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THIRTY: Vivienne's Last Will
Last Updated:
2024-07-23 21:06:24
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The Surrogate's Vendetta THIRTY-ONE: "I'll make them all pay"
Juniper felt overwhelmed, struggling to process the sheer magnitude of all the revelations. Just when she thought she was starting to grasp the situation, another shocking truth would surface, leaving her reeling. She was bombarded with information, and all she could do was sit frozen, absorb the blows, and desperately pray they did not destroy her. Sitting rigidly on the suddenly uncomfortable couch, Juniper listened keenly and emotionally shattered as Camille recounted the events that had fueled their unyielding determination to take down the Clermont Family. "We were quite younger when our parents died," Camille began, struggling to remain calm. However, she couldn't smother the rage in her voice. "I and my little brother, Adrien, had to live in an orphanage. He was still quite young and had better chances of getting adopted than I was. When I turned twelve and he, was four, a nice, wealthy family came to adopt him, but he didn't want to be parted with me. He wouldn't
Last Updated : 2024-07-24The 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 : 2024-08-04
Latest chapter
The Surrogate's Vendetta NINETY-FOUR: The Truth Behind Audrey's Death
Chloe didn't want to believe a word Juniper had said, but for some reason, it continued to bother her. Though she knew her father and what heinous things he was capable of, she refused to believe he had a hand in Audrey's death. Tears streamed down her face as she sped towards the Bellerose Mansion. She never realized how much Audrey meant to her until now she was gone forever. She still couldn't believe she was never going to see her again. Why was everyone close to her experiencing such misfortune except the person she desperately wished it for? Why wasn't Juniper the one dead instead of Audrey? Or was her hunch correct after all? Was Juniper the mastermind behind all these bad things happening to them? Who was she coming for next? HER?!!! Subconsciously, Chloe's sorrow gave way to a cold-gripping terror to manifest. She never thought there would come a time she'd feel so terrified by Juniper, but from the latest turn of events, she was starting to realize that
The Surrogate's Vendetta NINETY-THREE: "They might've won, but we'll be back."
Jerome braced himself for a tongue-lashing the moment he was summoned to the Station Commander's office, knowing he was in for a severe rebuke. He had expected this reaction from the very moment he chose to disregard his superior's directive. As soon as he walked in, the Station Commander's face turned red with anger. He sprang to his feet and hauled a journal at him. "You had one simple task, Detective Luc," the Commander thundered, his voice echoing through the room. "Your orders were clear: 'Do everything in your power to charge Juniper Laurent with the crime of blackmail.' And yet, what did you do? You let her go?!" Jerome swiftly caught the book before it made contact with his face. He maintained a collected attitude as he strode towards him. "I let her go because she wasn't guilty of the crime, sir," he said level-headedly, placing the book back on the table. "There was no solid evidence to hold her to the crime, sir. Are you suggesting I charge someone for what the
The Surrogate's Vendetta NINETY-TWO: The Interrogation
Juniper breathed a silent sigh of exhaustion. She already expected the cops would come for her, but not this soon— and especially not Jerome Luc. She tilted her chin defiantly, her gaze meeting his squarely "Am I being arrested?" "No, ma'am," he responded calmly. "We just have a few questions to ask you." "Great," she retorted. "If I'm not being arrested, then it's okay to go to the station all by myself, right?" "Of course, ma'am," he replied with a sigh. "Whenever you're ready." That was all Juniper needed to hear before she spun on her heels and returned from where she came from. Back in her bedroom, she punched in Camille's number and called her. "Hey, Camille. I don't think I can make it to your place now. The cops came for me, accompanied by your friend, Jerome. I'll head first to the station, please get our lawyer ready—" Just then, the twin doors to Juniper's bedroom swung open with a sudden burst, and in came a seething monarchess. "Juniper L
The Surrogate's Vendetta NINETY-ONE: Audrey's Death
Juniper's hand dropped to her side as she stood frozen in front of the TV, her eyes fixed on the screen in horror.___ "Tragedy has struck the Clermont Family," The news anchor announced, his tone calm and solemn. "Audrey Clermont, the talented A-list actress and second daughter of the esteemed Clermont Family, was found dead on the grounds of her home early this morning. Report alleged a handwritten suicide note was discovered on the rooftop of her house, where it is believed she took her own life by jumping to her death. The suicide note suggests that the late actress had taken her own life due to the constant blackmail she'd received from the Young Prince's mother of Forêt-bleue, Juniper Laurent, who allegedly had requested a huge sum in exchange for keeping her secret silent. Shockingly, Audrey had once been in the adult movie industry, under the pseudonym, Kiki Miles, and this was realized at exactly 1:00 am today when an X-rated video starring the late actress was
The Surrogate's Vendetta NINETY: The Deadly Secret
DINNER TIME AT THE BELLEROSE MANSION. . . Audrey had initiated a family dinner to catch up on each other's lives— a ploy she'd come up with to retrieve the flash drive from her father's safe— but Chloe being Chloe made the entire dinner about herself, going on and on about her struggles in the palace. . . and her sheer hatred for Juniper. "That witch is up to something, trust me," Chloe rambled on, waving her cutlery in the air. "'cause, tell me why she was all cozied up to Dylan, and all of a sudden his secret was divulged to the public." Florence, who was hanging on to every word her daughter spoke, nodded her head in agreement. "You're right," she said barely above a whisper. "Not to mention how the Dupont kid mysteriously disappeared into thin air." "If you ask me, I don't think Dylan ‘mysteriously disappeared into thin air’," Chloe countered pointedly. "His family must have snuck him out of the country way before the cops came for him. He's their only child, there
The Surrogate's Vendetta EIGHTY-NINE: "There's no BUT. I like you too..."
