Chapter 4 Julian Was Attacked

Bethany withdrew her gaze, sinking back into the chair, her thoughts drifting aimlessly.

Long before she got involved with Julian, she had already known about Leland.

In fact, she had known him, even if he never knew her.

They went to the same high school. Once, after classes, she was cornered in an alley by a bully from another school who tried to force her into being his girlfriend. Out of nowhere, Leland had appeared and intervened.

The bully had sneered and told Leland to mind his own business, but Leland had just slung his bag over his shoulder and replied in a calm, almost casual tone, "She said she's not interested in you. Are you deaf?"

At that age, when a girl's heart first learned of love, it was hard for her not to be captivated, especially about such a "knight in shining armor" scenario.

Bethany had shifted some of her attention away from her studies to indulge in that fleeting crush. Later, they both ended up at the same university and crossed paths on campus again.

She believed it was fate. Summoning her courage, she went up to greet him. At the time, Leland was surrounded by Julian and a group of friends. Julian glanced at her and laughed. "Leland, is this another girl you've attracted?"

Leland didn't even bother looking up, maintaining his aloof demeanor. "I don't know her."

Those four simple words had stung more than anything. After that, Bethany stopped trying to get close to Leland. But strangely enough, Julian started approaching her instead.

Only later did she learn that Leland was deeply involved in a passionate online relationship back then-a relationship that ended disastrously, with him being dumped.

Not long after, Leland went abroad, and a crisis struck her family. In a twisted turn of events, she ended up with Julian and hadn't given Leland another thought since.

But whispers about Leland lingered. They said he still kept the token of affection from that woman.

Bethany chuckled softly, never imagining that someone as exceptional as Leland could also be rejected by a woman.

Her faint smile faded as two girls walked into the store, chatting and giggling.

"Whales is crazy lively tonight. Did you hear? Julian, that rich heir, has a brand-new plaything-some obedient girlfriend he's parading around. He even paid for everyone's drinks at the bar and invited a celebrity to sing for her."

"That must have cost a small fortune, huh? Easily a few million."

"Oh, why can't we be lucky enough to snag someone as handsome and wealthy as that?"

"You'd need to be bolder to catch his eye. Julian likes women who don't hold back."

"Yeah, right. As if that would ever work for me!" They laughed together.

Bethany's hands clenched tightly beneath the counter, nails digging into her palms, but the pain barely registered. A bitter smile tugged at her lips.

Julian truly was ruthless.

He could spend millions on a new girlfriend in the blink of an eye, yet he had forced her into a desperate corner, denying her even the bare minimum.

Her five years of heartfelt devotion had all gone to waste.

After the girls left, Bethany's phone rang.

Julian's name flashed across the screen.

She stared at it blankly until the ringing stopped, then watched as a stream of messages flooded in.

"Where the hell did you get the money?"

"Ignoring me, huh?"

"You better pray you don't need my help, or you'll regret what you did today!"

Bethany sneered coldly. She immediately blocked his number and deleted his contact information. Yet, a heavy weight settled on her chest, suffocating her.

Julian had toyed with her feelings, and now that his lies were exposed, all those sweet promises turned into jagged shards, cutting deep into her heart.

Across the street, the bar Whales continued to buzz with activity. It was only late into the night when something broke out inside, causing screams and a frenzy among the patrons.

Chaos ensued.

Bethany barely spared it a second glance.

She'd only been working here for less than a week, but brawls were a regular occurrence at Whales-drunk patrons, petty squabbles. They'd settle down soon enough.

But tonight felt different. Soon, an ambulance arrived, its sirens blaring through the night air.

The street outside swarmed with people, all crowding and pushing to get a better view. Bethany leaned over the counter and caught a glimpse of someone being carried into the ambulance. And then police cars appeared, lights flashing ominously.

The commotion spilled over to the convenience store entrance.

The owner of the neighboring shop stepped out, craning his neck to see. He grabbed a man's shoulder and asked, "Hey buddy, what's going on? Did someone get killed?"

"Not quite, but it's serious. You know Julian Wells, right? That wealthy heir? He got attacked!"

Hearing Julian's name made Bethany's heart skip a beat. The owner of the neighboring shop looked taken aback. "Julian Wells? Who the hell would dare to attack him? He and his family practically own this city!"

"Crazy, isn't it? From what I heard, it was some boy-barely in high school-who rushed in with a knife and nearly took Julian's head off."

A raspy voice came from the two men. "Who did you say attacked Julian?"

Bethany recalled Shawn's sulky expression when he left yesterday, and a strong sense of foreboding surged in her heart.

Alec stumbled out of the crowd, his breath reeking of alcohol. He glared at the man before whipping his head towards Bethany, a twisted grin spreading across his face. "Bethany! Your brother's a real daredevil, huh?"

Bethany's vision swam. In an instant, it felt as if every last bit of strength drained from her body.