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FIFTY-THREE: Chloe's Desperation
Last Updated:
2024-09-02 18:23:45
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The Surrogate's Vendetta FIFTY-FOUR: Someone's Being Slutty
Chloe didn't need to ring the doorbell of Dylan's apartment twice before the door swung open and he appeared at the doorway, wearing a huge, enthusiastic smile, saying, "Hello, stranger!" But before he could even finish speaking, she brushed past him and marched inside without so much of a salutation, leaving him momentarily taken aback by her abrupt behavior. "Good afternoon to you too, Chloe," Dylan said, his voice heavy with sarcasm, as he slammed the door shut. He trailed after her into the dining room, where she had already made a beeline for the minibar. "Why are you in such a foul mood?" Chloe disregarded Dylan's question and reached straight for the bottle of vodka. She poured herself a shot and tossed it back with a swift motion. The strong liquor burned her throat, prompting a wince out of her as she gently patted her chest to ease the sudden discomfort. "Whoa, whoa, whoa," Dylan exclaimed, his hands swiftly snatching both the bottle and the shot-glass
Last Updated : 2024-09-03The Surrogate's Vendetta FIFTY-FIVE: Prince Hector Is In Danger
Days passed after the whole scandal saga, yet Chloe was still unrest and bitter. It made her sick to see Juniper anywhere around the Crown Prince—LITERALLY—which heightened her eagerness to get her out of their lives. But there was nothing she could do about it, given the fact that Juniper was the mother of the Crown Prince's son. Hector was the only link between Juniper and Prince Cedric— and the only reason she had to put up with that sneaky bitch. If only that child hadn't existed in the first place, then getting her kicked out of the Royal Palace wouldn't have been too difficult. Just then, a lightbulb shone above Chloe's head and her lips morphed into a scheming grin. She couldn't change the past, but she could do one or two about the future. If Hector was the only connection between Juniper and the Crown Prince, maybe it was about time to sever that tie. It was almost lunchtime. If she was going to act, now was the best time. Moments later, Chloe was in the Royal kitch
Last Updated : 2024-09-04The Surrogate's Vendetta FIFTY-SIX: May The Best Player Win
The news of Hector's allergy reaction must have reached the rest of the household, because when Juniper finally found Chloe—after combing the Royal Palace in search for her—she was emerging from Hector's room along with Queen Catherine, Cedric, and the Royal Doctor. "Chloe! You did this to my son, didn't you?" Juniper blurted out her accusation in a loud voice, not minding who was listening or watching. Chloe blinked her eyes in shock, her phony innocence on full display. "What are you talking about?" She said barely above a whisper. "Don't play dumb with me, Chloe," Juniper spat ferociously, pointing her finger at the other woman's face. "I just came back from the Royal Kitchen and they told me you were there moments before lunch was served. You tampered with my son's food, didn't you?" Chloe gasped in exasperation. "What?! Are you out of your mind? I understand that you're upset but don't you think you're going too far with your accusations? I did no such thi
Last Updated : 2024-09-05The 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 : 2024-09-11
Latest chapter
The Surrogate's Vendetta 116: Rescue Mission
Camille geared up, preparing herself for the battle ahead of her. It was already evening and she still hadn't gotten any other response from Jerome, causing her to grow increasingly anxious. Yesterday, as soon as Adrien had left her house, she had reached out to Jerome and the Crown Prince, updating them on the latest developments. Jerome had requested a Search and Seizure Warrant before they headed out to find Juniper, but his superior had denied the request. Time was running out, and Camille couldn't afford to wait any longer. The thought of Juniper spending another night in that godforsaken place, staggering on the brink of death, was enough to send chills down her spine. She was going to take matters into her own hands and head to the location immediately. With everything in order and her plans in place, Camille used the secure burn phone to contact her brother, alerting him of her arrival. As she ended the call with her brother, her main phone buzzed to l
The Surrogate's Vendetta 115: Long-lost Brother
Three days had passed since Juniper's disappearance, and Camille was losing it at a fast rate. She had gotten everyone related to Juniper involved in the search, and exhausted every means possible to find her, but all their investigation had yielded nothing. No CCTV footage, no dashcam recordings, no single eyewitness had come forward. . . not even her car was found. It was as if Juniper had vanished in thin air Camille knew this wasn't ordinary. Yes, Juniper was capable of disappearing like this, but not without telling her. Someone was behind this. And she could only think of one person. ANTIONE CLERMONT! But where could he have kept her? It couldn't be at the Bellerose Mansion for sure. He wasn't that stupid. Even as Camille returned home, her mind still raced with thoughts and questions. But her attention was abruptly diverted when she reached the front door. She stopped mid-step, her hand hesitating on the door handle, as she realized that the s
The Surrogate's Vendetta 114: Tortured By The Monster
*TRIGGER ALERT: VIOLENCE* Juniper moaned softly, her eyes fluttering open as she slowly began to regain consciousness. At first, her vision appeared foggy, but then slowly, it became clearer and her eyes adjusted to the dimly lighted room. And in a split second, the memories came flooding in, replaying the events that took place prior to her passing out. This was Antoine's plan, no doubt. He must've sent the Krakens to waylaid and bring her to this place. But where was she, by the way? Her head throbbed like hell, making it difficult to stay focused, but she fought back the dizziness and managed to survey her surroundings. She couldn't figure out where exactly she was, but one thing she could tell for sure was this place was reserved for nothing but torture— Or worse. . . MURDER! Beside her, assorted hand-held tools splayed on a table, an electrocuting machine settled next to it, and straight ahead. . . a couple of hangman's noose dangled from a
