As Alexis sipped her coffee across from Julian at their cozy breakfast spot, he pulled out his phone to call Victoria."Victoria," Julian began, his tone direct but polite, "I need you to contact the real estate company of the penthouse. Arrange for a meeting today to finalize the paperwork."Victoria's voice came through, calm and efficient. "Understood, Mr. Devereux. Should I set the meeting at the penthouse or their office?"Julian glanced at Alexis, who was busy spreading jam on her toast, her eyes lighting up when she overheard the conversation."The penthouse," Julian decided. "Let’s make it convenient. Schedule it for this afternoon, two o’clock sharp.""Consider it done," Victoria confirmed before ending the call.Julian set his phone down and leaned back, watching Alexis with a soft smile."So," he said, breaking the momentary silence, "by tonight, we’ll have our own house."Alexis looked up, her eyes widening. "Wait, you’re serious? You’re handling all this already?"He smir
Inside the private elevator, Charlotte pressed the button for the top floor, her lips curling into a satisfied smirk.Let them whisper all they want. They’ll see soon enough who truly belongs here.She adjusted her hair in the elevator’s mirrored walls, mentally preparing herself for what she assumed would be a warm welcome from Julian. After all, she was Charlotte Wainwright, wealthy, sophisticated, and an ideal match for someone of Julian’s stature.As soon as the elevator doors closed behind Charlotte, the employees erupted into hushed conversations.“She’s really delusional, isn’t she?”“She probably hasn’t heard about Alexis yet.”“Or she’s heard and refuses to believe it. I mean, look at her.”“She thinks her money and family name are enough to win him over.”“Julian doesn’t even like her. Everyone knows that.”The receptionist shook her head, leaning over the desk toward a colleague. “Mark my words, this is going to be a disaster. Charlotte’s about to get a reality check, and I
He sighed, brushing a hand through his hair before responding. "Tell her I’m busy and not to disturb me unless it’s life or death.""I’ve tried that, sir," Victoria replied, her voice still calm. "She’s currently outside your office, and I thought you should be aware."Julian’s jaw tightened, but before he could reply, Alexis leaned closer, her hands sliding up his chest as she whispered teasingly, "What’s the matter? Someone trying to ruin our fun?"His lips quirked into a smirk, his irritation fading slightly as he gazed at her.Covering the phone’s microphone with his hand, he murmured, "You have no idea."Returning his attention to Victoria, Julian said, "I’ll deal with her. Give me five minutes."As he hung up, Alexis tilted her head in curiosity. "What’s going on?"Julian groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. "Charlotte Wainwright. She’s causing a scene outside."Alexis’s expression shifted from curiosity to amused disbelief. "Seriously? Can’t she take a hint?"Julian stepped c
Charlotte stood rooted to the spot, her mind a whirlwind of disbelief and fury.She replayed Alexis’s words over and over, each one hitting her like a sledgehammer. His wife. Alexis Devereux.For close to five minutes, she didn’t move, her expression shifting from shock to rage.Her hands clenched into fists at her sides as she tried to steady her breathing. But the more she thought about it, the more the anger bubbled to the surface.Finally, unable to contain her emotions, she let out a piercing, guttural scream that echoed down the hallway.“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”The sound startled the nearby staff, who exchanged wide eyed glances before quickly ducking back into their workspaces, afraid to be caught in her wrath.Charlotte stomped to the elevator, her heels clicking furiously against the polished floor.When the doors opened, she stormed inside, furiously pressing the ground floor button.The ride down was tense, her chest heaving as she tried, and failed, to compose herself.
As they lay tangled together on the plush couch in Julian's office, Alexis giggled softly, brushing her tousled hair away from her flushed face.She playfully poked Julian's chest.“You know,” she teased, her voice light and mischievous, “for someone who thinks he’s all that, you’re not as good in bed as you think. I’d give you… maybe a six out of ten.”Julian arched a brow, his lips curling into a smirk as he propped himself up on one elbow. “Oh, is that so?” he asked, his tone dripping with mock offense.“Mm hmm,” she said with a nod, her face the picture of innocence.Leaning closer, Julian’s smirk deepened. “That’s funny,” he murmured, “because I distinctly remember someone not being able to stay still.”Alexis gasped, her cheeks flaming as she swatted at him. “Julian!”He chuckled, catching her hand and bringing it to his lips. “Admit it,” he said, his voice low and teasing. “I’m more than a six.”“Fine,” she relented, rolling her eyes but unable to hide her grin. “You might be a
Ryan’s gaze flickered between Julian and Alexis, his jaw tightening.He looked as if he wanted to say something but held back.Sophia, on the other hand, wore a smug smile, her eyes scanning Alexis up and down before landing on Julian.“Well, well,” Sophia began, her voice dripping with mock sweetness. “Look who decided to show up at our new place.”Alexis arched a brow, recovering quickly from the surprise. “Your place?” she asked, her tone sharp but controlled.Ryan stepped forward, his usual arrogance in full display. “We’ve just finalized the paperwork. This penthouse is ours,” he said, his voice filled with satisfaction as he glanced at Julian.Julian’s jaw tightened, his usual calm slipping for just a moment. “Interesting,” he said coolly, his tone flat. “I wasn’t aware the building allowed doubles to be purchased. We were told the top floor penthouse was reserved.”Sophia’s laugh was high pitched and mocking. “I guess money talks, doesn’t it? Maybe you two weren’t quick enough.
