Leaving You Bereft (Willow and Julian) novel Chapter 215

In the dead of the night, a white mist crept up the mountainside, swirling and obscuring the entire summit.

Upon coming out of the columbarium, Willow was utterly lost in her grief, her frail body swaying unsteadily. She kept repeating Landon’s name under her breath, still drowning in her immeasurable pain.

Upon seeing Willow come out in such a state, Julian quickly approached her and took off his coat, draping it over her shoulders. Willow fixed him with a vacant gaze. Her eyes held no spark of life only a deep, abiding sadness. She gently brushed his hand away, wanting neither his comfort nor his presence. His black coat then slid off her shoulders and landed on the ground.

Julian swallowed hard, his throat moving noticeably as he said hoarsely, “You should take care of yourself even if you’re still upset with me, Willow.”

Willow looked ahead into the night, her voice steady and unwavering as she said, “It’s none of your business whether I’m in good health or not, Julian.”

Julian picked up the coat, still intending to drape it over her.

Willow flung his hand away with all the strength she could muster. However, her body, still recovering from childbirth, couldn’t withstand such emotional turmoil, causing her to suddenly collapse on the spot and lose consciousness.

It was late into the night when Willow finally regained consciousness. It was dark all around, and a faint scent of calla lilies drifted in the air. She reached out and switched on the wall sconce revealing a room that was both familiar and alien to her. It turned out she was at Radiance Manor.

She noticed that Julian was nowhere to be seen and found that it was rather quiet downstairs, too.

She then tried to look for her phone to call her chauffeur to come and pick her up, but she couldn’t find it anywhere. She figured Julian had taken her phone.

It was then that she suddenly felt a swelling sensation in her chest. She then glanced down and noticed a faint dampness on the lapel of her white bathrobe. That ache in her chest returned, steady and persistent.

Willow gently bit her lip and held her chest as she stepped into the bathroom. She slowly loosened her bathrobe, carefully relieving the excess. Her reflection in the mirror revealed a figure that hadn’t gained the expected fullness from breastfeeding but rather had become noticeably thinner.

It was terribly painful, a constant, gnawing ache that brought tears to Willow’s eyes. Through the insistent throbbing, she couldn’t help but think of Landon, realizing that she had never gotten the chance to see him after he was born.

She was so lost in her heart’s sorrow that she didn’t even register the sound of a car pulling into the courtyard downstairs.

In the hush of nightfall, a pair of black cars drove into the courtyard, one after the other.

Julian alighted from the car, a subtle trace of fatigue etched on his features as he issued a few short directives to Esther.

Esther’s appearance speaks volumes of exhaustion, the dark circles around her eyes strikingly prominent. However, with her huge annual salary in mind, she steeled herself and said through gritted teeth, “You can rest assured that I’ll see to it that everything is handled properly, Mr. Ziegler.”

Julian nodded and ascended the steps, heading into the villa. Though the lights were shining brightly in the living room, they couldn’t dispel the gloom surrounding Julian. He then asked softly when one of the household staff, Jesse, approached to take his coat, “Is Mrs. Ziegler awake? Has she come downstairs?”

Jesse replied truthfully, “It seems like there was some movement upstairs just now. I was just preparing to go upstairs and check

on it when you returned.”

Julian’s steps faltered momentarily before he instructed Jesse to have dinner ready in 30 minutes.

+25 BONUS

Having said that, Julian proceeded to the second floor. In the upstairs hallway, the night wind gently tousled his dark hair, momentarily revealing the silver mingled within. His heart at that moment was a landscape beyond words. He desired to see Willow, yet a sense of trepidation held him back, akin to the apprehension of returning home after a long absence.

He finally opened the door to the master bedroom, noting that the room was brightly lit and Willow wasn’t in bed. He heard a faint noise coming from the bathroom, though, so he surmised that Willow was in there.

He gently closed the door behind him, then reached up to unfasten the two buttons on his shirt as he moved toward the bathroom. His footsteps made no sound on the thick carpeted floor, leaving the occupant within the bathroom completely oblivious.

Having appeared in the bathroom doorway, both he and the occupant inside were struck speechless, frozen in surprise.

Julian broke the silence after a moment, asking, “Are they engorged and painful?”

Willow gently gathered her bathrobe around her and said flatly, “It’s none of your business.”

Julian silently walked into the bathroom and encircled Willow from behind. She tried to resist, but her attempt was futile against his surprising strength. He rested his head on her slender shoulder, his gaze lifting to meet their conjoined reflection in the mirror. His eyes looked like pools of concentrated ink.

In the next instant, Willow began to struggle, but Julian effortlessly restrained her with one hand. He then lowered his head and murmured soothingly in her ear, “I’ve learned how to do this properly. I’m not trying to take advantage of you, so you should stop struggling.”

In the bright glare of the lights, their shadows mingled and blurred. Willow turned her face away, a wave of shame washing over her. She didn’t dare to cry out, fearing that the household staff would rush up and witness such a humiliating scene. She had tears brimming in her eyes as she couldn’t bear being treated in such a manner by Julian.

It was only after some time had passed that Julian stopped his actions and gently helped her with her clothing. He hadn’t been rash or done anything out of line, as he had truly sought to relieve her pain.

Under the bright lights, Willow’s voice trembled as she asked, “Have you had enough? Can you let me go now, Julian?”

Julian tightened his arms around her, his voice low and husky as he murmured, “I don’t want to let you go since chances like this are rare. I know you despise me and hate me with all your being. I still love you very much, though, and I still yearn for us to find our way back to each other, Willow. Please let me take care of you and Gabriella. If that’s too much to ask for, please just allow me to see Gabriella.”

Willow had brought two children into the world, Landon and Gabriella. Landon was no longer alive, so Gabriella had now become the sole object of Willow’s affections and emotional dependence.

Willow lowered her gaze and said indifferently, “That won’t be necessary.”

Upon hearing that, Julian immediately froze in place.

Willow turned within his embrace and gently pushed him away. Her tone was strikingly calm as she said, “I’ll be taking Gabriella abroad once she’s one month old, with very little chance of returning. There will be no father in Gabriella’s life–at least, not a father like you, Julian.”

Having said that, Willow turned to leave.

Julian’s face drained of all color. He abruptly grabbed her wrist, his posture shifting to one of near supplication as he pleaded, “I won’t bother you, so please don’t leave. Please, at the very least, let me see Gabriella every now and then. I’ve only held her once since she came into this world, Willow. I’m begging you, Willow!”

Willow lowered her gaze and retorted coldly, “And whose fault is that? If it weren’t for your darling Alicia and if it weren’t for the havoc you welcomed into our lives, Grace would still be breathing, and Landon might have lived. I had made it clear back then that I would repay your actions in kind, Julian. It’s the fair thing to do.”

Having said that, Willow walked out, leaving Julian standing before his reflection.

Chapter 215

+25 BONUS

He stared at his reflection in the mirror, his eyes reflecting nothing but utter despair. He had no one to blame but himself, after

all.