CEO Ex-Husband, Don't Bother Me-Chapter 37: Won’t Leave You (Part 2)

Perhaps it was the trauma of his father being forced to leave when he was a child, but the fear of loss had made him intensely possessive. What was his, he would not allow anyone else to covet in the slightest. And of course, he would not allow what was his to betray him. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Juliet Jennings was the exception. To this day, he still didn’t understand why he had chosen to forgive Juliet for leaving him of her own accord, or why he wanted to get her back by any means necessary. The only explanation he could give himself was that he loved her. And if you loved someone, you would forgive them for anything, without reason.

Though his words were domineering, Naomi Shaw heard a hint of fear in his tone. For some reason, that was the feeling she got—that he was afraid of something. Afraid of losing something? ’Could he be afraid of losing me?’

As she thought this, she raised her hands and gently wrapped them around his back. Closing her eyes, she arched her body to meet his demanding rhythm and whispered in his ear,

"Julian, I’ll never leave you..."

Ever since Ian Shaw’s critical surgery, all matters of the Shaw Dominion, large and small, had fallen onto Julian Donovan’s shoulders, with Tyson assisting him. The presence of Naomi Shaw created an awkwardness between the two men, yet on certain issues, they shared a surprising rapport—for instance, on the matter of banning marijuana cultivation.

More than Julian Donovan, Tyson knew just how difficult it would be to eradicate this crop in the region known as the Argent Triangle. Still, he chose to support Julian without hesitation. He knew firsthand the harm that stuff could do; his own family had been destroyed because of it. And in this place, there were countless families just like his.

To be honest, he greatly admired Julian Donovan’s courage and decisiveness in proposing such a plan. So, even if they faced a storm of bloodshed, he was willing to stand by his side. That day, after another strategy session, the two went out for drinks. After a few rounds, Tyson suddenly said to Julian,

"Julian Donovan, be good to her!"

Julian Donovan was a little surprised. How did Tyson know he and Naomi Shaw were together? Tyson just tilted his head back, drained his glass, and gave a bitter smile.

"I’ve been by her side, watching over her, since she was a little girl of six or seven. More than a decade has passed. To just give up on her now... I really can’t bear it."

He had missed her so much that day he’d gone to her place just to catch a glimpse of her, only to see her coming and going from Julian Donovan’s home. He understood at once.

Faced with Tyson’s raw display of emotion, Julian Donovan merely drank his wine in silence. He couldn’t promise Tyson anything. ’So far, I don’t feel much for her. I just think she’s gentle and obedient. Actually, not even that gentle. When she throws a tantrum, she can be a real handful.’

He couldn’t help but frown at the thought. ’I have no idea what I was thinking that night, agreeing to let her stay with me. Looking back, it would have been better to just find other women outside when I had needs. At least they wouldn’t make me angry.’

On the day Ian Shaw returned to the country, Julian Donovan, Naomi Shaw, Tyson, and his fiancée all went to the airport to pick him up. It was the first time Naomi had seen Tyson’s fiancée. She seemed like a very gentle girl—not stunningly beautiful, but she had a comforting presence. The unease that had been weighing on Naomi’s heart about Tyson’s marriage finally eased. She felt this girl would definitely take good care of him.

The girl stood beside Tyson, her arm linked with his, and offered Naomi a faint smile. Naomi stepped forward to tease Tyson.

"Tyson, so this is my future sister-in-law?"

Tyson gave an awkward grunt of acknowledgment. The girl gently extended a hand to Naomi.

"Hello, Naomi. You can just call me SARA."

The girl’s gaze fell upon Naomi Shaw. ’So this is the girl he’s loved for so many years. She’s really beautiful, and so simple and innocent.’

Naomi Shaw smiled happily.

"I think I’ll stick with ’sister-in-law’!"

Tyson glanced at the two of them and finally said,

"You two chat. I’m going to go take a look over there."

Watching the girl he loved with the woman who was about to become his wife was a form of torture for him.

