•Juliet POV•I turned on the shower and stepped into the bathroom, letting the warm water run down my body. My eyes fluttered shut as I stood under the spray, feeling the steady stream graze my skin like a soft, comforting touch. The warmth melted into my sore muscles, washing away the tension from the day, a day that had threatened to tear me apart.For a few minutes, I stayed like that, just letting the water fall, grounding me in the moment. I tried not to think. I just stood there, breathing in the steam and silence.Eventually, I turned off the water and reached for a towel, wrapping it around myself. I padded into my bedroom, still dripping slightly, and pulled out a soft, knee-length cream dress from the closet. It hugged me gently, light and breathable. I ran a brush through my hair and pulled it into a simple ponytail before pausing in front of the mirror. My reflection stared back at me, quiet and thoughtful.I exhaled a long breath, the kind that came from deep in my chest.
•Juliet's POV•It took me a split second to get a grip on myself and realize I wasn't the one who had been shot. I blinked, staring at Edward. He must've rushed in front of me, shielding me from the bullet. My hand flew to my mouth, covering it as I watched him fall to the ground.Blood oozed from his shoulder, and Raya screamed in agony. I crouched beside him, trying to help him up but I couldn’t. Everything felt like it was moving in slow motion, until it all faded out and Raya’s scream filled the living room.“Eddy! It’s all your fault, Juliet! You killed him!” Raya stormed in my direction, trying to pounce on me, but one of the men instinctively pulled her back.“I hate you, Juliet! You were never my sister. I hate you!” she screamed as she was dragged out of the mansion.“Please help him,” I cried, clutching Edward’s hand. My hands trembled, my heart thudding wildly as I stared at the blood on his shoulder.“Juliet… I’m fine,” Edward winced, forcing a small smile as he tried to s
•Juliet POV•"I'm sorry, Jules," Vera said as she struggled with the man holding her back. "I thought he was going to hurt you, and he wasn't going to give you Jace.""Vera, please don't apologize," I told her, my voice laced with anger as I looked toward Edward. I could only blame him for bringing the cops. If he hadn't, I would’ve walked out of this place with my son and wouldn’t have had to go through all this.Edward sniffled as he ruffled his shoulder, trying to pull out of the man's hold, but he couldn't. James walked away, leaving us alone with his men, and when he came back, he had a glass of liquor in his hand, taking a slow sip from it."I'm pissed as fuck, and I'm not going to spare any of you," he groaned, staring at the cops. He signaled for one of his men to come closer. "Get rid of the cops, that guy, and this lady. I'll handle the two lovebirds myself.""No, James. Please don't hurt Edward. I don't care if you kill Juliet, but leave Edward out of this," Raya said, her
•Juliet POV•All the blood in my body rushed to my feet as I stared at them in horror. Vera had a worried look on her face, and I knew at that moment it was her fear that ruined everything."Mr. Grigs, you're under arrest," one of the three cops shouted, pulling out his handcuffs. But before he could step further into the mansion, men came rushing out from nowhere, outnumbering them.Vera rushed to meet me, but one of the men dressed in black stopped her."What have you done, Vera?" I muttered, the words barely leaving my lips.Jace was pulled out of my grasp and hauled away. I tried to snatch him back, but another man grabbed me, holding me tight. Edward and Eric stepped forward, but they were stopped too, forced down on their knees in front of me."Please, give me back my son!" I cried, my voice breaking."Mommy!" Jace screamed as he was taken out of the living room and dragged up the stairs.I struggled against the man’s grip, but he was too strong. His hold hurt, and I could feel
•Juliet POV•I stared at the file in his hand, my heart beating fast as the tears in my eyes threatened to roll down my cheeks. I thought it would be easy for me to sign off my company to James, but standing there, staring at the one thing that could bring me back to square zero, I felt so much pain."What are you waiting for?" James asked, his voice laced with urgency as he stretched the file toward me. "Sign this, and I'll give you back your son."I looked at the file once more, my hand shaking slightly, the tears finally rolling down my cheeks as I reached out to collect the file from him."James, please don't make me do this. Please. I can give you anything else but not...""What are you saying?" James interrupted curtly. "Don't forget I still have your son, and if you even try to change your mind right now, I'll put a bullet through his head. I told you, there’s no way you can ever escape this. You thought I was joking.""Please don't hurt my son," I muttered.He smirked. "I won’
•Juliet POV•I spun around hastily, my eyes widening in shock. Standing behind me was an old man dressed in an oxblood suit, holding a black cane with a gold-curved handle. He took a few slow steps toward me, and I didn’t need anyone to tell me who he was.It was obvious, he was James father. He bore the same stern features and dangerous, calculating eyes.“Miss Juliet Ryder,” he said with a smirk, his voice gravelly but sharp. “What an honor it is for me to finally see you in person.” His gaze dragged over me from head to toe, the look in his eyes making my skin crawl. “I’ve heard so much about you. Your name is quite... popular in New York. What is it they call you again?”I stared at him, confused by his words. I didn’t think people talked about me that much. I wasn’t a celebrity. But then again, the name of my company had made its way through media outlets, business reports, and social blogs. I’d been so busy managing everything that I left Eric in charge of my social presence. Ma