CHAPTER 206: CHAPTER 206: THIS IS HER LAST CHANCE TO USE JULIAN POOLE

Tanya walked with Caden all the way to the riverside.

Julian Poole carried the things, quietly following behind, watching the harmonious scene of the mother and son, and smiled.

Kaj Poole, being perceptive, used the excuse of having agreed to play games with friends to leave first.

Even though Joy didn’t come tonight, having this alone time with her son filled Tanya’s heart with happiness.

Caden rarely showed the childishness that a child his age should have.

He voluntarily talked to Tanya about things at school, the teacher he didn’t like, and his slightly annoying deskmate.

Tanya listened quietly, gazing fondly at her son’s delicate little face.

The five-year-old boy, usually a little chubby, already had distinct features, particularly his eyes, which looked especially like hers.

Until the driver came over to remind them, "Young Master Caden, it’s time to go home."

Tanya then reluctantly bid farewell to her son.

"Bye-bye, Caden."

She hoped that soon she and her son wouldn’t have to part like this.

"Mom, I have a gift for you."

Caden dug out a pressed leaf from his backpack and handed it to Tanya.

Caden scratched his head a bit shyly, "I saw a bottle of leaves at home before, and Dad said they were all collected by Mom."

He was still too young to understand the deeper meaning of those leaves, just thinking that his mom liked them, so he found the most beautiful leaf at school and made it into a specimen during break time.

Tanya’s nose tingled as she hugged her son, "Thank you, baby, Mom loves it."

From today on, fallen leaves for her would no longer be merely linked to that jerk Vincent Hawthorne. They now had a new meaning!

Caden truly was healing her in his own way.

Tanya wiped her eyes and asked the driver to wait for five more minutes.

She carefully selected a leaf and solemnly handed it to her son.

"Baby, this will be our pact from now on. Every time we meet, we exchange a beautiful leaf, okay?"

Caden said, "Mom, you are so childish,"

but still reached out to take it and carefully placed it into his bag.

Tanya watched her son get into the car and leave, then she also got into Julian Poole’s car; they lived in the same neighborhood, so it was convenient to go back together.

Tanya first got into the passenger seat. Julian was about to get in when a phone call came through.

The caller ID showed—Cindy.

Julian discreetly glanced at Tanya in the car, hesitated for a moment, but answered the call.

He turned around, "Cindy, what’s up?"

"Senior, help me! I’m so scared!" Cindy Lynn’s trembling voice came through; she seemed to be hiding somewhere, speaking in a very low and soft tone.

Julian frowned, growing worried: "What’s wrong? Where are you?"

"I’m at home, but there are a lot of people outside smashing the door. I’m so scared. I don’t dare call the police; I don’t know who else I can find... Senior, didn’t you say that as long as I needed you, you would come to me? I need you so much right now..."

"..." Julian pursed his lips, looking at Tanya waiting in the car with conflict, "Cindy, I can’t leave right now, I’ll send someone over..."

"I see." Cindy smiled bitterly with self-mockery, "So your promises before were just words... I was too foolish, clinging to the past, thinking you were the senior I could trust forever. Sorry, I won’t bother you anymore..."

"Cindy!"

The line was cut off, and Julian called back only to be directly hung up on.

His frown deepened. Although he didn’t know what was happening with Cindy, he remembered Cindy had mentioned before that the Lynn Family’s funds had problems, and some President Wallace had been eyeing her for a long time...

In his mind, Julian recalled how Cindy had once come looking for him in the pouring rain.

"Senior, this is all my savings; I’m giving it all to you. It will be okay... I will be by your side!"

Julian gripped his phone, overwhelmed with indecision.

Tanya had been waiting in the car for a while; seeing Julian hadn’t gotten in after taking the call,

"What’s wrong?" She opened the door and got out, noticing that Julian looked uneasy, worriedly asking, "Did something happen? Is it work-related? Don’t worry, maybe I can..."

"Tanya." Julian interrupted her, his eyes full of apology, "I... I may not be able to take you back. I have to go somewhere, a friend of mine has an urgent matter."

Tanya didn’t know who this friend of Julian’s was, but they seemed important to him.

She immediately said, "Then go quickly, it’s not that late. I’ll just take a cab home."

"I’ll call a cab for you." Julian didn’t dare to meet Tanya’s eyes directly.

"It’s okay, your friend is waiting for you," Tanya smiled and said, "Don’t worry about me, go on."

Julian replied, "I’m sorry, Tanya..."

Tanya only felt that Julian was being overly formal, saying helplessly, "It’s nothing, really. Go on, don’t keep your friend waiting too long."

Julian then got into the car and left.

Tanya walked to the roadside, intending to hail a cab, when suddenly, from the corner came a short horn sound. Tanya instinctively looked over to see a silver car driving towards her, with Janne Hayes sitting in the driver’s seat!

"Special Assistant Hayes? What are you doing here?" Tanya was a bit surprised.

Of course, it’s a task from the boss, specifically to keep an eye on you.

Janne wore a similarly surprised expression, "What a coincidence, Ms. Sinclair, I just finished some work and was heading home. What about you, Ms. Sinclair?"

