He Never Loved Me Until the Day I Finally Left Him novel Chapter 712

She opened her mouth, but the words died in her throat.

"Don't panic," Julian soothed, sensing her spiraling anxiety. "Ian got an amazing career opportunity in Europe. Naturally, Claire is planning to relocate with him."

This was brand-new information to Helena. She stared at him, wide-eyed and stunned.

"That leaves Skye with two choices," Julian explained calmly. "She can go with them, or she can stay. If she goes, you won't be able to see her for a very long time. If she stays, she'll have to live here with us."

"Claire and I talked it over. Skye is scheduled for a major surgery next year, and we both agree that a stable environment is far better for her recovery than uprooting her to a foreign country. So, the general consensus is that she should stay in Riverton."

"But, of course, I wanted to get your thoughts on it first."

He laid out all the facts efficiently, leaving no room for misunderstanding.

The heavy sexual tension from earlier had completely vanished, replaced by a practical, deeply serious discussion about their family's future.

Helena found herself caught in an impossible dilemma, utterly unsure of how to answer.

Julian didn't push. "There's no rush," he reassured her. "We still have almost six months before they leave. You have plenty of time to think it over."

"Okay," she murmured, unsure if the suffocating feeling in her chest was relief or mounting dread.

Seamlessly, Julian pivoted to a lighter topic.

"Also, I want you to make the decisions regarding our wedding." He brought up their impending nuptials once again.

Helena bit her lower lip, hesitating.

"Lena, just tell me what kind of wedding you've always dreamed of, and I'll make it happen," he stated firmly, emphasizing every syllable.

He wasn't giving her an out.

After a long, agonizing pause, she finally caved. "Okay."

Satisfied, Julian dropped the subject.

Once the kitchen was spotless, Helena retreated to the bedroom.

Perhaps it was because she was on her period, or maybe he just wanted to give her some space.

Julian surprisingly didn't follow her in, heading to the study to catch up on some late-night work instead.

Left alone, Helena found it impossible to sleep.

She tossed and turned on the luxurious mattress for hours.

Her phone remained dead silent on the nightstand.

Not a single notification.

It wasn't until she heard the faint click of the door and heavy footsteps that she realized Julian had finally finished for the night.

She quickly squeezed her eyes shut, faking sleep.

When he slipped into the room, he didn't bother calling her bluff, moving with practiced quietness.

Slipping under the covers, he naturally pulled her back against his chest, wrapping his strong arms securely around her.

Even The Press had wised up, no longer swarming the studio to ambush her.

Clearly, both The Campbell Family and the Hayes family had pulled some major strings behind the scenes.

"Ms. Wallace," her assistant called out.

Helena looked up from her desk, her gaze calm and composed.

"The partnership agreements with The Hayes Corporation are progressing smoothly. Could you review these key milestones and let me know if the timeline works?" the assistant asked, sliding a thick folder across the desk.

Helena skimmed the documents meticulously before giving a firm nod. "This schedule is perfect. Proceed as planned."

The assistant smiled politely and quietly excused herself from the office.

Helena knew exactly what was at stake. Once these contracts were finalized and executed, The Hayes Corporation would be backed into a corner with zero wiggle room.

It might not bankrupt them entirely, but clawing their way back to the top of the food chain would be next to impossible.

She lowered her gaze, a dark, calculating calm washing over her.

Suddenly, a breaking news alert on the wall-mounted TV caught her attention.

Helena froze, her eyes glued to the screen.

The anchor was reporting that Sebastian and Janetta's marriage was allegedly on the brink of collapse.

Yet, suspiciously, neither party had issued a public statement to deny the rumors.