The moment Julia opened the door, she was greeted by a cheerful atmosphere. Elijah was playing the piano, while Juliette was dancing along.

Coby sat on the couch, clapping enthusiastically. "You're so pretty, Aunt Juliette!"

They were the picture-perfect family of three.

Suddenly, Juliette lost her footing and fell to the floor in a graceful tumble. As soon as she did, the piano let out a jarring, discordant sound. Elijah rushed to his feet and scooped her up, placing her gently on the couch.

Coby hurried over as well, asking, "Are you alright, Aunt Juliette?"

Grasping Elijah's sleeve, Juliette whimpered, "My leg hurts, Eli!"

Elijah was crouching on the floor, and when he heard what she said, he quickly checked on her sprained ankle.

"It's okay. It's not a serious injury. Coby, go to my bedroom and bring me the ointment from the nightstand."

"Okay!"

Coby scrambled to the bedroom before running back to the living room moments later.

With a concerned expression, Elijah instructed Juliette to place her feet on his thigh. Then, he expertly rubbed the ointment between his hands before giving her a massage. His gaze was tender and helpless. Each time she winced in pain, he would press a little more gently.

Coby sat on the side and comforted Juliette as well. "I'll blow on it, Aunt Juliette, and it won't hurt so much anymore."

Amid all of this, Julia recalled that a long time ago, Elijah would tend to her injuries and massage her as well. Due to the nature of her job, she was no stranger to bruises and sprains. He'd bought that ointment specifically for her.

It was only when the kitten she was holding let out a mewl that the three people in the house finally turned toward the door.

"What are you doing here?" Elijah and Coby asked at the same time.

Julia's eyes flashed with self-mockery. She didn't know how to answer that question of theirs.

"Don't get the wrong idea, Julia," Juliette said, though she showed no intention of withdrawing her leg.

Elijah resumed his massage. Without even looking at Julia, he said, "You came back too late. We've already had dinner. There are still some leftovers in the fridge. You can heat it up and eat it."

Though only minutes had passed, Julia felt as if she'd been standing frozen in place for days. Moving her stiff legs, she walked toward Coby.

"You wanted a pet, right? I got you a kitten."

She bent down, letting him see the kitten she held.

After glancing at it, Coby looked up at her and said, "But Aunt Juliette already got me a parrot. It can even repeat the phrases I teach it. A cat can't do that. It just meows all the time. It's so annoying."

Julia believed she had a heart of stone, but she still felt a prick of pain anyway. Looking up, she finally spotted the bird cage out on the balcony. The colorful parrot seemed to notice that someone was looking at it, so it cried out, "I hate Mommy! I hate Mommy!"

She could sense that everyone else was checking her reaction, but she no longer knew what kind of expression she was supposed to have. Before she could say anything, Elijah said, "It's just a bird. You're not going to get upset with it, are you?"

Julia could tell that he was mocking her over the way she'd reacted to Coby's drawing.

Meeting his indifferent gaze, she smiled and said, "Of course not."

What was there to be upset about? No matter what she did, to Elijah and Coby, she was just kicking up a fuss over nothing. In any case, she was about to leave anyway.

Elijah seemed startled by how calm Julia was.

"Eli, you're hurting me!" Juliette yelped.

He quickly apologized and softly appeased her. It was only after he'd stood up that he realized Julia had gone to the kitchen.

Under the warm light of the kitchen, Julia got some of Coby's milk from the fridge and poured some into a bowl for the kitten. She was still feeding it when her phone rang with a call from Kayla Powell, one of her subordinates.

"What's going on, Captain Graham? Why am I attending next week's briefing? Aren't you the one who's supposed to be attending it? Why did I hear from Chief Davis that you'll be leaving Greendale for a training course? You're the best detective there is! What else is there for you to learn?"

Julia's departure was top-secret. She couldn't share it with anyone, not even her most trusted subordinate. Moreover, Kayla happened to be quite the chatterbox.

"I'm just following orders. Relax. You'll have to take charge of the squad from now on," Julia said.

She was feeling a little melancholic, but Kayla simply brushed it off with a carefree laugh. "Why are you making it sound like you're never coming back? I'm counting on you to give a speech at my daughter's birthday party, you know."

Out of nowhere, Elijah's voice rang out from behind.

"Who's never coming back?"

Julia ended the call and dismissed Elijah's question with a half-hearted answer. "No one. A colleague is just transferring to a different city."

Elijah stared at her as if to verify the truth of her answer.

"I'm sorry. I overreacted before, and we were both at fault. Coby has forgiven you. Please forgive me, too."

Once he finished speaking, he went back to his medical journal, almost as if his apology was merely a formality.

Julia acted as though she hadn't heard him. Since the kitten had nearly finished its meal, she decided to let it get some rest in her room. It was late, and there was nowhere else to take it. She would find a new home for it tomorrow.

Once she got up, she realized Juliette was no longer in the living room. When did she leave? Would Elijah really let her go home alone with a sprained ankle?

