BREAKING NEWS: HEIRESS VIVIENNE BELLEROSE DIES IN A CAR ACCIDENT.
The newscaster's voice, deep and sharp, boomed as he began to convey the horrible news to the public. "Good day, everyone. On today's breaking news from Valterre City. . . the heiress of the Bellerose Frangrance, Vivienne Bellerose, has tragically passed away in a car accident. According to sources from the family, Vivienne had embarked on a trip several days ago, with plans to return soon after, but communication with her had abruptly ceased. An intensive search ensued, leading to the horrifying discovery of her car submerged in the Valterre River, having apparently veered off course, skidding down the cantilevered road to Valterre City. Reports allege that the authorities are presently conducting an exhaustive investigation into the circumstances surrounding this devastating incident. . ." Bolting upright in shock, Juniper's eyes grew wide with horror, fixated on the television screen as it displayed an image of her sister and footage of a crane hauling a waterlogged car from the depths of the Valterre River. The world around her began to spin, time slowing to a crawl as the report echoed in her ears. Her heart slammed against her chest, thudding with every fiber of her being. With panic consuming her entire being, she reeled from the crushing realization that her sister who she'd been desperately trying to reach had met an untimely, horrific end. What was going on? An accident? Just like that? Her mind raced in a wild blur, struggling to comprehend the devastating news. She'd just seen her four days ago and now she was no more. How could this have happened? What was she supposed to do now? "No, no, no, no! This can't be real," she pleaded in a whisper as if her denial alone could reverse the cruel situation. With trembling hands, Juniper's fingers closed around her phone, lying face down on the floor from her abrupt rise. In a last-ditch attempt, she dialed her sister's number, pacing frantically and pleading with fate for Vivienne to pick up, saying it was just an elaborate prank. But once again, she was met with the familiar sound of voicemail, leaving her feeling hollow and helpless. With the last shard of her fragile hope shattering, Juniper flung her phone onto the couch, sliding to the floor. Her heart withered in despair as she buried her face in her hand. What was she supposed to do now? In a bleak aftermath, Juniper found herself enveloped in the sobering atmosphere of her sister's funeral, surrounded by mourning strangers, each of their faces was an unfamiliar visage in a sea of grief. Vivienne, the woman whose kindness had warmed her despite the fact they'd barely known each other, now stood as a silent centerpiece amidst the cold stone and muffled whispers. For the past few days, all the entire nation had talked about was the tragic news of Vivienne's passing. Her untimely death dominated every conversation, radio broadcast, TV segment, and online discussion. People from all walks of life raved about nothing but the kindness, generosity, and selflessness Vivienne had shown them and how death was so cruel to have taken such a beautiful soul too soon. And wholeheartedly, Juniper couldn't agree more. She couldn't help but reminisce on those brief moments she'd shared with Vivienne. Those moments that made her pause for a while and wondered if Vivienne's kindness was solely due to the fact she was carrying her child. But as time went by, she came to realize that Vivienne's compassion and generosity knew no bounds. She was truly an angelic person who did not deserve the cruelty that life had dealt her. However, from the look of things, there was no doubt that Juniper wasn't the only one who had partaken of the beauty of her sister's heart. Vivienne's love and generosity had touched the lives of many, and it was evident in the diverse crowd of people—from the elite to the lower class—who had gathered to pay their respects and bid farewell. The funeral grounds were a poignant canvas of pure mourning as the air thickened with nothing but sadness. The mourners in black attire stood solemnly together as their murmurs carried the weight of their sorrow, rendering tributes and memories as they commemorated Vivienne's remarkable life Among the sea of black, a medley of prestigious people gathered, from high-ranking business leaders in their well-tailored suits to members of the royal family, exuding an air of grave respect. Yet, at the heart of it all was the Bellerose family who couldn't prevent the tears from pouring down their face. Their tear-stained faces screamed how much agony they were passing through from their loss. Juniper knew for sure that she couldn't compare the grief she felt for the passing of her sister with that of the raw pounding feelings of her family who had been with her for ages. As swiftly and undetectable as possible, she