"Ella?"
The voice made her freeze.
Her breath hitched, panic gripping her chest. But something was off—this voice wasn't accusing. It wasn't laced with the cold authority of her mother or the quiet menace of her brother.
She turned around, heart pounding.
Julian.
Relief flooded through her so fast she nearly collapsed. Without thinking, she reached for her suitcase, yanked it closer, and hurried toward him. Without a word, she grabbed his wrist and tugged him toward a shadowed corner of the hospital hallway.
Julian didn't resist—he let himself be pulled, though his brows lifted in confusion. The last time they had spoken, she had been lying weak in a hospital bed. And now? Now she was dragging him into a dimly lit space like some desperate fugitive.
His sharp gaze flickered over her trembling hands, the frantic way she glanced over her shoulder. Something wasn't right.
He already knew Ella was running from something—his boss had made it clear to keep an eye on her. But seeing her like this? It confirmed everything. She was scared. More than scared.
Once they were tucked away from the open corridor, Julian gently pried her hands off his sleeve and gestured for her to sit down on a nearby bench. "Alright, take a breath," he said, voice calm, steady.
Ella obeyed—barely. She sank onto the seat, gripping her suitcase like it was the only thing keeping her upright. Her breaths came fast, uneven, her gaze darting toward the hallway every few seconds.
Julian crouched down slightly to meet her eye level. "Ella."
She finally looked at him.
He exhaled. "Why are you leaving the hospital?" His voice was softer now, laced with something that felt dangerously close to concern. "You're not fully healed yet. Come on. At least stay until you're okay."
His words were reasonable. Gentle. Safe.
And that was all it took.
Ella's chest clenched, her throat tightened painfully. The pressure, the exhaustion, the weight of everything she had been trying to bury—it shattered. A sharp, broken sob escaped before she could stop it.
Tears spilled down her cheeks, fast and uncontrollable. She covered her mouth with her hand as if she could physically stop herself from falling apart, but it was no use.
Julian didn't speak. He didn't look uncomfortable. He just sat beside her, hands clasped, waiting.
Ella had been holding everything in—trying to be strong, trying to shift her pain into anger, trying to mask her suffering with sarcastic smiles. But she was exhausted. And she needed this.
So, she let herself cry.
Was it so wrong that she wanted to be a mother? Yes, this baby might be a product of a bad event, heck, she was raped.
The police couldn't get the culprit and Xiaoyan had asked the police to close the case because of his reputation in the business world.
Gu Xiaoyan! He never cared for me!
Ella cried for a while, but eventually the fountain of tears came to a stop. Her eyes were still puffy and her face, red from crying so much. But she needed it.
The tension in her shoulders loosened, the weight pressing on her chest lifting just slightly.
Julian watched her for a moment before standing. "Wait here," he said.
She blinked up at him, confused, but he was already walking away.
A few minutes later, he returned, holding out a cold bottle of papaya flavoured juice. "Here."
Ella glanced at it, still sniffling, and frowned. "No."
Julian sighed, crouching in front of her. "Come on, just drink it. It'll help you calm down."
Ella eyed the bottle again, her lips pressing into a thin line. "I can't drink this."
Julian exhaled, exasperated. "Ella, you called me your little brother, right? You should trust me. I'm not going to poison you."
At that, she let out a small chuckle. "Julian."
He tilted his head. "Hmm?"
She wiped at her eyes, then looked down, a small smirk forming. "Do you notice the bump on my stomach?"
Julian blinked, caught off guard. His gaze dropped to her abdomen, taking in the small but unmistakable curve.
His breath hitched. "Oh. My. God." His head snapped back up. "You are...you are expecting a baby?!"
Ella simply nodded her head, confirming his realization.
Julian's face drained of color as his eyes darted between the juice bottle and her stomach. "Oh my God," he repeated, this time with more urgency. Without hesitation, he snatched the drink back from her hands.
Ella burst into laughter.
Julian looked genuinely horrified. "I..I am so sorry—I...I...I didn't know! Papaya isn't safe for pregnant women! It can cause—"
Ella only laughed harder, doubling over as the stress from earlier melted into something lighter.
Julian groaned, running a hand through his hair. "You could've told me before I nearly poisoned you."
She wiped away the last of her tears, still grinning. "Where's the fun in that?"
Julian suddenly let out a deep breath and sat down beside Ella. His expression softened, a rare moment of vulnerability surfacing. "You know," he started, "we've only known each other for a few hours, but somehow, it feels like we've bonded a lot already."
Ella tilted her head slightly, listening.
"You remind me of my older sister," Julian continued, a faint smile forming. "I miss her, but she's always so busy with work. And meeting you today just… I don't know, it brought back that feeling. Having someone to look up to, someone who just—" He stopped, shaking his head. "Anyway, that's not the point."
Ella gave him a small, understanding nod.
Julian sighed and rubbed his palms together before looking at her again, this time with more sincerity. "Ella, I heard your conversation. Trust me, I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I had to wait for Mr. Liang, and—"
Ella waved a hand, showing him it was okay.
He hesitated, then pressed on. "Even if your pride, your instincts, or whatever else makes you hesitate, please consider my boss's offer. If not for yourself, then for your baby."
Ella glanced down, her fingers unconsciously brushing over her stomach.
Julian leaned in slightly. "You can't stay where you are, Ella. It's not safe. Take the offer, and when you've saved up enough, when you're stable, you can move out. No one's forcing you to stay forever. But at least for now… Please." His voice was soft but urgent. "You'll be the strongest mom ever, I'm sure of it. But you need a little help first."
Ella bit her lip. The weight of everything pressed down on her again, but Julian's words weren't harsh—they were genuine, and maybe that's what made them hit harder.
Julian saw her hesitation and tried again. "And trust me, my boss is the coldest person you'll ever meet. He's strict, private, and barely ever home. He's always working but the other staffs are very nice."
Ella's thoughts drifted for a moment before she furrowed her brows. "Wait. Your boss, Mr. Liang?"
Julian raised a brow. "Yeah? What about him?"
Ella frowned slightly. "If he's such a big name in the business industry, how come I've never heard of him? Shouldn't he be well-known?"
Julian smirked. "You could say that."
Ella's eyes widened as a ridiculous thought hit her. She let out a dry laugh. "Wait. You're not telling me he's some hidden billionaire CEO, right? This isn't some webnovel CEO romance trope."
Julian burst out laughing. "Hey, those stories are fun!" He grinned, then leaned back with an exaggerated dramatic tone. "This is literally like one of those 'secret CEO' romance novels."
Ella groaned. "You're kidding me."
Julian chuckled but then crossed his arms and gave her a serious look. "But no, really. He's the CEO of K-Tech."
Ella's mouth fell open.
Julian simply stared at her. "Seriously."