The Man Who Waited vs. The Man Who Wasted novel Chapter 194

Jocelyn straightened up and blinked slowly.

She thought she had no tears left, but her eyes burned with an unbearable ache.

It wasn't a hallucination. It was really him.

"Julian?"

Julian reached out, his thumb gently wiping away the dampness beneath her eyes. "I'm sorry."

Jocelyn didn't understand.

Why was he apologizing? He had absolutely nothing to do with this nightmare. If anything, he had been a savior to her.

"Julian..."

A violent tremor ripped through her body, impossible to suppress. "I don't have a dad anymore..."

Julian pulled her gently into his chest, wrapping his arms around her. One hand softly stroked her back. "He hasn't left you. He just found a different way to stay by your side."

Wrapped in his embrace, Jocelyn felt an overwhelming, anchoring sense of safety. "Really?"

Julian's voice was low, slow, and incredibly tender.

"Life and death are just two different ways of existing. Think of it like a thin, translucent veil. We stand on one side, and he is on the other. You can’t see him clearly right now, but he hasn't vanished into a void. He’s still right there, Jocelyn—separated from you by nothing more than a heartbeat."

"You're still connected. Always. And decades from now, when the paper finally folds in on itself, you and your father will meet again. You'll be reunited."

Sarah walked over, tears streaming down her face, and gently stroked Jocelyn's hair. "I'm so sorry, Jo."

Liam looked unusually grim, shedding all of his usual easygoing arrogance. "It's okay, Jo. Your dad is gone, but you still have us. We will never let the Lowell family lay another finger on you."

Jocelyn slowly pulled away from Julian's chest. She took a few deep, shuddering breaths, fighting to regain some semblance of control.

"My mind was a complete mess earlier. I lost it, and I dragged you both into my fight."

Sarah hugged her tight. "Don't be stupid. You didn't drag us into anything. Honestly, I've wanted to punch that fake little bitch in the face for months. I just needed an excuse."

"And I've been dying to break Adrian's nose for years," Liam added. "So you really did us a favor."

Jocelyn looked at them, overwhelmed with gratitude. "Thank you."

The sudden death of Marcus Evans drove home a brutal reality for Jocelyn: when you're powerful, everyone is your friend; when you fall, you're entirely alone.

When Marcus had thrown a minor birthday party in the past, a never-ending stream of guests had lined up with lavish gifts. Now that he lay dead, the funeral hall was virtually empty.

Just as she was entirely consumed by despair, a voice whispered right by her ear.

"Don't be afraid. It's just a dream."

Jocelyn's eyes snapped open.

She recognized the ceiling instantly. She was back in her bedroom at The Astoria.

Sarah was sitting cross-legged at the foot of the bed, watching her anxiously. Liam was perched in a chair next to her, occasionally holding two fingers under her nose just to make sure she was still breathing.

Julian sat on the sofa across the room, his face an unreadable mask of solemnity.

When Liam realized her eyes were open, he tried to force a grin, but it fell flat. "Thank God. I thought we were gonna have to call an ambulance and have you resuscitated."

With Sarah's help, Jocelyn weakly propped herself up against the headboard. Her throat felt like sandpaper, and her cheeks were burning with fever.

"How did I get back here? Where is my dad?"

Sarah sighed heavily. "You passed out. Mr. Vance didn't want to drag you to the emergency room if he didn't have to, so he had a private doctor come here."

"The doctor said you collapsed from severe emotional shock and malnutrition, which triggered the fever."