Chapter 8 The Haughty Selena

In just a few short seconds, he had subdued his enemy with a single move, swift and decisive! The formidable strength and iron-blooded nature of Yulian stirred up a fervor in David, causing his heart to exclaim in exhilaration. His respect for the son-in-law of the Salvatore family had indeed risen a notch higher. “Javier, Drake—” Winona, who had fallen to the ground, finally snapped out of her shock. She helped up Javier, who had taken quite a tumble, his body battered and bruised, with more than half of his bones broken. As for Drake, he had already been knocked unconscious by a powerful kick from Yulian, which had broken his ribs. Yulian was ruthless. Not a shred of mercy was spared. “Yulian!” Winona gritted her silver teeth, her pretty face covered in a frosty veneer, filled with gloom and resentment. “You will pay for what happened today. Old scores and new, our Caruso family will settle the account with you!” “I await that day,” Yulian said, looking down upon them with a grave voice. “However, I warn you, if you have any underhanded tricks, aim them at me, not those around me. Otherwise, I assure you, your Caruso family will fall before me.” No sooner had he finished speaking than Yulian exuded a powerful aura of dominance and confidence. That overwhelming pressure caused Winona's face to lose its color, leaving her somewhat breathless. “When there's a will, there's a way. Just you wait, Yulian!” With a cold huff, Winona hastily ordered her subordinates to gather the red bills scattered all over the ground. Carrying the unconscious Javier and Drake, they fled in a state of panic and disarray. David watched as the Caruso siblings drifted away, letting out a sigh. “This time, you've truly offended the Caruso family beyond repair, completely tearing off all pretenses, Yulian. However, you did a splendid job and fought brilliantly! Haha, such a man, I admire!” Yulian casually waved his hand, “David, you flatter me. However, for people like this, I haven't even taken them seriously. Whatever underhanded tricks they have, I'll handle them myself.” Yulian's chivalrous and forthright demeanor left David in endless admiration. Just as he was instructing the Salvatore family's servants to clean up the room, erasing the traces of the havoc wreaked, Wendy's joyful shout echoed from not too far away. “Mr. Yulian, Ms. Salvatore has returned and insisted on bringing me to see you. These young ones nowadays, they really can't be apart even for a moment—” Wendy eagerly led Selena over when she was taken aback by the mess in the living room. “What... What happened here? What on earth occurred?” “It's all right, Wendy,” Yulian said, glancing at the astonished Selena. “A few troublemakers came to stir up trouble, but I sent them packing. I'll clean up immediately.” “Fighting? You actually dared to fight here?” Selena stood up in annoyance, her pretty face covered in frosty anger. Her tone carried a mix of thirty percent rage and seventy percent heartache. “Do you know this was my mother's favorite living room before she passed away? For over a decade, I didn't dare to touch a single thing here. This is the only memory she left for me, and you dared to fight here?” Yulian was taken aback, recalling Selena's tragic childhood experiences. He couldn't help but feel a surge of pity, murmuring, “I'm sorry, I didn't know.” “Ms. Salvatore, it was the Caruso family who made the first move. Mr. Yulian had no choice but to react,” David tried to mediate the situation. Wendy also tried to mediate, saying, “Ms. Salvatore, let it go. Mr. Yulian didn't mean it. He has already apologized.” “Is a simple apology enough? Can everything here be restored? You're all siding with him.” Selena huffed coldly, her ladylike temper flaring up again. She muttered under her breath, “This isn't your jungle training ground. It seems like military ruffians can't change their habits...” Her voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached Yulian's ears. His brows furrowed as he stood up, casting a cold glance at Selena. “It's my fault for letting Mrs. Salvatore's room become like this, but I ask you not to casually insult a soldier's honor. If you don't like me, I can leave. There's no need for veiled insults.” Having said that, Yulian shrugged off his shirt and strode away, decisively and neatly, without looking back. Yulian was inherently stubborn. He never bothered to explain anything, nor did he deem it necessary. Call it arrogance or machismo, but it didn't matter to him anymore. “Mr. Yulian? Oh my, look at this. What kind of mess is this!” Wendy was pleading from behind, hurrying and chasing. “Ms. Salvatore, you must quickly go and persuade Mr. Yulian.” At that moment, Selena also realized that her words had been a bit too harsh. She parted her red lips, about to say something, but upon seeing Yulian's stubborn and unyielding attitude, she swallowed her words back down. She pouted and said, “I won't bother trying to persuade him. What an attitude. He can go wherever he wants. Wendy, let's eat!” Having said that, she stomped her foot in frustration, striding away in her high heels with a huff. “Ah, these two stubborn ones, how did they end up together?” Wendy sighed, feeling incredibly overwhelmed. Selena was in a bad mood. The sudden appearance of a fiancé in her life had left her somewhat at a loss. Earlier, she had been distracted while dealing with a pile of matters at the company. Who would have thought that she would encounter such a situation upon returning home? He has some audacity to justify breaking my mother's belongings! Even if my words were a bit harsh, was it necessary for him to storm off like that? After all, I'm a girl. I can't possibly shamelessly beg him to stay, can I? He's stubborn as a bull and a complete jerk! He's the epitome