In Julian's stark, minimalist office overlooking Central Park, Janet was weeping softly into a silk handkerchief. "It's all my fault," she sobbed, her shoulders shaking. "I shouldn't have gone. I only made things worse. Chloe must hate me."
She clutched at the sleeve of his custom-tailored suit. "Julian, maybe we should just... end this. I don't want you to be in this difficult position because of me."
Julian's expression was grim as he patted her shoulder awkwardly. "It's not your fault. She's being irrational." He urged her to believe that he would convince Chloe to come live with them, so they could all take care of her together.
He walked over to a concealed safe behind a Rothko painting and retrieved a thin file. "This is an addendum to Arthur's will," he said, his voice flat. "He made me promise to provide for Chloe's well-being until she remarries.If I manage to do this, most of his hidden assets will become mine. That’s why I’m pushing for a divorce now. Once the divorce is finalized, I can arrange a suitable marriage for her, and then everything will be settled."
The memory was still vivid. Arthur Hayes, stripped of his power and prestige, sitting across from him in a prison visitation room, a broken man. He had begged, his voice raspy with desperation. "Julian, you have to take care of Chloe for me. She's never known hardship. These three years abroad... they must have been hell for her. Bring her home."
Then, the ultimate humiliation. Arthur had slid off his chair and knelt on the grimy floor, pressing his forehead to the ground. "I'm sorry. I never should have forced you to marry her. I ruined both your lives. When she comes back, let her go. Just... just take care of her for me."
"So, you see," Julian explained to Janet,"I am bound by that promise until we can legally dissolve the marriage."
The scene shifted. As Chloe was leaving the cemetery, a familiar figure approached her. It was Mr. Bell, Janet's father, a man who had been her own father's loyal right hand for decades. He had been following her since the airport, waiting for the right moment.
His face was etched with a weary sadness. "Miss Chloe," he began, his voice heavy with regret. "You've misunderstood Mr. Sinclair."
Chloe stiffened, not wanting to hear another defense of that man. But she had learned something over the past three years: never show your hand. She forced herself to look curious, even sympathetic.
Inside, she knew exactly who Mr. Bell worked for now. Julian had turned him long ago.
"Your father... he used your marriage as leverage for that final bailout, Miss Chloe," Mr. Bell continued, feeding her the same lies Julian had scripted. "And Julian secretly absorbed most of the company's toxic debt. He's been protecting you all along."
The world tilted on its axis. Not because she believed him, what she really wanted to know was: Since she had ended up like this, why wouldn’t they leave her alone? What exactly did they want?
"Tell me everything," she said, her voice trembling with fake confusion. "I want to understand."
Mr. Bell hesitated, his gaze dropping to the ground as if the next words were too painful to speak. "Three years ago... that night your father called you to the charity gala... he was planning to introduce you to an old European aristocrat."
Chloe's blood ran cold.
"He had a plan to save the family. But you... you ran off to confess your feelings to Mr. Sinclair. When your father found out, he was furious. He said you had destroyed his last hope."
The memories flooded back, sharp and agonizing. The nervous energy as she'd cornered Julian by the terrace, the city lights twinkling below.
The way she'd poured out her heart, only for him to reject her with cold, clinical precision, telling her he was in love with Janet.They truly love each other and have plans to get married.
Chloe was stunned as if struck by lightning. She and Janet had grown up together since childhood. Back then, Chloe was the beloved noble lady , while Janet was merely an unremarkable follower at her side.
Mr. Bell worked under her father, and his mother served as a nanny in their household. In effect, Janet grew up in their home, and the two were very close.
As a child, there were even rumors that Janet was her maid. She went so far as to find the person who spread those rumors and gave them a thorough beating as a warning. She truly relied on Janet like a sister. She even told Janet that she liked Julian, and Janet always helped her figure out ways to get Julian’s attention.
Janet. Her shadow, her confidante, the girl whose family worked for hers. The one person she had trusted with her secret crush on Julian. Janet, who had always encouraged her, helped her scheme, pushed her to be bold.
But in the end, her closest sister and the man she loved were having an affair behind her back, without her knowing anything.
Even after they got married, she couldn’t see Julian often—he was too busy to spend time with her. It wasn’t until later that she overheard Julian on the phone saying, “If it weren’t for Chloe getting in the way, I would’ve married Janet already. So, three years from now, I’ll bring Janet home.”
“Whether you agree or not, I’ve made up my mind about her.” Hearing these words, Chloe felt as though the world had collapsed around her.
Hearing those words had shattered her. The frantic, tear-blinded drive in the rain, the screech of tires, the crash. The accident that injured Janet and became the official reason for her banishment to Europe. Before leaving, she never saw Janet again. She wanted to ask, “Julian, if you really like her, then why did you marry me?”
Now she knew.
The memories flooded back, sharp and agonizing. Now she saw them for what they were: a carefully constructed narrative to make her feel guilty, to make her believe Julian was the hero.
She knew the truth: her father had been framed for embezzlement by Julian and Janet, and Mr. Bell was their puppet. The story about the aristocrat, the debts, the sacrifice—all of it was a trap to make her lower her guard.
A wave of shame so profound it made her physically sick washed over her. She would not accept his charity. She would rather starve on the streets than take another dollar from him.
"Thank you, Mr. Bell," she said softly, wiping a fake tear. "I think I understand now. I've been so foolish."
As he walked away, satisfied with his work, Chloe stood still in one place for a long time，she would find a way to expose them all. But not yet. First, she needed to play along.