The real estate agent was waiting for them in the lobby with the contract laid out on a polished mahogany table.He stood as they approached, handing them pens with an enthusiastic flourish.“Just a few signatures, and the penthouse is officially yours,” he said, gesturing to the marked sections.Julian pulled out a chair for Alexis, who grinned at his chivalry before sitting down.She signed her name with careful precision, glancing up at Julian as he leaned over to do the same.Once the final signature was in place, the agent clapped his hands together. “Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Devereux! The penthouse is officially yours. Welcome to your new home!”Alexis beamed as Julian reached out to shake the agent’s hand. “Thank you,” he said, his voice brimming with pride.As they stepped out of the building and into the crisp afternoon air, Julian wrapped an arm around Alexis, pulling her close. “Ready to start this new chapter?”“With you?” Alexis replied, smiling up at him. “Always.”
Ryan stood rooted in place, the weight of his choices pressing down on him like a suffocating blanket.The anger and humiliation of losing the penthouse to Alexis and Julian were bad enough, but Sophia’s words stung even deeper, carving into wounds he had tried to ignore.His mind drifted back to the beginning, to the time when he and Alexis were the "perfect couple" in everyone’s eyes.They had been the talk of the city, two powerful families uniting in a relationship that promised wealth, influence, and prestige. But beyond the public facade, there had been cracks.Alexis had boundaries, ones she had made clear from the start.She wanted to take things slowly, to build something meaningful before giving herself completely. But Ryan had felt entitled.He needed to be satisfied, and Alexis’s hesitation had pushed him to seek gratification elsewhere.Sophia had been willing, eager even, to fill that void.At first, it had been thrilling, a secret, forbidden affair that stroked his ego.
Julian exhaled slowly, nodding. “I don’t want you to forget,” he murmured. “I just want you to let me make it right.”His fingers brushed over her knuckles, tentative, as if giving her the chance to pull away. But she didn’t. She let him hold her hands, let him be close.“I spent years blaming your father for what happened to mine,” Julian continued, his voice thick with emotion. “And maybe some of that blame was justified. But I made the mistake of thinking you were just another extension of him, that hurting you would somehow fix what was broken inside me.”A pained look crossed his face, regret etched into every feature. “But all I did was hurt the one person who had nothing to do with any of it. And I will never forgive myself for that.”Alexis swallowed the lump in her throat, her own regrets beginning to surface.She had tried to ignore the way her heart had ached in his absence. She had told herself she was better off without him, that his betrayal had severed the connection be
As they strolled beneath the Eiffel Tower, the golden glow of the city casting long shadows around them, Alexis felt an unfamiliar warmth settle in her chest. She had spent so long running, from her past, from Julian, from herself. But now, in this moment, it was as if time had slowed, allowing her to breathe, to truly take it all in.Julian didn’t rush her. He simply walked beside her, their fingers still loosely intertwined, as if he was afraid that if he held on too tightly, she would slip away.“Do you remember what you told me that night?” Julian asked softly.Alexis frowned slightly, searching her memory. “Which night?”“The night of the gala,” he clarified, glancing at her with a knowing look. “You told me that I was a mistake waiting to happen.”Alexis let out a small, breathy laugh. “That does sound like something I would say.”Julian’s lips curved into a smirk. “And you weren’t wrong.”Alexis tilted her head up, watching the soft glow of the tower above them. “It wasn’t just
Harrison Montgomery had always been a man of power, control, and strategy. He built an empire from the ground up, ensuring that his family never lacked anything. To him, emotions were liabilities, love was a distraction, and personal connections were just another battlefield where the strongest prevailed.And yet, as he stood by the large windows of his estate, watching his daughter through the glass as she sat in the garden, something in him shifted.Alexis was smiling. A real, genuine smile.For months, she had walked around with a guarded expression, a shadow of the confident, fierce woman he had raised. She had been betrayed, humiliated, and hurt in ways no father would ever want for his child. He had watched her hide her pain behind work, pretending she was fine, but he had known better.But now, this was different.She was laughing softly as she stared at her phone, a small, almost shy smile on her lips. Her fingers hovered over the screen, typing something before deleting it an
