Help me find or link for free, "The day I stopped waiting by Silas Night"
After losing her child in the fire, everyone noticed that Chloe’s attitude toward her husband Julian changed. She no longer pressed his crisp uniforms herself, spent hours simmering soup just for him, and stayed up late waiting for him to come home. Even with a high fever from a post-op infection, she signed the risk consent herself with her IV hand. It wasn’t until the day she was discharged that Julian heard about it and rushed over. “If something was wrong with your health, why didn’t you notify me?” he demanded sharply. Chloe replied calmly, “Because I don’t expect anything from you anymore.”
Winter, 2025. A month after the charity gala fire that shocked the entire city, Chloe Bennett went to the hospital alone, keeping a low profile behind sunglasses and a mask, to handle her post-mis carriage checkup. From that day on, all the staff in the Mid-Levels villa estate noticed that Chloe had changed. In the mornings, she no longer personally ironed Julian Vance's crisp uniform to hang it on the prominent coat rack; At noon, she no longer had her assistant cancel her schedules so she could spend hours simmering a pot of Soothing Honey Lemon Broth, insisting on delivering it even if she was stopped outside the base; At night, she no longer curled up on the sofa, flipping through scripts while watching the entryway security camera, waiting for him to come home. She no longer pestered him with entertainment industry gossip, nor did she eagerly grab his calloused hands to try out her new hand cream. Even when she was hospitalized with a high fever from a post-op infection and the nurse asked her to contact a family member to sign the papers, she merely replied flatly, "He's on a mission, he doesn't have time," before signing the risk consent form herself with an IV needle still stuck in her hand. After that, she lay quietly in the VIP ward for a week without sending Julian a single WhatsApp message. On the day of her discharge, Julian heard the news and rushed over from the unit. The man hadn't even had time to change out of his tactical gear. Covered in dust and smelling of gunpowder, his sharp, handsome features looked even more striking, though a visible exhaustion weighed heavily on his brow. "If there was a problem with your health, why didn't you have your manager notify me?" His brows were tightly furrowed, his tone carrying its usual sternness and a hint of imperceptible reproach, as he naturally walked over to the bed, crouched down, and reached for the flat shoes by her feet. Chloe's ankle flinched instinctively, avoiding his warm palm. Grasping nothing but air, Julian paused and looked up, meeting the eyes behind Chloe's sunglasses—eyes as calm and dead as a pool of stagnant water. "It's just a minor issue. You have a lot going on at the unit, no need to distract yourself." Her voice was soft, tinged with the aloofness of someone who had spent years navigating the vanity fair. She simply put on her shoes, stood up, grabbed her expensive Hermès bag, and pushed the door open to leave. Julian watched her still-slender but exceptionally distant silhouette, his heart inexplicably tugged by a sudden wave of irritation. He just felt that Chloe... seemed different somehow. In the past, even if she just got a paper cut on her finger, she would hold her hand up and pout in front of him for ages, demanding that he blow on it and coax her. He followed her, watching as Chloe walked alone to the elevator, refused the nurse's help, and then headed to the hospital entrance to wait for a black van. Even though he was standing just a step behind her, she didn't turn around to complain to him about the awful smell of hospital disinfectant. She didn't even cling to him like a koala as she used to, nagging him to wear his Kevlar vest on missions and not to lose his life trying to be a hero. An unprecedented surge of frustration suddenly welled up in Julian's body. He took a step forward and grabbed Chloe's slender wrist, his Adam's apple bobbing as he spoke in a low voice. "Are you mad because I didn't save you first at the gala that night? Or is it because of the baby..." "Neither," Chloe interrupted him. She slowly pulled her hand away and smoothed out her wrinkled cuff, her tone so calm it bordered on cold. "Julian, it's in the past. I don't want to talk about it anymore." His hand grasping at empty air once more, Julian reached out to stop her, growing agitated. "Chloe, then why did you—"
