He Let Me Drown, Another Man Taught Me Love

For ten years, Nina Avery had stayed by Julian Blackwell's side. On the surface, she was his concierge doctor. In truth, she was also the woman he turned to for his physical needs.

When he came back from violent clashes wounded and bleeding, she treated him. When loneliness gnawed at him in the quiet of the night, she was the one who eased it.

Nina had once believed that if she gave enough of herself, someday she would reach his heart.

But when the woman Julian had always loved suddenly returned to the country, Nina's usefulness vanished. To Julian, she became something disposable.

Even the assistant couldn't bear to see it and tried to persuade Julian to value her. Julian only let out a dismissive laugh.

"Nina was never part of my life plan. I only kept her around because she resembled Aria a little."

In that instant, Nina's devotion felt like a cruel joke.

Later, when he wrapped an arm around Aria Monroe's waist and casually asked Nina to help prepare the wedding, Nina didn't cry. She didn't make a scene. She only smiled until her eyes turned red and quietly agreed.

Then she turned away and made a call.

"The ten-year contract expires in seven days. I'm requesting termination. From this moment on, I will have nothing more to do with the Blackwell family."

......

Ten years earlier, eighteen-year-old Nina had signed a blood contract with the Blackwell family at her father's funeral. In exchange for a secure future, she would remain by Julian's side as his concierge doctor for ten years.

Now, at twenty-eight, Nina stood in the third-floor corridor of Blackwell Manor, gripping the contract that was about to expire. Her heartbeat thundered in her chest.

She should have left calmly.

But sometime during those ten years, she had fallen in love with Julian.

Not because he was the heir to the Blackwell family of Serricilia. Not because he controlled half of the Eastridge Underworld Network. Simply because he was Julian.

Just as she was about to confess her feelings to him, Julian's deep, pleasant voice drifted from the study. "Aria is returning tomorrow. Notify everyone. Her room should be arranged exactly the way it was ten years ago. The engagement banquet will be in autumn. I'm going to marry her."

The assistant hesitated. "Mr. Blackwell, what about Nina?"

Julian fell silent for a moment, then let out a quiet chuckle. "She was never part of my plans. I kept her around because she resembled Aria a little."

Nina froze where she stood, as if struck by lightning.

Aria.

The girl Julian had loved in his youth but could never have.

The young doctor who had stayed by his bedside all night when he was gravely wounded in a gunfight at sixteen.

The childhood sweetheart forced to leave for Nuwhuenia because their families opposed them, the reason he had remained unmarried for ten years.

Nina suddenly remembered that Aria was also a doctor.

Before Nina ever appeared, it had always been Aria who treated Julian's wounds, prepared his medicine, and stayed beside him through every brush with death.

So for ten years, she had only been Aria's shadow.

Julian had allowed her to stay close only because she shared Aria's calm professionalism and medical skill. Even... their features carried a faint resemblance.

Nina leaned against the cold wall, her nails digging into her palm to keep herself from crying out loud.

The day Aria returned, she wore a wine-red velvet gown. With nothing more than a faint smile, she became the talk of the entire city.

Julian personally went to the airport to bring her home. The moment they stepped into the foyer, they pulled each other into an embrace and kissed deeply.

It was a kiss Nina had never received from him.

She stood on the second-floor balcony, watching in silence.

Her mind drifted back to Christmas Eve a year earlier. Slightly drunk, she had stood on her toes, trying to kiss Julian.

He turned his head away and said softly, "Nina, stop it."

At the time, she thought he was reserved, self-controlled, respectful.

Only now did she understand. He simply didn't like her.

Julian walked into the living room holding Aria's hand. His gaze swept briefly over Nina as he spoke in his usual calm tone. "Nina, this is Aria Monroe. She'll be staying in the east wing from now on. Make sure she's comfortable."

Nina lowered her eyes. "Yes, Mr. Blackwell."

Aria stepped forward with a bright smile and slipped her arm through Nina's. "Nina, Julian talks about you all the time! He says you've saved him more times than he can count. You're practically our lifesaver!"

The words "our lifesaver" cut straight through Nina's heart.

That night, Julian hosted a lavish banquet to welcome Aria home.

The hall was filled with powerful figures from across the Eastridge Coast. One toast after another was raised, congratulating Julian on finally bringing back the woman he had always loved.

Nina excused herself early, claiming she wasn't feeling well.

She had barely stepped out of the dining hall when Julian called after her.

He stood beneath the moonlight, his suit perfectly tailored. Behind his gold-rimmed glasses, his eyes were impossible to read. "I heard you were rather cold toward Aria today."

Nina froze for a moment. For a split second, she saw the Julian she had first met ten years ago, the same striking presence that made it impossible to look away.

She lowered her gaze slightly. "I didn't."

"You'd better not have." Julian's tone remained gentle, yet the authority behind it was unmistakable. "Aria has been cherished her whole life. She's innocent. If you ever bully her, you know exactly how I deal with things."

A chill ran through Nina's entire body.

