Jotham's fingers absently twirled the ring in his hand throughout the entire journey. Despite his words to Mirabel, Jotham couldn't shake the feeling that his heart might be deceiving him.The bus rumbled on, carrying them toward their flight, which was now just sixty minutes away. Julie's eyes kept drifting back to Jotham, her glances fleeting but telling.Luckily for Mirabel, she had sat with Jotham. She wouldn’t have been able to stand it if he was being cuddled up with Julie instead.He’d put the ring in the pocket of his jacket and hadn’t brought it out ever since. She realized then that she’d go crazy if Jotham had given the ring back to Julie. Which wouldn’t make sense since Julie was married, right?She’d have to do her own research on Julie's husband; she’d never ever seen the man. Perhaps, they could join forces and work together.Marcus had seemed like a good comrade at first, but he really was doing a bad job at keeping Julie by his side. Julie was about to enter a cab wh
Mirabel had tipped off the paparazzi without thinking through the consequences for Jotham, who valued his private moments.She thanked Julie for her efforts in making sure her fiance was well taken care of. Then, she proceeded to ask Jotham for the engagement ring now that he had confirmed their relationship status.Jotham had begrudgingly brought it out and given it to her after she explained that it would be a hassle having to explain to the public why she wasn’t wearing her ring after the trip.Many speculations about them were already circulating in online spaces about how he had sustained the injury at the resort.It would be unheard of for her not to be with him in the hospital; people would say that she was only an attention-seeking whore that didn’t care about the man she was about to marry.“The people would probably be right,” Jotham muttered, already fed up with Mirable's antics.At least she had the decency to have his personal assistant bring him a change of clothes so he
Mirable and Jotham waited in the car park across the street from Julie’s house. Through the window, Mirabel caught a glimpse of movement, confirming Julie was indeed at home.“Can’t I enter with you?” Marcus asked, he wanted to know what the inside of Julie's house looked like. He had no doubt it was clean and pristine, just like her. “It would be dumb for the two of us to just show up at her house. They’re not supposed to be aware that we know each other. I can’t believe I have to remind you at all times.”“Okay okay, I get it. You don’t want me to go with you, do you? At least take the flowers I bought her with you. It sucks to not be able to give it to her myself.”“You’ll be able to give her all the flowers you want once our mission is successful. So keep your head in the game.” He nodded and watched with downcast eyes as she took the flowers from where they sat in the passenger seat and exited the car.She rang the doorbell two times before she heard footsteps approaching. It w
Once Mirabel was gone, Julie immediately asked Trevor, “Did you think she suspects anything?” “I’d be more surprised if she didn’t.” Trevor moved to sit down beside her. “She probably thinks we’re not really together but that’s about it. I don’t think she’ll figure out who the twins belong to.”Julie cast a worried glance up. “I hope she doesn’t realize who the father of the twins is. I can't afford to let Jotham take my babies." Because Julie knew that if Jotham ever found out they were his, he'd take them from her.“You’re never going to tell them who their father is, are you?" He asked. It was a tough choice to make considering the fact that she had severally dreamy of a perfect nuclear family. Her, Jotham and the two kids, living a happy ever after. Having dinner together and going on vacations. But that might be impossible now. “It’s for the best.” That was what she tried to tell herself, that was all she had to believe. The thought of ever being together with Jotham again jus
The atmosphere in the restaurant was nice, the soft jazz music in the background loosened the tension in her shoulders. Or maybe it was the wine. “I can’t believe I never made the time to come here. It’s quite lovely.”Seeing the relaxed smile on her face brought out his own. “I’m glad you like it. I didn’t know your preference so I took a chance and brought you here.”“I’m very glad you did. Thank you, Mr. Marcus.”“Just Marcus is fine with me, really. What would you like for dessert?”“A cheesecake and wine will be fine. Can we have it on the balcony? The view is magnificent, it would be a crime not to enjoy it for the night.” What Julie did not know was that Marcus would move the ends of the earth if she asked him to.“Of course. Do you want anything, doctor?”Julie shook her head. She was quite satisfied, she couldn’t have asked for a better night. “Let me use the restroom,” she told him before going to relieve herself. She was wearing the makeup since they’d gone straight from
Marcus paid the bill and helped her back into her jacket. Julie only realized that she wasn’t as sober as she thought when it was time to walk to the door.Her head suddenly felt hazy and her steps unsure. She knew the wine had had alcohol in it, but it was only enough to get her a bit tipsy.“I think there was something wrong with the wine. I don’t feel good,” she was saying to Marcus when she suddenly tripped, but luckily, he was able to catch her on time.“Careful doctor,” his voice was filled with concern. She leaned on him until they made it outside. Immediately the air hit her face, she started to feel nauseous, and the world around her started to spin. She blinked severally to make her sight steady but everything was in threes.“Marcus, I think there’s something wrong with me.” her words were slurred.In her haze, Julie could’ve sworn that she’d heard Mirabel’s voice. She tried to steady herself as they made the long walk back to the car. She exhaled deeply when her back hit t