Chapter 2 A black van arrived. Chloe didn't spare him another glance. She pulled the door open and got in without hesitation, the dark tinted glass separating them into two entirely different worlds. Julian pursed his li ps, opened the passenger door, and got in. In the cramped space, his tall frame exuded an intense, suffocating presence. Chloe turned her head to watch the bustling city streets retreating outside the window. Feeling that familiar, icy aura radiating from Julian beside her, her thoughts drifted back to the first time she met him three years ago. She had been filming deep in the mountains that day when extreme torrential rains triggered a devastating mudslide. Amidst the desperate chaos, a man in camouflage descended like a savior, grabbing hold of her just as she was about to slip into the abyss. When she looked up, the dark, piercing eyes beneath his combat helmet were as cold as ice, yet they instantly seared Chloe's heart. At the time, she thought, "This officer is so cold, he'll be impossible to win over," yet she hopelessly memorized the hard, burning warmth of his body as he shielded her beneath him. Their second encounter was during Julian's leave, when he stumbled upon a hostage situation at a shopping mall. He disarmed the assailant barehanded, his arm slashed and dripping with blood, but after subduing the attacker, he gently patted the terrified little girl's head. As his blood dripped onto the floor that day, Chloe watched from the sidelines, feeling that his heroic aura in that moment was more dazzling than any red carpet she had ever walked. The third time was at the law enforcement charity ball. She was singing on stage, and Julian was in the front row, sitting bolt upright with a focused gaze. When their eyes met, Chloe's palms sweated against the microphone; it was the first time she had ever forgotten her lyrics on stage. After that day, Chloe used all her connections to ask around about Julian, even swallowing her pride to actively pursue him. On the day they made it official, Julian sat across from her in a cafe, his tone earnest. "Our big star Chloe, my job requires me to put my life on the line at any moment. I can't give you that glamorous, stable life. Can you handle that?" "I can handle it."Chloe took off her sunglasses, her eyes shining like stars, her answer resolute. Julian nodded. "Alright, I'll do right by you." After they married, Julian did indeed do right by her, but he was also undeniably busy. Chloe faced the empty villa alone. Whether a water pipe burst, paparazzi swarmed her, or she ran a high fever in the dead of night, Julian could never make it back in time, so she learned to put aside her delicate nature and handle it all herself. Julian was an honorable man. He handed over his payroll card entirely, but his various bonuses and stipends were always used to support the families of his fallen comrades. Chloe not only supported this but secretly contributed even more under her own name. During the first two months of her pregnency, Julian was drafted to the border for a top-secret mission, only returning when she was already showing. Looking at his scruffy beard and eyes full of guilt, she swallowed all her morning sickness and grievances, unable to bear saying a single word of blame. That day, Julian held her and promised that once this mission was over, he would request a transfer to spend more time with her. But he broke his promise. Because a new psychologist named Marvin Lane joined the team. That seemingly fragile and harmless female military doctor would always timidly call him "Mr. Vance," then "accidentally" get hurt during training time and time again, and repeatedly suffer emotional breakdowns during counseling sessions, leaving Julian with no choice but to comfort her. And Julian went from being strictly professional at first, to helplessly indulging her later on. Chloe had fought with him over this, throwing things in anger, but it only ever earned her his impatient frowns time and time again. "Chloe, Marvin is the child of a fallen hero, and her mental state is fragile. She's my comrade in arms, and there is absolutely nothing going on between us. Don't bring the toxic drama of the entertainment industry into my life, and stop being so unreasonable." That was until a month ago, when a fire suddenly broke out at a charity gala. Trapped beneath a collapsed stage set, Chloe waited desperately for rescue, a sharp, agonizing pain tearing through her belly. When Julian led his team charging into the flames, she was less than ten meters away from him. But just as Julian sprinted toward her, Marvin, huddled in the corner, passed out from sm oke inhalation. In that critical split second, Julian didn't hesitate at all; he changed direction and scooped Marvin into his arms. In that exact moment, a massive crystal chandelier crashed down, burying Chloe beneath the rubble. By the time firefighters finally pulled her out, the hem of her dress was already soaked through with blood. Her three-month-old baby was gone. Meanwhile, in the hospital corridor, Julian was comforting a trembling Marvin, who was suffering from a PTSD episode. "Don't be afraid. I'm here. You're safe now, it's not your fault." At that moment, lying on the rolling hospital bed, Chloe laughed—she laughed so hard that tears completely ruined her makeup. She sat numbly in the hospital all night, then slipped the signed divorce papers beneath her mis carriage medical report and mailed them to her lawyer. The day she lost the baby, Julian only came to see her for a fleeting moment before being called away again because Marvin was "emotionally unstable." After he left, Chloe did two things. First, she had her lawyer draft the divorce papers and initiate the division of assets; Second, she accepted an offer from a renowned Hollywood director for a closed-set sh oot lasting three years, and she would join the cast next week. Once these two things were settled, she would vanish from Julian's world completely, leaving behind this house where she had played the "perfect Stepford wife" for three years.
