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FIFTY-SIX: May The Best Player Win
Last Updated:
2024-09-05 08:09:41
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The Surrogate's Vendetta FIFTY-SEVEN: LIES! LIES!! LIES!!!
Juniper watched in absolute horror as Chloe tumbled down the stairs in a loose, uncontrolled motion. Each thudding sound ricocheted off the walls in a tense sequence, until she landed at the bottom of the staircase, utterly motionless. What the hell just happened? Did she just throw herself down the stairs on purpose? Chills coursed through Juniper's veins as blood began to gather around Chloe's head like a red puddle. Was she dead? In an instant, a blood-curdling scream reverberated through the space, accompanied by the sound of frantic footsteps. A royal attendant rushed into view from the corner below the stairs, dropping to her knees beside Chloe's limp form. Her voice trembled with indisputable fear and urgency as she cried out, "Lady Chloe, oh my God, can you hear me?!" Then, she let out a desperate, ear-piercing wail, "Someone, please! Help me!" As her gaze frantically darted around, searching for assistance, they finally locked onto Juniper's
Last Updated : 2024-09-06The Surrogate's Vendetta FIFTY-EIGHT: The Strange Nurse
"I'm telling you she was willing to kill to protect her son," Chloe said to Audrey. "I can't believe Dad allowed her to go scot-free after what she did." "You can't blame him, though. His hands were tied. There's no way Dad could go against the Queen's orders," Audrey responded reasonably. "And just because Juniper said she could kill to protect her son doesn't prove that she pushed you. Besides, any mom would do anything to protect their child." "Who's side are you on?" Chloe snapped grudgingly. "I'm telling you, I didn't harm her son! And she's the one who pushed me down the stairs." "Relax! All I'm saying is that you need hard evidence if you really want to see Juniper held accountable." Exhausted by the argument, Audrey waved a dismissive hand and asked in a voice filled with concern, "By the way, how are you feeling now?" Restricted by the brace holding her neck in place, Chloe struggled to take a sweeping glance at her own body. "Oh, I'm getting better, I g
Last Updated : 2024-09-07The Surrogate's Vendetta FIFTY-NINE: Handsome In Distress
Camille was on her way home, holding a leather bag that contained the tools of her successful mission when her phone buzzed with an incoming call from Juniper. "Mission accomplished, but I need confirmation— was everything executed cleanly? Are you certain there's no trail leading back to you?" She asked, her voice dripping with concern and seeking reassurance. "One hundred percent. I took precautions," Camille replied with certainty, a hint of a smile playing across her lips. "The camera-jamming brooch I wore ensured I was a ghost. . . invisible to every hospital surveillance camera I walk past. With no footage of me, there's zero chance of them tracing my involvement." "And what about the Royal guards posted outside Chloe's room?" Juniper pressed on. "Lifecast mask and a wig," she replied concisely. "They likely think a redhead Russian nurse walked in today, not me." "Fingerprints?" "Oh, come on, Juniper. You know me better than that. You know I'm always thor
Last Updated : 2024-09-09The Surrogate's Vendetta SIXTY: "I Think You're Meant For Me"
