He Let Me Drown, Another Man Taught Me Love

For ten years, Nina Avery had stayed by Julian Blackwell's side. On the surface, she was his concierge doctor. In truth, she was also the woman he turned to for his physical needs.

When he came back from violent clashes wounded and bleeding, she treated him. When loneliness gnawed at him in the quiet of the night, she was the one who eased it.

Nina had once believed that if she gave enough of herself, someday she would reach his heart.

But when the woman Julian had always loved suddenly returned to the country, Nina's usefulness vanished. To Julian, she became something disposable.

Even the assistant couldn't bear to see it and tried to persuade Julian to value her. Julian only let out a dismissive laugh.

"Nina was never part of my life plan. I only kept her around because she resembled Aria a little."

In that instant, Nina's devotion felt like a cruel joke.

Later, when he wrapped an arm around Aria Monroe's waist and casually asked Nina to help prepare the wedding, Nina didn't cry. She didn't make a scene. She only smiled until her eyes turned red and quietly agreed.

Then she turned away and made a call.

"The ten-year contract expires in seven days. I'm requesting termination. From this moment on, I will have nothing more to do with the Blackwell family."

......

Ten years earlier, eighteen-year-old Nina had signed a blood contract with the Blackwell family at her father's funeral. In exchange for a secure future, she would remain by Julian's side as his concierge doctor for ten years.

Now, at twenty-eight, Nina stood in the third-floor corridor of Blackwell Manor, gripping the contract that was about to expire. Her heartbeat thundered in her chest.

She should have left calmly.

But sometime during those ten years, she had fallen in love with Julian.

Not because he was the heir to the Blackwell family of Serricilia. Not because he controlled half of the Eastridge Underworld Network. Simply because he was Julian.

Just as she was about to confess her feelings to him, Julian's deep, pleasant voice drifted from the study. "Aria is returning tomorrow. Notify everyone. Her room should be arranged exactly the way it was ten years ago. The engagement banquet will be in autumn. I'm going to marry her."

The assistant hesitated. "Mr. Blackwell, what about Nina?"

Julian fell silent for a moment, then let out a quiet chuckle. "She was never part of my plans. I kept her around because she resembled Aria a little."

Nina froze where she stood, as if struck by lightning.

Aria.

The girl Julian had loved in his youth but could never have.

The young doctor who had stayed by his bedside all night when he was gravely wounded in a gunfight at sixteen.

The childhood sweetheart forced to leave for Nuwhuenia because their families opposed them, the reason he had remained unmarried for ten years.

Nina suddenly remembered that Aria was also a doctor.

Before Nina ever appeared, it had always been Aria who treated Julian's wounds, prepared his medicine, and stayed beside him through every brush with death.

So for ten years, she had only been Aria's shadow.

Julian had allowed her to stay close only because she shared Aria's calm professionalism and medical skill. Even... their features carried a faint resemblance.

Nina leaned against the cold wall, her nails digging into her palm to keep herself from crying out loud.

The day Aria returned, she wore a wine-red velvet gown. With nothing more than a faint smile, she became the talk of the entire city.

Julian personally went to the airport to bring her home. The moment they stepped into the foyer, they pulled each other into an embrace and kissed deeply.

It was a kiss Nina had never received from him.

She stood on the second-floor balcony, watching in silence.

Her mind drifted back to Christmas Eve a year earlier. Slightly drunk, she had stood on her toes, trying to kiss Julian.

He turned his head away and said softly, "Nina, stop it."

At the time, she thought he was reserved, self-controlled, respectful.

Only now did she understand. He simply didn't like her.

Julian walked into the living room holding Aria's hand. His gaze swept briefly over Nina as he spoke in his usual calm tone. "Nina, this is Aria Monroe. She'll be staying in the east wing from now on. Make sure she's comfortable."

Nina lowered her eyes. "Yes, Mr. Blackwell."

Aria stepped forward with a bright smile and slipped her arm through Nina's. "Nina, Julian talks about you all the time! He says you've saved him more times than he can count. You're practically our lifesaver!"

The words "our lifesaver" cut straight through Nina's heart.

That night, Julian hosted a lavish banquet to welcome Aria home.

The hall was filled with powerful figures from across the Eastridge Coast. One toast after another was raised, congratulating Julian on finally bringing back the woman he had always loved.

Nina excused herself early, claiming she wasn't feeling well.

She had barely stepped out of the dining hall when Julian called after her.

He stood beneath the moonlight, his suit perfectly tailored. Behind his gold-rimmed glasses, his eyes were impossible to read. "I heard you were rather cold toward Aria today."

Nina froze for a moment. For a split second, she saw the Julian she had first met ten years ago, the same striking presence that made it impossible to look away.

She lowered her gaze slightly. "I didn't."

"You'd better not have." Julian's tone remained gentle, yet the authority behind it was unmistakable. "Aria has been cherished her whole life. She's innocent. If you ever bully her, you know exactly how I deal with things."

A chill ran through Nina's entire body.

This was Julian. A gentleman on the surface, ruthless underneath.

She nodded. "I understand."

Julian turned to leave.

Finally, Nina gathered the courage to ask the question she had buried in her heart for ten years. "Julian, I've been by your side for ten years. Was there ever even a second when you..."

Julian's indifferent voice cut her off. "No."

With that, Julian's figure disappeared around the corner.

Nina's body trembled slightly. He hadn't even waited to hear the rest of her sentence before cutting off every feeling she had carried for him.

Back in her room, she immediately dialed Edmund Blackwell.

"Mr. Blackwell, the ten-year contract expires in seven days. I'm requesting termination. I'll take the compensation that belongs to me, and from that point on I'll have nothing to do with the Blackwell family."

There was a long silence on the other end before Edmund's aged voice spoke. "Nina, do you really want to leave? Everyone can see that you love Julian."

Nina spoke softly. "But he doesn't love me."

Edmund sighed. "Alright. In seven days, you'll have both the check and your freedom."