Julian answered on the first ring.“Alexis?” His voice was cautious, unsure.She swallowed hard, her grip on the phone tightening as she stood outside his childhood home. The wind rustled through the overgrown grass, carrying with it the echoes of the past she had just walked through.“I went to your house,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.Silence.For a long moment, there was nothing but his breath on the other end of the line. When he finally spoke, his voice was rough, strained. “You didn’t have to do that.”“But I did,” she countered. “I had to see it. I had to understand.”A bitter chuckle escaped him. “And? Do you understand now? Do you finally see what your father did to me?”Her heart clenched at the raw pain in his voice.“I see everything, Julian,” she said softly. “The eviction notices, the empty cabinets… the house falling apart. You had nothing.”He exhaled shakily. “We had worse than nothing.”She closed her eyes, imagining a younger Julian standing in th
Julian sat in his car, gripping the steering wheel tightly. His heart still pounded in his chest, the image of Alexis standing in the doorway burned into his mind.She hadn’t told him to leave.She hadn’t slammed the door in his face.That had to mean something, didn’t it?He let out a heavy breath, resting his forehead against the wheel. He had spent so long fighting battles against Charlotte, against his mother, against the world… but this was the most important fight of all. The one for Alexis.And if waiting was what it took, then he would wait.He just prayed she would give him the chance to prove himself before it was too late.Julian knew better than to push.For the first time in his life, he was stepping back, not because he was giving up, but because he finally understood that love wasn’t something he could win like a business deal or a war. Alexis wasn’t a prize to be claimed. She was a woman who had been hurt, who had every right to doubt him, and if he truly wanted a futu
Alexis pressed the power button on her phone, silencing the vibration that followed Julian’s call. Her heart was pounding, her emotions tangled in a war between longing and self preservation. She had spent weeks convincing herself that she was done with him, that she had buried every last trace of love she had for him beneath the rubble of his betrayal.But then, there he was, standing in front of the entire world, stripping himself of his armor and baring his soul in a way she never thought he would. And now, she didn’t know what to do with the feelings clawing their way back to the surface.A knock at the door jolted her from her thoughts. Her breath caught. Had he come to see her? No, Julian wouldn’t be that reckless, would he?Slowly, she made her way to the door, her pulse racing. When she opened it, she wasn’t sure whether she felt relieved or disappointed to see Sophia standing there instead.“Can I come in?” Sophia asked softly, her eyes searching Alexis’ face.Alexis stepped
The world erupted in a frenzy the moment Julian Devereux's press conference ended. News outlets, social media platforms, and television channels dissected every word he had spoken, every frame of his expression. His admission of love for Alexis Montgomery, combined with the exposure of Charlotte’s corruption, sent shockwaves through the business world and beyond.Some lauded Julian for his honesty, praising his courage in standing against Charlotte. Others, however, were less forgiving.“So Alexis was really nothing more than a pawn in a revenge plot?”“She should’ve never married him in the first place. He destroyed her.”“Why is Julian being praised for ‘love’ when he manipulated her from the start?”Within hours, #AlexisMontgomery trended worldwide. News anchors debated whether she had been complicit in Julian’s schemes or simply another victim of powerful men playing dangerous games. Everyone had an opinion, and Alexis, despite her best efforts, could not drown out the noise.She
Alexis blinked, but she remained silent.Julian took a step closer. “I love you, Alexis. Not because it’s convenient. Not because I want to win. But because even after everything, even when you have every reason to hate me, you are still the best thing that has ever happened to me.”A flicker of something crossed her face, something he couldn’t quite place.But then she inhaled sharply and shook her head. “Love isn’t enough, Julian.”He knew that. He had always known that.But he wasn’t giving up.“I know,” he said softly. “But I’m going to prove to you that I can be the man you deserve.”Alexis looked at him, searching his face, as if trying to find the lie.She didn’t respond right away. And for now, Julian didn’t expect her to.This was just the beginning.And he would fight for her, for them, with everything he had left.Alexis’ chest tightened as she stared at Julian, his words still hanging in the air between them. I love you, Alexis. She wished she could believe him, wished she
Harrison Montgomery stared Julian down, his sharp gaze cutting through the younger man like a blade. Julian had confessed everything, his revenge, his betrayal, his regret, but none of that changed what he had done to Alexis. None of it erased the pain he had caused.Harrison leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers. His expression was unreadable, but Julian could see the fury simmering beneath his composed exterior.“You don’t deserve her,” Harrison said, his voice cold and absolute.Julian swallowed but didn’t argue. He knew it was true.“And yet,” Harrison continued, his eyes narrowing, “I have never seen my daughter care about someone the way she cared about you. Even now, after everything, she still feels something.”Julian’s breath hitched. He had spent weeks believing Alexis wanted nothing to do with him. That her hatred had erased any trace of love she once held for him.Harrison sighed, standing up and adjusting his cufflinks. “So, here’s how this is going to go, Deve