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Juliette had barely stepped into the big mansion of her family when her aunt appeared in front of her, smiling as if she had swallowed a little sunshine by mistake that morning.

Juliette couldn’t help but frown, not used to this weird behavior from the strange woman.

“I’m sorry. Did I do something wrong?” she couldn’t hold herself back from asking, which kind of brought a strange, dark sheen to her aunt’s eyes. Well, before it disappeared completely, as if it were never there.

“Oh, Jules, you’re always so funny. You always crack me up.”

Before Juliette could express her concern and ask from which side of the bed this woman really woke up from, Aunt Isabella grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her around, laughing weirdly.

“Did you see? She’s hilarious. Always like this. Our fine young lady—never a dull moment with her.”

It was then Juliette noticed something else. Something more. Something that explained her uncle’s threatening call and her aunt’s nauseating display of kindness.

There were guests at home. And from what little she remembered from last week, they were here for her—for marriage.

Oh, great. Did they really drag her here for this bullshit? What the hell was wrong with these people? Did they have nothing better to do than try to marry her off to some rich guy who was good for nothing but his money?

It wasn’t even a surprise. This was their third attempt to show her off, like she was some kind of trophy they couldn’t wait to hand over to the highest bidder.

Juliette felt her teeth grind together as she forced a smile, knowing full well this charade was about to get a lot worse.

She scanned the room, her stomach churning when her eyes landed on him—this week’s “eligible bachelor.” He looked like he had more hair gel than personality, standing there in his overpriced suit, flashing that arrogant smile like he owned the damn place.

Oh, for fuck’s sake.

Aunt Isabella nudged her forward, that sickly-sweet grin plastered on her face as she whispered, “Now, be nice, dear. These people are very well-connected. You don’t want to blow this chance.”

She held Juliette’s hand and led her to the group.

Now that Juliette had her attention—no matter how reluctantly—she looked around more carefully and realized there were more people in the room than she first noticed.

There was, of course, that guy. Then, an older man stood nearby, not sitting like the others. Finally, there was a very serious-looking older woman, likely in her hundreds or something, watching her closely as if assessing her with those hundred-year-old eyes.

Juliette shuddered, exhaling slowly, trying to keep calm.

“Uh…” she began awkwardly—she had to, as her uncle’s glare was a clear signal for her to behave. “Hello. I’m Juliette. Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you, Juliette,” the older woman replied, her voice like gravel. “What a lovely name. You must have heard it many times before.”

Juliette forced a smile, feeling the sweat bead at her temples. “Yes, I suppose. Thank you.”

“Ah, but I’d be careful. In my day, names meant everything, and you wouldn’t want to carry one that’s associated with any sort of… unsavory reputation,” the woman continued, her gaze piercing.

What the hell does that even mean? she thought to herself.

“Of course,” she said, unsure of what else to say.

The older woman looked more than satisfied with her answer—well, good for her.

She smiled a little at Juliette. “Come here. Sit with me.”

Juliette hesitated for a moment, caught between the urge to run and the obligation to comply. The older woman’s eyes bore into her, like a hawk sizing up its prey.

With a deep breath, she took a step forward and perched on the edge of the chair, trying to appear composed despite the churning in her stomach.

The older woman introduced herself. “My name is Agnes Elizabeth Garret. You must have heard of my family, haven’t you?”

To say Juliette had heard of the Garrets would be an understatement; she had practically watched and learned from them growing up. The family was legendary—not only wealthy but also reputed for their large family, their strict rules, their dedication, their global business, and of course, their stunning genes…

“Are you still here, dear? Or have we lost you?”

Juliette blinked, trying to shake off the thoughts swirling in her head. “Uh, um, I’m sorry. I was thinking about something… work-related.”

Agnes raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed.

Juliette didn’t need to hear it from the woman’s mouth to know she had gravely offended her by zoning out.

CRASH!

A loud sound from one of the rooms across the hall stunned everyone into silence.

They exchanged glances, trying to understand what the hell had just happened.

Before Aunt Isabella could open her mouth to come up with some sort of excuse, one of the servants came running in and went straight to Juliette, probably aware that she was the only one who cared.

“Madam!” he gasped, sweating profusely and looking more panicked than ever. “It’s your grandma. She’s having a seizure.”