Chapter 377

Rosalind froze when Julian spoke. Without further protest, she climbed into the Ferrari's passenger seat.

Julian slid behind the wheel, his jaw clenched tight. "Are you really this obsessed with Everett?"

She'd refused to enter his car earlier. Yet for Everett, she'd complied instantly.

Rosalind met Julian's stormy gaze. "Do you hear how irrational you sound?" Julian blinked, caught off guard.

"I stepped aside for you and Arabella," she continued evenly. "She's your girlfriend now. Perfect figure, dancer's grace - exactly your type. Shouldn't you be with her? Why keep harassing me?"

His knuckles whitened on the steering wheel. "R-"

"Julian," she cut in, eyes glinting with mockery, "don't tell me you've developed feelings for me."

The sardonic edge in her voice struck like a slap. Julian barked a bitter laugh. "Delusional much? You think I'd ever fall for you?"

"Good," Rosalind replied coolly.

His belated affection meant nothing now. She wanted none of it.

Julian recognized his reaction stemmed from possessiveness. Rosalind had once orbited his world. Now she'd inexplicably shifted her attention to Everett - his academic rival. Naturally, it unsettled him.

If this was her ploy for attention, he had to admit - it worked.

Thirty minutes later, the Ferrari halted before a bustling construction site. Rosalind stepped out.

The chaotic scene was foreign to her. The noise, the dust - this was Everett's reality.

Her delicate leather flats sank into mud, the pristine edges instantly soiled.

Julian glanced down. "Your shoes are ruined. Need a tissue?"

Rosalind shook her head. "Where's Everett?"

Julian gestured ahead. "There."

Among workers in blue uniforms and yellow hardhats, one figure stood out - tall, striking, radiating quiet intensity. Everett.

He was hauling cement bags at a construction site.

Adriana had mentioned Everett juggled multiple jobs, including manual labor. Apparently, she hadn't lied.

Rosalind watched as Everett, coated in dust and sweat, shouldered another heavy bag. He worked with single-minded focus, unaware of their presence.

Julian smirked. "This is your crush? Seriously? What do you see in someone like him?"

Her gaze followed Everett as he lifted bag after bag, his strong frame bending under the weight. Workers were paid per bag carried - he'd already moved nine, his back slightly bowed from the strain.

"Let's go back," Rosalind said suddenly.

She turned away without explanation.

Julian grinned, certain she'd finally realized the impossibility of a relationship with someone like Everett.

"Now you understand. Everett isn't right for you. You deserve better-"

"Julian," she interrupted, voice steady, "I'm leaving because I won't humiliate Everett. He has pride. You should respect that."

What?

Julian froze. He'd assumed she'd lost interest. Instead, she was protecting Everett's dignity with surprising sensitivity.