Better Late, But Never His Again novel Chapter 182

She offered a faint, bitter smile, the corners of her lips curling into a barely perceptible arc. She honestly couldn't fathom how he managed to say such things with a straight face, yet, coming from Julian, it was hardly surprising anymore.

That hollow smile twisted something deep in Julian's chest. It felt as if a jagged edge had just scraped against his heart.

He frowned, turning to face her. His tone softened even further as he uttered something utterly astonishing.

"I know Chloe lacks a filter, and we've all spoiled her rotten, but you can't deny that you share some of the blame for what happened back then, right?"

His voice dropped lower, adding a suffocating layer of tension to the confined space.

In his mind, the past was an unspoken agreement between them. There was no need for her to blow things out of proportion when it benefited neither of them.

His gaze cooled slightly. "If you had just let her come home when she first wanted to, instead of constantly talking her out of it, do you really think she'd be like this today?"

Hazel's eyes turned instantly glacial. "Are you saying this is my fault, Julian?"

Julian closed his eyes, his patience slowly wearing thin, but he forced his tone to remain steady and reasonable.

"I'm not blaming you. I'm just saying you bear some responsibility. We all do. And you can't deny that back then, Chloe listened to you more than anyone else.

If you had supported her coming back instead of convincing her to stay, she wouldn't harbor all this resentment toward you now. At the end of the day, you played a part in this. It's not a big deal, Hazel. Chloe felt wronged today. Just go apologize, smooth things over, and we can put all this behind us."

She reached for the door handle. It didn't budge. The child locks were firmly engaged.

"Let me out."

Julian ignored the demand. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he turned to her, his tone shifting from patronizing to pleading.

"Stop acting out, Hazel. Beatrice is waiting for us at home. She's leaving tomorrow. Are you seriously not going back tonight? Is the lab really that demanding?"

His voice cooled slightly. "Besides, have you even been taking those fertility supplements I bought you? You need to take them if we're going to have a baby."