After receiving that bleak call from Camille that morning, Damien had barely concentrated throughout the competition. He could think of nothing else but her. In fact, it had taken all that was holy for him to actually come first place. He left the stadium right after claiming his gold medal and the first thing he did was rush over to Camille's place to check up on her, only to find her house empty. He rang her countless times but her phone was switched off— which was totally unlike her. He was so worried that he remained there at her front gate, leaving numerous voicemails, and hoping that she returned home as soon as she received them. After hours and hours passed by, panic set in. He began to pace restlessly in front of his packed car, glancing at his phone at every second. "God! Where the hell is this woman?" Damien whispered to himself, his voice inundated with concern and anxiety. "Hold on! What if. . . what if she'd been on her way to the pharmacy and coll
The Surrogate's Vendetta EIGHTY-EIGHT: A Half-hearted Alliance
"NO! NO FREAKING WAY!" Juniper and Camille yelled in unison. It was a good thing Juniper had reserved the entire coffee shop so that they could sit and discuss in private without being conscious of others. Because with the way they shouted, the other customers would've thought they were insane. Juniper's gaze blazed as she threw her forefinger in the face of Jerome Luc who was sitting next to Audrey in their table of four. "There's no way we're working with him." "Exactly. Cops can't be trusted," Camille agreed with her. She then turned her piercing eyes at Jerome. "Why the hell are you EVERYWHERE?" But Jerome flashed her a smug smile, shrugging his shoulders. "It's a small world, I guess," he said casually right before taking a sip of his coffee. Audrey's eyes blinked in confusion. "Wait! You guys know each other already?" "Yeah, it's a long story," Juniper responded dismissively, her eyes narrowed as they locked on Audrey. "How exactly do you two k
The Surrogate's Vendetta EIGHTY-SEVEN: Confronting Audrey
THAT SAME EVENING. . . Juniper stood at the front door of Audrey's house, waiting for someone to answer the door. She'd bid her time the week, waiting for Audrey's arrival and the rightful moment to confront her. And today was the day. She was NOT leaving here without what she came for. In no time, the front door swung open and Audrey appeared before her, holding her son in the crook of her arm. She hesitated for a moment, her eyes widened. "J- Juniper?" She stuttered, her tone filled with surprise and confusion. "What brings you here?" But Juniper's countenance remained calm. Her chocolate-tinted lips morphed into a huge smile as she fluttered her fingers at her. "Hello, Audrey. It's been a while." When Audrey didn't respond but continued to stare at her with skepticism plastered on her face, she chuckled to herself, tilting her head to the side before asking, "Can I come in?" Snapping out of her dense mode, Audrey nodded in return ushering her into the house. "Oh, I
The Surrogate's Vendetta EIGHTY-SIX: "I want to make you the happiest woman alive..."
As they walked towards the line of food stalls, Damien's eyes twinkled with admiration as he watched Camille, until he couldn't resist the urge no more. He discreetly pulled out his phone from his jacket pocket and began to snap photos of her, trying to be as sneaky as possible. But, Camille's sharp senses caught on almost immediately. She frowned at him, her eyes narrowing in annoyance. "Hey, you can't take photos of me without my consent," she said firmly, as she reached out to grab the phone from his hand. Damien, still grinning, held the phone out of her reach, teasing her with the device as he continued to take photos. "Sorry, I couldn't help myself," he said cheekily, the camera clicking away as he tried to get the perfect shot. "You're just too pretty." Camille shot him one last death glare before she sighed deeply in defeat and continued walking. Damien chuckled again, slipping his phone back into his pocket. "You know, coming to an amusement park before a