"Oh, I’m planning to take a taxi back." Tanya said truthfully.

Janne blinked, "You’re staying in the complex opposite Westgard Pharmaceuticals, right?"

He was a bit impressed with his own acting skills. If he ever got fired by President Pierce, he might just head straight into the acting world.

"Yes."

"Then it’s on my way home. Hop on, I’ll give you a ride. It’s hard to get a taxi around here."

Tanya had interacted with Janne several times and had a good impression of him; they were half-friends.

"Then I won’t be polite with you."

"Please, don’t be polite. From the first time I saw Ms. Sinclair, I felt a connection!" Janne babbled while his hands weren’t idle, secretly texting President Pierce to report.

Janne: [President Pierce, that brat Julian Poole left unexpectedly. I’m taking Ms. Sinclair home now.]

On the other side of the night, in a corner of the city village laden with prosperity, it was dark and cramped, the air filled with a musty stench.

Declan Pierce leaned against the trunk of a car, looking down at the message Janne sent on his phone.

In front of him, three men lay battered, five meters away, a few black-suited bodyguards stood by, exuding a killing aura.

Zion Monroe threw away the stick in his hands, tired from the beating.

"Brother Pierce, these punks are tough nuts, they won’t reveal who the runaway is!"

"We’d rather die than betray our boss!" The yellow-haired man on the ground roared with a hoarse throat, blood gushing from his nostrils.

Declan Pierce put away his phone and finally raised his gaze, his dark eyes bore restrained violence and cruelty underneath.

He walked towards them unhurriedly, his footsteps heavily pressing down, as if treading on their nerves.

The tall male figure halted in front of the yellow-haired man, his shadow covering the last bit of moonlight.

"Dying is too easy..." Declan Pierce leisurely removed his wristwatch, tucking it into his pocket, his words sent shivers down their spines.

The yellow-haired man started trembling, above him that handsome face smiled, a smile almost mesmerizingly sinister.

He said slowly, "I have plenty of ways to make your lives worse than death."

...

On the other side, Julian Poole hastened to Cindy Lynn’s apartment, only to be shocked by the scene as he exited the elevator.

The apartment door was splashed with red paint, with the words — "Go die!"

There were also marks left from a knife being hacked at it frenziedly.

Julian frowned tightly, pressing the doorbell frantically.

"Cindy! Open the door, it’s me!"

Inside, Cindy Lynn had long seen Julian’s anxious rush through the video doorbell, she smirked smugly, leisurely applying eye drops, intentionally waiting a moment before opening the door.

As the door opened, her face was full of shock.

"Senior..." Cindy joyfully threw herself into Julian’s arms, "I thought you wouldn’t care about me anymore."

She wept like a delicate flower in rain.

Julian gently pushed her away, asking in a low voice, "What exactly happened? Who did this? Who did you offend?"

"It’s someone my father offended in business before, they somehow found my address and came to smash the door." Cindy Lynn played a video recorded before the door to show Julian.

A group of masked men rushed to smash the door, cursing, vile and unbearable words.

The more Julian watched, the more his face darkened with anger, "Outrageous, these people are lawless! I can’t believe they can’t be dealt with!"

Seeing Julian about to call someone, Cindy quickly stopped him.

"Senior, you can help this time, but you can’t handle our family’s problems forever. Besides, my dad’s business is picking up now, he’ll deal with it. If you intervene, I’m afraid that if you leave later, our troubles will increase..." Cindy lightly bit her lower lip, "Or is it that, senior... you want to care for me forever?"

Julian avoided her gaze, simultaneously shaking off her hand holding him.

This act already expressed Julian’s intentions clearly.

Cindy’s eyes filled with biting coldness!

"Cindy, I once said, whenever you need me, I’ll always be there. But now, I’m taking that back." Julian took out his wallet, pulling out an amulet from the inner layer, which Cindy had sent to him when he was abroad.

Something she had earnestly prayed for, climbing long steps specifically for it.

He was touched at the time, wearing it close to his person. Back then, he truly felt Cindy was the most wonderful girl in the world.

Yet after returning home, he found Cindy had changed a lot, purposely preventing him from reuniting with Tanya, crossing his line.

Julian gently placed the amulet on the table.

He looked at Cindy’s pitiful face, "In the future, if you have a real life-or-death issue, contact my assistant. Your number, I’ll be blocking it."

Cindy clenched her fists, as Julian turned to leave, she choked with sobs, questioning, "Is it because of Tanya?"

"Yes." Julian did not deny it.

Cindy sobbed, "So, between me and Tanya, you chose her..."

"No." Julian turned around, calmly looking at Cindy, "I came back this time, just for her. You two were never on the same scale, I’ve always only seen you as a sister whom I owed a debt."

He said, "Cindy, I’m not a fool. Those gossips and scandals with Vincent Hawthorne, it’s not hard to check if I want to. Don’t think you’re so smart, after tonight, I’ve settled the debt with the girl who handed me the piggy bank that rainy night."

Cindy gripped her palms tightly, watching as Julian turned to leave, she rushed forward, tightly grasping his arm.

"Senior, can’t you help me one last time..." Cindy knew, this was the last time she could use Julian in the short term.