Isabella let out a sharp, piercing shriek.

The shock of the slap left her momentarily paralyzed, her mind blank.

She clutched her stinging cheek, her eyes wide with disbelief as she stared at Evelyn. "Evelyn! How dare you hit me?" Her voice trembled with a mixture of pain and fury.

Evelyn's lips curved into a cold, mocking smile. Her eyes were like chips of ice. "Why wouldn't I dare? You offered yourself up for this. You wanted to apologize, didn't you? A single slap barely makes a dent in my anger. Perhaps a second one will do the trick."

She raised her hand again, her gaze fixed on Isabella's face with unnerving calm.

Julian, who had been stunned into silence, finally snapped into action. "Enough!" he roared, lunging forward to shove Evelyn away from Isabella. "Evelyn! Have you lost your mind?"

He immediately wrapped his arms protectively around Isabella. His voice dropped to a concerned murmur as he tried to soothe her. "Are you alright? Let me see."

Evelyn stumbled back a step but regained her balance effortlessly. Her expression remained utterly indifferent.

She looked at the two of them with detached scorn. "Going too far? Isabella was the one who insisted on apologizing. Are you deaf, Julian? If she's truly sorry, then she should stand there quietly and let me vent. A slap is nothing. What I've done is trivial compared to the betrayal you two inflicted on me."

Her gaze hardened, bitterness seeping into her tone. "You're both deceitful, disgusting cheaters. And when the truth finally comes out, who will believe a single word from either of you?"

Julian stood frozen, stunned by her direct accusations. He opened his mouth to retort, but no defense came out.

He held Isabella tighter, his arm a protective shield around her. His eyes narrowed at Evelyn with growing frustration. After a tense silence, he finally spoke, his voice strained. "Even if Isabella wanted to apologize, violence isn't the answer! An apology should be given and accepted with words. You're acting like a savage!"

Evelyn tilted her head slightly, a frosty smile playing on her lips. She flexed her wrist casually. "I'll take that as a compliment," she replied, her voice cool and sharp. "Since you think so highly of my 'savagery,' should I give her a few more slaps to truly live up to your expectations?"

Julian's jaw dropped. He stared at her, completely unprepared for her sarcastic retort.

For a fleeting moment, he wondered if the woman standing before him was the same Evelyn he once knew.

Isabella was equally shocked. She had provoked Evelyn countless times before, but Evelyn had never fought back like this. Was she finally snapping?

A tense silence filled the room.

Then, a new thought occurred to Isabella. A gut feeling told her something was off.

Was Evelyn doing all this deliberately to get Julian's attention?

She shot a quick, anxious glance at Julian. Her heart sank. He was completely absorbed in watching Evelyn, his gaze intense and fixed solely on her. A sharp pang of jealousy shot through Isabella.

She had worked too hard to steal him away from Evelyn. She would not let Evelyn win him back now.

Panic surged in Isabella's chest. She tightened her grip on Julian's arm, pulling his attention back to her. She forced a sweet, understanding tone. "Julian, please, don't say that. Evelyn is just upset right now. It's okay. I don't mind. If this helps her forgive us, I'm willing to endure it."

Her words stirred Julian's sympathy and deepened his irritation toward Evelyn. "Evelyn, you've really changed," he said, his voice heavy with disappointment. "The Evelyn I knew would never act this way. If you insist on behaving like this—"

Evelyn cut him off sharply, her voice like a whip. "Of course I've changed! I must have been insane before, putting up with you. But not anymore. I've finally come to my senses. Only a fool would continue to humiliate themselves the way I did. Julian, let me make this perfectly clear—we are over. Completely and utterly finished!"

Without another word, Evelyn grabbed the handle of her suitcase and turned away. Her face was an unreadable mask of resolve.

Julian stood rooted to the spot, the finality in her words hitting him with physical force. He had never seen this side of her.

As she walked out of the room, the sound of her suitcase wheels echoing behind her, a sudden, overwhelming panic gripped his chest. It was a suffocating feeling.

For reasons he couldn't explain, a profound sense of impending loss settled over him. It felt as if something vitally important was slipping through his fingers forever.

"Evelyn!" he called out, his voice desperate. He took an instinctive step forward as if to chase after her.

Isabella's eyes widened in shock. She hadn't anticipated this reaction. Thinking quickly, she pressed a hand to her cheek and let out a soft, melodramatic sob. "Julian, my face... it hurts so much. Is it bleeding?"

Julian froze. The sound of her distress pulled him back. He reluctantly turned his attention to her.

Isabella's cheek was marked with faint red streaks, the outline of a handprint visible beneath her skin. The sight made his chest ache with guilt.

"Isabella, don't cry," he murmured, his voice full of concern. "I'll take you to the clinic immediately. We'll get some medicine. You'll be fine."

Isabella sniffled loudly, her tears almost theatrical. She hesitated, then spoke again with feigned selflessness. "Julian, Evelyn is really leaving... maybe you should go after her instead of worrying about me. I'll be alright."

Julian bit his lip, his expression torn. "Evelyn has crossed a line this time. I won't indulge her tantrums. Let her cool off on her own. She'll come crawling back eventually. And when she does, I'll make sure she apologizes to you properly."

Isabella's heart swelled with satisfaction. She leaned into Julian's embrace, her voice dripping with honeyed sweetness. "Julian, you're so good to me."

Her plan was working perfectly.

Smugness bubbled within her. She felt in control again. Evelyn was nothing but a fool to think she could ever reclaim Julian's attention.

But as Julian held her, the warmth of her affection did nothing to settle the strange unease gnawing at him. A persistent discomfort tugged at his chest.

Why did he feel so unsettled?

He tried to push the feeling down, attempting to smile at Isabella with forced patience.

But no matter how hard he tried, his gaze kept drifting toward the door, toward where Evelyn had disappeared.

Evelyn had nowhere else to go. She would have to come back. He was sure of it.