"CONGRATS, JUNIPER! YOU HAVE COMPLETED YOUR STUDENT LOAN PAYMENT! THANK YOU FOR BANKING WITH US." Juniper Laurent read the text in her mind's voice over and over again, relishing in the moment, submitting to the fluttering feeling of euphoria surging through her veins. A radiant smile stretched her rosy tinged full lips as she realized that was the last debt she had to settle. Every fiber of her being wanted to leap with joy and let out a triumphant scream, but she retrained herself with what seemed like a century's worth of self-control. Nothing could beat being debt-free. Free from being hounded by loan sharks, free from living under the oppressive weight of their constant threats and demands every waking day of her life. And only those who had walked in her shoes could truly understand how liberated she felt at the moment. What has she not done? She had taken on every job that crossed her path. Waiting tables, bartending, cleaning, tutoring—just name it an
In the blink of an eye, Juniper felt a forceful tug, wrenching her away just in time, a bare fraction of a second between her and a one-way ticket to the great beyond. Even as she and her rescuer tumbled onto the hard pavement, Juniper's eyes remained tightly shut, her entire body trembling with terror. Then, for some inexplicable reason, she began to feel herself relax in the strong embrace of Mr. Mysterious Savior. She couldn't quite determine if it was the enticing fragrance of his cologne or the feeling of security in his arms, as though she was always meant to be there. She couldn't tell. In that moment, the stranger gently shook her, his voice—a rich baritone and deep with concern—breaking through her stupor. "Juniper! Juniper, open your eyes. Are you okay?" WHAT?! HE KNEW HER NAME TOO! Now that was enough to make Juniper flutter her eyes open, her gaze landing on the masked face of her rescuer. Despite the disguise of a face cap and mask, she recogniz
BREAKING NEWS: HEIRESS VIVIENNE BELLEROSE DIES IN A CAR ACCIDENT. The newscaster's voice, deep and sharp, boomed as he began to convey the horrible news to the public. "Good day, everyone. On today's breaking news from Valterre City. . . the heiress of the Bellerose Frangrance, Vivienne Bellerose, has tragically passed away in a car accident. According to sources from the family, Vivienne had embarked on a trip several days ago, with plans to return soon after, but communication with her had abruptly ceased. An intensive search ensued, leading to the horrifying discovery of her car submerged in the Valterre River, having apparently veered off course, skidding down the cantilevered road to Valterre City. Reports allege that the authorities are presently conducting an exhaustive investigation into the circumstances surrounding this devastating incident. . ." Bolting upright in shock, Juniper's eyes grew wide with horror, fixated on the television screen as it displayed an image
Juniper stood in front of the looming massive metal gate as the morning sun cast its golden rays on the sprawling entrance of the Bellerose Estate. It seemed a world away from the life she knew and had, yet here she stood, ready to take the first step into the heart of the Bellerose family. Today was the day she had to lay everything out on the table. The day she was going to reveal the truth, a revelation that would ripple through her life and the lives of the Bellerose family, leaving no stone unturned. She'd waited for a month. A month was quite enough time for them to mourn and. . . enough for her not to lose her mind from the weight of thinking about the child growing rapidly in her womb. The clock was ticking. It was barely five months remaining before the little Bellerose would be born. The earlier she got this settled, the earlier she could move on with her life. Whatever decision they decided to take over this issue would determine the future of their gra
Antoine began to cough, sputtering and choking as the coffee he’d just swallowed slipped in the wrong direction. He definitely did not see that coming. "Are. . .are you okay?" Juniper stuttered in concern, half-rising to assist the man in any way possible, a deep-seated instinct she'd developed from years of caring for her sick mother—who had eventually passed. "I'm okay!" Antoine managed in a croaked voice, gesturing with a raised hand to reassure her. “I’m fine." He must have been taken aback by that news, Juniper thought. Her eyes drifted to his wife and apparently, Antoine wasn't the only one stunned. Florence was staring at her wide-eyed and her mouth a perfect O. She feared that the poor woman might dislocate her jaw at any moment. Maybe she shouldn't have dropped the bombshell on them that hard. But, some pieces of information were best delivered promptly without a moment of hesitation. And this one fell squarely in that category. Florence’s wor
Juniper was beyond startled that she couldn't control her eyelids from fluttering wildly. Who the hell was this weird dude? Smoking hot, no doubt. But also pretty much weird. He released her from the embrace, gazed intensely at her for a brief moment, and then pulled her back into a tight squeeze. OKAY, DUDE, CALM DOWN! PERSONAL SPACE, PLEASE! But it didn't seem like he was going to budge. "Uh. . ." Juniper chuckled awkwardly, her eyes veering to the Clermont sisters, silently pleading to be rescued from the enthusiastic man. And luckily, they picked up on her distress signal. Chloe rolled her eyes to the ceiling. "Alright, Dylan, dial it back a notch. You're creeping our guest out with your over-the-top theatrics." "Not to mention suffocating!" Audrey slotted in, her attitude mirroring that of her sister's. Finally, the man released his grip on Juniper, his moist grey eyes locked onto hers for a delicate moment before they shifted to the Cl
