Julia’s POVI looked up to see who it was. “Lucas.” I called out, giving a welcoming face.“Julia.” He called out and with a smile, he continued. “It’s nice to see you again even though you almost knocked me off a few minutes ago.” He teased. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I was only trying to put in my phone inside my purse and I didn’t notice you coming. I’m really sorry.” I apologized with a smile. “Nice to meet you too.” I added. But then, his mood changed and was replaced with concern as his brows furrowed in a rare display of worry. His eyes scanned me before breaking the silence.“How are you feeling now? I see you’ve come for some checkup.” He said and I smiled. Lucas thought I had come to the hospital for some check up. “How is your wound? Are they getting better? Did you see the doctor already? Are there any new complications?” His questions came after one another as if he was really worried about me and I wondered as to why he was being too concerned. It was as if resisting the urg
Julia’s POVI took out the box, a black little box in a square shape. and held it out to Mr. Samuel as I took a few steps forward. “I don’t want your gift,” he said gruffly, waving a dismissive hand. His voice held the same coldness he had kept between us for a while now.“Please,” I pleaded, gripping the box tightly.The silence stretched for what felt like some seconds and finally, he stepped closer, standing right in front of me.He went ahead to take the box and then he opened the box. The moment his gaze landed on the object inside, it was a watch, his mood changed into something sad. The watch had a polished gold case with a deep blue surface face, written in Roman numerals, and gold hands. Its leather strap was smooth, still looking like a new watch. His eyes turned sober. I could see the recognition in his eyes and sadness in his eyes. He touched it, caressing the surface as if trying to remember his past moments. “This…” His voice was barely above a whisper. His fingers tr
Julia’s POVI could see the surprise in Mr. Samuel’s gaze as it shifted between I and then to Lucas who had just walked in with a smile as he embraced Mr. Samuel into a hug. “I was really shocked when you received an investment from Lynwood. But I never could have imagined that you knew Lucas. Come on, tell me quickly, how did you two get to know each other?”I barely had a second to react before Lucas opened his mouth, the hint of a smirk tugging at his lips.“Oh, yeah we met at a club…”“At the summit,” I cut in swiftly as I shot Lucas a glance who understood I didn’t want him to tell Mr. Samuel exactly how he met me.Lucas nodded firmly. Yes, she’s right.” But I caught sight of a subtle curve on his mouth.“At the submit, huh?” He questioned, staring at Lucas and I nodded.Mr. Samuel smiled and then nodded, “that’s good.” He placed an arm on Lucas’s shoulders as he spoke again. “Good to have you here, my child.” “Thank you.” Lucas and Mr. Samuel walked towards the couch and he o
Julia’s POVIn the photo, Scarlet was talking to someone in a café.The image on my phone screen held my attention like a vice. Scarlet was in the image with a man sitting across from her. Her face was focused slightly away, mid-conversation, a half-smile playing on her lips and that of the man. I was confused as to who the man was and why Jake had sent the photo to me.Lucas, seated across the table, must have noticed my change in demeanor as I wasn’t eating. My eyes were focused on my phone. “Something wrong?”I stiffened, forcing my expression into neutrality. “Nothing,” I replied, too quickly as my gaze met his with a smile. His gaze lingered on me, skeptical, but he let it drop.The dinner continued without further interruption and soon, the time passed in a blur. Mr. Samuel, who had been in high spirits throughout the meal, escorted us to the door as we stood to leave. “Lucas, make sure to send Julia home safely.”I gave a polite nod but turned to Lucas as we stepped outside. “
Julia’s POVI remember! Yes, I finally remembered! I remembered that in the previous life, there was a report that this journalist, William, had died from an overdose of banned drugs.The news had barely made a ripple. A disgraced reporter, found in a cheap hotel room, his career already in shambles. They called it an accident, but anyone who had followed his downfall knew the truth. Determined, I reached out to him over the phone. His mobile number was everywhere, so it wasn’t difficult to get.“Mr. William Pratt.” I called out, my voice sounding professionally as I didn’t give him any chance to respond and then I continued.“I have a job offer for you. Something big.” I paused and then continued. “With huge pay.” Then, he finally spoke. “I’ll be sending you my address. Looking forward to seeing you.” He added and then ended the call.I arrived at the address William had given me earlier, a small office tucked away in a nondescript building. William sat behind his desk, fingers dr
Scarlett’s POV I am in the sitting room, lounging on the couch with my feet propped up on the table as I take a sip of my drink, a smile curving out my lips while I wait for the news I knew William had orchestrated to surface. The news about Julia. Julia had no idea what was coming. I looked down at my phone, tapping the screen impatiently to see if William had replied yet. But there was nothing. Not a single word from him. I frowned and scrolled through my messages, seeing the last one I had sent to William, asking for an update, but he hadn’t responded. Perhaps he was busy drafting the news release, making sure it looked real enough for everyone to believe. I couldn’t help but smirk at the thought.I leaned back on the couch, staring at the television, the news will be up soon. Suddenly, the sound of footsteps pulled me from my thoughts. The door creaked open, and I saw Julia. She stepped in, dressed casually, her hair tied up messily, looking a bit messy but still put together
