CEO Ex-Husband, Don't Bother Me-Chapter 82 - 80: Going to Meridia Together (Part 4)

Chapter 82: Chapter 80: Going to Meridia Together (Part 4)

"We can’t go back... We really can’t."

After all these years of entanglement, he could finally admit it. No matter what, he and Juliet Jennings could never go back to the way they were.

"Julian Donovan, if you’re really going to be this heartless, then I’ll just die and show you!"

Before he could finish, Juliet Jennings cut him off, her expression grief-stricken. Her eyes were filled with a reckless desperation. If he chose to go back to that other woman, she truly didn’t want to live anymore. He had never explicitly defined their relationship before, so she had deluded herself into holding onto hope. Now that he was saying he just wanted to be ordinary friends, she was utterly devastated.

She had to keep this man, no matter what. She loved him. Back then, she had chosen him—a man who had nothing—over all her other wealthy suitors. That was proof of her love.

But later... she wanted more and more, and they drifted further and further apart.

People could call her vain or a gold-digger, but only she knew that the days she spent with him in that shabby little apartment were the happiest moments of her life. Even now, living in a mansion, driving luxury cars, and wearing all sorts of designer brands, she could never find that kind of happiness again.

Julian Donovan saw the desperation on Juliet Jennings’ face and felt a flicker of unease, but in the end, he just snapped coldly,

"Don’t do anything stupid!"

Juliet Jennings gave him one last, resentful look through her tear-filled eyes, then covered her mouth and ran out.

Agitated, Julian Donovan pulled out a cigarette and lit it. He then took out his phone and called Naomi Shaw. Her gentle voice came from far away.

"Did you get there?"

He took a drag from his cigarette and murmured an affirmative. Hearing the exhaustion in his voice, Naomi quickly said,

"You must be exhausted. You should get some rest and adjust to the jet lag!"

"Did you miss me?"

Julian Donovan wasn’t sure what came over him, suddenly asking such a cheesy question. She was silent on the other end, and he could just picture her biting her lip and blushing. His mood began to lighten.

After a moment, her quiet voice came through.

"Yes, Dylan and I both miss you very much!"

His heart skipped a beat at her simple "Yes," but then she immediately added the next part. Picturing her shy expression, he chuckled softly.

"I miss you too!"

He deliberately emphasized the word "you," making no mention of their son. Sure enough, he heard her say, embarrassed,

"Oh, Dylan wants to talk to you!"

The phone was then passed to his precocious son, whose calm little voice piped up.

"Dad, the fifteen-day countdown starts today!"

He raised a hand to his temple, a headache coming on. ’Having a son who’s too smart isn’t always a good thing.’

He couldn’t quite figure it out. She was always a bit ditzy, and he hadn’t been anything like Dylan as a child—just an ordinary kid. How did the two of them produce such a brilliant child? ’Is it because we’re both so average that we ended up with a son who’s an outlier of intelligence?’

After acknowledging Dylan and chatting with him for a few more minutes, Julian Donovan finished his cigarette. He stubbed it out, instructed his driver to return all of Juliet Jennings’ things to her, and then went upstairs to sleep off his jet lag.

That evening, while having dinner with Caleb Rhodes and the others, the usually flashy Felix Draper was slumped listlessly in his seat, drinking sullenly. Julian Donovan didn’t hesitate to poke fun at him.

"Well, well, why does the groom look so down?"

A while ago, Felix Draper had been urgently summoned back to Syan by the head of the Draper Family. A few days later, he called to tell the three of them to come back for his wedding, which nearly made their jaws drop. They later learned that the head of the Draper Family had arranged for him to marry Sarah Sutton of the Sutton Family. The Sutton Family was on the verge of bankruptcy, and since the head of their family had once done a great favor for the head of the Draper Family, the Drapers decided to save them through this marriage alliance.

None of the three had expected Miss Sutton, Sarah, to be a girl of peerless beauty. On top of that, with the exquisite bridal makeup and wedding dress created for her by her good friend Sue North, she was breathtakingly beautiful, earning the unanimous admiration of all three men. Furthermore, Sarah Sutton wasn’t frivolous or domineering like other heiresses. She appeared to have excellent upbringing and an elegant disposition. Compared to Sarah, Felix Draper’s current girlfriend, who came from a common background, paled in comparison.