Jotham gathered Julie's unconscious self in his arms and carried her out of the car. He didn’t listen to Marcus who insisted he was going to drop her off at her house.He was more concerned about how she’d ended up with Marcus or how that creep even gets to know her house address. He glanced down at the woman in his arms. She had a lot of questions to answer and he had a feeling he wouldn’t like any of her responses. He laid her down gently on the back seat and made sure her head was safely secured. He thought of driving her back to her house but decided against it at the last minute and drove to his home. “What could be going on in her head that made her get this drunk with a stranger?” he asked no one in particular, getting into the car. Cause as far as he's concerned, Marcus is nothing but a stranger. He drove as slow as he could so he wouldn’t wake her up, and it gave his temper enough time to calm down so he wouldn’t do something rash. After he parked in the driveway, he sat
By the time he finished cleaning her, her temperature had gone down. He took off his shirt and clothed her with it. He finally laid her down on his bed and covered her with the duvet. Something was wrong with her but he couldn’t place it.He left the room to call one of his doctor friends. “Can you come over now? It’s kind of urgent.”“Don’t tell me you were shot and you need me to perform some miracle and stitch you up.”“How did you even come up with that conclusion? I’m not the freaking mafia.”“Then why do you need a doctor in the middle of the night?Jotham sighed, he hated being questioned. If he asked for someone then they should be there as fast as they could not interview him. “If I didn’t need you as much as I do now, I would’ve hung up the phone on your ass.”There was hearty laughter. “Of course, I know. That’s why I’m making the most of the moment. I’ll be there in five.He was there in fifteen minutes, and Jotham was pissed because Julie had gotten feverish again, and
Epilogue The gala was a dazzling success, the grand hall filled with elegant guests dressed in designer outfits and custom suits. Soft classical music floated through the air, mingling with the sounds of conversation and clinking champagne glasses. The fundraiser for their joint medical project with Grandpa had brought in more people than they anticipated. Every table was occupied, and the donation box was overflowing.Julie stood by the entrance with Jotham, a smile lighting up her face as she watched the guests mingle. It was surreal seeing months of hard work finally come to life.“We pulled it off,” Jotham said, his voice filled with pride.She nodded. “We did. It feels amazing, doesn’t it?”Before he could respond, Grandpa made his way toward them, looking as proud as ever. He straightened his bow tie as he approached.“This is a proud moment for all of us. You two did an excellent job. Better than I could have imagined.”Julie beamed. “We couldn’t have done it without you. You
Jotham arrived with the officers, his eyes frantically scanning the scene until they landed on Julie standing by the police car. Without a second thought, he sprinted toward her, his heart pounding in his chest. She saw him and broke into a run, colliding into his arms. He wrapped her up tightly, his breath uneven.“Julie,” he whispered hoarsely. “God, I thought I lost you.”She clung to him, burying her face in his shoulder. The terror of the past hours melted under the strength of his embrace. “I’m okay. I’m safe now.”Jotham pulled back, his hands trembling as they cupped her face. His eyes were dark with guilt and anguish. “I’m sorry, I didn’t protect you. I let Murray get too close. I should’ve seen the signs—”Julie shook her head firmly, cutting him off. “None of this is your fault. Murray made his own choices. Don’t carry this.”“But I let you down,” he insisted. “I was so caught up in clearing my name that I didn’t think about how vulnerable that made you. I should’ve protect
Immediately the officers left Julie set out to check if Jotham’s CCTV had captured Murray. Her hope was dashed when she realized it hadn’t.Of course, Murray was smarter than letting himself be captured when he was planting evidence.She had to go to Grandpa immediately; they couldn’t figure out what to do. She couldn’t go to the officers and tell them about Murray when she had no evidence to prove her words.She got into one of Jotham’s cars and made for his grandpa’s house. Julie gripped the steering wheel tightly, her eyes darting between the road and the rearview mirror when she felt like she was being followed. Murray’s black sedan had been trailing her for the past fifteen minutes. Her heart raced as she pressed the gas, hoping to lose him before reaching Grandpa’s estate. She couldn’t let him know where she was headed.“Stay calm,” she muttered to herself.Her car swerved onto a side street, tires screeching. She glanced back—Murray was still behind her, persistent and aggres
C68 Jotham gripped the steering wheel as he drove down the quiet, winding road toward home. The evening had been tense, and silence stretched between him and Julie. She sat beside him, arms crossed, her gaze fixed out the window.The twins were staying over with his grandpa because the old man had insisted that Julie needed time to process what had happened to her, especially now that they’d found Marcus’s body.Julie loved her twins to death but she needed time to think. She felt a bit guilty because she was no doubt the reason Murray had killed Marcus.The man was not okay in the head. But did he deserve to die? Julie didn’t think so. The sudden ring of Jotham’s phone broke the silence. Jotham glanced at the screen—it was the officer in charge of Marcus’s case. His stomach tightened. He hesitated but answered on speaker.“Jotham speaking.”The officer’s voice was firm, all business. “Where are you right now?”“Driving home. Why?”“You need to come down to the station immediately.