Julia’s POVWilliam did a great job. He didn’t have a choice, did he?I had barely reached the door to my room when I suddenly heard a loud crash from the sitting room. It was a very loud thud as if something had fallen and not just that, I could hear Scarlett’s cursing voices.I rushed out. The sight that met my eyes made me stop in my tracks. The television mounted in the sitting room was laying on the ground, its screen shattered into countless jagged pieces. And standing over it, stepping on the broken shards without a care, was Scarlett. She continued to step on it in rage as she screamed at the top of her lungs in frustration.“William, you son of a bitch!” She cursed. “I know he did this!” She screamed again, grabbing a piece of the broken TV as she hit it countless times on the ground, her hands trembling in fury with little cuts from the broken TV as blood dripped down her hand but she didn’t care or seem to notice.I had seen Scarlett angry before, but this? This was beyond
Julia’s POVI looked at Alex. His expression was unreadable, calm and composed as he sat comfortably like other shareholders. His fingers tapped lightly against the table, it was a casual gesture. He was waiting, watching and assessing everyone’s faces, perhaps waiting for the meeting to commence.I couldn’t let him sense my unease. I stepped forward and took a seat at the head table. Now, all eyes were on me. Still wondering why Alex was here, I leaned slightly toward Emily, I lowered my voice. “Find out what Alex has been up to.” Emily didn’t hesitate. With a quick nod, she got up and slipped out of the conference room. “Where’s Scarlett?” Mr. Samuel’s question made me snap out of my thoughts. “Scarlett hadn’t arrived yet.” I replied as I pulled out my phone and sent a message to Jake.“Where are you?” It didn’t take long for a reply.“On our way. There had been traffic. Five minutes, we will be there.” He added.I exhaled slowly as the call ended. That was one problem seeming
Julia’s POVAlex and Celeste walked into the dining room, fingers intertwined. Celeste smiled slightly, tucking a strand of her perfectly curled hair behind her ear as Alex pulled out her chair and helped her sit down with all the gallantry of a man starring in his own romantic drama. Alex sat beside her too.“Try this,” Alex said softly, lifting a piece of seared scallop from his plate and gently feeding it to her.Celeste opened her mouth with reluctance, cheeks flushing in shyness as if the moment embarrassed her, though she clearly adored every bit of attention from Alex and I knew. “Alex, not in front of your wife,” she whispered with a coy smile, her eyes moving briefly toward me. “It’s not appropriate.” She added.Alex chuckled, dabbing at the corner of her lips with his napkin to clean the stain in my mouth.“Don’t worry about her.” He replied.I smiled and took a sip of my wine, as if their actions were invisible in my eyes. “This food is amazing,” I said, cutting into my sal
Julia’s POV Alex was definitely here to pick me and take me back home.His car was parked by the curb, sleek and black car like always, his silhouette unmistakable even through the tinted windshield. I saw him lean forward in his seat, waiting, expecting me to come to him like a good wife.The moment I pulled Lucas’s car door open, i slid inside the front seat and closed the door.“Drive,” I said. Lucas didn’t question me. He simply pulled into the lane but we didn’t get far.Alex’s car swerved abruptly, cutting us off. Alex’s tires screeched. Lucas slammed the brakes, jolting us forward with a sharp jerk.“For God’s sake,” Lucas muttered, gripping the wheel. Before I could respond, Alex was already out of his car and striding toward us. His jaw clenched as I locked the doors immediately.Alex yanked the handle on my side. When it wouldn’t budge, he pounded his fist against the window.“Lucas! Open the damn door!” he shouted. “Let my wife out of the car!”I didn’t move. I sat as
Julia’s POVLucas? Seeing Lucas’s message, I am extremely confused why but then I waved that thought and then decided to type a reply. I was just about to type a reply that I had been so busy lately and that’s why I haven’t got to see him when Lucas sent another message, it was a photo. I clicked on the image and to my surprise, It was the official Havemont invitation, elegant parchment sealed with a golden crest. My fingers paused mid-type. He followed it up with a message. “I got a special invitation at Havemont but I won’t be able to attend on that day. I’ve got some arrangements I can’t reschedule. But I want you to have this. It’s your mother’s and must be important to you, so I think this invitation will be more useful in your hands than being wasted by me .”What a lucky day for me! I needed a thing so much and someone just handed it to me!But how did Lucas know that it was my mother’s necklace ?I stared at the photo, then back at the message. I couldn’t believe everything
Julia’s POVThere was no way I would allow Alex to gift Celeste my mother’s necklace so I tried to make Alex give up by belittling that pearl necklace. “I can’t believe Celeste wants something horrible, nothing fancy,” I scoffed as I stepped forward, folding my arms across my chest. “There’s nothing rare about pearls anymore. They’re practically manufactured in bulk these days.”Alex didn’t even turn to look at me. He was too busy admiring the dainty luster of the necklace. I took another step forward. “Seriously, Alex. Don’t you think you should explain to her she’s making the wrong choice? This necklace isn’t even that impressive.”He looked at me finally. “Your opinion wasn’t asked for. It’s Celeste’s choice, not yours. If she wants it, she will have it.” A few customers nearby glanced over but I didn’t care. “This necklace will fade in no time, trust me.” Alex ignored me before he finally spoke. “I think it’s sweet. A man who doesn’t hesitate to give his woman what she wants.