Hearing Julian Donovan’s jab, Felix Draper shot him a glare and downed his drink in one gulp.

"Leaving your beautiful new bride at home while you come back to Meridia all alone—isn’t that a waste?"

Julian Donovan was delighted to finally see Felix Draper squirm. Felix snorted and retorted,

"Aren’t you the same? Didn’t you also leave my beautiful sister-in-law behind in Thailos?"

Julian Donovan smiled, elegantly swirling the wine in his glass.

"I’ve already decided to bring her and our son over. How about it? Why don’t you bring your new wife over too?"

Provoked, Felix Draper flew into a rage and slammed his hand on the table.

"Julian Donovan, what did I ever do to you in this life? I just got trapped in this loveless marriage, and now you’re bringing your wife and kid over. Are you trying to piss me off on purpose?"

Of course, no one paid any attention to his outrage. Caleb Rhodes and Henry Hale both turned their gazes to Julian Donovan. Caleb asked,

"You’ve really decided to bring them over?"

Julian Donovan narrowed his eyes and took a sip of his wine.

"I’ll bring her over as soon as I’ve dealt with things on this end."

Caleb Rhodes nodded.

"It’s good for a family to be together."

The gentle look on Julian Donovan’s face was like a punch to the gut for Felix Draper. He grabbed the bottle and poured himself a full glass, then chugged it down.

Caleb Rhodes raised his glass, cleared his throat, and spoke with the air of the group’s leader.

"I’m talking to you two married men. The women on the side... it’s time to cut ties."

Caleb Rhodes had always been a disciplined and focused person. He firmly believed that no matter the reason for marrying someone, you should commit to building a proper life with them.

Julian Donovan could now face Caleb Rhodes’s words with a clear conscience, but Felix Draper just snorted and turned his head away. Caleb then looked at Henry Hale.

"And for the one who isn’t married, you should get a move on!"

The moment Henry Hale was mentioned, Felix Draper perked up again. He leaned over and clapped Henry on the shoulder.

"Hey, hey, Henry Hale, are you really into men? You can be honest, it’s fine. We’re all brothers here, we can accept it!"

As he said this, he suddenly scooted away from Henry Hale.

"Uh... if you really are into men, maybe don’t tell us after all. I’m feeling a little endangered. Just don’t fall in love with me, okay?"

Henry Hale shot him a vicious glare.

"Get lost! As far away as possible!"

Caleb Rhodes smiled at Henry Hale.

"Henry, I saw a woman coming and going from your apartment the other day."

"Oh, that’s my friend."

Henry Hale’s reply was very calm, but the other three clearly didn’t believe him. He had no choice but to explain again,

"She’s really just a friend. An ordinary friend."

And she really was just an ordinary friend. After *that* woman, he had lost all interest in women.

Seeing him like this, the other three didn’t press him further. They just raised their glasses and drank.

After Julian Donovan’s frank conversation with Juliet Jennings that day, she hadn’t contacted him again. He only heard that she had joined a new film crew. ’Her desperation that day must have just been a moment of weakness,’ he thought. With Juliet no longer pestering him, he decided to bring Naomi Shaw and Dylan over ahead of schedule.

But before he could call Naomi Shaw, his phone rang with her number. Her voice was filled with anxiety and panic, with the faint sound of crying in the background.

"Julian, here in Qindale... do you know any other doctors who are really good at treating gunshot wounds, besides you...?"

"What happened?"

He shot up from his chair in alarm, his hand gripping the phone so tightly it trembled. He thought she or their son had been hurt.

"Ronan Joyce is hurt!

Sobbing, Naomi Shaw haltingly told Julian Donovan what had happened.

Lara Nash and Ronan Joyce had graduated. Ronan was planning to return to his home country, and Lara had laid her cards on the table with her family, telling them she was going back to Syan with him. Lara’s family refused. How could their precious daughter go off to live a hard life with some poor kid studying physics who had no clear prospects? So they forced the two to break up, even putting Lara under house arrest.

「The magnificent, brilliantly lit Nash Residence.」

Lara Nash was in the middle of a tantrum, smashing the antiques her father usually treasured. Her whole family just sat there watching her rampage: her father, the King of Gamblers, Hector Nash; her mother; and her several older brothers.