of the villa and cut the engine. As he opened his door, Hazel shot him a blank look and stepped out.

The cool breeze ruffled her clothes. She pulled her jacket tighter, standing motionless on the front steps, staring back at them with icy indifference as Julian stepped out to join her.

Evelyn remained in the passenger seat, making zero effort to get out. She kept her head bowed, biting her lip like an outsider intruding on a private moment.

Then, she peered through the window at Julian, her voice sickly sweet. "Julian, maybe I shouldn't go inside. You two should have a proper talk."

Julian paused, considering her words, before nodding. "Alright. Evelyn, I'll take you home first."

Evelyn's expression faltered. She hadn't actually expected him to agree.

Biting her lip, she merely nodded. To be fair, she desperately needed time to strategize. Had Hazel figured out the entire plan?

Had Sean completely flipped on her? The weight of these complications was suffocating her; she needed absolute quiet to think.

Julian climbed back into the car and leaned out the window, his eyes practically melting with affection as he looked at Hazel. "I'll just drop Evelyn off first. Head inside, I'll be right back."

Standing rigidly, Hazel stared at his sickeningly gentle expression and forced a smirk, asking a question she already knew the answer to. "Drop her off where? Hasn't she failed to find a rental yet?"

Julian's smile froze. He hadn't expected Hazel to ask that. He had kept the luxury apartment a secret, deeming it an unnecessary detail.

If he told her the truth, she would inevitably overthink it and damage their marriage. He forced a natural chuckle. "I've rented out our luxury apartment to Evelyn. You wouldn't mind that, would you?"

He stepped out of the car, walked up to Hazel, and planted a kiss on her forehead, holding her close. "You've always been so understanding. I know you'd want to help Evelyn out too, right?"

Wrapped in his embrace, the mix of his cologne and that repulsive, sickly-sweet perfume made a flash of absolute disgust cross Hazel's eyes. She fought every urge to shove him away.

She simply stood there like a statue—neither pushing him away nor returning the hug. Her voice was utterly devoid of life. "Whatever."

With that, she turned and marched up the steps, not sparing a single glance at the car pulling out of the driveway.

Julian felt a wave of relief. Hazel was as docile as ever. No tantrums, no fights. Everything was exactly the way it used to be.

He got into the car and drove off.

The car slowly pulled away, its taillights fading into the night.

Julian's heart melted. He turned around, his gaze overflowing with tenderness.

Evelyn stood in the doorway under the harsh hallway light, her eyes red, tear-drops clinging to her lashes.

She looked so pitiful it physically hurt him. He slowly reached out, cupping her face, his thumb gently wiping away a stray tear. His voice was impossibly gentle.

"I know how understanding you are, Evelyn. Just give me some time to figure this out."

Evelyn blinked, a teardrop trembling precariously on her lashline. "Have you really fallen in love with her, Julian? Have you forgotten all the promises we made back then?"

A dull ache throbbed in Julian's chest.

The woman standing before him was begging for his love, and he couldn't bear to let her go.

But the thought of Hazel's distant beauty also anchored him. Hazel loved him so much. If he actually filed for divorce, she would be completely devastated.

He couldn't put her through that kind of pain. The warring emotions twisted inside his chest, leaving him completely paralyzed with indecision.