Chapter 35: Ruthless

After taking the phone from Megan, Julian wasted no time dialing Chloe's number. He didn’t hesitate for a second, as if the number had been etched into his mind for a long time—embedded deep in his memory, impossible to forget. The phone rang a few times before Chloe answered. "Megan, is there something you need?" Chloe's familiar voice echoed through the receiver, and a wave of frustration surged in Julian’s chest. Yet, all the angry words he had planned to say dissolved into a simple, strained sentence: "I'm sick." Hearing Julian’s voice, Chloe paused for a moment, surprised. She hadn’t expected him to call. But then again, maybe it wasn’t so strange. If something was wrong, of course, it would be Julian. As she listened, an image flashed in her mind of the photos where she felt like an outsider, intruding on someone else’s world. "Well, I’m sorry, but I’m not a doctor. I can’t help you with your illness. If you need something, I suggest you call your family doctor," Chloe respo