Chapter 3 The black van slowly came to a steady halt at the villa's entrance. Along the way, Julian had tried several times to break the silence, only to be coldly shut down by Chloe with a curt "I'm tired." The moment they walked through the door, Chloe headed straight up to the second floor. Julian's hand, reaching out to help her with her bag, froze in mid-air as a surge of inexplicable anger welled up in his body. His gaze swept across the living room, and his footsteps abruptly halted. By the entryway, the dirty combat boots he had taken off when returning to his unit half a month ago were still tossed exactly where he left them. The half-empty glass of water on the coffee table had gathered dust. Yet, all the areas belonging to Chloe—the display cabinets, the sofa area—were as spotless as a showroom. It felt like... a starkly drawn demarcation line. An inexplicable panic swept over him, intertwined with anger. Julian pushed open the master bedroom door, only to find that the massive oil painting of their wedding—Chloe's absolute favorite—was gone from above the headboard, leaving behind nothing but bare wall nails. Julian's heart skipped a heavy beat. "Where is the wedding portrait?" Seeing Chloe sitting at the vanity removing her makeup with an indifferent expression, he could no longer suppress his temper. "Are you throwing a tantrum with me? Chloe, you're an adult. If you have an issue, just say it. Can we talk about this maturely?" Chloe took off her last earring and looked at him calmly through the mirror. "It was borrowed for a magazine sho ot. You're busy with work, don't overthink it." Three seconds later, Julian's duty phone rang. He answered the call, his expression shifting instantly, and hurriedly grabbed his hat to put it on. Before stepping out of the room, he suddenly paused, turning back to look at Chloe, his tone softening a bit. "Get some good rest if you're tired. Once this busy period is over, I'll take my annual leave and take you somewhere to relax." Chloe didn't turn around; only her fingers gripping the cotton pad tightened slightly. After Julian left, she continued clearing out the walk-in closet. The plain-colored dresses she had bought to cater to his taste, the amulet she had prayed for at the temple when he went on missions, the bvllet casing necklace he had casually given her—all of it was tossed into the packing boxes. Two hours later, Chloe discovered that Julian had left his spare holster and access card in the study. She drove over to deliver the items to the National Guard base. Pushing open the door to Julian's office, however, she found Julian and Marvin resting on the cot. Marvin leaned against Julian's body with her eyes closed, Julian's hand resting on her forehead. Hearing the sound of the door opening, both of them looked up simultaneously. When Julian saw Chloe, a flash of obvious panic crossed his eyes. "Chloe, don't misunderstand. Marvin suddenly spiked a high fever, and there was no one in the infirmary..." "I know." Chloe placed the items on the desk, her movements as elegant as if she were presenting a trophy at an awards ceremony, and turned to leave. Julian stared at her retreating back, stunned. In the past, whenever she saw him getting even slightly close to Marvin, if she didn't blow up on the spot, she would at least make a few sarcastic remarks or question him with red, teary eyes. But today, she was exceptionally calm—so calm that it made his body tighten. Julian abruptly chased after her, grabbing her wrist in the hallway and pulling her back. He looked down, scrutinizing her, his voice suppressing his unease. "Why aren't you angry?" Chloe smiled, her eyes shifting beautifully yet radiating a chilling coldness. "You two are comrades-in-arms, it's a brother-sister bond. I know, Mr. Vance." The flawless smile on her face was exceptionally glaring in Julian's eyes. Frustration gnawing at him, he was about to explain when a sudden gasp from Marvin echoed from the office. Julian's expression shifted slightly; he immediately let go of Chloe's hand and rushed back in. Chloe rubbed her reddened wrist, hearing Marvin's teary voice from inside. "I'm sorry, Mr. Vance, I just wanted to pour you a glass of water. I didn't expect the glass to shatter." "Don't move," Julian's voice was gentle, laced with a patience he had never shown Chloe. "Did you burn your hand? Let me take a look." Chloe paused, suddenly recalling when she had cooked for him and the back of her hand was covered in blisters from splattering hot oil, he had merely frowned and said, "Don't bother with this in the future, just order takeout." She twitched the corner of her mouth into a sarcastic