LOGINJulien’s POVThe court moved fast.Too fast for comfort, some said. But when a case is dragged into the public square and set on fire, speed becomes inevitable. That video had spread like wildfire, uncensored in its meaning even where the images were blurred. People didn’t just want justice. They demanded it.Isolde was sentenced to two life terms.Still, it wasn’t enough for some. Outside the courthouse, voices rose, calling for her death, for an ending as final as the damage she’d caused.I didn’t share that hunger.Life in prison. Hard labour. No parole. That was justice to me. Let her wake up every day in the same concrete reality, stripped of power, forced to sit with the ruins of her own making. Death would have been an escape. Reflection was the punishment she deserved.Work swallowed me whole after the perfume launch. Meetings blurred into each other. Calls came in waves. The rainforest fragrance took off faster than projections, and the demand refused to slow down. Success ha
Aurelia’s POVWe got to the hospital with our hearts galloping ahead of us. Police officers lined the corridor, their faces tight, professional, uneasy. This was no ordinary incident. This was aftermath.The commissioner spotted us immediately and walked over, rubbing his forehead like he’d aged ten years in one night.“What’s going on?” Julien asked.The commissioner exhaled slowly. “You’re not going to believe this.My stomach sank.“In the dead of the night,” he began, “Grant requested food. There was only one officer stationed outside his room at the time. When the officer stepped away to get it…” He paused, gathering himself. “Grant somehow managed to uncuff himself. We’re still investigating how.”Julien’s jaw clenched.“He triggered the fire alarm,” the commissioner continued. “Chaos followed. Nurses running, alarms screaming, security stretched thin.” he paused.“Grant made his way straight to Isolde’s room,” he said. “When the officer tried to stop him, Grant wrestled the gun
Aurelia’s POV“And the warehouse?” I asked, heart pounding.“The police arrested two of the men working for her,” Julien replied.I looked toward his mother and shook my head. She glanced down, sadness shadowing her features. The reality of what had happened.After the call ended I sat quietly, she must be arrested, she has to be arrested.My phone buzzed. Matteo’s name flashed across the screen. I answered immediately.“Tell Julien and his men,” he said briskly. “I’ve got her surrounded at Fifth Avenue. Grant too.”I squealed, unable to contain the rush of joy and relief that hit me.“Wait… what about Selene?” I asked, suddenly anxious again.“She’s here with me,” Matteo replied.“She… was able to go out?” I asked, incredulous.He chuckled softly, then ended the call.I turned to Julien’s mother. “What is it?” I asked.“My friend got them,” she said, her lips curving into a small, proud smile.I immediately called Julien. Once he heard, he and his men rushed straight to the location.
Aurelia’s POV“Don’t worry,” Julien announced, his voice tense but determined. “I’m calling the commissioner right now. I’ll give them the details, we’ll track it, and the video will be exposed. I’m… fighting Isolde in a petty way.”I frowned slightly. “Be careful,” I warned, my fingers twisting nervously in my lap.Matteo stood up suddenly. “I’m going with you.”Julien glanced at him, eyes sharp. Then he nodded, understanding that having Matteo at his side was non-negotiable.“I’ll call your mum to check on the kids,” I said. “They have no exams today, so she can keep them busy.”“Okay,” Julien said, already moving toward the door.Both of them left. I sank onto the couch, the weight of solitude settling on me.I picked up my phone and dialed his mom. After greetings, I said, “Please, would you be free to be with the kids? We left before they woke up, and the staff will likely be in the house now, but I don’t want them freaking out.”“I’ll be on my way now,” she said, concern softeni
Aurelia’s POV“I’m so sorry,” I said softly, meaning far more than the words could carry.Selene lifted her gaze to me, eyes still rimmed with exhaustion. “Thank you for coming so quickly.”Julien shifted beside me, his expression all sharp angles and quiet fury. “About the video,” he said carefully. “You saved it, right? The part that shows the murder.”“Yes,” she replied without hesitation. “The video and the conversation. They mentioned K Tech too.”The air in the room tightened.I turned slowly toward Julien. “I have a strong feeling it’s your accountant.”His jaw flexed, the idea clearly landing where it hurt most.“We should go look for the phone,” Matteo said, already thinking in routes and contingencies.“No need,” Julien replied calmly. “If they haven’t destroyed it already, they’ll have searched for it. My tech guy will hack it.”Selene’s hands curled into fists. “I’m scared, Aurelia,” she whispered. “That woman… she’s brutal. I know they’re looking for me.”I placed a hand
Aurelia’s POVI didn’t waste time thinking. I called Matteo.“I need your help, urgently,” I said the moment he picked up. My voice sounded steadier than I felt. “I asked Grant’s girlfriend to get me some information. Now she’s in danger.”There was no panic on his end, only the quiet shift of a man switching into action mode.“Send me the location,” he said.I hesitated, fingers tightening around my phone. “Matteo… I want this done quietly. No noise. No headlines.”“That’s not a problem,” he replied smoothly.We sent him the exact coordinates her phone was pinging from, then all we could do was wait. Every second stretched thin, brittle with dread. My eyes kept drifting to the screen, as if staring harder might will it to change.Not long after, my phone rang again.“She’s not at the location you sent,” Matteo said.My stomach dropped. “That doesn’t make sense. Her phone is pointing in that direction.”There was a brief pause on the line, the kind that carried weight.“Could it be th
Aurelia’s POVWhen it finally ended, I could barely move. My skin was warm, my heart still stumbling over itself. Julien was lying beside me, his chest rising and falling, a sheen of sweat glistening under the soft city lights.“That,” I whispered breathlessly, “was… what exactly?”He smirked witho
Julien’s POVThe shrill vibration of my phone shattered the quiet of the morning.I groaned, reaching for it, but I saw the caller ID, Liam, a close friend and media executive. He rarely called this early.“Good morning,” he said.“Morning,” I replied, still half-asleep. “What’s wrong?”A pause. Th
Aurelia’s POV The next morning, the chauffeur arrived to pick Oliver up for school. He looked so small with his backpack strapped on, his lips pursed in a faint pout. “I’ll miss you, Mommy,” he murmured. I bent down, hugged him tight, and kissed his cheek. “Don’t worry, weekend will come before y
Aurelia’s POVThe next morning, my car trunk was packed with souvenirs from every country we’d visited, a little piece of each memory tucked into a glossy bag. I kissed Julien goodbye, and he lingered for a second longer than usual, his hand brushing my chin before letting go.I drove to Cassia’s







