Chapter 75: Achieving the Goal
That night was a mess, and the noise from the bedroom finally quieted down at dawn. Julian slept, completely unaware of what had truly happened. All he knew was that he had finally reconciled with Chloe.
In his dreams, a smile tugged at his lips. This was what he had been longing for, but in reality, he had no idea what a terrible mistake he had just made.
When Julian woke up, he felt disoriented. The events of the previous night played in his mind, and his smile grew. He believed that he and Chloe had finally gotten back together. Despite the harsh things she had said when she left, her refusal to stay with him had seemed absolute. But in the end, she had softened, and they were together again. This time, he vowed never to disappoint her.
Julian was filled with joy until he turned his head and realized that the person lying next to him wasn’t Chloe–it was Layla.
Shocked, Julian couldn’t understand why Layla was in his bed instead of Chloe. None of this made sense. Julian had been with many women before, but as he looked at the two of them lying naked beside each other, and at the marks on Layla’s exposed skin, he knew what must have happened the night before.
He was filled with regret. How had he mistaken Layla for Chloe? The two looked nothing alike, neither in appearance nor in behavior. How could he have mixed them up?
At that moment, Layla stirred and opened her eyes. Still a bit dazed, she smiled shyly when she saw Julian. Julian, despite his regret, felt his heart soften. Yes, he had made a mistake, but he couldn’t let another woman suffer for it.
His thoughts were tangled, while Layla, unaware of his inner conflict, clung to him.
“You were so gentle with me last night,” Layla said softly, hugging him tightly. “Let’s never be apart again, okay? But it was too much; I kept saying no, but you…”
Seeing her shy and innocent demeanor, Julian didn’t know how to respond. Something about last night felt off, even though he had been slightly out of it. Why couldn’t he remember anything? And if something had really happened, why hadn’t Layla stopped him?
His memory was hazy after he had fainted the night before. Everything after that was a blur.
Layla noticed the troubled look on Julian’s face and quickly added, “After you fainted, I worked really hard to get you back home and called the family doctor to put you on an IV drip. I planned to go back to school once you felt better, but you wouldn’t let go of my hand. That’s when things just… happened. Ltried to stop you, but…”
Her explanation was flawless, and Julian stared at her, trying to find any hint of dishonesty on her face, but there was none.
“You’re my first love, my first man,” Layla continued, tears welling in her eyes. “I really love you. Please don’t break up with me. Can’t we be together? If you don’t want me to interfere in your life, I won’t. I’ll only come when you want me to. But… if you really don’t need me, I’ll leave and never bother you again. Just… can you give us one more chance?”
Seeing her tearful eyes, Julian felt a pang of guilt.
He had begged Chloe the same way the day before, saying all the right things, but Chloe had refused to give him even a second glance. Now, Layla was saying those same things to him.
The marks on Layla’s body were undeniable proof of what had happened between th
Chapter 75: Achieving the Goal
Layla’s stubborn yet pitiful expression stirred something in Julian’s heart.
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With a heavy sigh, Julian relented. “Fine, we’ll stay like this for now. Get dressed, and I’ll take you back to school.”
Julian dressed quickly and let Layla use the bedroom’s bathroom while he went to a separate room to gather his thoughts.
Sitting on the bed, Layla let out a breath, the pity she had shown disappearing, replaced by a sly smirk. She knew exactly what to say and do to make a man feel sorry for her. And now, her plan had worked.
After finishing a full day’s work, Julian received a call from Adam.
“It’s been a while since we’ve hung out. How about grabbing a drink together?”
“Send me the address. I’ll be there soon,” Julian replied.
After hanging up, Julian got ready to head out. Just as he was about to leave, Layla arrived.
Since Julian had fainted in the rain last time, he had been working from home. Seeing Layla, he was momentarily taken aback, having almost forgotten that he had given her access to the house with a fingerprint code.
“Why are you here at this hour?” Julian asked.
Layla bit her lip nervously. “Are you heading out? Am I bothering you?”
“Well, I am going out, but…”
Julian was indeed planning to go out, but now that Layla was here, he couldn’t just leave her alone. After everything that had happened, his feelings for both Chloe and Layla were complicated.
He didn’t have the heart to reject Layla completely, but he couldn’t fully embrace the situation either.
“I’m sorry,” Layla muttered. “I’ll just head back to school.”
She turned to leave, but as she moved, she winced in pain, her actions stiff and awkward. Noticing this Julian stepped forward in concern. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”
Layla blushed and looked at him, clearly embarrassed
