The Man Who Waited vs. The Man Who Wasted novel Chapter 426

Liam squeezed in next to Julian.

"Julian, we did you a massive solid this time. How are you going to reward us?"

Julian's lips curled slightly.

"What are you trying to extort out of me now?"

Liam: "If Jo wins the championship at the robotics competition, give me the winning robot."

Julian raised an eyebrow.

"You've got some nerve."

"I want it."

The man who rarely claimed credit suddenly spoke up.

Liam was astounded.

"Whoa, Sean, since when do you make outrageous demands?"

Sean: "I can't let your thick skin reap all of Julian's rewards."

A fleeting, almost imperceptible smile crossed his face.

"I want a piece of the action, too."

Julian took a slow sip of his whiskey, his lips pressing together.

"Sean, she's always been curious about you. Whenever you're ready, I'll arrange for you two to meet."

Sean: "Sounds like you're only setting up the meeting because she's curious about me, just to satisfy her?"

Julian: "Pretty much."

Sean gave a half-smile. "She's incredibly special to you, isn't she?"

Liam chimed in, "He mobilized all these resources just to protect her. Do you really think she's just an ordinary person to him?"

"But Julian, your dad is definitely going to find out about this soon. How are you going to handle him?"

Julian's smile slowly faded.

"He already confronted me. We had a massive fight."

Liam sighed.

"Man, as your brother, I stand by what I said. I support you."

Turning to the other man, Liam asked.

"What about you, Sean?"

Sean's gaze was heavy, his voice tinged with cold realism.

"My advice is to stop wasting time on something pointless."

Liam kicked his leg.

"What the hell kind of thing to say is that!"

Sean ignored him. "Julian, I'm only going to ask one thing."

Julian: "Go ahead."

Sean: "Can you marry her?"

He knew exactly how crushing the responsibilities on Julian's shoulders were.

The Vance family was a labyrinth of power plays; behind the facade of harmony lay vicious infighting.

Julian's cousins were all ruthless opportunists.

Julian's arranged marriage to the Ann family was primarily a strategic move to keep those restless factions in check.

Even more binding was his mother's dying wish.

Julian couldn't escape either of those burdens.

Desperate to break the suffocating tension, Liam said.

"Julian, don't mind this guy's bluntness. He just didn't expect you to go nuclear this time. Honestly, it takes a lot to get you this pissed off."

Julian closed his eyes, hiding the defeat in them.

"Anyone who goes after her and her unborn child deserves to die."

Liam threw out a reckless joke.

"That kid belongs to Adrian anyway. It might be better off gone."

Julian shot him a murderous glare.

Liam immediately surrendered.

"Joke! Just a joke! Doesn't matter whose it is, it's Jo's! Purely a joke, don't get mad!"

Julian fell silent for a long time, murmuring almost to himself.

"That baby..."