This was Julian. A gentleman on the surface, ruthless underneath.

She nodded. "I understand."

Julian turned to leave.

Finally, Nina gathered the courage to ask the question she had buried in her heart for ten years. "Julian, I've been by your side for ten years. Was there ever even a second when you..."

Julian's indifferent voice cut her off. "No."

With that, Julian's figure disappeared around the corner.

Nina's body trembled slightly. He hadn't even waited to hear the rest of her sentence before cutting off every feeling she had carried for him.

Back in her room, she immediately dialed Edmund Blackwell.

"Mr. Blackwell, the ten-year contract expires in seven days. I'm requesting termination. I'll take the compensation that belongs to me, and from that point on I'll have nothing to do with the Blackwell family."

There was a long silence on the other end before Edmund's aged voice spoke. "Nina, do you really want to leave? Everyone can see that you love Julian."

Nina spoke softly. "But he doesn't love me."

Edmund sighed. "Alright. In seven days, you'll have both the check and your freedom."

On the second morning after deciding to leave, Nina was packing the last few books she owned.

Her phone suddenly vibrated. It was the assistant calling. "Dr. Avery, Mr. Blackwell was injured in a shootout last night. He took a bullet in his left shoulder and lost quite a bit of blood. He's back in his room now."

Her fingers froze.

For ten years, no matter how late it was, how exhausted she felt, or how dangerous the situation might be, the moment he was injured she would grab her medical kit and rush to him.

It was both the contract and instinct.

Without hesitation, she picked up the medical kit and headed toward the east wing of the main building, Julian's private bedroom. She had walked in and out of that room hundreds of times.

But when she reached the door, she stopped.

The door was slightly ajar, leaving a narrow crack.

From inside came Aria's bright laughter. "Julian, don't move! It's going to sting when I disinfect it."

Then Julian's deep voice followed, laced with amusement. "Be gentle... damn, that really hurts."

Nina felt as if she had been struck by lightning.

He said it hurt?

How many wounds had she treated for him over the past ten years?

When bullets lodged in his flesh, he would bite down on a towel without making a sound.

When a blade cut so deep the bone was visible, he could still smile and ask her, "Long day today?"

Even with a fever of 104 degrees, he once held her hand and said, "Don't worry. I'm not dying."

He had never once shown weakness in front of her.

But now, facing Aria, a simple "that hurts" carried a tone almost like a spoiled complaint.

Through the crack in the door, Nina saw Aria sitting on the edge of the bed in a silk nightdress, her long hair falling loosely over her shoulders as she dabbed iodine onto the gunshot wound on Julian's shoulder with a cotton swab.

Julian leaned against the headboard, watching her with gentle eyes. He even lifted a hand to brush a loose strand of hair away from her cheek.

"Aria," he said softly, almost like a sigh. "You're finally back."

Aria's eyes reddened slightly. "I'm sorry for making you wait ten years."

"It was worth it." He took her hand and pressed it against his chest. "As long as you came back, everything was worth it."

Standing outside the door, Nina dug her nails deep into her palm to keep from making a sound.

So this was how he looked at someone he truly loved, warmth in his eyes so deep it seemed ready to swallow the other person whole.

She knew she should leave immediately, yet she remained rooted to the spot, unable to tear her eyes away.

Suddenly, as if sensing something, Aria turned sharply toward the door.

Their eyes met. A flicker of triumph flashed through Aria's gaze. Then she deliberately leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to Julian's lips.

"Don't move," she said playfully. "You'll reopen the wound."

Julian didn't avoid her. Instead, he chuckled and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Alright. I'll listen to you."

Nina could no longer stand there. She turned and hurried away.

Tears slipped down her face silently, but she wiped them away with force.

Back in her room, she dropped the medical kit heavily onto the table. The metal instruments clattered loudly.

She remembered a winter night three years ago when Julian burned with a fever and fell unconscious. She had stayed by his side for three days and nights.

When he woke, all he said was a faint, "Thank you for your work, Dr. Avery."

And yet today, he had shown such vulnerability in front of Aria.

At that moment, in the east wing bedroom.

Julian leaned against the headboard, his shoulder wound already treated by Aria.

A bodyguard stood at the door and reported quietly. "Mr. Blackwell, Dr. Avery came by this morning."

Julian paused slightly while holding his glass of water. "She came? Where is she?"

"She stood at the door for a while, didn't knock, then left." The bodyguard hesitated. "She looked... pretty upset."

Julian lowered his gaze, his fingers tracing the rim of the cup. "She's always been sensitive. With Aria back, it's normal for her to feel unsettled."

"But she's packing her luggage," the bodyguard said hesitantly. "I heard she even booked a ride to the airport. Is she really leaving?"

Julian chuckled softly, though his eyes grew colder. "Impossible. She's loved me for ten years. She chose to stay by my side." Besides..."

He set the cup down, his tone firm. "If Aria gets pregnant in the future, the baby must be delivered by someone we trust completely. Nina is an excellent doctor. I wouldn't trust anyone else to deliver Aria's child."