When they met Ian Shaw, Naomi Shaw’s eyes filled with uncontrollable tears as she looked at her visibly thinner father.

"Dad, you’ve lost so much weight!"

Mrs. Sommers comforted her from the side.

"Your father had stomach surgery. It’s affected his eating and digestion, so losing weight is unavoidable."

Naomi Shaw was terribly upset. Ian Shaw put a doting arm around her.

"Alright, alright, my darling. Let’s not cry for now. Let’s go home first, okay?"

Naomi Shaw finally stopped crying, and the group got into the car to head back.

The servants had already prepared a meal. Ian Shaw, Mrs. Sommers, Julian Donovan, Naomi Shaw, Tyson, and SARA all sat down. By having her at the table, Ian Shaw was indirectly acknowledging Mrs. Sommers’ new status; previously, she had existed in the role of a housekeeper.

Before the meal began, Naomi Shaw presented her wedding gift to Tyson: a Buddhist sutra she had copied by hand. Tyson was a devout Buddhist, as was she, and she felt nothing could express her sentiments better than this. Anything bought from a store would have felt too perfunctory.

"Tyson, this is my wedding gift for you and my sister-in-law. It’s a Buddhist sutra I copied by hand. I even went to the temple to have a monk consecrate it. The Buddha will bless you both with a lifetime of happiness!"

Tyson’s expression was one of genuine surprise. He clearly hadn’t expected Naomi Shaw to put so much thought into his wedding gift. He was simultaneously overjoyed and heartbroken—overjoyed that she had finally done something for him with such care, but heartbroken that this care was only prompted by his impending marriage.

It was SARA who smilingly accepted the gift.

"Thank you, Naomi. I hope you find your own Prince Charming soon, too!"

Naomi Shaw gave a small smile, but her heart sank. ’I’ve already found my Prince Charming. I’m just not as fortunate as SARA, able to marry the one I wish.’

In truth, everyone knew about her feelings for Julian Donovan. But since Julian never made his own position clear, they could only pretend not to know, leaving her to her unrequited love.

After dinner, Julian Donovan and Tyson were summoned to the study by Ian Shaw. Naomi Shaw chatted for a while in the living room with SARA and Mrs. Sommers. They both agreed that SARA was a wonderful girl. Later, Julian and Tyson left to take care of business, while Naomi remained at the Shaw Residence to keep her father company.

She didn’t return until very late. Julian Donovan was in the shower. Her eyes fell on the watch he had taken off and left on the table—its style was outdated and a bit worn. She took an exquisite box out of her bag. Inside was a string of Agarwood Praying Beads, their color deep and tranquil.

She had spotted them instantly while shopping with Lara Nash a while back. No, she had spotted *them*. They were actually a matching pair of couple’s Buddha Beads, one large and one small. They had been lying quietly in a corner of the display case, emitting their own serene luster, seemingly unconcerned with anyone’s admiration and feeling no loneliness in their solitude. It was as if, so long as the two of them could rest together, nothing else in the world mattered.

She had adored them, unable to put them down, and so she’d bought them. When she went to the temple to have the monk consecrate the sutra for Tyson, she had him consecrate the two strings of Buddha Beads as well. She kept the smaller one for herself and planned to give the larger one to him. She was a devout Buddhist and believed that the Buddha watched over all. As long as one’s heart was sincere, their prayers would be answered.

When Julian Donovan came out of the shower, he saw her standing there, head bowed, intently looking at something in her hands. When she saw him, she looked up, gave him a shy smile, and held it out to him.

"Julian, I’d like you to have this string of Buddha Beads. I hope it will protect you and bring you good fortune."

Julian Donovan glanced down at the Buddha Beads in her hand but didn’t take them. He just refused her lightly.

"Thanks, but I’m used to wearing a watch."

As he spoke, he reached for the watch he’d left on the table. It was a gift from Juliet Jennings, who had scrimped and saved to buy it for him back then. He had worn it ever since she gave it to him. If he went a single day without it, he felt like a part of him was missing, completely out of sorts.