Chapter 36: Chapter 36: Little Jules

The door was pushed open, and a young woman in a red dress strolled in unhurriedly.

Julian Sterling looked up at her, momentarily stunned. For some reason, he found this girl very familiar, yet he couldn’t recall who she was. This sense of familiarity didn’t stem from seeing photos of Seraphina Cole, but originated from the physical reaction of the original “Julian”.

Somewhere deep in his memory, the lingering emotions of the original “Julian” reacted very strongly to this person.

Who exactly was Seraphina Cole, and why did she know “Julian Sterling”? Moreover, why hadn’t he found any information about this girl despite having inherited the original “Julian’s” memories?

Was this part of the memory missing?

“Little Jules, long time no see,” Seraphina greeted him as soon as she entered. She then glanced at Ethan Caldwell and smiled. “Uncle Caldwell is still in good health, I presume?”

If calculated by generation, Seraphina was on the same level as Ethan’s aunt, so she called Arthur Caldwell “Uncle” instead of “Grandpa” like everyone else. This was the advantage of being the youngest child in a large family; in terms of hierarchy, she was always higher than others, despite her young age.

But Julian’s attention wasn’t on this matter; he was bewildered when he heard Seraphina greet him. Julian Caine?

Suddenly, Julian remembered that the original “Julian’s” foster parents were surnamed Caine. Before being taken back to the Sterling family, he bore the surname Caine. And those years were the years the original “Julian” met Seraphina.

Although he had no impression of it, based on Seraphina’s greeting, he was certain the two knew each other.

Julian didn’t know what to say, so he just looked at Seraphina.

“What’s the matter? Don’t recognize me?” She sat naturally at the table, frowning slightly. “Haven’t seen you for a few years and you don’t remember Seraphina?”

Julian shook his head, pursing his lips. “I… A few years ago, I had a fever, and after that, I forgot some things.”

It was true that the original “Julian” had been seriously ill a few years ago, nearly losing his life. However, he wasn’t sure if the original “Julian’s” memory was affected by that, or if his transmigration had impacted the boy’s memory. Nevertheless, this was the only way to cover up why he had forgotten who Seraphina was.

Hearing him say this, Ethan reached out and rubbed his head.

Seraphina let out an “oh”. “No wonder I couldn’t contact you these past few years. Did the Sterlings treat you badly?”

Julian was just about to answer when she waved her hand. “Save your excuses for them. The Sterling Group’s affairs are flying all over the newspapers. If they cared about you, why would they let your name be plastered on the news, allowing everyone to ridicule you? And certainly not…” She stopped there, shooting a meaningful glance at Ethan.

It was true that the Caldwell family was a prominent clan in Saint Lawrence City and held status nationwide, but strictly speaking, they were still a notch lower than the Cole family. Primarily, the Caldwell family had been small for several generations, with few offspring. The Cole family, on the other hand, had children and grandchildren in droves, and their assets had expanded significantly. With the ancestors building and the descendants accumulating, the Cole family’s network ran very deep, and they didn’t have much need to fear the surrounding noble families.

As the youngest daughter who was once spoiled to the extreme, Seraphina didn’t have to show deference to anyone, even if she had fallen out of favor.

Seeing Seraphina look at Ethan like that, Julian lowered his head and muttered softly, “Ethan is very good to me…”

Seraphina said nothing.

A waiter brought her a cup of hot coffee. Seraphina added sugar while stirring. “I heard you want to find someone to teach you drawing?”

After speaking, she rested her chin on her hand, looking at him. “Little Jules, do you really need someone to teach you? Don’t tell me that fever made you forget your drawing skills too?”

Julian lowered his head, whispering, “I haven’t forgotten…”

To an outsider, this expression looked like a lack of confidence, but only Julian knew that his gaze was incredibly sharp.

The original “Julian” knew how to draw? Even judging by Seraphina’s tone, he dared to bet the original “Julian’s” drawing technique wasn’t bad either. So… why did “he” never reveal it?

If one argued that the original “Julian” was smart enough to hide his talent, Julian wouldn’t believe it; if “he” had been smart enough to know when to advance and when to retreat, he wouldn’t have ended up in such a desperate situation. But… if his drawing skills were decent, “he” could have totally used them to cling to the emotions of his parents, right?

Although he might not reach the level of Aaron Sterling, at the very least, if he couldn’t be a “young and talented corporate manager,” being a “promising artist” was still better than being a piece of trash, wasn’t it?

Julian was worried about one more thing: that Seraphina would notice the difference in the drawings.

Paintings only come alive when the artist breathes soul into them, but everyone has their own unique “soul.” He was just afraid Seraphina would see something different.

In a brief moment, all sorts of questions swirled in Julian’s mind.

“When there’s a chance, draw a picture for me so I can check your technique. It’s been many years; I don’t know how your level is now.”

After speaking, Seraphina stopped looking at Julian and turned to Ethan. “I heard you just bought a plot of land in the suburbs? Since when did the Caldwell family take an interest in real estate?”

Ethan – the man occupying the position of the invisible person – took a sip of the sickly sweet coffee that Julian had ordered. He looked at Seraphina, his voice very normal. “Real estate is highly profitable; what family doesn’t want a piece of the pie? Doesn’t an art company like Iris Visuals also have its eye on that land?”

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