offered her respects before dissolving back into the crowd. She couldn't exactly introduce herself to the bereaved family at the moment. That was a step too far. She had to respect them. They were still griefing, revealing the existence of an unexpected additional to the family would be a little too much for them to bear. . . or believe. Especially coming from a strange woman they've never met in their life. She had to give them time to process their grief, biding her time until a more opportune moment to introduce herself and the little Bellerose in her womb. Because she couldn't do this. She’d finally been moving forward with her life, getting used to the idea of being free from the burden of responsibilities. And now this? It seemed the universe was hell-bent on cruelly wrecking her attempts to build a reasonable life for herself. She really felt horrible about her sister's passing, but she wasn't going to lie and say that she was a hundred percent affected. She wasn't cold-hearted. She was just used to people walking out of her life and it didn't seem to hurt that much anymore. Moreover, the child in her womb only added to her turmoil. She couldn't deny feeling guilty for the child's circumstance, but the prospect of raising a child, be it hers or not, was too great a burden to bear. And she was not willing to carry it. Not now! Not even in the near future. She'd been through a lot already and going into single parenthood was something she would never bargain for. She had to get her life back. And there was only one way to achieve that. . .Juniper stood in front of the looming massive metal gate as the morning sun cast its golden rays on the sprawling entrance of the Bellerose Estate. It seemed a world away from the life she knew and had, yet here she stood, ready to take the first step into the heart of the Bellerose family. Today was the day she had to lay everything out on the table. The day she was going to reveal the truth, a revelation that would ripple through her life and the lives of the Bellerose family, leaving no stone unturned. She'd waited for a month. A month was quite enough time for them to mourn and. . . enough for her not to lose her mind from the weight of thinking about the child growing rapidly in her womb. The clock was ticking. It was barely five months remaining before the little Bellerose would be born. The earlier she got this settled, the earlier she could move on with her life. Whatever decision they decided to take over this issue would determine the future of their gra
Antoine began to cough, sputtering and choking as the coffee he’d just swallowed slipped in the wrong direction. He definitely did not see that coming. "Are. . .are you okay?" Juniper stuttered in concern, half-rising to assist the man in any way possible, a deep-seated instinct she'd developed from years of caring for her sick mother—who had eventually passed. "I'm okay!" Antoine managed in a croaked voice, gesturing with a raised hand to reassure her. “I’m fine." He must have been taken aback by that news, Juniper thought. Her eyes drifted to his wife and apparently, Antoine wasn't the only one stunned. Florence was staring at her wide-eyed and her mouth a perfect O. She feared that the poor woman might dislocate her jaw at any moment. Maybe she shouldn't have dropped the bombshell on them that hard. But, some pieces of information were best delivered promptly without a moment of hesitation. And this one fell squarely in that category. Florence’s wor
Juniper was beyond startled that she couldn't control her eyelids from fluttering wildly. Who the hell was this weird dude? Smoking hot, no doubt. But also pretty much weird. He released her from the embrace, gazed intensely at her for a brief moment, and then pulled her back into a tight squeeze. OKAY, DUDE, CALM DOWN! PERSONAL SPACE, PLEASE! But it didn't seem like he was going to budge. "Uh. . ." Juniper chuckled awkwardly, her eyes veering to the Clermont sisters, silently pleading to be rescued from the enthusiastic man. And luckily, they picked up on her distress signal. Chloe rolled her eyes to the ceiling. "Alright, Dylan, dial it back a notch. You're creeping our guest out with your over-the-top theatrics." "Not to mention suffocating!" Audrey slotted in, her attitude mirroring that of her sister's. Finally, the man released his grip on Juniper, his moist grey eyes locked onto hers for a delicate moment before they shifted to the Cl
