Chapter 284 Left Behind 

Chapter 284 Left Behind 

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Julius lifted the box with his trembling left hand and pried it open. Inside rested a sandalwood bracelet. 

On top of it lay a card filled with her words. 

The message read: Julius Whitethorn, may every year bring you peace. May we stand by each other until we are old. 

It was signed with Quinn’s name. 

Julius stared at the words until silent tears slid free and darkened the paper. He did not wipe them away. 

Peace every year, huh? Until we are old, huh? Yet without her, what peace could I find, and with whom would I grow old? 

He had believed himself capable of outmaneuvering destiny, but even the shrewdest plans missed their mark. Some errors could never be undone. 

His father’s voice came back to haunt him, ringing like a curse. “Julius, you are my son. Like me, you never hold the one you love, and the pain will stay forever.” 

“No,” he whispered, pressing the card against his chest. “I am not you. I will not be.” 

Through that scrap of paper it felt as if he was holding Quinn herself. 

Laura had not expected her friend to appear at her door so late, dragging a suitcase across the hallway. 

“Can I stay here for a few days? I’ll look for a place as soon as I can,” Quinn asked. 

“Stay as long as you want,” Laura said. “But looking for a place–what happened? Aren’t you living with Julius?” 

“Not anymore,” Quinn answered. 

“What happened? Did you two fight?” Laura asked, half teasing, half concerned. 

Laura could not, even in her wildest imagination, picture Quinn and Julius raising their voices at each other. 

“We ended things,” Quinn said, her tone flat. 

Before driving over, she had spent hours by the river, staying until the sky grew dark, letting the water calm her nerves before finally turning the car toward Laura’s apartment. 

Laura stared at her, stunned. “Break up? You and Julius broke up?” 

Heavens. 

She had been floored when the two of them started dating, and only recently had she grown used to the idea. Now they’re ending it already? 

“Who brought it up?” Laura asked. 

“I did.” 

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15:53 Mon, 4 Aug 

Chapter 284 Left Behind 

“And he agreed?” Julius‘ devotion to Quinn had been obvious even to an outsider like Laura. 

With a shrug, Quinn said, “A breakup only takes one person walking away.” 

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“That’s right, but… hold on. Why did you end it? You just bought him a birthday gift.” She could not understand how a relationship that had seemed so solid could crumble overnight, or why a quarrel would have to reach the point of no return. 

“Our values clash,” Quinn said. “So we’re done.” 

Laura studied the redness around her friend’s eyes. Quinn sounded calm, but after so many years of friendship, Laura knew that composure was only a thin shell. 

“All right, you can have your old room,” Laura said. “I never really cleared it out after you left, so sort it as you like. Once you find Rowan at the border, you can move somewhere else.” 

“Fine,” Quinn said without argument. “I’ll transfer three thousand every month as rent.” 

“Cut it out. You’re the jewel of my company now. Earn us more, and call the room a perk,” 

“Thanks.” Quinn hauled her suitcase inside and closed the door behind her. 

The next morning, she drove to the military district and handed over the video of Rowan to the authorities, hoping they could help locate her brother in Doria. She also planned to go to Doria herself to see what she might uncover. 

She was leaving the base when her phone rang. Fabian, Julius‘ private secretary, sounded desperate. “Ms. Bridger, could you please come see Mr. Whitethorn? He has fractured fingers but refuses all medical care. I cannot persuade him.”