Curious, Julia headed toward the master bedroom.

"Stop!"

"No!"

Two voices—one belonging to a man and the other to a child—called out behind her.

What now? Was she not even allowed to stay in the house anymore?

Julia turned around to see a conflicted look on Elijah's face. It was as if he couldn't find the words to say what he needed to say.

Coby, on the other hand, didn't share such qualms. "Aunt Juliette is resting in the bedroom. You're not allowed to disturb her!"

Just then, the bedroom door opened, and Juliette appeared in one of Julia's nightgowns.

"Sorry about this, Julia. Mom and Dad went on holiday, and they asked Eli to take care of me. I've been sleeping here for ten days now. I didn't know you'd be coming back today. Why don't I pack up my things so that you can move back in?"

As she spoke, she lowered her head, voice all choked up. It was almost as if she'd been deeply hurt.

"It's already so late. Why go through all that trouble? It won't make a difference even if Julia sleeps in one of the other rooms. Hurry up and get back in bed. You need to rest your sprained ankle," Elijah replied on Julia's behalf without any hesitation at all.

Juliette nodded, but just as she was turning around, she lost her balance and fell toward Elijah. He quickly held her steady before carrying her to bed.

"Thanks, Eli."

Elijah glanced toward Julia, who was standing outside the room. Realizing that the position he and Juliette were in looked a little intimate, he hurriedly explained, "Don't think too much of it, Julia. It's late now, and she sprained her ankle, so let's not put her through any further trouble.

"Besides, Juliette is your sister. She had a tough childhood. The two of us should be more understanding."

Julia stroked the kitten absent-mindedly. What was there for her to think about? She didn't even want her husband anymore, let alone their shared room.

"I'll sleep in the guest bedroom."

Elijah had already prepared his speech to persuade Julia, but before he said anything, she put an end to the conversation with just six words. She'd walked off before he could even figure out why she was being so cooperative today.

Coby also got the feeling that something was up with Julia, but he was still too young to ponder such complicated matters. He simply tugged on Elijah's hand and asked Elijah to tuck him into bed.

Julia turned a pillow into a bed for the kitten. Then, she got into bed after washing up.

Juliette had sent her yet another taunting message.

"Your nightgown is mine, and so is your man."

Soon, Elijah opened the guest room door. Looking at him, Julia asked, "What are you doing here?"

Standing there with his pajamas in hand, he replied in confusion, "To sleep, of course. We're a married couple. We should be sharing a bedroom."

With a spiteful smirk on her face, she remarked, "Oh, so you do know we're the married couple. I thought you'd sleep with Juliette in the master bedroom."

Julia had played the part of a dutiful wife and mother for many years now. Plus, being a police captain, she had to keep herself in check as well. Thus, she'd almost forgotten just how petty and mean-spirited she could be.

She never would've allowed Juliette to walk all over her like that if it hadn't been for her feelings for Elijah. But now, she no longer wanted to put up with any of this. After all, she would be leaving for good in seven days. Who knew if she'd even survive this mission?

There was no reason for her to keep enduring such treatment any longer.

Elijah's expression darkened. Eyes blazing with fury, he snapped, "What the hell are you saying? Here I was, wondering why you'd agree to let Juliette take the master bedroom without any fuss. It turns out you were just waiting to argue with me instead! When did you become this person that you are now?"

Julia snorted. Who was the one who'd changed?

She was just about to show him the message from Juliette when a piercing shriek interrupted them.

"Eli!"

It came from the master bedroom next door.

Elijah dashed off before he'd even gotten properly dressed.

Coby, who'd been startled awake, called out, "What's the matter, Aunt Juliette?"

Julia went to close the door, just in time to hear Juliette say, "Look at the window, Eli. Doesn't it look like someone's there? I'm so scared!"

The sound of footsteps followed, which meant that Elijah was probably checking the window.

"It's just a tree branch. There's no sign of anyone outside," Elijah said with a bemused laugh.

Julia could almost picture the expression on Elijah's face right now.

"You're such a scaredy cat, Aunt Juliette!"

Julia shut the door, completely cutting off the cheerful laughs coming from the master bedroom. When she turned around, she saw her reflection in the mirror and quickly looked away. She didn't want to see the mocking, self-deprecating look in her eyes.

After some time, Elijah's muffled voice rang out from just beyond the door. "Coby is sleeping with Juliette. I'll sleep in his room."

Following a pause, he added, "It doesn't matter whether or not you believe me, Julia, but everything I do is for your sake."

Julia closed her eyes, pretending like she hadn't heard him.

Time and again, she had been forced to compromise. He'd repeatedly hurt her and taught her own son to develop a closer bond with another woman. How could he now claim that it was all for her sake?

After ten minutes, there was finally the sound of someone walking away from the door.

Julia slept in peace that night. When she opened her eyes, it was 9:00 am the next morning, and the house was empty.

