CHAPTER 30: CHAPTER 30: TWO THIN NIGHTGOWNS PRESSED CLOSELY TOGETHER

Ethan felt deeply aware of his grave mistake and awkwardly looked at Juliana.

"Madam, I’m really sorry. President Grant asked me to bring Old Mr. Sutton to the hospital to see you, but as soon as we reached the hospital entrance, we ran into Miss Grant. Miss Grant said Ms. Windsor’s condition was more serious, so..."

He found the rest of the words too embarrassing to say.

But Juliana completed the sentence for him.

"You couldn’t do anything about it and could only let her take the doctor scheduled for me. You failed to complete President Grant’s task and hope I’ll speak to him on your behalf?"

I am very sorry, Madam," Ethan said guiltily.

"Sister-in-law, don’t blame Assistant Carter."

Old Mr. Sutton had left, and Stella stood righteously in front of Ethan.

"It’s my fault for worrying about my mom. If you want to blame someone, blame me."

When it comes to winning hearts, it’s still Stella Grant.

Juliana raised her eyebrows, "Why would I blame you? You can act recklessly in front of me; isn’t it because of Evan Grant?"

At this moment, Evan’s call came in, and Juliana answered it.

"Did you see the doctor? What did Old Mr. Sutton say?"

Juliana glanced at Ethan, her tone calm, "No, he already left."

Evan was infuriated.

"Juliana, I asked you to see the doctor for your own good. Do you have to act so childishly and use your body against me? When will you stop being so immature?"

Juliana hung up on him, ignored the two, and left the hospital.

She worked overtime at Aetherflame Dynamics until after ten o’clock before returning to Platinum Bay.

Unexpectedly, the living room was brightly lit.

Evan sat on the sofa, while Stella and Ethan stood, looking somewhat nervous.

Juliana gave them a cold glance and was about to go upstairs when Evan called her to a halt.

"Why didn’t you explain what happened this afternoon over the phone?"

Juliana paused, turned around to look at him, "Has President Grant already made up his mind? Would he accept my childish retort?"

Evan’s expression subtly changed.

Ethan quickly said: "Madam, it’s all my fault. We’ve rescheduled with Old Mr. Sutton, and you can see him in two months at most."

Two months, by then the preserved vegetables would have gone bad.

Juliana didn’t even look at him, but continued to stare at Evan.

"So you’re making your assistant take the fall again?"

Evan was dissatisfied and got up to walk towards her.

"Ethan will have six months of performance deductions and stay on probation for three months. Stella already recognizes her mistake and is now very remorseful. She can’t have any emotional upheavals. If you’re still dissatisfied, tell me. As long as I can fulfill it, I will."

Juliana’s eyes were full of sarcasm: "Sorry, I thought you stopped me from going upstairs to make them apologize to me. I didn’t realize you were warning me not to upset your dear sister. Got it, love show over. Can I say goodnight now?"

"Juliana!" Evan was a bit exasperated, "What do you want to stop this drama?"

See, once again it’s all her fault.

Juliana’s lips curled, but her smile didn’t reach her eyes.

"Let your sister get out, and I’ll stop."

Evan’s jaw tightened into a sharp line, and the air pressure around him dropped to freezing point.

Suddenly, Stella rushed towards Juliana and knelt down in front of her with a thud.

"Sister-in-law, it’s all my fault. My father is already gone, and my mom is my only family. I’m worried about her and hope Old Mr. Sutton’s diagnosis could offer her new hope. Who knew that Old Mr. Sutton diagnosed it as terminal, using it as an excuse not to prescribe her any treatment. I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Don’t blame my brother and stop fighting with him. The person he loves is you, don’t make him sad anymore."

Her slender shoulders trembled slightly, her eyelashes still holding tears, like a drenched fledgling.

But Juliana’s attitude was extremely cold.

"Miss Grant’s illness is quite peculiar, with my husband as your antidote, and it acts up right at the crack of our marriage, with tears flowing as if installed with a valve, controllable at will."

"Juliana!" Darkness surged in Evan’s eyes, "She’s apologizing to you, how could you be so malicious?"

"Brother, don’t talk to sister-in-law like that, don’t argue because of me."

Stella cried while persuading him, Evan bent down to help her up.

Juliana’s eyes were full of derision, "I wondered why President Grant has become more irritable towards me lately, turns out to be stained by your sister’s tangerine fragrance."

Evan was stunned.

Juliana went upstairs, her soles struck a series of cold and stiff tones on the marble stairs.

She thought the matter would just pass like that, but unexpectedly at three in the morning, Juliana was woken up by a suppressed, intermittent crying.

The sound was coming from the window ledge of the guest room.

Initially, Juliana didn’t want to care, but the crying did not cease. Instead, it escalated into severe retching and dull thumping sounds of a body against furniture.

Juliana’s heart sank deeply. She had always been skeptical of Stella having depression based solely on her character, thinking Stella was just pretending.

But the earlier commotion was indeed a bit frightening...

Unable to resist the inherent kindness, she turned over and got up, intending to go out and check.

Just as she stepped out, the study’s door also opened, with Evan appearing at the door in his flimsy sleepwear.

The two locked eyes, and from the guest room came a loud "boom," causing Evan to stride over and knock on the door.

"Stella, open the door, quickly open the door."

However, there was no response from inside.

"Break the door down, she won’t come out. Just shouting won’t help."

Juliana was calm as if she were emotionless metal.

Evan glanced at her, retracted his gaze, and continued glaring at the closed door.

"Stella, I’m going to kick the door, don’t stand behind it, do you hear me?"

After shouting, he listened closely to the sounds inside, and his gaze darkened unusually.

With a "bang," the door lock broke, and Evan turned on the light, striding inside.

The guest room was in chaos.

Stella, dressed in a sexy blue camisole dress, stood amidst the fallen furniture, her long hair disheveled, bending over with a knife pressed against her wrist.

She shook her head desperately, muttering over and over: "No, you’re a curse, they all don’t want you, you create rifts between brother and sister-in-law, and you’re just faking illness, rotten, utterly rotten..."

Juliana furrowed her brow.

Her words directly mirrored the mockeries she had made towards Stella mere hours ago.

Whether or not it was a genuine case of depression tonight, these words would be enough to evoke even deeper resentment from Evan towards her.

"Stella, look at me, put the knife down."

Evan’s voice startled Stella.

"Brother, don’t worry about me, sister-in-law... sister-in-law will scold me... I’m in so much pain, let me die, and I’ll be happy."

Evan frowned, clearly hurt by Stella’s words.

With lightning speed, he pounced, grasping Stella’s wrist holding the knife, his grip so tight that his knuckles turned white.

And due to the pain, Stella relinquished her hold.

Her body went limp, and Evan, without the slightest hesitation, embraced her.

Yes, right in front of Juliana.

Evan and another woman, two thin nightgowns intimately pressed together, fracturing the last crumb of decency.