Julian couldn’t stay long. He only had a two-week business trip. But aside from working, he spent most of his time in my hospital ward. He was always worrying about my condition.
As he put it, many patients’ cancer cells would suddenly spread after surgery, and I had to be extra cautious. Fortunately, it seemed that luck was on my side. My condition was gradually improving. However, Jack seemed to have gotten busier. He only visited once a day at most.
One afternoon, when Julian brought lunch, he looked particularly displeased.
“The chefs are on strike. The food here in Erewhon tastes awful. I can’t even finish a bite!” he complained, glaring at the takeaway bags.
“The pizza and breadsticks from the fast food restaurant are just too salty.”
We ate and made small talk. Suddenly, the conversation shifted to the situation back home. Julian looked at me curiously. “Since you used to be with Leonard, is he really as impressive as people say? He has cornered Luca so badly that he’s probably desperate. After Leonard heard Luca was going to help you escape, he contacted Daryl.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. This takeout was hard to stomach after getting used to Jack’s cooking.
Julian put his pizza down, then made a face at the toppings. “I doubt Daryl is even alive anymore, but the police will still search for him. The radiation is heavy over there, so they’ve sealed the area off. It could be years before they find anything.”
“Did they find Daryl?” I asked, curious.
I quietly exhaled. If it weren’t for that, I probably wouldn’t have been able to fake my death so easily.
I hadn’t even considered that Leonard would contact Daryl. Maybe Lily had mentioned him earlier, or maybe criminals just had a way of connecting. Who knew?
But honestly, I wasn’t concerned about the Harmon family’s drama anymore.
Suddenly, Julian leaned in, narrowing his eyes.
“Leonard’s pretty impressive. Jack’s impressive too.”
“I’d choose Jack as my cousin-in-law any day,” he teased.
My face flushed instantly, and I shot him a glare. “Does Jill know about you choosing your cousin-in-law?”
“You know exactly what I mean. So, what do you mean by that?” Julian wouldn’t let up. “Don’t tell me you’re still trying to play coy. You know what I’m talking about, right?”
I just kept my head down, focusing on my food and avoiding his teasing.
He set his fork down, seemingly lost in thought. After a moment, he continued, Jack never really believed you were dead, but he couldn’t go to the quarry to look for you, so he started tracking down any clues that you might still be alive.
“Zack and I had already thought of all the details. Wanna know how Jack found you?”
I looked up, curious.
He raised an eyebrow. “He started monitoring all of our phones. When he noticed Crystal was frequently contacting someone overseas, he hacked into her phone.” Jack was indeed sharp. He somehow figured out I would contact the few people I trusted. In fact, it wasn’t hard to trace. My friends were few, and I didn’t hide things well.
Crystal had suddenly come into a huge inheritance, and Jack naturally became suspicious, especially when she kept cautiously checking in with Zack, which only fueled his doubts.
By piecing all the information together, Jack eventually tracked me down to Erewhon and rushed to find me.
“When Andrew notified me, I had just landed, and your surgery was already over,” Julian continued.
“Choosing a partner isn’t about what they say but about what they do.”
“Leonard? He only shed a few crocodile tears. You can tell it was all for show. So, next time you’re picking someone, keep your eyes wide open.”