smile, turned on her heels, and walked away. Passing by the office window, Chloe saw Julian crouching on the floor cleaning up the broken glass, while Marvin stood aside, fingers lightly tugging at the hem of his tactical uniform. Through the glass, Marvin saw Chloe, li ps curling up slightly into a pr0vocative smile. Meanwhile, Julian, still crouching on the ground, visibly stiffened but did not push her hand away. Expressionless, Chloe put on her sunglasses and walked out. Not long after leaving the base gates, on the secluded path toward the parking lot, Chloe acutely sensed hurried footsteps behind her. Her heart tightened, and just as she was about to press her key fob's panic button, a sharp blow struck the back of her neck. Agonizing pain hit her, and she instantly blacked out. When she woke up, she found herself tied up in an abandoned chemical plant warehouse, her mouth sealed with duct tape. A man with sinister eyes and a face full of scars held a dagger, smiling ruthlessly. "Our big star Chloe, finally awake?" In the dim light, Chloe recognized that face—this was the biological younger brother of a drvg lord Julian had shot dead half a year ago, an FBI Most Wanted fugitive. The man pressed the ice-cold blade against Chloe's delicate cheek, his eyes fierce. "Julian ki lled my brother. Today, I'm going to ki ll his woman and let him taste the agony of having his family destroyed." With that said, he raised the knife in his hand and thrust it viciously toward Chloe's bosom. Gagged, Chloe could only widen her eyes in terror, watching the sharp blade draw closer and closer. "Bang." The warehouse's rust-mottled doors were kicked open, and Julian rushed in with Marvin. "Chloe."
Chapter 4 The cold dagger was pressed against Chloe's slender neck, drawing a glaring trail of blood. Julian aimed his standard issue sidearm right between the man's eyebrows. His eyes, usually as calm as the deep sea, were now churning with extreme ice and fury. "Let her go." The scarred man laughed arrogantly, tightening his grip. Blood slid down Chloe's pale collarbone, staining her haute couture silk shirt red. "Mr. Vance, blow my head off right now if you have the guts. But I guarantee that before I die, I'll slice open our big star Chloe's carotid artery. I want you to taste what it's like to lose a loved one." Chloe was pale from the pain, cold sweat mixing with the hair plastered to her cheeks, but she clenched her jaw tight, refusing to let out a single sound of begging. Julian's eye twitched, his voice cold and harsh. "Let her go. Whatever you want—cars, money—just name it." "Put your guns down first and kick them over. And then—" The man smiled, vicious and twisted, his gaze coiling around Julian like a venomous snake. "I want you, Julian, to get on your knees and bow to me right in front of your woman." Julian pressed his thin li ps together, veins bulging on the back of his gun-holding hand as if he were about to crush the grip. A moment later, he slowly lowered his hand and spoke in a hoarse voice. "Fine." Chloe's eyelashes trembled violently as she looked up at him in disbelief. The proud, unyielding Julian, the man who represented the glory of the SWAT team, actually obediently threw his gun on the ground, then slowly took two steps forward, his knees bending slightly. Just then, Marvin, who had been hiding behind Julian, suddenly stepped forward and screamed. "Mr. Vance, don't kn eel." She picked up a brick from who knows where and hurled it fiercely at the scarred man. The brick missed, crashing into the metal rack nearby with a loud bang. In a split second, shock and rage flashed in the scarred man's eyes, and his dagger plunged uncontrollably and viciously toward Chloe's bosom. With a sickening squelch, blood gushed out, and Chloe's vision went black from the agony. In the last second before losing consciousness, she saw Julian rushing over like a madman to wrestle with the guy, and the fleeting, triumphant smirk on Marvin's face. When she woke up again, she was in a VIP ward of a private hospital. The stab wound on her bosom was only centimeters away from her heart. With every breath, her lungs felt like they were being pierced by countless needles. Marvin sat by the bed in a hospital gown, peeling an apple. Watching Chloe gasp in pain, her eyes revealed undisguised malice. "Chloe, you're really tough to ki ll. You survived even that." Chloe turned her head away, not wanting to talk to her. "Today in that warehouse, did you think Mr. Vance loved you so much that he was willing to kn eel for you?" Marvin's voice was soft, yet laced with bone-chilling mockery, "You're wrong. If it were any other hostage today, even an old l