of toxic masculinity without a shred of grace! In her heart, Selena was filled with indignation, her actions reflecting her decision to “transform anger into appetite.” She took a bite of the pan-fried salmon and paused. The taste is quite good! A glint of light sparked in Selena's beautiful eyes as she picked up two pieces of ribs, a chicken leg, and half a plate of salad. In no time at all, she had devoured more than half of the several dishes before her, and the food in her bowl was beginning to run low. Even Selena was taken aback. When had she started eating so much without even realizing it? “Wendy, the food today is excellent. Is it something new you've learned?” asked Selena. Wendy wore a meaningful smile as she said, “Ms. Salvatore, I didn't prepare this dish. It was specially made for you by Mr. Yulian.” “Him?” Selena's beautiful eyes widened in surprise. She muttered under her breath, “This stubborn ox can even cook.” “Ms. Salvatore, I must stand up for Mr. Yulian here,” Wendy said, expressing her dissatisfaction. “He saw how hard you were working and specially prepared a few dishes for you to replenish your strength. How could you speak of him in such a way? It's normal for young couples to have their quarrels. Why don't you give him a call, apologize, and ask him to come home?” Selena knew she was in the wrong. Her head hung low, and her large eyes flickered, revealing a hint of embarrassment. Yet, she soon stood up, pouting as she retorted, “I don't need it. Who... Who needs his kindness? This dish is so oily and greasy. It is simply unbearable to eat. I... I've had enough. I'm going back to my room to rest.” Selena almost seemed to flee, rushing up the stairs in a state of panic. Wendy looked at Selena's clean, empty plate, a mix of amusement and exasperation on her face. “This girl really says one thing and means another.” With a heart full of worries, Selena ascended the stairs. Upon seeing the pitch-black darkness of her own room, a look of fear and anxiety crossed her face, and she halted in her tracks. “How could Wendy forget to turn on the light?” She opened her mouth, but couldn't bear to have Wendy, who was getting on in years, run another errand. Thus, she gritted her teeth, nervously extended her trembling arm, and fumbled around the room for a moment until she found the switch. Within the pitch-black room, a warm and gentle rosy glow enveloped everything. The light was comfortable, neither too bright nor too dark, illuminating the entire room in a dreamlike, surreal manner. Just like a fairy tale castle under the glow of the setting sun, it was both dreamy and warm. Selena's lips parted slightly in surprise, momentarily stunned. Then, like a child who had just received a beloved toy, she laughed joyfully. She threw herself onto her bed, humming contentedly as she reveled in the comfort. Her hand clenched slightly as if she wanted to grasp the dreamy and warm light in her palm. “Wendy!” With joy, Selena, barefooted with her snow-white feet, ran to the staircase and called out, “Wendy, did you have someone fix the lights in the room? They're so beautiful. Thank you.” Wendy paused her work, smiling helplessly as she approached. “Ms. Salvatore, I don't have such skills. The light was changed by Mr. Yulian.” Selena's delicate body stiffened. “Him again? How did he know to do this?” “As soon as Mr. Yulian stepped through the door, he sought me out to inquire about your condition. He still cares deeply about you. Knowing that you suffer from nyctophobia, he didn't waste any time and immediately set about adjusting the lighting to protect your eyes and body. Ah, it was truly exhausting for him. He was drenched in sweat, with several cuts on the arm from nails. Blood was everywhere. Despite this, he even prepared a few more dishes. In the end, not even a sip of water was taken by him before being driven out of the house. Such a pitiful child...” Wendy glanced at Selena, clearly understanding Selena's temperament, and deliberately exaggerated the story with great emotion. “He... He actually did so much for me. I— Was I too unreasonable?” Selena's face grew increasingly guilt-ridden. She bit her red lips tightly, her beautiful eyes misty with regret. She was deeply remorseful for having driven Yulian away in anger. “Ms. Salvatore, there are no lasting quarrels between husband and wife. Why don't you give him a call? Once things are talked out, they'll be fine,” Wendy suggested with a smile, thoughtfully offering her a phone. After a moment of hesitation, Selena finally spoke. “Wendy, this is the call you wanted me to have. I... I didn't mean for this to happen. I certainly won't apologize to him.” “Indeed, you are always right, Ms. Salvatore,” Wendy said, caught between laughter and tears. Only then did Selena feel relieved and dialed Yulian's number. After three rings, Yulian's somewhat cold voice came through, “Hello?” “It's me, Selena. W-Where are you?” Selena's cheeks were flushed, her tone much softer than before. “Is there something you need?” Yulian's voice remained as cold as ever. Is there something I need? What kind of attitude is this? The slight pang of guilt that lingered in Selena's heart instantly dissipated. Annoyed, she said, “No, I just wanted to ask—” “I've got to go, I'm really busy.” “Hello? Hello?” Beep beep beep... Selena's pretty face suddenly turned icy cold, as if covered in frost. She tightly clenched the little pig plushie on the bed as if the toy had some grudge against her. Its features were all twisted out of shape. “Yulian, you b*stard. How dare you hang up on me!” Her delicate shout rang out, chilling like the cold wind in the twelfth lunar month, sending shivers down one's spine. Wendy, standing at the side, couldn't help but laugh. Mr. Yulian, this time you've really landed yourself in big trouble.