The moment I heard those words, a rush of blood surged to my head.My ears rang, and that all-too-familiar wave of dizziness came crashing back.I barely registered Dolly's voice rising in fury. “Julian Moore, do you have no shame? You really dare say that was marital property?! Eve paid for it herself! You… you're absolutely disgusting!”I could barely stay on my feet, the world tilting around me.“Dolly… I…” I whispered weakly.She quickly caught me and helped me sit down.I took a few deep breaths to steady myself, then looked up at Julian. And for a split second, though maybe it was the dizziness playing tricks on me, I thought I saw a flicker of concern flash through his eyes.Sarah noticed something was off and immediately stepped in. “Miss White, don’t worry. We can take this slowly.”I fought to calm my pounding heart and spoke, voice steady but cold. “What exactly is it that you want, Mr. Moore?”Julian hesitated for a moment, but soon the polished businessman returned to his
I turned to Sarah with an apologetic expression. “I’m sorry, Miss Care. It seems I’m not in a position to work with your company until I sort out my personal matters.”Sarah shook her head regretfully. “Please don’t apologize. Our company is moving forward with expansion this year. We’ve already allocated the available investment slots. If you decide not to invest… we’ll have to open the opportunity to others.”She gave me a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry, Miss White. But once this window closes, there will be no further opportunity.”I offered a bitter smile and nodded. “I understand.”Dolly was so angry, she could barely hold back a choked sob. “That shameless bastard… absolutely shameless!”I squeezed her hand, silently telling her it was time to go.Julian stepped in front of us, blocking the way. His expression was conflicted, and when he spoke, his voice was softer than I’d ever heard it.“Eve, maybe we can talk this through.”“Julian, you… you’re still not done?” Chloe’s voice r
The moment I saw that elegant, refined face, so striking it felt almost divine, every bit of the frustration I’d buried surged to the surface.Without a second thought, I rushed into his arms. “Miles!”Warmth enveloped me, and the familiar clean scent of pine wrapped around my senses. My eyes stung instantly.Miles lowered his head, chuckling softly. “What’s wrong? You look like a little bunny with those red eyes.”Feeling embarrassed, I gave his chest a light smack. “Why are you here?”He studied my face carefully, then gently brushed his fingers across my cheek. “I heard someone was picking on my darling, so I came running.”That warmth spread through my chest, overflowing, making it hard to hold back tears.He leaned down, his voice low in my ear. “Don’t cry, silly girl.”Then he straightened and looked around the room.His gaze passed over Sarah and Dolly, finally landing on Julian.Julian instinctively straightened his back.He stepped forward, voice laced with sarcasm. “What brin
“Julian, let me go! It hurts!” “Would you regret it if I died?!” “Julian, don’t leave with Chloe. I love you…” I jolted awake, gasping for air like a fish stranded on dry land. My chest heaved uncontrollably, and my throat felt like it was being torn apart. Opening my eyes with great effort, I was met with the blinding glare of fluorescent lights overhead. The rhythmic beeping of machines nearby further confirmed my suspicion that I was in a hospital room. “She is awake. The doctor said it’s just a head injury and emotional shock. Nothing serious.” A low voice spoke on the phone beside my bed. I slowly pieced together the situation. So, I was sick? A cold, clear voice came through the phone speaker. “As long as it’s nothing serious. I have a video conference to attend, so I won’t be coming over.” The person holding the phone sighed, turned around, and was startled to see me awake. “Mrs. Moore, you’re awake?” I opened my mouth, about to ask a question, but the woman in
After two days of rest in the hospital, Dolly drove me home. I wanted to leave with her, but she quickly locked the car door behind me, letting out a huff. "You’d better stay here. If your memory comes back and you end up crying your heart out and running back to Julian, I don’t want to be the bad guy who stopped you." It was clear from her wary expression that my love-obsessed antics over the years had traumatized her more than a little, leaving her with a massive mental scar. I stood in the driveway, watching her car disappear into the distance. Then, I frowned and stepped into the massive villa. The house was enormous, empty, and unfamiliar. But when I saw the wall covered in rows of wedding photos, I knew I was in the right place. An older woman who looked like a housekeeper approached and took my luggage. “Miss White, Mr. Moore is away on a business trip today and won’t be coming home. You don’t need to wait for him to have dinner.” I nodded and headed upstairs witho
The sound of water from the shower came in spurts as I hurried to change into my clothes. To avoid any "inappropriate" accidents, I chose the most conservative tracksuit I could find. Julian walked out of the bathroom. My face betrayed me, heating up again. He was shirtless, a loose white towel hanging low around his hips. His damp hair clung to his forehead, and droplets of water trickled down his sharply defined jawline, sliding over his chest before disappearing into the chiseled lines of his abs. I stared, mesmerized, until his derisive chuckle snapped me out of it. Embarrassed, I turned my head away. A wave of warmth brushed against my back as he leaned in close, his breath grazing my ear. "Now that you’re back, stop making a fuss. Be good." His tone was almost patronizing, like soothing a child. My chest tightened painfully. Despite everything, this body had the nerve to react, fluttering with that unmistakable feeling of attraction. I stepped away from him, deter
