Chapter 61: Chapter 61: Unraveling the Scheme

That was merely Julian Sterling’s speculation. After all, he did not retain a clear memory of the plot details. At the time, Julian had not read the story with any real dedication, yet for some inexplicable reason, he had recently begun to recall certain events from the original work – events he was certain he had never actually read.

Once again, a seed of doubt regarding the nature of this world took root in Julian’s mind. Was this truly nothing more than a novel? And was he merely a wayward soul from another dimension who had stumbled into this place by accident?

Julian did not know, nor did he wish to dwell on it. We will cross that bridge when we come to it. Since he currently lacked the capacity to analyze the entirety of the situation, it was better to first resolve the tangle of troubles immediately before him.

While Julian was lost in contemplation, Ethan Caldwell was piecing together the facts based on Julian’s words. He drove in pensive silence past the intersection before finally speaking up: “So, Aaron Sterling wanted you dead in order to exploit the connection between you and Seraphina Cole?”

Julian cast a fleeting glance at Ethan. Ethan did not look back at him, keeping his eyes on the road as he continued to speak: “Ever since you returned to the Sterling family, the relationship between the two of you has been polarized. Not to mention that over a long period, they favored Aaron more. Therefore, it was impossible for Aaron to mend bridges with you, and even more impossible to let you know his true objective. Otherwise, he feared you would warn Seraphina to keep her distance, which would ruin his plans completely. In the end, he chose the most efficient method available?”

To torment Julian, driving him to the brink of despair and suicide, and ultimately, to use the facade of “brotherly affection” to win Seraphina’s trust, using Julian as a stepping stone.

Julian clicked his tongue, offering no verbal response. Yet, everything Ethan had deduced was almost entirely correct.

“But in the end, you didn’t die. Why is that?” Ethan asked again.

Why? Because in that final moment, his soul had been drawn to this place. Although Julian could no longer recall the specific details of what transpired back then, he could still feel the grievance, the dissatisfaction, and the unwillingness of that young man. It must have been that in that moment, “he” was both filled with despair and a desperate yearning, which somehow pulled Julian’s soul into this world.

“The doctors’ skills were excellent. They saved my life.” Julian chuckled: “At that time, I was determined to die, so how could I have stopped halfway? Was it even possible to stop? In the end, it was all thanks to the doctor’s expertise.”

“At that time, I also thought you wouldn’t make it.” Ethan turned the steering wheel, guiding the car slowly onto a familiar road: “Because I received information that the youngest master of the Sterling family had tipped off the doctors, instructing them to arrive a bit late. The golden hour was missed; by the time you entered the emergency room, your heart had stopped beating, and all your vitals had dropped to their worst possible state.”

For better or worse, Julian was his “fiancé,” so naturally, Ethan paid some attention. At that time, he held no affection for Julian, nor had they ever officially met. At most, he had observed Julian from a distance once or twice. This marriage had been entirely pushed by Grandpa Arthur; Ethan did not disobey, nor did he have any lingering attachments, so he did not intervene then, and had even prepared himself to receive the news of his “fiancé’s” passing. One could not blame him for being callous. By the time he received the news, Julian had already been pushed into the emergency room – even if he wanted to help, he could not have done so.

Yet, in the end, Julian emerged intact, and moreover, he had become quite formidable. At the very least, Aaron’s plans had now been thoroughly dismantled by him, and he had nearly overturned the Sterling household in the process.

“No wonder…” Julian murmured. No wonder the original Julian held such hatred.

As for the fact that Ethan knew the news but did not help, Julian felt no particular emotion. Firstly, that person was not him, so what right did he have to blame anyone? If the original Julian hadn’t passed away, how could Julian have arrived here? Secondly, he knew that Ethan likely received the news too late anyway. Furthermore, back then, there was no affection between the two of them, so why should Ethan have worried?

Even now, the relationship between the two of them was difficult to define. Was there affection? Probably, but it was not love. At most, it was because they were married, felt suitable for each other, and were sexually compatible, leading to a fondness for one another. They were prepared to accept each other and live out a peaceful life together.

The car suddenly fell silent; neither of them spoke a word. The vehicle slowly approached the area of Ethan Caldwell’s residence.

Ethan carried Julian all the way up to the house. As soon as he pushed the door open, the faint aroma of food wafted out. Mrs. Hughes must have come in the afternoon to cook for them.

Julian suddenly remembered something, and his face flushed red as he cast a shy glance toward the kitchen. It was spotless now, but who knew how wild they had been last night? Not to mention that velvet chair…

Ethan seemed to read his mind, so he smiled and said: “Don’t worry, I cleaned it up before she arrived.”

Julian glanced at him with a rosy flush on his cheeks, but he also let out a sigh of relief. Suddenly, he looked over at the dining table and noticed a chair was missing – needless to say, it was the one from yesterday. “Where is the chair?”

Ethan carried Julian upstairs, speaking as he walked: “That object is full of our memories; naturally, it had to be wrapped up so we can look at it and reminisce later.”

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