The soft blanket of snow muffled the sound of their footstep as Camille and the young man walked away from the alley, leaving behind the thugs who were still writhing in pain and struggling to recover from the sudden and intense counterattack. As they strolled, the young man turned to Camille with a look of awe, his eyes shining with admiration. "Where did you learn to fight like that?" he asked, his voice filled with genuine curiosity. "That was incredible! Thanks for saving my life, by the way. I'm Damien." He extended his hand in gratitude, but Camille brushed past it, barely acknowledging him with a glance and leaving his hand hanging in mid-air. "I know who you are," she replied curtly, her tone devoid of warmth or enthusiasm. Of course, she knew who he was. Who in Forêt-Bleue didn't know the Prime Minister's notorious son, Damien Christophe—The nation's "Merman"? The media and public had given him that awful title after he had dominated every swimming competi
Last Updated : 2024-09-10The Surrogate's Vendetta SIXTY-ONE: Yuletide Surprises
"YOU'LL DO IT?!" Damien's voice rang with excitement. "YOU'LL BE MY BODY GUARD?!" Camille cringed inwardly as his exclamation drew the attention of the people at the nearby tables. Even though there were just a handful of people in the café, she wished the floor could just open at that moment and swallow her up. Why the hell was he being so loud? It had taken almost a week to make up her mind and contact him about her decision, but now she was beginning to reconsider it all. "That's exactly what I said in my text," Camille replied as calmly as possible. "That's great!" He said, flashing her toothy smile. "But what made you change your mind? If I can recall pretty well, you vehemently declined my offer. You said you wouldn't be my bodyguard even if you had a gun to your head. What changed your mind?" His smile widened and his face morphed into an expression of mischief. "You couldn't resist my good looks, could you?" Camille didn't respond to his cheeky
Last Updated : 2024-09-11The Surrogate's Vendetta SIXTY-TWO: Not His Son
Ever since Chloe found her son, she'd been in a world of her own, thinking that she could regain her rightful place in Cedric's heart and as his wife. However, when the paternity test came back negative, her whole world crumbled to dust. AGAIN! And of course, there was no one she could blame for all the misfortune happening to her, other than that lowlife slut who had appeared into their lives and turned it upside down. The sound of Chloe's angry breaths was almost rhythmic as her flaring eyes shot lasers at Juniper, who was strolling down the hall with her son, looking carefree. "Look at her, being all happy and cheerful, after turning my life into a living hell," she hissed under her breath, each syllable coated with bitterness. Her father had filled her in on the entire story. He'd shared every single detail about how they'd discovered her son living in a well-refined orphanage in Paris. According to the manager, the orphanage had been facing eviction from their p
Last Updated : 2024-09-12The Surrogate's Vendetta SIXTY-THREE: Sunny×Cold
"Welcome to the Forêt-Bleue Swimming Team Training Center," Damien announced, spreading his arms in a dramatic gesture. Camille sighed inwardly as she adjusted the strap of his sports bag, hanging so painful on one of her shoulders. She wondered what on earth he'd loaded in the damned bag to make it so heavy. And even more, she wondered why she was carrying it in the first place. It was only five days since she began to work for him and it already felt like a decade's worth of her lifetime had been sapped away. "Why does it seem so empty, though?" Camille asked, gazing around as they made their way towards the swimming pool. "Because it's the winter break, Camille!" Came his concise answer. But Camille was still skeptical. "Are you sure we're allowed to be in here?" "Of course. I've got the Head Coach's approval," Damien said snappily and with a hint of arrogance. "I'm the nation's merman after all. I've proven my abilities time and again— and my reputation speaks for it
Last Updated : 2024-09-18The Surrogate's Vendetta SIXTY-FOUR: Why The Hell Was She With Dylan AGAIN?!
