Chapter 522: Chapter 522: Is It Really Her?
"You should go back and rest well." Julian said.
"Alright." Jude Chaucer replied. After thinking for a moment, Jude added, "President Lawson, you should rest well too."
Julian nodded.
The elevator doors closed behind him, as the numbers on the panel shifted. Jude descended.
Julian sat there alone for a while, recalling the many times he had come there with Serena Sterling.
And the last time, when he forcibly brought her here.
Thinking about it, he felt sad again.
Julian lowered his eyes slightly, controlling his wheelchair to move inside.
He returned home to darkness.
No one was there to turn on a light for him anymore. No one was there waiting for him to come home.
"Pa!"
Julian turned on the lights.
In an instant, he lit up all the lights, flooding the apartment with brightness, but it still felt vacant to him.
Julian lowered his eyes slightly, trying to control his emotions.
He steered his wheelchair over to the table and poured himself a glass of water.
Looking out at the bustling traffic beyond the large window, he felt a sense of disorientation.
Everything seemed unreal.
All he had lost, everything that had happened, felt like a nightmare.
"Buzz buzz."
His phone vibrated.
Julian took out his phone to check the message. It was from Ian Yates.
Ian Yates: Mr. Lawson, how are you? Want to go out for a drink?
It seemed Ian sensed he might be feeling sad, hence the message.
For the past year, perhaps by observing their situations, Ian had also grown perceptive, clarifying matters with his little Goldsmith, and though they had some quarrels later, they eventually reconciled.
However, it is said that Ian no longer dares to upset his little Goldsmith as he used to, since her career is flourishing.
Starting as a clerk, she worked her way up to team leader, then store manager, climbing steadily. It’s quite impressive.
Sometimes Julian wondered if he had understood things at the start, explained everything to Serena earlier, and been less arrogant, might they have avoided all the subsequent harm.
Would their child still be alive, would she still be by his side, and wouldn’t all those things have happened, leaving her in the hospital not waking up?
Unfortunately, everything was impossible to redo.
Julian sighed deeply and then replied to Ian Yates.
Julian: No, I want to be alone for a while. Enjoy yourselves, charge it to my account.
Ian Yates quickly replied.
Ian Yates: Alright, then take care, Mr. Lawson.
Julian put down his phone, sat alone for a while longer, then maneuvered his wheelchair toward the bedroom.
Arriving at the room, Julian felt something was off.
The room seemed different than before.
What was different?
His heart pounded.
The bed had a slight rise, as if someone was lying there.
Julian’s breathing became slightly hurried, his mind unclear.
Who was there?
Could it be her... Serena?
His hand trembled slightly, controlling the wheelchair to approach the bed, looking at the person on it.
It was a woman.
The woman seemed to hear the commotion, opened her eyes, saw him, and smiled slightly, then spoke: "Julian, you’re back."
Julian froze.
That face...
And that name.
Could it be Serena?
She was not in the hospital, had come here?
Or was it all just a dream, and she was with him, and nothing had happened.
Julian’s mind was chaos, unable to process, body feeling strange heat, an odd sensation.
The woman sat up, her hand caressing his face.
"What’s wrong? Julian, don’t you recognize me?" the woman smiled softly.
She drew closer, embracing him, her body soft.
"Julian, don’t you miss me?" Her voice whispered in his ear.
The physical response was very real, his body yearning.
But... something felt off...
Julian pushed her away, keeping some distance.
He frowned tightly, staring at the woman before him.
"Who are you?" he asked stoically.
The woman’s face seemed about to cry, she said: "I’m Serena, Julian, what’s wrong? You’re scary now, don’t you love me anymore?"
"You are..." Julian’s eyes turned red, "Are you really... Serena?"
"It’s me." The woman said, "I came back, back to find you, don’t you want me?"
As she spoke, her hand touched his injured leg.
Then, she approached, leaning into him, her breath fragrant.
The room’s temperature rose instantly.
She reached to unbutton his shirt, even sitting on his wheelchair.
Everything felt surreal.
Like a dream.
Julian looked at the woman before him, that face, that name, the way she approached.
Is it her?
Has she really come back?
His heart ached, his eyes brimmed red.
She leaned closer, unbuttoning her clothes while trying to kiss him.
But at that moment, Julian dodged.
He pushed her away.
"Julian?" She pulled at his collar, looking hurt.
Julian lifted her and threw her onto the floor.
"Julian, what’s wrong?" the woman cried, "How can you treat me like this?"
"Who are you? Why are you pretending to be Serena!" Julian shouted angrily.
His heart throbbed painfully.
Even though it was the scenario he longed for.
Even though he dreamt of having her back.
Yet, he knew very well, she had left him.
She was married to Silas Hawthorne.
She would never call him "Julian" again.
Moreover...
Her face would never show such a flattering expression.
She was gentle, passionate, shy, disdainful, sorrowful, strong, but never servile.
"Julian, I..."
"Shut up! You’re unworthy to use that name!" Julian warned, "Tell me! Who sent you, what’s your purpose, why impersonate Serena!"
The woman’s face turned pale, seemingly guilty after being exposed.
Her resemblance to Serena seemed to crumble.
Any semblance achieved through lighting and makeup vanished.
A wave of anger and discomfort surged from below, Julian gritted his teeth.
He recalled the glass of water he had just drunk.
"You put something in the water!" Julian accused.
The woman looked pitifully, trying to mimic Serena again, saying with tears: "President Lawson, just treat me as her. After all, she’s lying there and cannot wake up, even if she does wake, she’s Silas Hawthorne’s wife now."
"You like her that way, I can be like her. Wouldn’t that consolation be good?"