I turned and started upstairs. Seeing Julian act so subservient was almost painful to watch. “Miss White, are you feeling better?” The woman’s soft, gentle voice floated up from below. I stopped, glancing back reluctantly. “Much better.” Before she could say more, Julian cut in. “She’s fine. Just a bump.” I let out a cold laugh. “Julian, you didn’t even bother visiting me in the hospital. How exactly do you know I’m fine?” His expression darkened. “Evelyn, stop making a fuss.” “Making a fuss?” I laughed again, the bitterness seeping through. “I’m simply stating facts. Since when does that count as making a fuss? Or is it that in your eyes, any time I speak up for myself, it’s just me being dramatic?” Disgust swelled in my chest, peaking at that moment. I was certain now that over the past seven lost years, I must have been driven to rage countless times by Julian’s complete indifference and dismissive comments like “fussing,” “acting up,” or “being childish.” No wonde
Upstairs, I heard the sound of the car starting. Unable to resist, I leaned out slightly and caught sight of Julian wrapping his arm protectively around Chloe, guiding her into the car. As if sensing my gaze, Julian suddenly looked up at the second-floor window. Our eyes met. For a moment, he frowned, his lips parting slightly as if he wanted to say something. I stared back at him coldly, unmoved. Julian seemed taken aback, likely not expecting me to remain so quiet. “Julian?” Chloe’s gentle voice called from beside him. Following Julian’s line of sight, she glanced up and noticed my shadow behind the window. “Julian…” Chloe’s voice softened further, laced with a delicate sense of grievance. “If you’d like to stay and be with Miss White, it’s alright. I can manage on my own.” Julian snapped out of his thoughts, quickly masking whatever emotion flickered in his eyes. “It’s nothing. Let’s go.”Chloe tilted her head slightly, casting a glance up toward the window. I s
The moment I saw that elegant, refined face, so striking it felt almost divine, every bit of the frustration I’d buried surged to the surface.Without a second thought, I rushed into his arms. “Miles!”Warmth enveloped me, and the familiar clean scent of pine wrapped around my senses. My eyes stung instantly.Miles lowered his head, chuckling softly. “What’s wrong? You look like a little bunny with those red eyes.”Feeling embarrassed, I gave his chest a light smack. “Why are you here?”He studied my face carefully, then gently brushed his fingers across my cheek. “I heard someone was picking on my darling, so I came running.”That warmth spread through my chest, overflowing, making it hard to hold back tears.He leaned down, his voice low in my ear. “Don’t cry, silly girl.”Then he straightened and looked around the room.His gaze passed over Sarah and Dolly, finally landing on Julian.Julian instinctively straightened his back.He stepped forward, voice laced with sarcasm. “What brin
I turned to Sarah with an apologetic expression. “I’m sorry, Miss Care. It seems I’m not in a position to work with your company until I sort out my personal matters.”Sarah shook her head regretfully. “Please don’t apologize. Our company is moving forward with expansion this year. We’ve already allocated the available investment slots. If you decide not to invest… we’ll have to open the opportunity to others.”She gave me a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry, Miss White. But once this window closes, there will be no further opportunity.”I offered a bitter smile and nodded. “I understand.”Dolly was so angry, she could barely hold back a choked sob. “That shameless bastard… absolutely shameless!”I squeezed her hand, silently telling her it was time to go.Julian stepped in front of us, blocking the way. His expression was conflicted, and when he spoke, his voice was softer than I’d ever heard it.“Eve, maybe we can talk this through.”“Julian, you… you’re still not done?” Chloe’s voice r
The moment I heard those words, a rush of blood surged to my head.My ears rang, and that all-too-familiar wave of dizziness came crashing back.I barely registered Dolly's voice rising in fury. “Julian Moore, do you have no shame? You really dare say that was marital property?! Eve paid for it herself! You… you're absolutely disgusting!”I could barely stay on my feet, the world tilting around me.“Dolly… I…” I whispered weakly.She quickly caught me and helped me sit down.I took a few deep breaths to steady myself, then looked up at Julian. And for a split second, though maybe it was the dizziness playing tricks on me, I thought I saw a flicker of concern flash through his eyes.Sarah noticed something was off and immediately stepped in. “Miss White, don’t worry. We can take this slowly.”I fought to calm my pounding heart and spoke, voice steady but cold. “What exactly is it that you want, Mr. Moore?”Julian hesitated for a moment, but soon the polished businessman returned to his
