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THIRTY-ONE: "I'll make them all pay"
Last Updated:
2024-07-24 23:56:10
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The Surrogate's Vendetta THIRTY-TWO: The Gatecrasher
TWO YEARS LATER. . . At the Forêt-Bleue International Airport, a woman emerged from the departure gate, her confidence gripping attention as she rolled a sleek suitcase beside her. She was clad in an exquisite black micro short dress, its V neckline plunging daringly, showcasing a generous amount of her cleavage. The dress hugged her curves in all the right places, accentuating her toned physique and revealing flawless long legs. Over her stunning ensemble, she swung an elegant black fur coat, draping down to her calves in a subtle sheen. Her silky chestnut hair cascaded below her mid-back in soft waves, nearly camouflaging with the luxurious texture of her coat. As the gentle breeze rippled her hair, a black leaf-shaped diamond earring dangled from each of her ears. The enigmatic woman was Juniper Laurent, a stark contrast to the timid and unassuming woman she used to be. Her every step, every move, and every gesture screamed affluence and sophistication. T
Last Updated : 2024-07-26The Surrogate's Vendetta THIRTY-THREE: The Secret Child
In over eight centuries, the Cathedral of Royal Light had witnessed a total of twenty-seven iconic royal weddings, but none had ever descended into chaos like this one. Probably because none of the past weddings had a vindictive woman like Juniper to deal with. Standing amidst the confused and buzzing crowd, Juniper stepped out of the pew, taking hold of the little child's hand sitting next to her—her son, baby Hector Bellerose, who was dressed in a cute, little black tux that made his lustrous blonde hair stand out so perfectly and matched Juniper's dark attire, creating an almost striking similarity between mother and son. Ambling almost at the same pace, Juniper and her tiny protégé, with a confident swagger, ate up the aisle like it was their personal runway as made their way to the altar. All eyes were heavy on them as they walked by, pew after pew. The cameras were clicking even more frequently than earlier, capturing the electrifying moment that was bound t
Last Updated : 2024-07-27The Surrogate's Vendetta THIRTY-FOUR: "The Wedding Will Be Postponed"
The royal wedding was temporarily put on hold, and the parties involved—The immediate Royal Family, The Clermont Family, Juniper, and her son—were escorted to the private and relatively quiet space of the vestry to discuss the situation, away from the main cathedral area and the public eye. Even as they sat around the huge wooden table, Cedric could neither believe his ears nor his eyes. He was beyond flummoxed! After the last time he had seen Juniper, she'd disappeared, dropped from the face of the Earth. No one knew where she'd gone, not even the Clermonts. A lot of assumptions had gone through his mind the past few years— Perhaps, she'd taken his warning and disappeared from his life or worst. . . she'd died somewhere and no one knew about it. But now here she was, after all these years, with a child. . . claiming he was his. How was that even possible? Last he checked, the child she was carrying, belonged to her late sister, Vivienne, and her fi
Last Updated : 2024-07-28The Surrogate's Vendetta THIRTY-FIVE: The Right-hand Man
Baby Hector was already fast asleep when Juniper finally arrived at the house that she shared with Camille. Even the voice of his favorite Aunt Camie and the barking of his furry best friend, Caesar, couldn't shake him from his slumber. "He seems dead to the world," Camille remarked in a monotone. "He IS dead to the world," Juniper returned with a chuckle. Camille's deep ebony eyes danced with affection as she took the sleeping child from Juniper's arm, planting baby kisses all over his chubby face. "Oh, my little cutie. Aunt Camie missed you so much." Hector was the only one Juniper knew who was capable of eliciting warmth from the stone-cold woman. And it was just pleasing to behold. Moments later, after tucking Hector into his bed, Juniper and Camille made a beeline for the study. As they entered the cozy room, their eyes fell upon a beautifully crafted miniature sculpture of Aphrodite, nestled among an assortment of other small, exquisite figurines adorni
Last Updated : 2024-08-01The Surrogate's Vendetta THIRTY-SIX: The Shocking Test Result
It was already five days since Juniper had come back to Forêt-Bleue and turned their lives upside down, yet the Royal Family was still battling with the turbulent aftermath. Cedric was beyond exhausted. His eyes felt like leaden weights, his mind numb from the relentless barrage of scrutiny and the public pleasing. What has he not done? He had faced the unforgiving glare of the press, endured the harsh spotlight of television interviews, and painstakingly stitched together every fragile thread of their family's reputation, leaving no seam unpicked, no detail unattended, in a desperate bid to avoid any scandals from penetrating. As if the situation wasn't already volatile enough, Juniper was now pouring gasoline on the flames by taking to social media, fueling the public's outrage with her controversial posts and incendiary claims. He was struggling to comprehend what exactly she hoped to achieve by doing all this. Was this her way of seeking revenge? Was sh
Last Updated : 2024-08-02The Surrogate's Vendetta THIRTY-SEVEN: War Between The Clermont Sisters
Chloe was not thinking straight. In fact, she wasn't capable of thinking at all. Her mind was clouded with sheer anger and murderous intent as she stormed into the Bellerose Mansion, clutching the test results in her hand. She needed no soothsaying to know that the cousin the doctor had spoken of was Audrey. She was the only living cousin she had. Even though, she still couldn't believe it. Audrey had had a child. How? When? As if that wasn't horrible enough, she had gone to the extent of switching her son with hers. Why? For what reason? She couldn't believe her most trusted relative, someone she'd regarded as her sister for as long as she could remember, had done this to her. With roof-rattling rage, Chloe roared the name of her current enemy. "AUDREY!" From somewhere inside the mansion, Audrey shuffled into the foyer where Chloe was waiting. "Jeez, Chloe," she mumbled drowsily, rubbing one of her eyes. "What is going on with you? Why are you
Last Updated : 2024-08-03The Surrogate's Vendetta THIRTY-EIGHT: A Meeting With The Royal Family
Juniper's laughter saturated the air of the SID, a raucous and unrestrained sound, as she got off the phone with their mole inside the Bellerose Mansion who had just filled her in on the havoc unfolding within the enemy's walls. She wished she could witness the stunned look on their faces firsthand but it was satisfying enough that she knew they were ripping themselves apart. At this very moment, they must be racking their brains, trying to figure out how their son got switched. But little did they know, she was the mastermind behind the swap. And what's more, it had been a spur-of-the-moment move, a ridiculously easy one to execute at that. A sly smile spread across her face as Juniper traveled down memory lane. She and Camille strategically placed multiple moles within their enemies' territories, gathering intel from various sources. However, during her time in the United States, she had specifically instructed one of these moles to focus on keeping an ey
Last Updated : 2024-08-04The Surrogate's Vendetta THIRTY-NINE: Prince Éti— Étienne Leaves The Palace
"She can't stay here, Your Highness!" Chloe protested loudly as she burst into Cedric's study. "She won't stay here! I won't allow it!" Cedric already knew who she was referring to without asking. He peeled his eyes away from the computer's screen to glance at her. "The decision has been made, Chloe," he said evenly, shifting his gaze back to the monitor. "There's nothing more we can do about it." But Chloe was not listening. She was furious. Maybe a little anxious too. "But I see no point letting her stay in the Royal Palace," she snapped. "We could just take your son away from her. Why should we indulge her?" Cedric barely managed to keep his tone neutral as he replied to the seething woman, "Because that was her only condition. She won't let us take Hector unless was allowed to accompany him." "And why should we even listen to her absurd demands? She's even not his biological mother. She's just a surrogate. We don't even need a good lawyer to fight for full
Last Updated : 2024-08-05
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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