[BEWARE OF THE CLERMONTS!] Juniper's eyes froze at the ominous warning, her body transfixed as if rooted to the spot. What does this mean? Why was she being warned about The Clermonts? The paper trembled in her hands as her mind raced with questions and confusion. Her eyes darted around the bathroom as if she expected to find someone lurking in a corner. Was this some kind of prank or something? Juniper's eyes returned to the note again, rereading the message over and over again, uncertain what to do about the enigmatic warning. She wasn't sure whether to heed the caution or dismiss it, because it was totally absurd. The Clermonts had shown her nothing but warmth and hospitality since day one. What was this mysterious note-leaver trying to do? She had to discover the person who was behind this, but she knew she had to do it discreetly. She could tell it was one of the maids, but which one? The mystery note consumed Juniper's thoughts for days, as
Before their lips met, the thudding of someone's feet echoed through the foyer and Audrey's usually giddy voice boomed from the grand stairs. "Hey, are you guys back already?" Instantly, Juniper and Dylan tore away from each other, turning to face her. They smiled awkwardly as their voices croaked in perfect sync, "Hey, Audrey!" Their sheer abruptness made Audrey flinch backward, her eyes darting from one to the other. "Uh. . . is everything okay?" "Mm-hmm! Yeah, everything's great!" Juniper's words tumbled out in a forced cheeriness. "Absolutely! Perfectly fine!" Dylan concurred in the same spirit. Audrey dealt both of them a look of downright skepticism. "Okaaay. . ." she drawled in a raw monotone. Her tone was laced with doubt, but she seemed to dismiss her concerns, turning to Dylan with a request. "Anyways, Lanny, can I steal you away for a minute? I really need your expertise with something." Dylan nodded obligingly. "Of course, Audrey!" As he turned
Chloe hated that she was about to do the exact thing Juniper ridiculed her about, but what choice did she have left? If groveling meant she could remain in the Royal Palace, then she would grovel. And that, she did. The moment the Queen's lady-in-waiting opened the door to her, Chloe dropped to her knees and began to beg. "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I swear, I never meant any of this to happen. I'm so sorry." Queen Catherine barely acknowledged her presence as she slowly leafed through the pages of a magazine. "If you must know, Chloe, I've never had expectations of anyone— Not even once. But I had high expectations of you. I truly did," she said in a flat tone, her eyes never leaving the magazine. "However, you proved to be just like every other riffraff who was merely fortunate to step into the world of the elites. But what can I say? No one can truly leave their filthy background behind, can they?" "Your Majesty, I. . . I can explain—" "What's left
"YES. OH, YES. FUCK ME! FUCK ME HARDER, DYLAN! AHHHH!!!!" Loud moanings of pleasure boomed through from the speakers, and slowly the large display TV cracked back to live, revealing random x-rated footage of Chloe being put in multiple positions as Dylan licked, sucked, and banged her in his bedroom. Chaos erupted in the hall as the audience clamored about the explicit video playing before them while the reporters hurriedly clicked their cameras, determined to capture every single detail. But all that noise was lost to Chloe, fading into the background as she stood frozen at the spot. Her hand instantly grew weak, causing the wine glass she held to fall to the ground, shattering to smithereens. What was going on? Chloe thought to herself, her eyes glued to the big screen. She remembered clearly every video that played before and every word she'd said. But all these had happened in the secrecy of Dylan's penthouse apartment. How exactly did these vi
The magnificent ballroom room of the renowned Paradis Hotels shone with exquisite lighting and decorations, setting the tone for an unforgettable evening. The entire space buzzed with prominent guests of all ranks, dressed to the tens, and eager reporters, clicking away to capture every moment of the event. The gentle hum of conversation, the soft clinking of glasses, and the melodic background music all synchronized perfectly into an electrifying atmosphere of celebration. The Bellerose Fragrance 90th anniversary celebration was like no other occasion, packed with engaging and memorable programs that were bound to live rent-free in the attendees' minds. The event featured welcome addresses that highlighted the company's history and milestones, award presentations to honor long-serving employees, mesmerizing perfume exhibitions, educating video presentations, and a ceremonial cake cutting. The entertaining programs unfolded nonstop until the attendees were