[BEWARE OF THE CLERMONTS!] Juniper's eyes froze at the ominous warning, her body transfixed as if rooted to the spot. What does this mean? Why was she being warned about The Clermonts? The paper trembled in her hands as her mind raced with questions and confusion. Her eyes darted around the bathroom as if she expected to find someone lurking in a corner. Was this some kind of prank or something? Juniper's eyes returned to the note again, rereading the message over and over again, uncertain what to do about the enigmatic warning. She wasn't sure whether to heed the caution or dismiss it, because it was totally absurd. The Clermonts had shown her nothing but warmth and hospitality since day one. What was this mysterious note-leaver trying to do? She had to discover the person who was behind this, but she knew she had to do it discreetly. She could tell it was one of the maids, but which one? The mystery note consumed Juniper's thoughts for days, as
Before their lips met, the thudding of someone's feet echoed through the foyer and Audrey's usually giddy voice boomed from the grand stairs. "Hey, are you guys back already?" Instantly, Juniper and Dylan tore away from each other, turning to face her. They smiled awkwardly as their voices croaked in perfect sync, "Hey, Audrey!" Their sheer abruptness made Audrey flinch backward, her eyes darting from one to the other. "Uh. . . is everything okay?" "Mm-hmm! Yeah, everything's great!" Juniper's words tumbled out in a forced cheeriness. "Absolutely! Perfectly fine!" Dylan concurred in the same spirit. Audrey dealt both of them a look of downright skepticism. "Okaaay. . ." she drawled in a raw monotone. Her tone was laced with doubt, but she seemed to dismiss her concerns, turning to Dylan with a request. "Anyways, Lanny, can I steal you away for a minute? I really need your expertise with something." Dylan nodded obligingly. "Of course, Audrey!" As he turned
CEDRIC?! Juniper couldn't stop her jaw from crash-landing to the floor. PRINCE CEDRIC WAS CHLOE'S BOYFRIEND? Before her brain could even process what was happening, the entire household suddenly bowed in reverence. "Welcome to our humble abode, Your Highness," Antoine boomed with exaggerated enthusiasm. "We, uh, weren't exactly expecting you," he added in a light tone, each word dripping with a decent amount of sarcasm. "Thanks to our lovely daughter's thoughtful planning." Chloe giggled, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Hey, I just wanted to surprise you all." Antoine shook his head good-naturedly at Chloe's antics, before turning his attention back to Cedric. "Please, accept our apologies for not giving you a proper welcome." Cedric let out a low, rumbling chuckle. "Oh, no need to apologize, really. And please, let's skip the formalities. I'll appreciate it if you treat me like. . ." His voice trailed off as his eyes shifted towards Juniper. As his
Juniper's emotions had been all over the place lately, and she wasn't sure if it was just her usual ups and downs or the crazy hormones that came with pregnancy. But one thing was weird. . . For some reason, she was genuinely glad to see Chloe kicking it off with Cedric, even though he claimed it was just a "relationship of convenience". Yet, she felt a weird twinge in her chest whenever Chloe talked about their good times together. It was like her heart was saying, "Hey, remember when you two had a thing? Yeah, that was real." She wasn't proud to admit it, but she felt a lingering attachment she couldn't shake off. But when Chloe left for a corporate retreat a few days ago, she felt a wave of relief wash over her—no more sappy stories, no more accidental run-ins with Cedric. Or so she thought! Juniper was shuffling to the grand kitchen in her extra-fluffy Sherpa slippers to get a fresh can of whipping cream—her latest craving for the week—when the chime
Juniper wasn't quite sure if her eyes were seeing correctly or if she'd lost her mind because there was no way she was witnessing Audrey and Dylan ravishing each other's bodies like starving dogs. Her hand flew to her mouth to muffle the leftover gasp that slipped off her widened mouth without warning. Luckily, they were too engrossed in their intimacy to notice anything. Without a moment of hesitation, she peeled her eyes from the horrendous sight and silently made her way back to the mansion. . . and straight to her room. What in the depths of hell did she just witness? The more she thought about it, the harder it was to wrap her head over it. AUDREY AND DYLAN?! That was beyond wild. Audrey was the sweetie-pie that was so considerate of everyone. . . and Dylan? He was one of the few best ones, so why? Why were they indulging in an act so insensitive when Vivienne wasn't even cold in her grave yet? Just then, something she didn't want to imagine
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
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
*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
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
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
"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
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,
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
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