[THE ROYAL PALACE] It was way past dinner time and Juniper was nowhere to be found. Cedric scanned through the palace in search of her, at least to be certain she was within the protective walls of the palace, but. . . no sign of her. She usually never stayed out this late especially when she didn't have Hector with her. She'd always come back on time for dinner and tuck their son in. So, where the hell was this woman by 11:23 pm? He still had no idea where she went almost every day, considering she was unemployed and only showed up at B. Frangrance when there was a board meeting. And even though he wanted to ask so badly, he couldn't bring himself to pose the question. Because that would be prying into her private life and he had no rights to do that. To be honest, he was worried sick that something might have happened to her. Though he knew he was probably overreacting, he couldn't shake off the nasty feeling. Juniper was a capable adult, more than able to take care of her
Last Updated : 2024-09-19
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The Surrogate's Vendetta EPILOGUE
[THREE YEARS LATER!!!] "Hi, love, sorry I had an emergency meeting with the board of directors," Juniper spoke rapidly into her phone as she alighted her car and made for the mansion. "I just got home. I'll get the boys and meet you there in a bit. Sorry. Love you. Muah!" She disconnected the line right before her husband delved into nagging mode. Nothing was as terrifying as listening to him bite her head off. As soon as Juniper walked into the mansion, her ears were greeted with the familiar screaming and giggling. She found Nanny Inés in the foyer, clutching a couple of little fur jackets, and trying to catch her breath. She needed not to ask the older woman to know what she'd been going through. After sharing a brief laughter, Juniper flashed her an apologetic smile, taking the jackets from her. "In what direction did they go?!" Without delay, Inés pointed out the direction, leading to the laundry room, and Juniper followed. "Hector! Étienne! Mommy's
The Surrogate's Vendetta 127: Final Goodbye
"Are you certain this is what you want, Your Highness?" Gabriel Christophe asked for the third time that day. Cedric understood how the Prime Minister felt, he wanted to be sure his decision was a spur-of-the-moment. And it wasn't. His mind was made up. Even as he waited hours in the Council Chamber for the Prime Minister's arrival, nothing could change his mind. "I'm certain, Mr. Prime Minister," Cedric replied, his tone calm and firm. "The Royal Family has caused more harm than good to the people of Forêt-bleue in recent years. I feel mortified to face my people knowing what my family has done. This is the only way to make things straight." He paused for a breath. "We must abolish the monarchy before the day of my coronation." "Very well, Your Highness," Gabriel said with a nod. "I'll propose this to the parliament. It would be difficult to convince them of your decision, but I'll do everything in my power to ensure they agree to it. If it's the last thing I do
The Surrogate's Vendetta 126: The Fall Of The Royal Family
Commotion ensued as Jerome burst into the room, leading a team of heavily armed forces. The royal guards were swiftly overwhelmed, surrounded, and held at gunpoint before they could even react. "Drop your weapons and put your hands on your heads," Jerome commanded in a stern voice. Queen Catherine was startled and beyond flummoxed. She couldn't comprehend what was going on. As the police disarmed the queen's aides, she slowly backed away, her eyes wavered nervously, but she managed to maintain a stern, authoritative tone. "What is the meaning of this? How dare you barge into the. . ." She trailed off the moment she sighted her son amongst the cops. He stood in a spot—unmoving—watching her. Without a doubt, she could tell he was livid. His expression spoke volumes of that fact. Regardless, she tried to act clueless. To play the victim. "C—Cedric! What— what is going on here?" She flattered anxiously. "Are you part of this? How could you bring the authorit
The Surrogate's Vendetta 125: The Queenpin And The Thorn In Her Flesh
Pigheadedly, Juniper made her way to the location. According to the blueprint, the entrance to the underground meth lab was situated in an old, dilapidated barn. And with the GPS on her phone, it wasn't too difficult to find. Noticing a group of Royal Guards patrolling the area, she hid behind a shrub. When she realized the coast was clear, she ventured stealthily into the barn. The situation inside the barn was far worse than the exterior. She wouldn't be surprised if a tarantula popped out from nowhere and attacked her. It took quite a long while of thorough searching before she found a door underneath a wooden, worn-out shelf of some sort. As she pushed the shelf aside, she noticed there was a padlock on the door. Just as she swatted to inspect the lock, a guard suddenly burst through the barn door, flashing a torch. "Who's there?!" He barked. "Show yourself." Juniper had no time for this. Rising to her feet, she secretly pulled a tranq gun from her w
