He Lost Me to His Best Friend novel Chapter 535

Julian's voice was unwavering:

"Don't worry, Jacqueline. From now on, I'm going to take good care of Scarlett. I'll make sure she's perfectly happy and healthy."

The phrasing carried an unmistakable weight. Instantly, Scarlett felt entirely self-conscious.

Jacqueline raised an eyebrow, a knowing smile playing on her lips:

"Take care of her as an older brother, or... in some other capacity?"

Scarlett's heart skipped a beat. "Mom!" she protested, her face burning.

But Julian didn't back down. He kept his gaze fixed on Scarlett, his eyes burning with an earnest, intense devotion:

"Either one. Whatever Scarlett needs. I am willing to be by her side in whatever capacity she wants."

Now Scarlett wasn't just blushing; her entire face felt like it was on fire.

Julian's implication was impossible to ignore. Anyone with an ounce of sense could read between the lines, and she wasn't an idiot.

Her usually composed heart began to race wildly.

She had never imagined that a man as exceptional as Julian actually harbored those kinds of feelings for her.

She sat there, her mind buzzing, completely unsure of how to respond.

Jacqueline nodded in approval, her eyes shining with satisfaction:

"I just wish you had come back from abroad sooner. If you two had reconnected earlier, things might have been different."

"But it's not too late. People who are meant to be together will always find their way to each other."

Jacqueline wasn't one to beat around the bush, effectively tearing down the thin veil of deniability between them.

Desperate to escape the awkwardness, she scrambled for an excuse:

"Anyway, we should probably get going to Sutton City soon. I'm full. I'll go wait for you guys in the car."

With that, she practically bolted from the room, her hurried footsteps echoing her panic.

It was the first time since their reunion that Julian had seen her look so flustered.

He watched her retreating figure, a look of unmistakable fondness softening his features.

The indestructible, iron-willed woman she showed the world wasn't the real her.

The real Scarlett was the one who practically inhaled her favorite food, the one who blushed furiously when teased—the girl from his childhood memories.

He couldn't even begin to fathom the amount of heartbreak and hardship it had taken to turn that innocent, soft-hearted girl into someone so guarded and fiercely independent.