Sophia’s POVJulia’s gaze lingered on my exposed shoulder, where a small red mole marked my skin. I shifted uncomfortably under her scrutiny.“Julia? Is everything okay?” I asked, trying to sound casual, though her intense stare was unnerving.Julia stepped closer, her expression shifting from curiosity to something more severe. “Sophia,” she said slowly, “how long have you had that mole?”I blinked, taken aback by the question. “I don't know. Forever, I guess? Why?”Instead of answering, Julia leaned in closer, examining the mole with a strange intensity. Her face transformed from shock to horror, and I instinctively took a step back and grabbed a cardigan to drape over my shoulders. Julia seemed to snap out of her trance. "I need to... I need to shower," she muttered, her voice shaky. Without another word, she turned and hurried toward the bathroom.Just then, I noticed a delicate bracelet on the bedside table. I picked it up, turning it over in my hands. It had an intricate design
Julia’s POVSeeing Adrian made my heart pound. His stare seemed to drill a hole through me. Did he recognize me? I straightened my shoulders and smiled, trying to look confident. No one will know the truth. I’ve taken care of everything.Suddenly, I remembered visiting Serena before this New York trip for work. The memory was very vivid in my head. As I walked through the bleak corridors of the prison, I couldn't help but smile. And I just couldn’t resist rubbing it in her face — that she was never going to get out of there, that setting her up had been part of the plan, after all. Poor Serena. She won’t know what hit her. After all her scheming, she didn’t even realize that she was just a pawn in all this. A guard led me to a small room, and I saw Serena pacing inside, her eyes wild with desperation. The moment she saw me, she rushed to the glass partition, her voice trembling.“Julia! Thank God you’re here. Please, you have to help me get out of here. I won't tell Elijah, I swea
Elijah’s POVWhen I got back to the hotel after my business meeting, all I wanted was to kick off my shoes, order some room service, and get some rest. But as I stepped into the lobby, I spotted Julia waiting for me. She looked up, relief and excitement in her eyes.“Elijah!” she called out, waving me over. “Trevis had to go meet up with someone, so I'm left with no one to have dinner with.”I could feel the weariness in my bones, but I didn't want to disappoint her. I also wondered where Sophia could be, but I didn’t want to ask Julia. I actually sent a text message to Sophia a while back, but there was no reply. "There's this cool pizza place I read about online," Julia continued. "Would you join me?"I hesitated for a moment. “I was just planning to stay here tonight.”Her face fell slightly, but she quickly masked it with a hopeful smile. “It won't take long, I promise. And I heard their pizza is amazing.”I sighed, unable to say no to her. “Alright, let's go.”The pizza place wa
Elijah’s POVI had no choice but to follow Julia’s lead, my feet moving almost automatically. Besides, I also wanted to face Sophia. It angered me that she would still go and meet him after that last time when I’d stopped her from saying hello. What is she trying to prove? Does she just want to rub it in my face that she’s now free from me and can do whatever she wants? Or maybe… The next alternative filled me with dread. Maybe she really, really likes him. Who knows what went on between them during those days she was with him in his beach house?Sophia and Adrian turned to face us, surprise written across their faces.“Hi!” Sophia greeted casually. “Fancy seeing the two of you here.” She looked between me and Julia, and I could sense that she didn’t like seeing us together. “I feel the same way,” I said coldly, gazing into her eyes. “Small world, huh?”Sophia frowned. She knew I didn’t want her to see Adrian because I didn’t trust him. I just didn’t want to risk her getting hurt ag
Julia’s POVAdrian stared at me with a puzzled expression, his brow furrowing slightly. “You look really familiar,” he said, his eyes narrowing as if trying to place me.At that moment, a memory flashed through my mind like a lightning bolt—seeing Adrian at the beach where I’d hit Sophia on the head. I felt myself paling and a wave of dizziness threatened to overwhelm me. I took a deep breath, willing myself to stay calm. Everyone's eyes were on me—Sophia, Elijah, and Adrian—waiting for my response.I forced a smile, trying to keep my expression nonchalant. “I don't think we've met before,” I said confidently. "I only know you from Sophia and Elijah's stories."Adrian tilted his head, still looking uncertain. “Are you sure? I could swear I've seen you somewhere.”I shrugged, doing my best to appear casual. “Maybe you saw me in a photo or something. But no, I don't think we've ever actually met.”Sophia, sitting next to Elijah, glanced between us, her eyes filled with curiosity. Elijah
Julia’s POVStanding in the pizza parlor with Elijah, Sophia, and Adrian felt surreal. The warmth of the place clashed with the tension in the air. Adrian's smile was confident, almost too masterful, as he looked at me after I insisted we had never met before.“Maybe we all need some ice cream for dessert,” Adrian said, his eyes glinting with something unspoken. “To cool down and relax after dinner.”I blinked, bewildered, as Adrian continued, “Why don't you and Elijah join us? It'll be fun.”Sophia glanced at him with uncertainty, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she pressed her lips together, the expression almost imperceptible unless you were looking closely.I took a breath, determined not to appear flustered. “Sure,” I answered, forcing a smile. I wanted to prove my innocence, to show I wasn’t afraid of anything. Besides, I was confident Adrian would never recognize me as the person who had hurt Sophia on the beach.To my surprise, Elijah nodded. “Sounds good,” he said, and
Elijah’s POVAfter getting back from New York, I offered to drive Sophia home. I figured it was the perfect excuse to talk to Sophia about bringing Reese to meet my parents eventually. But all I told Sophia was that I was eager to see Reese, she immediately agreed. “Sophia,” I began, breaking the stillness. “I was thinking... Maybe you could take Reese to meet my parents.” I had mentioned this to her before, but last time she didn’t seem too keen about it. Sophia glanced at me, her eyes wary. “Are you sure that's a good idea? Do you think Morgana would want to meet Reese? I mean, surely Reese would remind her of me. And she had always hated me.”I frowned for a while, knowing that it was true. But then I nodded, trying to convey my conviction. “I'm sure it will be okay. My stepmom might have her issues, but once she sees her adorable first grandchild, she'll forget about the past. And my dad, he's often busy, but he'd certainly welcome the arrival of a sweet little kid that's his ow
Elijah’s POVI felt the warmth of her lips on mine before my brain could fully process what was happening. The dark hallway of Julia’s house enveloped us, but the shock of her sudden kiss pierced through the obscurity. I pushed her away, my breath catching in my throat as I fumbled for the switch on the wall. The lights flickered on, illuminating her flushed face and my bewildered expression.“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I demanded, my voice edged with anger.Julia looked flustered, her eyes darting away from mine. “I just...I missed you, Elijah. I’ve missed you so much.”“So you just made up an excuse for me to come here, but you had substitute keys?!” I spat out, feeling a mixture of betrayal and confusion.“No, it’s not like that,” she insisted, shaking her head. “I couldn’t get in at first, but then I remembered I had extra house keys hidden in my luggage.”My anger flared, a bitter taste rising in my mouth. “This isn’t right, Julia. You shouldn’t have done that.”Sh