The Surrogate's Vendetta 124: Blueprint
[ Dear Juniper and Jerome, First of all, I want to apologize for what I'm about to do. I know you want what's best for me but I know this is the only way to put an end to Antoine for good. Thank you for seeing the good in me. But I've done terrible things that are beyond your imagination and I don't think I deserve a second chance. I have no right to request this from you, but please look after my son. And if possible, don't bother telling him about his father. I never deserved to create such a sweet soul in the first place. I'm glad my sister had people like you around her. People who she could put her life on the line for and people who would do the same for her. And I'm glad I got to meet her people, even for a short while, before I join her. I'm sorry and thank you for everything.ADRIEN. ] Juniper and Jerome heaved a deep sigh after reading the handwritten letter Adrien had mailed to Camille's house. Yesterday, when the news of the Prison Bus Explos
The Surrogate's Vendetta 123: Depression
It was already three weeks since Camille's death, but Damien was still lost in the darkness of depression. His arrival at the National Team Training Center was already a week overdue but he couldn't care less. In fact, that was the very least on his mind. All that was on his mind was the memories of that unfortunate day. He couldn't bring himself to do anything. LITERALLY. He lay all curled up on his bed, drenching his pillows with uncontrollable tears and mumbling incoherent words to the image of Camille his mind had conjured up. "I have to find a way to let you go, or else how can I forget about you, Camille? Hmm? I still. . . I still can't believe you're no longer here. Everyone says I should forget your death and move on with my life, but how can I do that? When I see you everywhere." He sniffled. "This morning, I saw you in our driveway. I knew. . . I knew it wasn't you. I knew it was only a fantasy. Just another illusion I've created in my head. Still, my hear
The Surrogate's Vendetta 122: Let's Burn Together
Antoine shouted so loud that it was a miracle Juniper's eardrums were left intact. He dropped to the ground like a bag of hammers, clutching his bleeding knee as he writhed in agony. Now it was Juniper's turn to laugh. "Yeah, you're right," she returned, her voice dripping with sweet sarcasm. "I'm not a murderer and I can't kill you. But I can very much disable you." BANG! Juniper shot him again at his other kneecap. "That's for my father," she spat indignantly, disregarding his howling of pain. BANG! She shot one of his shins. "That's for Vivienne." BANG! She shot the other one. "That's for Camille." BANG! She buried the last bullet in his injured shoulder. "And that's for everyone else you've hurt!" At that moment, her ears picked up the soft sob of sirens in the distance. The police were on their way. Juniper stooped, about ninety degrees, baring her pearly teeth at the suffering man. "You're going to rot in jail, Antoine Clermont," she whispered
The Surrogate's Vendetta 121: Invading The Enemy's Territory
Juniper sat in her car, her fingers drumming a rhythmic beat on the steering wheel as she waited, all pumped up. She'd spent the past week recuperating and training for this day— The day Antoine would be brought to his knees A couple of days ago, Adrien had informed her that Antoine had headed to his hideout, and their window to capture him was narrowing. Juniper had pushed hard to join the operation, and after some convincing, Adrien had finally relented. No way was she missing this for anything. Suddenly, the rear door of her car swung open and Adrien hopped into the back seat. "Let's go!" He said promptly. "Now!" Juniper glanced at him from the rearview mirror and shook her head. No salutations, no small talk— Adrien was always straight to the point like the gloomy, ice cube he was. Moments like this reminded Juniper of her beginning moments with Camille before she eventually got to know the warm version hiding behind that ice wall. This behavior might
The Surrogate's Vendetta 120: Exposing The Nasty Deeds Of The Clermont Family
Even though Juniper was well aware of who stood behind her, she remained still, trying not to provoke him. And then she felt the pressure of the gun no more, just as quickly as it had come against her head. Suddenly, Adrien appeared before her, his gun pointing at her face. "Relax," he said benignly. "I mean you no harm." Unfazed, Juniper looked him dead straight in the eyes. "Well. . . from where I stand, that's hard to believe." Adrien heaved a deep sigh and lowered his gun. "I'm not here to make trouble," he returned evenly. "I'm here to ask for your help. I need to find Antoine." The next hour, Juniper and Adrien sat opposite each other at the kitchen table, each with a plate of pasta and tomato sauce in front of them, though neither had made much progress in eating. Juniper wasn't in the best of her mood but she'd had insisted on whipping up a simple dinner for them, despite Adrien's initial reluctance. "You do know the police are already handling An
