Camille's mind could barely focus on the road as she drove towards the location the investigator had sent her— Dr. Philippe's current address. It had taken several months of diligent searching, but finally, the doctor who had conducted the autopsy on Vivienne's body was found, living in a small, secluded village on the outskirts of Forêt-bleue. It had been so not an easy task to find the man. Apart from the fact he tended to relocate to a different location every three months, he had changed every single thing about himself. . . down to his identity. Camille was both relieved and anxious. Relieved that they were finally blessed with an opportunity to figure out Vivienne's actual cause of death. But then again, she was filled with anxiety that meeting Dr. Philippe may turn out to be a futile attempt, considering the man had done everything in his power to stay hidden from the world. But whatever the outcome, she was not leaving this village without the truth.
"When did this happen?" Juniper asked as she and Camille followed right behind Kevin into The K&J Agency building. The modeling agency was in its usual state, bustling with stunning faces and impeccably toned physiques, as the models and staff went about their daily routines, oblivious to the devastating tragedy that had just struck. "The night before yesterday!" Came Kevin's succinct answer as he absentmindedly nodded to the salutations of his employees/subordinates." "The night before yesterday?" Camille repeated as her mind went back to that day. The day she'd been dragged to Damien's Island birthday party. She'd been out unwinding while someone's daughter had been violated when she could have done something to stop it. "If only I'd been around. . . I could have helped the poor girl." "This isn't you're fault, Cam," Juniper countered, her hand reaching out to pat her back. "No one knew this would happen. Let's focus less on self-blame and more on sending Dy
[NEWS BROADCAST: Good afternoon, and welcome to our afternoon news broadcast. Today, we have a shocking story that has sent shockwaves through the modeling industry and the entire region of Forêt-bleue. Dylan Dupont, an A-list model and the only son of The influential Dupont Family has been accused of sexual assault. Earlier this morning, a video testimony from the victim was released online along with videos and photos as clear evidence of the assault. The allegations against him are disturbing, and what's even more alarming is that this is not an isolated incident. According to reports, multiple women have come forward, claiming that they too were sexually harassed by Dylan in the past. These brave women have testified against him, sharing their own horrific experiences with the model. Report also alleged that Dylan's family, who own one of the most prestigious law firms in the region, has been responsible for covering up his crimes for the past years, using their influe
Juniper had a full-blown smirk of satisfaction, playing on her lips as Dylan poured out his heart—pathetically—over the phone. "You're the only one I can trust. My parents have turned their back on me and I have no one else. I can't go to prison, Juni. I won't survive in there." "Dylan. . ." "I swear on my life, I didn't do it on purpose. I was drunk and that little bitch took advantage of the situation to frame me. Please, help me again this once, and I promise to be indebted to you forever." Juniper loosened a deep sigh. "To be honest, Dylan. I don't know how I can help you get away with this one," she responded, her voice laced with false concern. "This isn't a minor issue. There is enough hard evidence pinning you to the crime." She paused for a moment, and let out another sigh. "But I have a way to help you evade the police. I can help you stowaway abroad and settle there for a while until things blow over here—" "I'll take it," Dylan accepted readily. "I'll do whatever it
Juniper clapped twice, and immediately, a dozen women began to roll the stand on which the barrel settled toward their direction. "I'm sure you must not remember most of us, but everyone in this room you have caused great pain," she continued. "And you are about to face the repercussions of your actions." Dylan's body stiffened from anxiety as Juniper moved away, giving way for the women to match forward. One of them who held up a heated, T-shaped branding iron, glowing red in the dim-lighted room, neared the remaining gap between them with an ominous smile dancing across her lips. He needed no one to tell him who she was. She was the little bitch who had created this whole mess he was dealing with right now. She looked him squarely in the eye, her voice emerging in a sinister whisper. "Remember me? I told you that you'll pay for this, didn't I?" Dylan fumed, his nostrils flaring aggressively. "You little bi— Ahhhhhhhhhh!" The scream yanked out of his mout
"I wish I could have been there to see him suffer," Camille breathed, her voice tinged with regret. Juniper nodded in agreement. "Same here, but you were handling the most crucial task of all. Knowing the Duponts, they'll likely launch an investigation once they realize their son is missing. That's why it was necessary to remove all evidence of our wiretapping and cameras from Dylan's house to prevent them from tracing it back to us and potentially uncovering our involvement." Camille adjusted her position in her seat. "Well, now that we've taken care of Dylan, it's time to focus on our next target: Audrey. Since we already know her little, dirty secrets, getting the truth out of her will be a cakewalk." "Of course. I'll find a way to meet her." Juniper concurred matter-of-factly. "Last I checked, she's currently filming a movie abroad. I've already sent the guys to keep an eye on her and inform us as soon as she returns to France." "Great," Camille nodded, he
Camille continued to toss and turn restlessly on her bed even after the first rays slipped through the slight openings of her curtains. She didn't know why she'd let Juniper fill her head with thoughts of Damien or why she'd allow herself to think about him even on her supposed peaceful nights. Something was seriously wrong with her. But then again, how could she behave normally when all she could think about was the image of him on that day he'd kissed her? And worst of all, it was the altered and exaggerated version that her imagination kept feeding her. She squeezed her eyes tight shut, her heart hammering against her chest as an imagination she hadn't known she possessed began to taunt her with vivid images. Though he'd been in a swimsuit that day, she thought about him naked with nothing but thin swim trunks that clung to his groin sensually, accentuating the huge protrusion at the inevitable center. With droplets of water gleaming against his pretty face, to
Antoine Clermont? What was he doing here in the Prime minister's Residence? What was that vile man up to this time? Questions and suspicions swirled around her head in a frenzy as she watched him intensely. Then their gaze met and held for a brief moment, before his wife, Florence Clermont, came out of the car, drawing his attention to her. For obvious reasons, whenever she saw him her heart, body, and soul automatically get overcome with uncontrollable rage. This was the man who had taken her little brother away from her and silenced her with wealth and power. She wanted to storm over there, grab him by the throat, and ask him where the hell he'd taken her brother. But that was a terrible idea no matter how tempting it was. He couldn't possibly recognize her now. She wasn't that helpless, little girl he'd once known— And keeping it that way was the best. She couldn't blow her cover. Not now, not yet. "Hey, are you coming or what?" Damien called out to her
[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
"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
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
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
[ 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
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
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
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
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