At 8:00 pm, Willow and Julian returned bto /bGrandview Manor.

Time had bpassed/bb, /band things felt different.

The housekeepers, who had always liked Willow, were already lined up at the entrance bto /bwee her back. Their bfaces /bwere full of joy.

“Wee back, Mrs. Ziegler.b” /b

b“/bCongrattions for making up, Mr. and Mrs. bZiegler/bb./bb” /b

“Will you dine together? The kitchen has everything prepared.”

Willow smiled faintly, bbut /bthere was a touch of exhaustion in her beyes/bb. /b

Julian gently wrapped his arm around her, ying the role of ba /bconsiderate husband. He instructed the housekeepers, “She’ll brest /bfor a bit. We’ll have dinner in an hour.”

After the housekeepers left, Julian looked down at Willow and spoke gently, “bYou’ve /bhad a long day. How about ba /bshower?b” /b

Willow nodded, her attitude still distant.

Julian usually had ba /bshort temperb, /bbut tonight, he kept it in check.

Upstairs, in the master bedroom, Willow surveyed the room.

Everything she had destroyed before had been fixed, and the wedding photo above the bed had been reced with a new one. In the pictureb, /bshe still wore a sweet,

radiant smile.

The only thing that couldn’t be restored was the oil painting. bIts /bempty bspace /bnow held a new pieceb–/ba narrow alley lined with bare willow trees.

Willow stared at it for a long timeb. /b

Her fingers traced the familiar detailsb. /bThe bempty /bwall was now adorned with a new painting, and the empty closet was filled with new clothes and new jewelry, but what about her heart?

The ce in her heart reserved for Julian was now bempty/bb, /band nothing could fill it.

Under the bright lights, Willow’s eyes glistened with emotion.

At some point, Julian entered the room and wrapped his arms around her slender waist from behind. Resting bhis /bchin on her shoulder, he murmured, b“/bCan we do it tonight? It’s been a while.”

Before Willow could respond, he kissed her skinb, /btrying bto /bbspark /bher bpassion/b.

Willow pushed aside her sadness and resisted. “Didn’t you tell the housekeepers that dinner is in an hour?b” /b

He chuckled softlyb. /b“Absence makes the bheart /bbgrow /bfonder. The housekeepers are all older than us. bI’m /bbsure /bbthey /bbwon’t /bdisturb us.”

bWillow /bdidn’t breject /bhim bagain/b.

She knew that returning bto /bGrandview Manor meant she couldn’t avoid her marital dutiesb. /b

She bwould /bbsimply /bbpretend /bshe had arranged for a man to entertain her tonight.

bBut /bbas /bbWillow /bwas bced /bbon /bbthe /bbsoft /bbed, tears bsilently /bbfell /bbfrom /btheers bof /bher beyes/bb. /bShe couldn’t bforget /bbhow /bbJulian /bbhad /bbtreated /bher in their bpast /bbintimacy/b. Everything had been for him to nt his bseeds /bbin /bher body. She truly didn’t enjoy bthat/b.

Julian bleaned /bbover /bbher/bb. /b

bHe /bkissed her btears /bband /bbasked /bbgently/b, “Why bare /bbyou /bbcrying/bb?/bb” /b

b“/bbDon’t /bask.b” /bbWillow’s /bbvoice /bbtrembled/b.

She clung btightly /bbto /bhis bneck/b, not allowing him bto /bask bagain/b. bShe /bbeven /bblifted /bherself bto /bbkiss /bbhis /bblips /band chin.

Julian’s bgaze /bbgrew /bheated as he looked bat /bher bface/b. A surge bof /bunfamiliar emotion bstirred /bbin /bhis bchest/b,

They bwere /babout bto /bbbe /boneb. /b

bJust /bthenb, /bbJulian’s /bphone brang/bb. /b

At the foot bof /bthe disheveled bedb, /bhis phone buzzed and rang bfrom /bbthe /bpocket of his ck bcoat/b,

Julian was in the middle of something far more bpressing /band had bno /bintention of answering. But the caller was relentless. The phone bkept /bringing again and bagain/b, making it impossible bto /bignore.

b+25 /bBonus

bWillow /bpushed him away gently and panted. b“/bYou should answer it.”

Julian wanted to continue.

However, Willow turned her back to him and said bsoftly/bb, /b“Answer it. Otherwise, byou /bbwon’t /bbget /bany peace tonight. Don’t worryb, /bJulian. I came back for the money, not bfor /bromance.”

Julian stared at her exposed back, his throat tightening with a feeling he couldn’t exin. He hesitated but eventually left the vi in the darkness.

On the luxurious bed, Willowy with her clothes in disarrayb, /bquietly listening to Julian’s retreating footsteps.

Each bstep /bfaded, and soon he was gone.

He was just the same as before.

Without love for Julian, things that once caused heartache felt trivial. Even her mood wasn’t affected much.

At the door, a knock came from ir. “Mrs. bZiegler/b, Mr. Ziegler said he won’t be home for dinner. Shall we serve your meal now?”

Willow closed her eyes gentlyb. /bb“/bIn half an hour.”

The winter night was bitterly cold outside.

Inside the ck Bentley, however, the warmth was like spring. Before Julian started the carb, /bhe couldn’t help but gently touch his neck. He actually felt an inexplicable longing.