Chapter 4

Aria POV

The next morning, Julian, uncharacteristically, rushed back and insisted on driving me to work.

I found it a bit odd, but didn't refuse.

Just as the car turned a corner, we saw a small car hit an elderly man, then speed away.

Julian instinctively slammed on the brakes and was about to open the door when I reached out to stop him. "Call emergency services first."

It was a professional reflex. I immediately checked that the dashcam was recording, then pushed open my door and got out.

I hadn't taken two steps when Julian suddenly called out to me. "Sera's health monitor is alarming; she might be having heart problems. I need to go check on her. You wait here for the ambulance."

Both were life-and-death situations. I didn't stop him, only reminded him to save the video evidence.

The old man's condition was critical; he was rushed to the hospital and immediately given a critical care notice.

I dialed the number saved as "granddaughter" in his phone countless times, but no one answered.

By the time the police arrived and needed me to sign special procedures, the old man was gone.

The doctors wheeled the body out of the operating room. I stayed behind to handle the follow-up, an ominous feeling suddenly creeping into my heart.

By some strange impulse, I logged into the system on my phone and copied the accident footage. Just as I was about to upload it to the cloud, the elevator doors chimed open-

Sera burst out, saw the old man, and immediately collapsed, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Grandpa! What happened to you? Sera's here, please wake up!"

I froze for a few seconds, a ridiculous thought flashing through my mind-could this really be such a bizarre coincidence?

But before I could even speak, she had already risen, rushed to me, and slapped me hard across the face.

"Aria, it's you, isn't it? You hate me, you can come for me, but what kind of guts does it take to get revenge on an old man!"

Fire blazed in my eyes, yet I remained calm. "I've already told the police what happened. If you have questions, you can ask them."

She glared at me, her voice trembling and hysterical. "If it wasn't you, why didn't you let the hit-and-run driver come forward? If it wasn't you, how could you be so 'kind' as to bring my grandpa to the hospital?"

Her logic was so infuriating, it made me laugh. Just as I was about to show her the evidence on my phone, she suddenly lunged at me to snatch it.

In the chaos, she pulled too hard, falling over, phone and all.

Julian arrived at that very moment, just as he saw Sera and me on the ground.

He didn't hesitate, rushing over and shoving me hard against the wall.

"Are you insane!"

My back and the back of my head hit the wall almost simultaneously. The intense pain made my vision swim.

Before I could recover, Sera had already collapsed into his arms, crying as if her world was ending.

"Julian, Grandpa's dead! I don't have a grandpa anymore! She's the one who hit him... Make her kneel before Grandpa and apologize!"

I watched him. Watched him remain silent. Watched the hesitation in his eyes.

My heart grew colder, bit by bit.

I suddenly remembered that year, right after I graduated, when a defendant, unhappy with the verdict, ambushed me in an alley, forcing me to my knees to apologize.

It was him. He rushed in bare-handed, fighting them until he was covered in blood.

When the police arrived, he forced himself to stand before me and coldly told that group of people-

"This fool, to be a good lawyer, she's read her criminal code thousands of times, can recite all fifty-six thousand six hundred eighty-one words by heart.

You think you can use dirty tricks to shatter her dream? Forget it."

At that moment, he was the brightest light in my world.

But now, that light stood before me, cold as ice.

"Aria," he said, "go kneel and say goodbye to Grandpa, so the old man can rest in peace."

Sera, still in his arms, looked up at me, a defiant smile on her face.

"Not 'say goodbye', but 'apologize'."

I closed my eyes, letting out a cold laugh. "Whether I'm wrong or not, the police will tell you. But, Sera, you're crying so hard, are you afraid your grandpa's ghost will come looking for you tonight, asking why you didn't answer his-"

Before I could finish, a sharp slap landed across my face.

Then, Julian ordered his bodyguards to drag me, forcibly, to the bedside, kicking my knee.

With a sickening thud, I fell to my knees.

A tearing pain shot through my knee. I stared at him, my voice hoarse. "Julian, you clearly saw the real culprit."

He froze for a moment, a flicker of guilt in his eyes.

Then he bent down, whispering in my ear. "Sera is frail. Grandpa's death is a huge blow to her. If I don't let her vent, she'll get sick. Anyway, you're always dealing with criminals, you've spent plenty of time at the detention center. Consider this a new experience."

I could barely believe my ears.

Rage instantly flared to its peak. I shoved him away.

"Do you know what it means for a lawyer to have been in a detention center? Disbarment, a lifetime ban from practicing law! Julian, how can you say that so casually-"

Before I could finish, he pinned me back to the ground.

The bodyguards tore my blazer, bound my hands behind my back, and shoved a wad of fabric into my mouth.

Julian bent over, looking at me, his smile gentle yet cruel.

"Be good. Your job is dangerous and doesn't pay well, you're better off without it. From now on, I'll take care of you."

With that, he turned and walked to Sera's side.

She was sobbing inconsolably into the camera, repeatedly crying out "hit-and-run" and "murderer."

The crowd gathered, whispering amongst themselves.

"How shameless, killing someone and being so cold-blooded."

"Dressed so prim and proper, probably a mistress."

People pointed and cursed at me, but I couldn't utter a single word.

Sera continued to incite the crowd. A family member of a drunk-driving victim nearby completely lost control and rushed over, raining punches and kicks on me.

Fists rained down on my face and body, my bones creaking with each blow.

I wanted to protect my head, but my hands were tied.

I could only curl into a ball, letting the punches and kicks fall upon me.

Through the crowd, I vaguely saw Julian's face. Those eyes, which had once given me such peace, now held only indifference.

He was led away by Sera, to "arrange for Sera's grandpa's body."

I slowly closed my eyes.

Those fists and feet, bit by bit, shattered what little memory I had left.

The man who would get flustered by a mere glance from me.

The man who couldn't handle spice but would eat Mexican food with me.

The man who rode a train for over ten hours just to bring me breakfast.

All of it was brutally ripped from my mind.

The pain was so intense I couldn't catch my breath, and I completely lost consciousness.

Julian, it turns out your compassion also had an expiration date.

Falling in love with you truly hurt.