Alexandra was surprised when Julian stepped between her and Ellen's incoming slap. She could have easily handled Ellen herself, but the fact that Julian cared enough to intervene sent a warm flutter through her chest.
Apart from Riley and her father, no one had ever truly stood up for her — certainly not Chad. Back when they were dating, he had let Ellen and his friends mock her, belittle her, and tear her down, never once stepping in to defend her. And foolishly, she'd convinced herself it didn't matter. That their words didn't matter. That he still cared.
But now, here was Julian, who barely knew her, defending her without hesitation.
It was… surprising. And oddly comforting.
She didn't want to admit it, but she was touched. It was sweet of him.
As she stood behind him, gazing at his broad back, she couldn't help but notice how good he smelled. What cologne did he use?
"How dare you touch me?!" Ellen shrieked, her face contorting in pain as she struggled against Julian's iron grip. "Let go of me!"
Julian glared at her for a moment longer before finally releasing her arm. Ellen immediately scampered behind Chad, rubbing her bruised wrist with a pitiful expression.
Chad observed the situation with a look of annoyance.
His eyes narrowed at Julian, angry that he was ruining all the fun. Alex was right. They came here after seeing Lauren's viral post praising Alex, and his friends thought it would be nice if Alex planned their engagement too since she had gone famous and would make his engagement trend. He was confident Alex would do it if they pressured her enough, but Julian was ruining everything.
"What's this?" Chad finally spoke, his tone laced with disdain. His eyes flickered between Alex and Julian before settling on the former in disapproval. "Is this supposed to be my replacement?"
"Replacement?" Alex chuckled, staring at Chad as if he were a joke.
Seeing his face again that once made her heart pound and flutter, the pain and heartache she was expecting never came. No twist in her chest. No ache in her throat. Just… nothing.
Instead, a cold wave of disbelief washed over her, not for what he had done, but for how much of her time and money she had wasted on a cheap, two-faced, unworthy idiot like him.
Was this really the man she cried over?
He looked ridiculous now. Almost pitiful.
Her heart was numb as if he was a stranger she had briefly crossed paths with.
It was a blissful realization that he no longer meant anything to her.
So, she spoke the truth exactly as she felt it. "You think very highly of yourself. You never made any impact in my life. You were never important enough to leave a void, so there was nothing to replace."
A mix of disbelief and confusion crossed Chad's face. This was not the reaction he had anticipated from her. For a moment, he almost looked stunned by her words, his gaze flickering to Julian with something akin to anger.
But the piercing look he received from Julian almost made him flinch.
Ellen, noticing the shift in his demeanor, clenched her fists at her sides before shooting Alex a venomous glare, as if she had just tried to steal her man.
"Is this your pathetic attempt to make Chad jealous? Because it's not working, you low-class slut," she sneered, gripping Chad's arm possessively. "He's mine now."
Alex scoffed, crossing her arms. "You two worthless pieces of trash are standing here, practically begging me for free service. Why would I want to make either of you jealous?"
Julian narrowed his eyes, giving them a slow, scrutinizing once-over. "And calling someone 'low class' is bold coming from people wearing a fake Rolex and knock-off designer clothes just to look the part."
Chad and Ellen visibly stiffened, eyes widening in shock. How did he know?
Most of their outfit were just copies of popular brands. Chad's job as a professional player didn't pay very much yet, and most of his savings were gone. But with his slow rising fame, they were confident they would become rich soon.
Ellen's gaze narrowed as she took a closer look at Julian. There was something about the way he carried himself, the effortless confidence, and the sharpness in his words that screamed opulence.
Despite his casual clothes, black pants and a button-up shirt, he gave off an intimidating aura.
He looked like an heir to a multimillion-dollar company in disguise.
Not to mention, he was so attractive he could pass for a model if he wanted.
Was he actually rich?
And if he was, what was a man like him doing with Alex?
As jealousy bubbled inside her, Ellen sneered. "Did you trap another man in your web of lies so quickly?"
"I won't waste my breath on you." Alex retorted. "Didn't you say you have an engagement party to plan? You should scurry along and quit polluting my business with your stench. I have real, paying clients to attend to."
Chad, who still found it hard to believe Alex would move on that fast, countered, "Drop the act, Alex. There is no way you've gotten over me already." He said before turning to Julian smugly, "Did she tell you how much she pined over me? She actually thought I would marry her."
The couple chuckled.
Alex's fist curled at her side. Watching them laugh at her expense sent a wave of fury through her, making her itch to wipe those smug expressions off their faces.
Gotten over him? Most of her feelings for him evaporated the moment she realized he'd only been toying with her. But apparently, that truth hadn't registered in their thick skulls yet.
Well, it would be her honor to prove them wrong.
Taking a deep breath, she turned to Julian and whispered softly, "I'm sorry."
Then, before she could talk herself out of it, she stood on her toes and pressed her lips against his.