After freshening up, Julia left the house to meet Diane Morton, Elijah's mother.

The server at the cafe approached and asked politely, "What would you like to drink, ma'am?"

"Just a glass of water with a slice of lemon, please."

Diane snorted disdainfully. "I don't know what my son sees in you. He plays the piano, paints, and enjoys opera. What about you? You have no taste or any understanding of refined culture. Do you two even have anything in common?"

Julia looked at Diane, fully aware that Diane had never truly accepted her.

"That doesn't matter anymore."

Diane was startled by Julia's indifferent attitude. She recalled how Julia used to always try and curry favor with her, smiling regardless of the insults Diane threw her way. It seemed like Julia finally developed a temper.

Meanwhile, Julia didn't care what Diane was thinking.

She placed a debit card on the table and said, "I know that you and Frank have never liked me. You two come from a well-educated and distinguished family. You hate my job, my personality, and my educational background. You think I'm not good enough for Elijah.

"Well, how do you feel about Juliette, then? Or if you have some other candidate in mind, I don't mind either."

Diane was stunned.

Eyeing Julia in dissatisfaction, she snapped, "Did you fall and land on your head, Julia? You're the one who insisted on becoming some kind of police captain. You refused to stay at home to look after your kid. Whenever you get a case, you're always gone for up to two weeks.

"We asked you to switch to a desk job, but you refused. Why are you making it sound like we're the ones trying to separate you and Elijah?"

Julia didn't try to deny it. After all, from a different perspective, Diane had a point.

She shoved the debit card a little closer to Diane, saying, "There's 120 thousand dollars in this account. I know it takes a lot of money to raise a child, but that's all the savings I have right now. Elijah will probably have another child once he marries again.

"People always say that having a stepparent jeopardizes the child's relationship with the biological parent. You and Frank have always adored Coby. If necessary, I hope you'll take him in and raise him yourselves."

Diane leaned backward as if to get a better look at Julia. "Why are you acting like you're giving your final will and testament? What are you up to now?"

Julia didn't want to have her actions misjudged. "All you need to know is that your son will soon be free."

"Why would I be free soon?" Elijah's voice rang out from behind.

Julia and Diane looked up to see Elijah standing at the entrance of the cafe with Juliette clinging affectionately to his arm.

Diane was just about to speak, but Julia beat her to it. "It's nothing. Shouldn't you be at the hospital right now?"

Elijah glanced at Juliette before saying with a hint of affection that he himself wasn't even aware of in his voice, "I don't have any surgeries scheduled today, and Juliette said she wanted to have some cake here, so I brought her over."

"So she likes eating the Sparkling Lia, too, huh?" Julia remarked with a mocking expression.

This cafe belonged to the Sherwoods, and the Sparkling Lia was a cake that Elijah had specifically created for Julia to celebrate their first wedding anniversary. It wasn't sold to the public. In the past, only the two of them and Coby had eaten it before.

Well, it was still going to belong to a happy family of three, but Julia wasn't going to be a part of that equation anymore.

The certainty in Julia's voice felt like a slap in the face to Elijah. Feeling guilty, he averted his eyes.

Juliette had already approached Diane to suck up to her, so she overheard the exchange as well. Resisting the urge to smile, she said pitifully, "I had such a tough childhood, Julia. Food and supplies were scarce on the island. I'm not like you, who got to eat everything you wanted.

"After Eli mentioned the taste of the Sparkling Lia, I wanted to try it for myself, too. Once I did, I took quite a liking to it. That's why I keep asking Eli to bring me over for some cake. You won't mind, right, Julia?"

Julia picked up on all the subtle provocation laced within Juliette's words. Grinning, she remarked, "It'd be even better if you could get him to create a cake for you as well."

Elijah, who was just about to sit beside Juliette, was infuriated by Julia's remark. "Julia! Have you forgotten what the Sparkling Lia represents?"

The cake was named after her. It was meant to signify that she, Julia, would always sparkle like a star in the sky. It was also a representation of Elijah's love and devotion to no one but her.

This was what he'd said to her when he first placed the cake in front of her.

"You're the one who forgot what it meant," Julia calmly replied before rising to her feet. "Since there's nothing else for me to say, I'm heading home now."

Elijah's immediate reaction was to stop her. "It's been ages since you last had a piece of the cake."

Julia shook his hand off. "No thanks. Are you not leaving, Diane?"

Diane wasn't interested in sticking around to listen to Juliette chattering away with feigned innocence, which annoyed her even more than Julia ever did.

"Let's go," she said as she got up as well.

Diane was even more disapproving of Juliette than Julia.

After exiting the cafe, Julia said to Diane, "For Elijah's and Coby's sakes, I hope you won't tell them about the conversation we had today."

She didn't think the two would regret their actions if they found out she was leaving. Even if she died, they probably wouldn't be sad at all. On the contrary, they'd happily welcome Juliette into the family.

Julia just wanted the last few days before her departure to pass without any trouble.