Storms of the Heart novel Chapter 19

Sienna came to see Julian once.

She seemed to have dressed with care, wearing a simple, elegant dress, her face softened by a gentle smile that seemed meant to win him back.

"Julian, I know you've been feeling down lately. I made some chicken soup. You—"

Julian lifted his head from a stack of military documents and looked at her, his gaze calm and unshaken.

There was no hesitation anymore, no guilt, not even warmth—only a cold, unflinching clarity, as if he had seen through everything.

"Sienna." He cut her off, his voice flat and steady. "We're done."

The smile on Sienna's face froze, and the color drained slowly from her face.

Julian continued with the same quiet composure, as if stating a fact unrelated to himself, "I used to be foolish. I couldn't separate responsibility from gratitude, and I mistook that for love.

"But the moment I chose to marry Trin, everything between us ended for good. I fell in love with her long before I even realized it myself."

He looked at her pale face, his tone still calm, carrying a faint, almost merciless clarity. "I'll continue providing the miracle drug to treat your illness until you fully recover. I owe you that, and I'll see it through. But beyond that, there's nothing left between us. Please... don't come here again."

Sienna swayed as if all her strength had been drained from her. She stumbled and gripped the edge of the table to stay upright.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she stared at him in disbelief.

Her voice rose, sharp with anguish. "Julian! How can you treat me like this? All the years we've been together… do they mean nothing compared to those fleeting years you spent with Trina? You promised you would take care of me for the rest of my life!"

Julian watched her unravel with a blank expression, feeling utterly numb.

"I'm the one who wronged you. If you need someone to hate… hate me."

He pressed the button on the intercom. "Show her out."

The guard came in and firmly but politely escorted the sobbing Sienna out of the office. The moment the door closed, the office fell silent once more.

Julian leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes in exhaustion. His fingers subconsciously brushed the key to the locked drawer.

Inside that drawer were the things he clung to in secret. They brought him twisted comfort and were the source of his endless pain. He knew it was wrong, even shameful.

But he couldn't stop.

A nearly obsessive thought took root and spread through him—he had to see Trina. No matter what, he had to see her with his own eyes.

The opportunity presented itself soon.

Julian watched, completely captivated.

It felt as though an invisible hand had gripped his heart, squeezing it painfully, leaving him nearly unable to breathe.

Trina had left him and Flarora behind, yet she seemed to be living a life even more brilliant and vibrant than before.

Now that she was no longer leaning on anyone, the independence and confidence she exuded was unlike anything he had seen before.

Her happiness was so genuine.

And it had nothing to do with him.

The realization cut into him like a dull knife, again and again.

He instinctively stepped back, slipping into the shadows of a street corner. He didn't have the courage to approach her.

He was afraid—afraid that his sudden presence would wipe away the bright smile on her face or bring back that cold, disdainful expression he dreaded.

A few days later, Julian learned by chance that one of Trina's paintings had been selected for the opening exhibition at a well-known local gallery.

Without hesitation, he turned down an unnecessary official reception and went to the exhibition alone.