The Surrogate's Vendetta 113: Truth Exposed
Camille was starting to get impatient, wondering what was keeping Juniper. It was 8:00 p.m. already, almost an hour past the time they'd agreed to meet but she was nowhere to be found. She'd rang her cell over and over— but to no avail. Why wasn't she here yet? Was she caught in traffic? Or perhaps was she unable to clear her schedule? If that was the case, she would've informed her beforehand. Juniper would never leave her hanging this way. Camille shook her head, waving off the unsettling thoughts that were starting to pile up in her mind. For now, she would just go to the meeting and worry about Juniper later. Lisette Austin must be waiting at the restaurant by now. The poor girl was already frightened by the consequences of speaking the truth, leaving her waiting could cause her to lose courage and change her mind. She couldn't let that happen. On reaching the restaurant, Camille wasn't surprised to find Lisette already seated at the table reserved
The Surrogate's Vendetta 112: Juniper In Trouble
Antoine still couldn't believe his wife had lost her mind. Even as the doctor had explained it over and over he couldn't wrap his head around it. He'd partially hoped his wife was putting on an act to avoid being detained but that wasn't the case, not at all! SHE HAD GONE BONKERS! What was he going to do? All of a sudden, the mansion felt so quiet and lonely. It hadn't been long since he'd lost his daughter, now his wife was conformed to a psych ward. His family were no longer here. The people he'd acquired all this wealth and power for were no longer here to enjoy it. He was left all by himself in this huge, empty mansion. This wasn't what he planned. Why was his life moving out of track? A soft knock on his door momentarily distracted him from his turbulent thoughts. Following his permission, his private investigator entered into his study. "Good day, sir," he greeted politely. "I brought news about Mr. Michaelson, the American investor." Antoine's i
The Surrogate's Vendetta 111: About Her Father
"Hey, I heard what happened at the company. Are you okay?" Camille asked Juniper, her eyes glistening with worry. But Juniper brushed off her concern with a casual smile. "As you can see. . ." She swept her hand all over her body. ". . .I'm totally okay." Camille's brows creased. "Oh, yeah? Then what are all these?" She retorted, pointing at the band-aids on her legs and arms. Juniper waved a dismissive hand, dropping into a nearby couch. "Just bruises I sustained from trying to subdue Florence. Nothing serious." Camille remained silent. She dealt Juniper a look of skepticism, her eyes narrowing into slits. When Juniper met her gaze, she lifted her shoulders slightly and said, "I'm serious. I didn't get shot or anything. I was quick enough. I mean, I learned from the master herself." Camille released a breath she had no idea she was holding and sank into the seat beside her. "So how did things go at the police station?" She asked. "Well, Florence is cu
The Surrogate's Vendetta 110: Apprehended
A WEEK LATER. . . As the newly appointed Chairperson of Bellerose Fragrance, Juniper presided over the board of directors in the boardroom, where they assembled to discuss the appointment of a new CEO. After she'd invested over a billion euros to restore the company's finances, which had been severely depleted by the scandal, the shareholders had made a unanimous decision to elect her as Chairwoman. Now, it was time to fill the CEO's seat. Juniper couldn't be more happy to finally be rid of the Clermonts from the Bellerose Fragrance. Just a little bit more and she'd totally wipe them off the Bellerose Empire. Halfway into the meeting, the double doors abruptly burst open, and in came Florence Clermont, storming into the room like a wild beast. "You heartless vultures!" She bellowed, her eyes blazing with fury. "My daughter's body is barely cold in her grave, and you're already conspiring to replace her!" The room fell silent, with all eyes fixed on Florence,
The Surrogate's Vendetta 109: Au Revoir
Immediately, Chloe's eyes veered to the doorway— and so did everyone else in the board room. It was Mr. Michaelson, the American investor who had bought her father's shares and had promised to vote against her resignation. For the first time that day, her heart lept with joy. Finally, things were starting to look hopeful. Finally, she could breathe a sigh of relief. Mr. Michaelson took one of the empty seats at the table, still apologizing for his unpunctual arrival. And soon after he settled in and introduced himself, Juniper leaned forward again and spoke into the mic. "Oh, Mr. Michaelson, thank you for making it to today's meeting. As you must already know, we are here to vote for or against CEO Clermont's resignation. Currently, the vote is a tie. Half of the shareholders are against her resignation, while the remaining half are for it. Your vote will be the tiebreaker and will determine the outcome of our meeting today." She paused for a breath. "So, what's
The Surrogate's Vendetta 108: The Vote
IN THE CHAIRMAN'S OFFICE. . . "I have decided and I can't put up with your scandals anymore, CEO Clermont," Juniper said firmly with zero shards of humor. "You have to step down from the CEO position." Chloe couldn't believe her ears. And so did her father, Antoine. "WHAT?!" They exclaimed simultaneously. Juniper met Chloe's gaze squarely. "You need to take responsibility for this situation. Your scandal is bringing bad press to the company. The best you can do at this point is to apologize to the public and resign from the CEO office." In a sudden outburst of emotion, Chloe vaulted to her feet. "You crazy bitch!" She thundered furiously. "This is all your plan, isn't it? This is what you wanted. Will any of this be happening if you haven't leaked that video?!" Juniper's face wrinkled with a grimace. "Mind your tone, Ms. Clermont," she grounded out, her voice vibrating with authority. "Don't you dare use such derogatory term on me, especially here in the company. I
