LOGINJulian's heart skipped as soon as Dan spoke. He had spent the entire morning anxious about the meeting and wondering what he would say to her when he actually saw her, but hearing that she was there sent him into a full panic mode. "Mr Vale?" Dan called politely, standing by the door. Julian immediately cleared his throat and sat up straighter in his chair. He adjusted his tie, ran a hand through his hair, and then quickly stopped himself before he looked too eager. "Show her in," he said, forcing his voice to remain calm.The second Dan left the office, Julian grabbed a ransom file on his desk and opened it. He lowered his head and pretended to be engrossed by whatever was in the documents, acting like he had been working the entire time.A few seconds later, the door opened. He didn't look up at first, still absorbed in his act. Then, a familiar scent drifted through the room, causing him to pause. His grip tightened around the file. Even after all these years, her taste in per
After sitting there for a while, Julian finally forced himself to lie back down. He desperately wanted sleep to take his mind off everything for a few hours.But just as he reached for the lamp beside the bed, his phone suddenly dinged. Julian frowned and picked it up.It was a message from Dan.Dan: [Reminder: Your meeting with Sophia King from LuminaTech is scheduled for tomorrow at 2PM.]The moment he read the message, his heartbeat changed instantly.He would see Sophia again tomorrow.A strange mix of nervousness and excitement filled his chest so suddenly that he sat upright again without realizing it. Julian stared at the text for several long seconds.Part of him couldn’t wait to see her again. The other part dreaded it completely.Their first interaction at the gala had gone terribly and he still couldn’t forget the coldness in her eyes whenever she looked at him. It was like she genuinely saw him as nothing more than a stranger now.And honestly? He deserved it.Julian exhal
Julian stared at Serena silently after his words left her mouth, waiting for her to laugh and tell him she was only joking. She didn't. Instead, she stood there looking completely serious, her eyes filled with so much determination it almost gave him a headache. Seeing how serious she was about the words that had just left her lips ade him wonder of she had truly lost her senses. "You're not being serious, are you?" He asked flatly, his voice filled with exhaustion rather than anger. Serena's expression darkened immediately, his brows creasing. "Are you seriously asking me that?" She retorted sharply."Why would I not be serious? Do you think I am joking after waiting five years for you to finally feel like actually feel like getting married to me?" Julian dragged a hand down his face tiredly. He already knew where this conversation was heading and he honestly did not have the energy for it anymore.“You’re acting like I haven’t been patient enough,” Serena continued angrily, fold
Julian finally looked up at her properly, his patience running out. “I said I’m not in the mood for this.”Serena laughed bitterly. “Of course you’re not. Because apparently all it takes is one appearance from Sophie for you to forget everything!”“Can we not do this now? I had a really long day and would love to rest." Julian pleaded, ruffling his hair with his left hand. An ugly look flashed across Serena's face. "Wow." She whispered bitterly. "You're not even going to deny the fact that you were ogling another woman while your fiancé was two steps away!" Julian looked away immediately. “That’s not what this is.”“Then what is it?” Serena yelled. “Tell me what exactly this is because I’m tired!” Her voice cracked with frustration as years of bottled anger poured out uncontrollably.“You hated Sophie for years!” she shouted. “You couldn’t stand her! You treated her like she was ruining your life because she came between us!”Julian’s expression darkened instantly. "That was before
Serena sat on the edge of her bed, her fingers scrolling aggressively through her phone while anger burned through every inch of her body. The room was silent except for the quiet hum of the air conditioner, the sharp tapping of her nails against the screen, and the occasional scoff escaping her lips. Every headline was about Sophie...no, it was Sophia King now. "What a stupid change of name. It's practically the same name." She scoffed, rolling her eyes dramatically.She could not believe the internet. The woman who disappeared five years ago after being humiliated and discarded by everyone, including the public, now had her face plastered across every business blog, entertainment page, and social media platform in the country. She was the most searched word on the internet within the last twenty-four hours. Pictures from the gala flooded the internet, capturing Sophie in that black dress as she walked into the ballroom like she owned the entire world. [LuminaTech CEO shocks Ne
Sophia stared at Lara for a few seconds after hearing her words. The expression on her face was so blank that Lara almost burst into laughter before she even explained properly.“What do you mean they never got married?” Sophia asked again slowly, like her brain refused to process the information correctly. “Serena was literally waving a flashy ring in my face yesterday.”Lara snorted loudly and leaned back against her chair. “Exactly, hun. A 'ring'. That wasn't a wedding ring, my friend.”Sophia blinked twice before narrowing her eyes suspiciously. “Lara.”“I’m serious,” Lara insisted immediately, raising both hands dramatically. “The wedding never happened.”Sophia continued staring at her in disbelief.For years, she had convinced herself that Julian and Serena were happily married somewhere while she was the only one carrying the pain of the past. She imagined them building the perfect life together after finally getting rid of her. When she returned and saw the large rock sitting
Julian's eyes widened instantly as the commotion pulled him back to reality. He quickly looked ahead and his heart nearly stopped when he saw that a small child had appeared directly in front of his car.He slammed hard against the brakes immediately, the sharp screech echoing loudly against the st
One Week LaterJulian was halfway through reviewing a contract when his phone rang loudly across the office. The sharp sound dragged him out of his concentration and immediately worsened the headache that had been building behind his eyes since morning.Without checking the caller ID, he picked up
He sighed, running his hand through his hair. Just as he was about to shove his phone back into his pocket, another message entered. Serena: [You haven’t been home properly in days. I miss you.] His jaw tightened instantly. For a second, he considered ignoring the messages entirely, but eventuall
Five Years LaterThe sound of papers flipping echoed softly through the office as Dan, Julian's assistant, stood in front of Julian's desk, tablet in hand, listing the names of guests confirmed for the annual charity gala. The event was only a few days away, yet Julian barely looked interested in a