Juniper's face scrunched up in an expression of utter disgust as she stared at her phone, scrolling through article after article of the daily news. Chloe's face was plastered across the front pages of nearly every media outlet, from reputable magazines to sensational tabloids and blogs, glorified with catchy headlines that were impossible to ignore. . . [ "Meet Forêt-Bleue's Youngest CEO Who's Changing the Game: Chloe Clermont" "The Unstoppable Rise of Forêt-Bleue's Youngest Female CEO" "The Future of Business: Chloe Clermont's Inspiring Story" "CEO Sensation: Chloe Clermont's Recipe for Success" "Chloe Clermont: The Face of Modern Leadership" "From Startup to Stardom: Chloe's Journey to the Top" "The Power Player: Chloe Clermont's Impact on Bellerose Fragrance" ] It didn't stop there. The headlines kept getting more and more annoying as they came. And the articles, themselves? Nothing but overexaggerated facts to cover up her lack of better a
"Sorry, I couldn't call sooner," Damien's voice chimed through from the other end. "Did you get home safe?" Camille couldn't stop herself from grinning widely whenever she heard his voice— or stop her body from moving. I mean, how could she keep still when the entire zoo was parading in her belly? She beamed, slowly pacing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window as she interchangeably swapped the position of her phone from ear to ear. "Of course, I did. Thankfully, in one piece." "You're not changing your mind about us just because my mom disapproves, right?" He said, his voice laced with worry. "Let me apologize in her stead. She can be inconsiderate sometimes but she's totally harmless, believe me." "It's okay. I understand," she said with a smile. "And I'm never changing my mind about us. I didn't muster the courage to pour out my feelings before them only to relent afterward." A brief, silent fell at the other end of the line and Camille could bet her kidn
A short while later, they were all seated around the kitchen table, enjoying the meal Damien's parents had brought. Gabriel appeared to be taking the news of their relationship a tad better than his wife, Alice, who couldn't hide her disapproval. She never missed the opportunity to cast nasty glances at Camille and make subtle, biting comments. Damien, however, seemed completely unfazed by his mother's behavior, all his attention was focused on the woman sitting beside him. A sweet smile lit up Damien's face as he placed a bite-sized slice of charred lamb on Camille's plate. "You have to try this, it's so delish," he said, his eyes crinkling at the corners. Returning his smile, Camille picked up the meat with her fork and savored the bite, blissfully unaware of the daggers Alice was shooting at her from across the table. The older woman cleared her throat emphatical, striving to gain their attention. When she succeeded, she spoke to Camille with a tone tin
Damien froze in the spot he stood as a plethora of questions bombarded his mind. Why was his parent here? Why did they choose today of all days to come to his house? What was he going to do? He shook his head, snapping out of his daze state. First off, he had to wake Camille. Fortunately, when he returned to the bedroom, Camille was already half awake. She stretched beneath the duvet, resembling a cute, little kitten, and flashed him a subtle smile as her eyes partially fluttered open. Her dark waves were disheveled, scattered across the cloudy pillow, yet she looked alluring— so alluring it took all the life force he possessed to resist the urge to join her in bed and proceed to make mad love to her. "Who's at the door?" Camille asked groggily. "Uh. . ." Damien gave a nervous laugh, accompanied by a wavering gaze. "My parents." Camille nodded slowly, pulling the duvet to her chin, and settled back into bed. "Hmm. Okay!" She murmured, surprisingly unbothered
The soft sound of their moans mingled together, echoing throughout the house, amplifying their passionate intimacy. Camille was left breathless as Damien ate meticulously at her lips. First the upper lip, then he took the lower lip, sucking and nibbling until they were left heated and swollen. And when she thought it couldn't get any better, the kiss deepened. He drove his fingers into her hair, pulling her head closer as his tongue slid through her parted lips. His hot tongue met hers, tasting the indistinct flavor of coffee she'd probably had earlier. It dwelled there for a while, tasting her until there was nothing left but raw desire before it made its way to the ridged roof of her mouth, giving rise to more and more pleasure. Just as she also began to explore his mouth with reckless abandon, he felt a sudden, fierce heat envelope through his body, surging down towards his groin. He ached over with the need to caress those fluffy twins pressing alluringly agains
Camille stood in the lobby of Pool Stadium, waiting for Damien as he wrapped up a conversation with his coach. She was beyond proud that he successfully bagged another gold medal in today's competition. At this rate, he was one step closer to joining the National Team. Her face illuminated with rampant joy at the prospect. Damien would be extremely happy when that moment arrived. She knew more than anyone how much he'd worked and trained for this, and he deserved every ounce of success that came his way. Engrossed in her thoughts, Camille had no idea when Damien came to stand behind her. "Hey, gorgeous," he whispered tenderly into her ears. Startled, she spun around to face him. But before she could utter a word, he swiftly scooped her up, lifting her off the ground, and began striding towards a quieter, more secluded corridor. Mortified, Camille struggled in his arms, her head swiveled from side to side to check if anyone was watching them. "Hey, put me down," sh