The Love I Begged For Was Never Real novel Chapter 140

She turned her head, looking at Julian's handsome, gentle face.

She truly couldn't figure him out.

Staring at the man sitting across the console, her heart was filled with nothing but confusion and bewilderment.

Why was Julian so good to her?

She wasn't some naive, inexperienced young girl fresh out of school. Everything Julian had done recently—from introducing her to major corporate clients to checking on her in her personal life—had long crossed the boundary of normal friendship or business partnerships.

Did he like her?

But what exactly did he see in her?

She was married, permanently stamped with the title of Mrs. Hayes. She lived a life utterly stripped of dignity within the Hayes family, to the point where even the maids openly mocked her behind her back. Her biological parents saw her as nothing more than a bargaining chip for corporate funding, and her husband had given his entire heart to another woman.

She was covered in scars, her reputation was ruined, and she still had a freshly healed burn mark on her cheek from the scalding soup.

She was nothing but an abandoned option, someone everyone else looked down upon.

A man like Julian—brilliant, wealthy, and constantly surrounded by eager socialites—had absolutely no reason to waste his time and energy on a woman as worthless as her.

Nora lowered her head, and a tear silently hit the back of her hand.

Julian reached into his pocket and pulled out a pristine handkerchief, offering it to her.

Nora took the handkerchief, clutching it tightly in her palm.

Seeing her look so utterly broken, Julian let out a quiet sigh.

"I'll take you home."

Nora didn't object. She genuinely didn't have the strength to walk back alone anymore.

The car smoothly pulled out of the commercial district, heading toward the Hayes family villa.

Half an hour later, the sedan rolled to a stop by the tree-lined avenue just outside the gated community.

Nora unbuckled her seatbelt, slipped off the light-grey trench coat, and handed it back to Julian.

"Thank you, Julian."

"Ma'am, do you have a moment right now?"

Liam's voice came through the speaker, laced with obvious panic and desperation.

"What is it?"

Nora's voice was chillingly detached.

"Mr. Hayes is drunk."

Liam quickly fired off the situation. "There was no business dinner scheduled tonight. Mr. Hayes drank heavily by himself in a private VIP room. He's extremely emotionally unstable right now. He won't let anyone near him, and he refuses to get in the car to go back to the manor."

Liam paused, a pleading note entering his voice.

"Ma'am, could you please come over? We honestly don't know how to handle him in this state. If you show up, maybe you can get him to go home."

Nora's grip on the phone tightened.

Drunk?