The Promise That Changed Everything

My boyfriend passed away from illness, his final wish for me to care for his only brother Julian Roland.

I supported Julian through college and helped him establish his company.

One night, after he drank too much at a business dinner, we ended up in bed together.

While I was struggling to define our relationship, I noticed my photograph and an engagement ring on his desk.

My heart raced as I pushed open the door to his private lounge, ready to confront our situation.

A white silk camisole landed at my feet the moment I entered.

I froze, watching Julian hastily cover his startled assistant with a duvet.

"Serena Valentine, must you barge in without knocking?"

My face pale, I retreated clumsily.

The assistant's timid voice stopped me.

"Serena, could you hand me my clothes?"

Ignoring the hostility in her eyes, I tossed the garment onto the bed and fled.

As I left the building, Julian called.

"Serena, don’t ever walk into my room uninvited again."

I agreed with forced lightness.

From that day forward, I never stepped into his world again.

——————

I returned home and drew the curtains tightly shut.

Not a single ray of light penetrated the living room.

The dim surroundings allowed me to relax a little.

I curled up on the sofa and dialed my agent's number.

"Charles, about that offer to study painting abroad—I'll go."

Charles laughed heartily.

He praised my promising future but also asked, "Can you really let go of your brother now?"

"Didn't you always think he was too young and needed looking after?"

I wrapped the blanket tighter around myself.

"He's grown up now," I whispered. "He doesn't need me anymore."

My mind drifted back.

When Ethan passed away, his only worry was leaving me and his younger brother behind.

I had no family left.

Julian was alone too.

I devoted myself to caring for him, making him the center of my world—it was the only way I could keep going.

After that reckless night, I woke before him.

I watched him for a moment before fleeing in panic.

That was the first time I truly felt he had become a man.

But this sudden shift in emotions caught me off guard.

I needed to travel, to clear my head and untangle this messy relationship.

Yet Julian still called me "Serena," just as he always had.

He asked where I'd been.

Little did I know, he hadn't come to terms with anything—he had simply forgotten.

He had found someone else he loved.

And I, his ambiguous "sister," had no right to disrupt his life any longer.

After ending the call with Charles, I dialed Julian's number.

He answered quickly. "Serena, what is it?"

I wanted to explain everything about that night.

To put a definitive end to whatever had lingered between us all these years.

But before I could speak, a woman's voice came through the phone.