Chapter 3

Julia stiffened. No matter how many times Sebastian had let her down, she could never shake the way his icy words drove straight into her heart like a needle. Her gaze fell, her smile slipping. "Yeah, okay." Sebastian had braced himself for her usual sharp accusations. But Julia's quiet surrender took him by surprise, and for the first time, he actually looked at her. That was when he realized Penelope had been right. Julia looked noticeably thinner. Maybe her nausea last night wasn't just her acting out of jealousy toward Penelope. Sebastian pressed his lips together, his tone softening just a little. "Ms. Dawson has been handling your duties perfectly well. All I need from you now is to look after Xav. "I've explained my relationship with her to you over and over, Julia. Stop this nonsense. Don't make me regret marrying you." Regret? Julia was the one drowning in regret for throwing away the Summers family's business to settle for being just his wife. The Summers family name carried real weight. Wouldn't she have been better off coming back as their beloved heiress? Julia closed her eyes, pulled out her resignation letter, and handed it to Sebastian, her tone polite and distant. "Consider this official, Mr. Holt. Today is my last day." She was halfway out the door when his fingers closed around her wrist. "Julia?" Sebastian looked genuinely stunned, as if her words hadn't fully sunk in, the resignation letter still in his grasp. His eyes locked onto the black signature stark against the white paper, his expression turning grim as he fought back a wave of anger. "Is this some kind of petty revenge? I thought you were here to make things right, but you're just digging the hole deeper," Sebastian muttered. "No, Mr. Holt. You said Falcrest Group has no use for me, and honestly? I think you're right." Julia kept her gaze down, her lashes trembling just a little. "Ten years change things. Falcrest isn't what it used to be. "If everyone prefers Ms. Dawson, why should I hold onto a title just to collect a salary without doing the work? It's better to let someone more capable take over." Sebastian scoffed, his sharp gaze cutting through her as if he'd already seen right through her excuse. "Don't throw the last ten years at me like that. I know Falcrest Group wouldn't be where it is without you. You were an outstanding employee, Julia, but you've had no part in the business since Xav was born. "I've gone easy on you. All you had to do was stay home and take care of the kid, and you'd still be Falcrest Group's leading lady. But you couldn't even manage that. And now you're talking about handing things over to someone more capable? "You're just making it harder for Penelope. Julia, I know you too well. You've got the brains, but you don't have to be so nasty. Tell me, have you even apologized to her since last night?" Apologize? Did Julia really owe an apology to the woman who ruined her family? Shouldn't it be Penelope thanking her instead? Julia let out a sudden laugh as she studied Sebastian with mild curiosity. "Yeah, I'm nasty. So tell me, Mr. Holt, have you ever thought about giving up on me?" Giving up meant divorce. They'd fought countless times over the years, and Julia had brought it up again and again. But every time, things just ended badly. Sebastian would never agree to a divorce. Julia was still his wife, even if he cheated. That was just how the Javerston scion was—stubborn to the core and always used to getting his way. And sure, in the beginning, Julia hadn't really wanted to leave him. Like he said, it was just another tantrum, another sad little cry for his attention. But now? She was done. Wouldn't it be better to end things and go their separate ways? They could even split the kids, each taking one. Sebastian's expression turned stormy, his fingers digging into Julia's arm like he meant to leave bruises. "Last chance, Julia. If you neglect your responsibilities again, I won't think twice about finding Xav a new mother. Do you know how often he comes to me? "He tells me there's no joy or freedom when he's with you. Julia, why are you such a failure as a wife and a mother?" A failure? Julia closed her eyes and let out a slow breath. So this was how he saw it. All those nights she'd waited up for Sebastian, brewing hangover remedies for him—that was what he called failure. Her hands, raw and chapped from scrubbing his designer suits by hand in the winter, were proof of her failure, too. Even the hours she'd spent drilling Xavier in advanced math, shaping him into the perfect Holt heir, counted for nothing. There was no place left for her in this family. Julia's apology was genuine. "I'm sorry, Mr. Holt." It was time for the loser to step back. She slid a hand into her pocket and tapped her phone screen. The countdown had already begun, with only 14 days left. Once everything was settled, she would disappear without a trace, making sure Sebastian wouldn't have the slightest reason to be annoyed with her. Her reaction caught Sebastian off guard. He wanted to say more, but Julia didn't give him the chance. She turned and walked away, her steps decisive. Sebastian reached out to stop her again, but his fingers closed around empty air. A sharp pain shot through his chest, and the dread inside him deepened. Frowning, Sebastian watched her go, the unsettling feeling that something irreplaceable was slipping further and further away settling over him. After leaving Falcrest Group, Julia called her best friend, Haley Barlow. Even though they'd grown up together, it had been six or seven years since they last spoke. Haley was a fashion designer who was always flying around the country to take measurements and hand-make outfits for models, plenty of whom were men. Things could get pretty intense when a man and a woman were alone together. To put it bluntly, Haley cycled through boyfriends like they were outfits. Sebastian couldn't stand that about her, so after Julia had Xavier, he talked her into cutting ties with Haley. He didn't want Xavier around that kind of influence. Julia went along with it and ghosted Haley for six straight years. So when Haley finally heard Julia's voice after all that time, she was livid. "Oh, now you remember I exist? Seriously, Julia, I thought you were too caught up in your little love bubble to crawl back. But here you are. What, you finally regret throwing me away?" Helpless, Julia laughed, tears escaping before she could hold them back. She hadn't cried when Sebastian humiliated her. She hadn't cried when Penelope made a fool of her. She hadn't even cried when she heard Xavier say he wished some other woman were his mother. But her tears finally fell when it came to Haley. "Yes, I regret it, Haley. Is it too late if I come back now?" There was a long silence on the other end after Julia's raw confession. When Haley finally spoke again, her voice was thick with tears. "Took you long enough, you brat. Do you know how exhausting it's been running your studio all these years? The whole art world's been waiting for you to return, Julia. "Working as a CEO's secretary is a waste of your talent. You were born to hold a brush. You're the last great treasure of Impressionism. I've been waiting for you, Julia." "I'm sorry, Haley. I'm so sorry." Julia fell to her knees on the sidewalk, tears running down her face. Born into privilege and gifted with talent, she was supposed to be extraordinary. Even Sebastian didn't know she'd majored in fine arts in Flarinelle, Iverria's capital. Her first thesis artwork was displayed at the Velenza Biennale, stunning the art world. After graduation, her signed works sold for millions at auction. But somehow, Julia took a job outside her field just to "gain experience". She had to start from zero, learning all about admin, finance, and accounting, but somehow, she ended up killing it. She'd put her art on hold for ten years, but today, she finally decided to return to it.