CEO Ex-Husband, Don't Bother Me-Chapter 40: Powerful and Influential

"Julian, since you’re willing to help me, does that mean you’ve forgiven me?"

"Julian, do you find me repulsive? Or... have you fallen in love with someone else?"

Julian Donovan lit a cigarette and walked to the window.

"I’ve been exhausted from work these past few days. I’m just not in the mood."

"But, Julian..."

Juliet Jennings started to say more, but he cut her off.

"Go home."

His voice was laced with a taut anger, and Juliet Jennings didn’t dare pester him further. She quickly put on her clothes and left.

Julian Donovan returned the day after he went to Port Sterling. When he got back, Naomi Shaw was just about to leave for the Shaw Residence to visit Ian Shaw. Her father’s health had been deteriorating lately, and she had a bad feeling about it. Seeing Julian, she lowered her eyes and said faintly,

"I’m going to the Shaw Residence to see my father. I haven’t made dinner, so you’ll have to get something for yourself."

’I know he doesn’t love me.’ —Naomi Shaw

After speaking, Naomi Shaw lowered her head and started to leave. The news today had vaguely reported that Juliet Jennings’s award win had drawn jealousy, but a mysterious man had saved the day. Although no one dared to report who the man was, Naomi knew. It had to be him.

If it weren’t for this incident with Juliet Jennings, she would have continued to deceive herself into believing that he had some feelings for her. But this event shattered all the illusions she had built over the past two years.

He figured it was only because he had been separated from Juliet Jennings for too long that he’d temporarily lost his feelings for her.

But he never expected her to forcefully push him away. With her eyes full of tears, she looked at him and, for once, raised her voice.

"Don’t!"

Her rejection and the tears in her eyes made Julian Donovan’s expression turn cold in an instant. ’See? Just look at her,’ he thought. ’Always on the verge of tears. How could he ever bring himself to like her?’

Perhaps sensing she shouldn’t have rejected him like that, she lowered her eyes and said in a low voice,

"My father is still waiting for me."

Then, before he could react, she turned and ran out.

The reason Naomi Shaw had rejected his advances was twofold. First, she had indeed promised Ian Shaw she would be back soon. But the most important reason was that she was hurt.

She admitted it—she was hurt. Hurt that he had gone to Port Sterling to defend Juliet Jennings. The thought that he had stayed the night there made her recoil from his touch even more. But she knew she had no right to question him, so she could only bottle up her anger. She had always been like this, never telling him when she was upset.

After she ran off, a frustrated Julian Donovan kicked the door shut and went upstairs. ’I’ll deal with her when she gets back tonight,’ he thought. But to his surprise, she didn’t come back that night. This was the first time in two years she had ever stayed out all night. Angered by her defiance, he didn’t call her. Of course, she didn’t call him either. He was so furious he couldn’t sleep all night.

The next morning, just as Julian Donovan was about to go to the Shaw Residence to drag her back, he was summoned there by Ian Shaw. When he arrived, he saw that Tyson was there as well. Naomi Shaw was sitting quietly on the living room sofa, gently stroking the cat in her arms. It was a Persian cat she owned. Because Julian hated small animals, she never dared to bring it to the place they lived.

Her head was down as she played with the cat, so he couldn’t see her expression.

Once everyone was seated, Ian Shaw glanced around at them, his gaze finally resting on Naomi Shaw beside him. He sighed and opened his mouth to speak.

"Father!"

Naomi Shaw was startled by what her father said next. Ian Shaw had only mentioned he had something important to discuss with everyone today; she had no idea this was what he was going to say.

"After all, Tyson is married now, and Julian will have to start his own family someday too. She can’t keep troubling you both. As it happens, I have a few sons of old friends who seem quite suitable. Naomi, when you have time, come with me and meet them one by one."

After speaking, Ian Shaw gave Naomi Shaw a serious look.