Jotham felt the bed dip before Julie’s body heat engulfed him as he lay on his bed. She’d taken another long shower but he spoke nothing of it. “Are you good?” He asked quietly, holding his breath for a moment when she didn’t give him an immediate answer. Julie sucked in a deep breath and allowed the lie to slip out from between her lips. “I’m fine.” Jotham wished she would tell him the truth so he could make it better.“Do you need to talk to a therapist? I know what you went through was traumatizing, Julie; it could alter you forever. It’s completely fine if you don’t want to talk to me, but we can get a professional.”Julie didn’t want to be a bitch but she also didn’t want to deal with what happened or that it was his best friend that was the genesis of her anxiety. “You don’t have to do anything for me. I’ll be fine.” Then she felt bad because she knew what happened wasn’t really his fault. “I promise, you don’t have to worry about me.” Truth was Jotham couldn’t stop worryin
The house was completely quiet when Julie woke up. She no longer felt like she was dying, and the fever was almost gone. There was a tray of biscuits and freshly pressed juice by her side which she quickly devoured as she was so famished. She didn't even dare to care what Murray could’ve put in the food.Now that she had a little strength, she took the time to study her room. It was on the last floor and the only view from the window was a wide span of water. They must be on an island which would make it harder for her to escape.She waited until the entire house was quiet and she couldn’t hear Murray move around before she opened her door. She was surprised to find it unlocked.She walked down the dark hallway quietly, looking around to make sure there was no other person in the house. The entire house turned out to be empty. The house was wide. Most of the rooms were was mostly void. There was a wall clock that wasn’t even working on the wall of the particular room she was standin
It wasn’t until two days had passed that Jotham was finally able to reach Murray. He’d been worried that something had happened to him after they went after Marcus. He didn’t know what he'd do if something happened to his best friend too. He was already dealing with insomnia and anxiety. There was no news on Julie yet and it had been driving him crazy. He was currently in the waiting area of the police station. Everyone moved about, blaring out instructions, but still, it felt like they were not doing enough to Jotham.It’s been days and there was still no lead on Julie’s kidnap. Mirabel, who was the only other person who could help, was still in a coma. Murray finally walked into the waiting area; tiredness etched permanently into his face, but for different reasons. Jotham detached himself from the wall. “What happened? I haven’t been able to reach you.”“I thought Marcus had sailed with one of the boats there so I followed. It was completely dark out so I couldn’t really see an
Every part of Julie’s body felt like it was set on fire. Her skin was sticky with sweat, and she struggled to breathe. All the stress of the past days was finally catching up to her.She couldn’t help the sob that escaped her lips as she struggled to sleep. She’d wanted to stand up and ask Murray if he had any meds, but the heaviness of her limbs kept her rooted to the bed. He had come by earlier to drop her lunch but she hadn’t seen him since then. But it didn’t mean that his presence was unfelt.Julie was well aware of her captor each time. She knew he was the danger she should be running from. She suddenly saw Murray appear again. The moment he saw her lying down there, he became alarmed. “What is wrong Julie?” he pressed the palm of his hand against her forehead and flinched away at the hotness of it. “You’re burning up.”She should’ve pushed him away and said she was a doctor and could handle herself. The truth was that she really couldn’t hold up, and even though she did not
Jotham had called the previous night to find out which hospital Mirabel had been taken to. If anyone knew where Marcus was taking Julie, it would be her. He could hear the beep of machines as he walked down the corridor. He almost felt bad for Mirabel when he entered her ward.She was hooked to machines whose loud beep was the only indicator that she was still alive. Essentially, she was in a coma, and the doctors didn’t know whether she was ever going to wake up.He stood there, looking at her and wondering if she would’ve gone down a different path if she knew this was how she would end up.The other part of him thought it was perfect for what she put Julie and the twins through. That was something he could never forgive. The door opened and Mirabel’s mother walked in. “You have a lot of nerve to come here.” her voice was a mixture of anger and disdain. “You ruined my family.”Jotham’s face was bored. “I didn’t ruin your family, Ms. Margaret; you did all that by yourself.” He turn