He Lost Me to His Best Friend novel Chapter 599

"The AC is blowing right on you. You'll catch a chill in that sleeveless top," Julian murmured softly near her ear.

Pulled from her trance, Scarlett hastily wiped away a stray tear she hadn't realized had fallen.

She was wearing a simple sleeveless white silk blouse and tailored white slacks, making her look incredibly slender and elegant. The cold air from the vent was indeed hitting her bare, porcelain arms.

Scarlett was notoriously bad at taking care of herself and prone to catching colds. But Julian noticed everything. He always caught the little details, quietly shielding her from discomfort. This kind of effortless, observant devotion was something she had never experienced in her life.

She looked up at him, gratitude softening her eyes.

"Thank you."

"Was that Yardley?" Julian asked gently. Despite her attempt to hide it, he hadn't missed the faint redness in her eyes. "Did he upset you? Is he pushing for the divorce?"

Nothing slipped past him.

Scarlett offered a bittersweet smile. "Yeah. He's rushing me to City Hall. Acts like he can't get it done fast enough."

She let out a heavy sigh. "But I'm not crying over him. I'm crying because every single thing I ever believed about love has been entirely destroyed by this marriage."

"When I was younger, I believed in the fairy tale. I thought you met a man, you fell madly in love, and you fought the world together. You built a life, side by side, until you grew old. But now I realize marriage is the graveyard of love. There are too many outside factors, too many selfish motives. By the end, the romance is dead, and all that's left is a bitter, transactional mess."

A deep sorrow washed over her face.

Seeing her look so defeated made Julian’s chest ache. He gently squeezed her shoulder, looking out the window beside her.

"You're being too cynical. A healthy marriage and true love can absolutely coexist."

"But their failures don't mean that love itself is a lie. It certainly doesn't mean all men are like them."

"I have seen beautiful, unshakeable love. Love that grows deeper within a marriage, where two people literally become a part of each other's souls. My grandparents had it. My parents have it."

He looked deeply into her eyes, his gaze intensely focused. "I'm not asking you to believe in love right now. Trust takes time to rebuild when it's been burned to the ground."

"But I need you to know that one day, you are going to meet someone who will place his entire, beating heart in your hands and choose you over absolutely everything else."

"Trust me. You will."

His voice was soft, but every single word landed with profound impact, melting the ice around the most guarded corners of her heart. Scarlett had been entirely ready to give up on humanity.