Naomi Shaw glanced nervously at Julian Donovan, who was sitting across from her. His expression was calm, as if he were listening to something that had nothing to do with him. Despair flooded her heart. ’After all, I’ve been by his side for two years,’ she thought. ’Even if he doesn’t say anything, just a small reaction would be enough. It would give me the courage to refuse my father.’

But he gave her nothing. He just sat there indifferently, meeting her gaze with a placid expression. She thought of his trip to Port Sterling and suddenly, a faint smile touched her lips. ’Naomi Shaw, what are you dreaming of? He just rekindled things with his first love. He’s probably dying for you to get married quickly so he can get rid of you. And you’re still hoping he’ll ask you to stay?’

Despairing that there would never be a future for them and her heart aching for her father’s concern, she finally made her decision. She looked up at Ian Shaw and said firmly,

"Okay, Father. I’ll listen to you."

Only after she said this did she see a flicker of surprise in Julian Donovan’s calm eyes, followed by what seemed to be a hint of anger. He hadn’t expected her to agree to Ian Shaw’s request so decisively. He stared at her, and she met his gaze without flinching, until the corners of his lips curled into a deeply mocking smile.

"Not a bad decision. If you find one you like, bring him back and let Tyson and me take a look for you. What do you say?"

Julian Donovan tilted his head to glance at Tyson, who was sitting beside him with a grim expression. He stood up gracefully, buttoning his suit jacket as he spoke.

"I have something to attend to, so I’ll be leaving. You all carry on."

With that, he strode away.

After Julian Donovan left, Tyson composed himself and said to Naomi Shaw,

"Naomi, marriage is a serious matter. You have to be careful."

He knew the person she loved was Julian Donovan; otherwise, he wouldn’t have hopelessly given up on her back then. His only wish was for her to be happy. But if she married anyone other than Julian, how could she ever be happy?

Naomi Shaw forced a smile at Tyson.

"Tyson, I know. But I trust my father. The person he chooses for me won’t be a mistake."

She probably had no idea how forced her smile was. So forced that Tyson couldn’t bear to watch, so forced that it made Ian Shaw’s heart ache, so forced that it almost brought Mrs. Sommers to tears.

That evening, Naomi Shaw stayed at the Shaw Residence again. After what had happened with Julian Donovan during the day, she didn’t want to go back and face him. But just as she was about to go to sleep, she received a call from him.

"Come back right now."

"I’m here with my father..."

After a moment’s thought, she decided not to go back. His voice, seething with anger, immediately came through the line.

"Are you trying to make me come to your room at the Shaw Residence and drag you back myself?"

In the end, she relented. She didn’t want Ian Shaw to find out she had been with Julian for the past two years. She got up, dressed, went to Ian Shaw’s room to say goodbye, and had the driver take her back.

After Naomi Shaw left, Mrs. Sommers shook her head.

"Is it right to put those two children through this?"

Ian Shaw sighed.

"I don’t know either. If Julian doesn’t want to marry her, then we should use this opportunity to let them break it off for good."

He wasn’t unaware that she had been with Julian Donovan for the past two years; he had simply chosen not to say anything. He had thought that, one day, she would eventually win Julian’s heart.

When Naomi Shaw returned to Julian Donovan’s place, he was sitting on the living room sofa with his arms crossed, waiting for her at his leisure. Seeing her enter, he leaned back and gave a cold smile.

"Naomi Shaw, weren’t you the one who kept saying you’d never leave me? It’s only been two years, and you’re already desperate to get married?"

He had never imagined she would agree to Ian Shaw’s proposal during the day. He had assumed her gentle, unresisting nature meant she would stay by his side forever. But he was wrong.

Naomi Shaw sat down on the sofa across from him. After taking a deep breath, she looked up and calmly met his sinister gaze.

"I did say that! But this time... my father’s health doesn’t look good. I don’t want him to pass away with regrets. So, I’m sorry, Julian. I’m going to listen to my father and marry a man he believes I deserve."