CHAPTER 020 CHAPTER 020 OLIVIA'S POV " Yeah , about that ... " Julian said , his voice trailing off . I noticed the way his expression shifted , his usually relaxed demeanor turning somewhat tense . It was subtle , but I caught it . I suddenly og hesitant about pressing further . If it was something painful for him , I didn't want to push . " If you don't want to talk about it , I understand , " I said softly . Julian let out a small breath and shook his head . " It's okay . The thing is ... she's dead . " Hearing those words come out of his mouth made me gasp , my eyes widening in shock . I hadn't expected that . I thought maybe she had cut ties with the family or something along those lines but death ? That was something I wasn't prepared for . " I'm so sorry to hear that ," I said , my voice gentle Julian gave me a small , almost reassuring smile . " It's been a long time now , so I'm good . " But even as he said that I could tell he wasn't completely over it . There was a certain weight behind his words , one that lingered even if he tried to play it off . " A while back , when I was still younger , my family and I , including my sister ... we all went on a skiing trip , " he began . His voice remained steady , but there was a slight edge to it . " We got there , and as curious as she was , she wandered off on her own . At first , we thought she was just exploring , but when she didn't come back ... we started searching . We searched the entire place , called the police , hired private investigators ... we did everything . But still , we couldn't find her . " I listened intently , my heart aching at the thought of what his family must have gone through . " Law enforcement and my parents presumed she was dead , but I still feel she's out there somewhere ," he said . His gaze drifted to the ground for a moment as if he was lost in thought . " What was her name ? " I asked gently . Julian let out a small chuckle , though there was a hint of sadness behind it . " Olivia ." I blinked in surprise . " Really ? " " Yeah , " he said , nodding . It was strange to think that we shed . A part of me wondered if that Successfully unlocked ! was why Julian had been drawn to me quoy when we first met . Maybe , in some way, I reminded him of his sister . " That's ... quite a story ," I said , not really sure what else to say . 1/2 ER020 " Yeah , it is ," Julian agreed . He leaned against a tree as we walked through the garden , his arms crossed over his chest . " I know how many times I caught my mom crying in the middle of the night , how many times I saw my dad drinking when he normally didn ' t . It changed all of us ." " And what about you ? " I asked . " How did you feel ? " Julian took a deep breath before answering . " Well , I was still a kid back then , so I didn't fully understand what was going on . My mom used to tell me that my sister went on a vacation just to make me feel better . But , of course , she couldn't keep up that lie forever . " He let out a humorless chuckle . " The first few weeks were the hardest . She was my best friend , and suddenly , she was gone . I didn't really have anyone to talk to so I felt really lonely ... until I met you . " Hearing that made my heart swell a little . I had never realized how much of an impact I ' d had on Julian's life . I always saw him as a strong , reliable friend - the one who never seemed to be shaken by anything . But beneath all that , he had been carrying so much . seemed to be shaken by anything . But b I smiled at him . " I'm glad I could help , even if I didn't know it ." Julian shrugged . " You were just being yourself , but that was enough ." We continued walking in silence for a few moments before Julian spoke again . " Why don't we hop over to your side now ? " he suggested . " My side ? " I asked , a bit confused . " Yeah ," he said . " There's a lot I want to know , too . Since the hospital , you never actually explained why you were there . " His words made me pause . He must have noticed the state I was in that day , but he never pressed for details . He gave me space , and now , he was finally asking . If I were to tell him everything ... where would I even begin ? He didn't really know the full story of Adrian and me . He knew bits and pieces , but not the whole picture . " Oh , yeah ... you're right , " I said in a low tone , suddenly feeling uneasy. " You don't want to talk about it ? " Julian asked , watching me closely . I hesitated . Part of me wanted to keep it to myself , but another part knew that I couldn ' t keep him in the dark forever . He had shared something painful from his past , so maybe it was only fair that I did the same . " No , I do ," I said after a moment . " I'm just thinking of where to start . " " This might sound strange to you because I haven't told you much in a long time ," I added . Julian gave me a small nod . " I catch up on topics really fast ." I took a deep breath and started explaining everything that had happened in the past 2/3 CHAPTER 020 few weeks . I told him about Adrian's coldness , about how our marriage had never been what I thought it was . I told him about Dora - about how she pushed me , about the hospital visit , about the baby I lost without even knowing I was pregnant . Julian listened intently , his expression darkening with every word . When I finally finished , he rubbed his chin in thought before speaking . " Let me get this straight , " he said . " So the reason you were in the hospital was because Dora ... Adrian's lover pushed you , and you lost your child , which you even know about ? " " Yeah ... something like that , " I replied . Julian clenched his jaw . " And has he tried contacting you since ? " " No , " I admitted . " I don't think he even wants me back . " didn't Julian scoffed . " So why did he marry you in the first place if he never loved you ? " His question caught me off guard . I hadn't really thought about it before , not in those exact terms . Why did Adrian marry me ? If he never truly loved me , then what was the point of it all ? " I honestly don't know , " I said , my voice barely above a whisper . Julian frowned but didn't push further . I sighed , running a hand through my hair . " Hopefully , once things settle down with those stalkers , I'll contact my lawyer and send Adrian the divorce papers . " Julian nodded . " That's probably the best thing you can do . " We fell into silence again , but this time , it felt heavier . There were still so many unanswered questions , but for now , this was enough . 3/3