No Escape from Love novel Chapter 20

"What do you mean by forget about it?" Julian's gaze softened as he looked at Elena with a tenderness I hadn't seen before. "If she had just misspoken, maybe she could be forgiven. But bullying you? That's unacceptable."

The 150 thousand dollars had really done its job. I took a deep breath and asked, "Has it ever crossed your mind that maybe she wasn't acting this way before you showed up? Perhaps her attitude only changed after you arrived?"

"Elena wouldn't do that," Julian replied confidently.

From the moment Elena stepped through the door, everything had been falling perfectly into place.

A hint of helplessness flickered in my eyes as I gazed at Julian with a mix of affectionate pity. "Why don't we check the surveillance footage?" I suggested, spreading my hands. "It just so happens that there are cameras in this area, and they even record audio."

"You bullied Elena, and you still have the nerve to suggest checking the surveillance footage?"

"There's no need for that. It was just a minor issue."

Julian's and Elena's voices overlapped.

Julian looked all righteous while Elena remained unusually composed, but her eyes flickered nervously around the room.

"Julian, there's no need for that," Elena said softly, slipping her arm through his. "Let's just go home. Besides, this is the coffee shop where Serena works. It wouldn't be right to get her fired."

Julian's expression softened with concern as he looked at her. "Elena, you're so kind. Even after everything, you're still protecting her."

Seeing the tension between them, I quickly stepped in, putting some space between them. "Stop!"

Julian gave me an unhappy look. "Serena, what's your problem now?"

"Nothing much," I said, meeting his gaze firmly. "I just want to check the surveillance footage. And for the record, I'm not the type to hold grudges."

Then, turning to Elena, I added, "And I won't let anyone slander me. I'm not some pawn in your little love drama, and I refuse to be part of your games."

I rolled my eyes and watched them walk away.

…

When I got back to the dorm, Lila noticed my annoyed expression and couldn't help but laugh. "What's wrong? Who pissed you off?"

"That jerk and that pretentious bitch really do belong together!" I muttered before recounting the day's events to Lila.

Lila laughed so hard she was rolling around in bed. "You've gotta be joking, Serena. Julian is such a moron!"

"At least I got my 150 thousand dollars back," I said, glancing at my phone screen. The long string of numbers lifted my spirits. For once, I didn't mind not being able to fully grasp the magnitude of such a large sum.

"Good thing you were smart enough to have Elena sit in a spot with surveillance, Serena. Otherwise, you'd be the one at a loss today."