The bodyguard looked like he wanted to say something, but in the end he only nodded and withdrew.

Julian looked out the window. The sunlight was bright and warm.

He believed Nina would remain by his side as she always had.

He had never considered that even a shadow could grow tired of the dark.

That evening, the butler appeared outside Nina's room and handed her a gilded invitation. "Ms. Avery, tomorrow is the Blackwell family's Spring Banquet. Mr. Edmund Blackwell specifically requested your attendance. Please make sure you come."

Nina took the invitation. Her fingertips were cold.

Nina didn't want to attend the Blackwell Spring Banquet. If she went, it meant watching Julian and Aria being intimate with each other.

It would be like driving a knife straight into her heart.

But the invitation had been written personally by Edmund. "Nina, the ten years are nearly over. This will be the final family banquet. You must attend."

She understood. It was both a dignified farewell and a final warning. When she left, she was not to break the Blackwell family's rules.

The banquet was held in the century-old Rose Hall of Blackwell Manor. Influential figures from across the Eastridge Coast filled the room, dressed in tailored suits and glittering jewels. Beneath the polite smiles and laughter, however, every word carried an edge.

The moment Nina stepped into the hall, her gaze fixed on the head table. Julian stood there in a black custom-tailored suit, his eyes behind gold-rimmed glasses as calm and deep as the ocean.

Beside him, Aria leaned close, wearing a wine-red mermaid gown that made her dazzlingly beautiful. She was smiling as she adjusted his tie.

Suddenly, Julian raised his glass. His voice was low but carried clearly through the hall. "Today, I formally introduce Aria Monroe to all of you. She is my fiancée and the only woman I will ever love."

The only woman he would ever love.

Nina dug her nails into her palm so hard that the sharp pain was the only thing keeping her from losing control.

For a moment, the hall fell silent.

Then thunderous applause erupted.

But Nina noticed clearly that several patriarchs of the old families exchanged subtle glances. Their expressions were complicated.

They all knew.

They knew that ten years ago Julian had been nothing more than an illegitimate son suppressed by his uncle, and it was Nina who stayed beside him through three assassination attempts and two violent shootouts.

They knew that last year the mafia had tried to lure him with a honey trap, and that woman ended up with her limbs severed and dumped into the harbor that same night.

They also knew Julian had never allowed any woman within arm's reach of him except Nina.

Once, Nina had been Julian's only exception. Now, Aria was the one who could stand beside him openly and legitimately.

Nina lifted her champagne glass to hide the pain inside her, but the tremor in her fingers betrayed her.

So ten years of life and death beside him meant less than a single sentence-the only woman he would ever love.

Aria suddenly approached, her smile sweet. "Nina, you came too? I thought you wouldn't dare face this."

Nina didn't even look at her. She took a small sip of champagne. "Face what? The fortune you came back for after ten years away?"

Aria's expression stiffened. "What do you mean by that?"

"Exactly what it sounds like." Nina finally lifted her eyes, her gaze full of contempt. "Ten years ago, when Julian was being hunted across the city and hiding in a dockside warehouse eating stale bread, where were you? Trying on wedding dresses overseas with some other man?"

Her voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear. "Now that he sits firmly at the top of the Blackwell Group and holds half the Eastridge Coast in his hands, suddenly you're back. Miss Monroe, do you love Julian, or the heir to the Blackwell Group?"

Aria's face went ashen. "That's nonsense! My family forced me to leave!"

"Really?" Nina let out a cold laugh. "Then why did he search for you for three years without receiving a single reply? Yet the moment a financial magazine reported last month that the Blackwell Group's valuation had surpassed one hundred billion dollars, you suddenly became heartsick with longing and rushed back?"

Around them, the guests pretended to continue their conversations, but every ear was sharply tuned to the exchange.

This was no ordinary rivalry between two women. This was the public tearing away of Aria's mask.

Aria's eyes reddened as her voice trembled. "Julian! You see how she's slandering me!"

Julian approached with a frown, his voice carrying a warning. "Nina, that's enough."

Nina looked at him and suddenly laughed. "Julian, do you actually believe her? The woman who walked away when you were at your lowest?"

Julian's gaze darkened. "The past is best left in the past."

"Fine." Nina set down her glass and turned away. "I wish you both a lifetime together. May you never be separated."

She walked through the crowd and left the Rose Hall.

Nina took a deep breath. She had just turned into a side alley to call for a car when a sharp pain struck the back of her neck.

Someone grabbed her from behind and pressed a cloth soaked with anesthetic over her mouth and nose.

She struggled, but her limbs quickly weakened and her vision blurred.

The last thing she saw was a black van without license plates parked at the alley entrance. The door slid open, revealing a pair of polished leather shoes.

A man spoke quietly. "Mr. Blackwell said not to kill her. Take her to Warehouse No. 3 at the docks."

Nina's heart jolted. Were these Julian's men?