LOGINAurelia’s POVThe next morning, the air felt different, lighter, clearer. For the first time in weeks, I woke up without dread pressing on my chest.The chauffeur arrived, his usual polite smile in place. Oliver was clutching his lunchbox, chattering about a school project.“You’ll no longer be taking him to his father’s house,” I said firmly.“Yes, ma’am. Mr. Julien already informed me,” he replied with a respectful nod.I smiled, relief washing through me. “Thank you. I’ll be picking him up myself today.”“Yes, ma’am.”As they drove off, I stood outside for a second, watching the car disappear down the street. At work, the hours blurred by. Before closing, I texted Julien:‘I’m heading to Grant’s place to get Oliver’s things.’His reply came almost instantly.> ‘You’re not going alone. I’ll be right behind you.’A smile tugged at my lips. Of course he’d say that.When I told Cassia, she dropped her pen and grabbed her bag. “Oh, no way! You’re not having all the fun without me.”By
Aurelia’s POVI forced a trembling smile, my eyes already misty as I walked up to Grant. The moment he saw me, his expression softened, but only for a second before the usual smugness crept back in.“Hey,” he said casually, pulling me into a brief hug that felt more like a performance than comfort.“Thank you for agreeing to meet me,” I murmured, my voice low and tired as I sat down. I placed my phone on the table, screen unlocked, camera facing down, just enough for him to notice that I was recording. He looked at it, before sitting.“Of course,” he said, leaning back. “You want anything?”I shook my head and sniffled softly. “No, I’m fine.”“Poor thing,” he said with a mock pout, shaking his head. I hesitated, playing with the edge of my napkin. “Do you… do you still want us to work this out?”He clicked his tongue and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. The shift in his tone was immediate, arrogant, entitled, familiar.“You’ll need to stop this whole power woman thin
Aurelia’s POVThe next day at the office, everyone gathered around Cassia like she was the sunshine they’d missed. Laughter filled the hallway, with teasing questions about the engagement ring that was still trending online.When she finally entered my office, she shut the door behind her.“I told Lawrence everything. He said to let him know once you’ve got the evidence,” she said, leaning on my desk.“Oh? I was hoping Julien would use his lawyers,” I replied.“Why?” she asked.“You guys should be focused on the wedding, not lawsuits. From what I see, Julien’s probably going to want to settle down soon,” I said teasingly.Cassia laughed, tucking her hair behind her ear. “Please, even if it’s on the wedding day, we’ll still go to court if we have to. Most of the wedding prep is being handled by his family anyway, so don’t worry.”I smiled, warmth blooming in my chest. “Thank you. It’ll be really nice to have him represent me. He’s a good lawyer.”“The devil’s advocate for a reason,” sh
Aurelia’s POVI took my phone and went straight to Julien's office. The moment I stepped into his office, he looked up from his desk, and his expression shifted instantly. He could always tell when something was off.“Baby, what’s wrong?” he asked, already rising from his seat.My hands trembled as I held out my phone. “It was Grant,” I said, my voice shaking.His brows furrowed. “What do you mean, it was Grant?”I swallowed hard, my heart pounding so fast it almost drowned my words. “The pictures. The scandal. The leak, it was him, Julien. He’s the one who released them.”Julien’s jaw tightened, his face turning cold. “I suspected as much,” he muttered.“The photo from the hotel…” I took a breath, my throat dry. “That was from our second anniversary at Stonecold Hotel. That night, I was drunk, upset, and he…” I couldn’t finish the sentence.Julien walked around the desk. “Then we need evidence, baby. Solid proof. If we can link this back to him, we can destroy his credibility complet
Aurelia’s POVSleep refused to come. My body felt alive, humming with leftover joy, the proposal, the gifts, the laughter, everything. It was like happiness had moved into my bloodstream and was refusing to let go.I turned slightly and found Julien watching me in the dim glow from the bedside lamp. His hair was tousled, his eyes soft and curious.“You said Lawrence is their only child?” he asked, voice low and lazy.“Yes,” I said, brushing my fingers over his chest absentmindedly. “But he grew up surrounded by cousins, so he never really felt alone.”Julien nodded, his thumb tracing idle circles on my arm. “It’s obvious his parents love children. You can tell from the gifts they gave.”“I know, right?” I said, smiling at the thought. “Cassia’s future kids are going to be so spoiled.”He smiled. I turned my head to look at him properly. “Actually… her mother-in-law reminds me of you.”“Me?” He looked adorably confused.“Yes,” I said softly. “She’s warm, kind, thoughtful… the way she
Aurelia’s POVWhen dinner finally ended, the lights dimmed to a soft amber glow and staff began handing out small gift bags tied with satin ribbons. Everything about the night felt surreal, like something out of a romance movie where the credits were about to roll.“I’ll send you the video,” Lawrence said to me with a grin.Cassia’s eyes widened instantly. “Wait, there’s a video?”He smirked. “You didn’t notice the content creator?” He pointed toward a guy adjusting his camera by the side of the garden. Only then did I realize, it was the same one I’d hired for Cassia’s birthday shoot.Cassia gasped dramatically and smacked his chest. “Oh Lawrence, I swear I’m going to fuck you so hard you won’t be able to walk tomorrow!”My jaw dropped and I burst out laughing, covering my face with my hand. “Cassia!” I hissed between laughs, completely mortified but dying inside because this was so her.She giggled, cheeks flushed, eyes glassy from champagne and joy. That was Cassia, either saying