She was the one with the real foresight, not me. But now, just to help me leave a good impression on Sarah, she gave me all the credit.Sarah looked at me and smiled thoughtfully. “Turns out people really can change. To be honest, three years ago, I didn’t have the best impression of you, Miss White.”I felt a twinge of guilt. “Was I arrogant back then? I’m sorry…”She shook her head. “No, it wasn’t arrogance. It was… well, your reputation at the time. Let’s just say it wasn’t great. “Within our team, your sponsorship actually stirred up a lot of debate. Some people felt it wasn’t a good look to accept money from someone with such a controversial name.”I cringed. “Ah... I see.”She went on. “But others argued that if someone had the money and was willing to help us through a rough patch, we’d be fools not to take it.”The discomfort on my face deepened.So even a struggling little startup like Elmwood had once hesitated to take my money. My reputation back then must’ve really been
The moment Julian spoke, Chloe broke into even louder sobs, tears streaming down her cheeks like a porcelain doll cracked beyond repair.Dolly gave a cold laugh, then tugged my arm. “Come on. This place is suffocating.”We turned to leave.“Wait!” Julian called out.I stopped and glanced back, frowning.He looked like he wanted to warn me and say something sharp but seemed to realize this wasn’t the time or place.In the end, all he could manage was, “Eve, don’t take it out on Chloe. Think about the baby.”I gave a short, cold laugh. “The baby? Whose baby?”His face flushed, then paled. “Eve, don’t be so... unreasonable…”The last word came out weak and guilty.I smiled. If Julian had changed at all since I lost my memory, this was it—he’d gone from brazenly cheating and blaming me to fumbling through half-hearted defenses, too ashamed to even meet my eyes.I didn’t bother wasting another second on him. “Mr. Moore, instead of lecturing me, maybe ask your precious Chloe why she came al
Chloe was caught off guard by his words, staring at Julian with a wounded look.But his eyes weren’t on her.I saw her bite her lip hard, then shoot me a bitter, venomous glance.I almost laughed and turned my attention back to the runway....Elmwood’s show was a complete success. When Sarah stepped onstage for her closing remarks, the applause lasted well over ten minutes.A swarm of reporters rushed forward for interviews, while the invited sponsors were led by staff into a backstage lounge to rest.Dolly and I took a seat and chatted about the standout pieces we’d captured on our phones.She was just as experienced as I was in the industry, but unlike me, Dolly was passionate about fashion design since she was a kid. She even self-studied design courses back in college.It was her eye and enthusiasm back then that convinced me to sponsor Elmwood’s first brand show.Now that the company was gaining momentum, no one was happier than her.We were deep in discussion when a shadow appe
Seeing that I’d achieved what I wanted, I immediately agreed.Just as I was about to turn away, I remembered something and said to Sarah, “By the way, I’m no longer Mrs. Moore. My name’s Evelyn White. You can call me Eve, or Miss White.”Sarah froze. “Wait, what…?”Her assistant quickly leaned in and whispered a few words into her ear.Sarah’s expression shifted instantly.Her eyes filled with sympathy as she looked at me.She took my hand and sighed. “Mrs.—I mean, Miss White, I admire your courage.”Just then, she turned and caught sight of Julian and Chloe approaching. Her expression instantly soured.“What’s that scumbag doing here? And with her, no less…”I stepped in before it escalated. “Let’s catch up after the show, Sarah.”With that, I turned and made my way back to my seat.Behind me, I heard Julian’s overly polite voice. “Miss Care, the setup of your show is quite impressive.”Chloe chimed in sweetly, trying to please. “Miss Care, I heard your designs have won international
Julian froze.From the look on his face, he clearly had no idea what this brand show was actually about. As for Chloe…I glanced at her and, sure enough, caught the flicker of guilt in her eyes.Julian turned to her, frowning. “What’s going on?”Chloe looked timid and unsure. “Julian, are you upset with me? I really don’t know what’s going on either. It was Mr. Watson who told me a company-sponsored fashion event had invited us to come take a look.”Tears gathered in her eyes. “You know how much I love fashion and art events... I didn’t realize there was anything out of the ordinary.”Her explanation wiped the irritation clean off Julian’s face.He softened. “Alright, I’m not blaming you. I just… never mind. This isn’t your fault.”Then he turned to me with a sharp glare, clearly annoyed. “Evelyn, what exactly do you want?”As he spoke, he tugged uncomfortably at the collar of his tie.I noticed more and more guests arriving, and I said coolly, “I’m just letting you know that this bra
The hostess paused for a second, then quickly adjusted with a smile. "Of course, Miss White. Miss Jones, please follow me. Our founder and a few directors are over this way."“Well, well, no longer Mrs. Moore? That was fast. Wasn’t it just a while ago someone couldn’t stop flaunting the fact that she was Mrs. Moore?”A mocking voice rang out.I turned around sharply, my expression darkening.Chloe stood there in a loose-fitting dress, carefully shielding her baby bump. Her arm was looped through Julian’s.And the one who’d made the snide comment was Rossie.Rossie stood beside Chloe, eyeing me from head to toe with thinly veiled smugness.Chloe’s eyes flickered the moment she saw me. She quickly leaned into Julian’s chest, all delicate and helpless."Julian, why didn’t you tell me Miss White would be here?" she asked sweetly.Julian clearly hadn’t expected me either. His brows furrowed. "What are you doing here?"I frowned. "The better question is—what are you doing here? I don’t rec