Julia’s POVThe moment I saw the necklace, my heart felt a sudden relief. The necklace was a pearls strung together in a flawless strand, creamy white, perfectly round, with the faintest luminescent sheen that shone in the light like moonlight on water. The necklace’s importance likely stems from its deep emotional value to me. It was my mother’s favorite newer jewelry. It has been a cherished heirloom, passed down through generations of my great grand mother and to my grandmother and then to my mother. It’s a quiet moment of connection of the family. I want to find it because losing it feels like losing a piece of my soul, my mother is supposed to pass it to me.I was extremely excited.“I’ll call you when I need you.” I said to the maid massaging me and she nodded and left the room.Then I continued reading. “t’s a private auction, by Invitation only.”I didn’t wait for her to finish.“Find a way,” I’d said. “Please, Emily. I need to be there. That necklace, it’s not just some hei
Julia’s POVIt felt so damn good. Pretending to be weak, letting those tears roll down my cheeks at just the right moment, what an act. I had simply mimicked Celeste, that master manipulator, and it worked like a charm. Alex punished Stella without hesitation, like some knight defending his damsel. And the best part? I didn’t even have to beg.His gaze landed on me, his brows furrowed.“You didn’t even thank me,” he said. I tilted my head, keeping my tone neutral. “Thank you? For what?”His expression shifted, disbelief flashing across his face. “For defending you. For standing up to Stella.”“I thought it was only right for you to punish your misbehaving maid. She disrespected me, didn’t she? I’m your wife.”Alex scoffed. “That doesn’t mean you can take my support for granted.”“Support? Alex, you did the bare minimum. Do you expect applause every time you remember you’re married?”He stared at me, speechless.“I don’t need to thank you for doing what you should’ve done in the first
Julia’s POV Immediately, I saw Stella’s change of reaction. She looked tensed now. “I’m sure the CCTV wouldn’t lie.” I added. Alex stared at me and then at Stella. And then Alex and I made our way towards the room, Stella trailing a step behind us. I could feel Stella stealing glances at me while Alex’s expression remained unreadable. Reaching the bathroom, there was no camera inside the bathroom, only one stationed right outside the door. That single camera was the only eye that had captured what happened. I stopped just beneath the camera’s angle and looked up and then my fingers clutched the sleeve of Alex’s jacket, tugging at him ever so slightly. He glanced at me and then opened his phone since it was connected to the camera. Stella stuttered. “Sir…” but Alex ignored her as his attention was on his phone, trying to access the CCTV camera. Shortly, the video began to play. The image of Stella appeared on the screen , though not clear enough. It showed Stella yankin
Julia’s POVShe gasped, but I wasn’t done.With no words, I grabbed her by the neck, my cold gaze biting into her with no emotions as I spoke. “Don’t. You. Dare. Speak. To. Me. The. Way. You. Always. Did.” I gripped her more firmly and pulled her closer. “Don’t you dare!” I pushed her backwards and then I grabbed the stick again and hit the mirror twice.“You want a show? Here. Watch me destroy the mirror.” I spat, scattering the glasses all over with the stick.“Go tell him I did it. Maybe he’ll promote you to his second bed warmer.”Her mouth hung open but no words came. She looked speechless because she hadn’t expected me to fight back. That weak Julia died a long time ago.“You… you’re insane!” She stuttered.“No,” I said coldly. “I’ve just had enough.”I didn’t care. Let him know. Let him see what happened when he turned me into a prisoner in my own life. Let him come back and find pieces of his expensive glass shredded on the floor. “I’m not your servant or Alex’s,” I hissed
Julia’s POV“I’m not going with you,” I said.Alex stared at me. No more drama from you.” He paused and continued. “I have to go to the company,” he added. There’s a mess I need to clean up. But I can’t leave you here. You will cause another trouble.” I looked away. “I can take care of myself.”He took a step closer, his voice sounding impatient. “Grandpa’s health is unstable. I’m not risking it. You’re coming with me.”“I don’t want to go to your house,” I murmured.Alex didn’t reply. He didn’t give me the chance to argue again, either. He entered the room and took my things and then reached for my arm, dragging me towards his car. “At least wait for grandpa’s return.” I said but my words fell on deaf ears. The ride was silent. I stared out the window, refusing to meet his gaze, though I felt him glance at me more than once occasionally. The moment we pulled into the driveway of his mansion, the memories began to flow back as I remembered the cold, elegant, immaculate humiliatio