•Juliet POV•The cool breeze blew past my hair, brushing it to the side as I walked out of London airport with Vera beside me. We made our way to the front, scanning the crowd for the cab that was supposed to pick us up and take us to the hotel.I wrapped my arms around my chest and took a deep breath of the familiar air, letting it fill my lungs. There was something about the London chill that brought a rush of old memories. I smiled faintly, remembering how I once stepped into this city with nothing but dreams and a heart full of hope. Back then, it was all about building something from nothing.But just as that smile crept across my face, it disappeared. My thoughts shifted to the present, to the mess James had dragged everything into. My company, my peace... all shaken."Jules, here comes the cab driver," Vera said, her voice pulling me back to the moment.I looked up and followed her gaze. A man in a brown sweatshirt and black jeans approached us."Miss Ryder?" he asked with a hi
•Juliet POV•The week went by in a blur, police investigation, endless condolences, and Dora’s funeral. A few people came in from New York and London, but my eyes kept scanning the faces in the crowd, searching for someone I hadn’t seen.Her mother.Dora had once mentioned she was sick, probably in the hospital. Maybe she still believed Dora was okay… maybe no one had told her yet."Miss Ryder, whoever did this should pay with their life," Jennifer, Dora’s college mate, said in a low voice, her words heavy with pain. She sniffled, wiping her tears with a trembling hand."I promise you, Jenny," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "We’ll find the person who did this."She gave a slow nod and turned to leave, but I reached out and gently held her arm. “Do you know which hospital Dora’s mom is in, back in London? And… do you know if she’s been told?”Jenny’s eyes dropped, and her voice cracked. “She’s at Eastbridge Hospital. I actually went to see her… before flying here. I was supp
•Juliet’s POV•Edward had always told me these words of encouragement, and it always felt like he was just trying to comfort me, words that were meant to make me feel better and not change anything. But now, the pain of losing Dora had left a hole in my chest so deep, I wanted nothing more than to see James behind bars. That was the only thing that made sense now.I tried to push myself off the couch, but my body felt like it weighed a ton. My gaze drifted to Vera. She had stopped crying but was staring into space, Eric sat beside her, whispering something I couldn't make out, his hand gently rubbing her back. But It didn’t matter. Nothing anyone said would bring Dora back to life or bring my company back to what it once was.Edward took my hand silently and helped me up. His grip was firm as we walked up the stairs together, with only silence following us, heavy, painful silence.“My love, you need to rest,” he said softly when we got to the top of the stairs.“I’m fine,” I muttered,
•Juliet POV•I hummed to the solemn song playing through the headphones, taking in a deep breath and exhaling softly. This was exactly what I needed right now, peace of mind, even though things hadn’t been going well these days.I just didn’t want to think about it.I picked up the glass of orange juice on the nightstand to take a sip but realized I had already finished it. With a sigh, I set the headphones down on the bed and stood up, lifting the tray Mrs. Carl had used to bring me the juice and velvet cake.I made my way out of the room and walked down the stairs to get more juice, but halfway down, I heard the sound of someone sniffling, and then Edward’s voice came through, quiet but clear.“Let’s not tell Juliet about this for now. She’s been trying to find peace… and this might put her in pain,” he said gently.I frowned, confused and uneasy. What was Edward trying to hide from me? And who was crying?I hurried down the stairs, my heartbeat rising with every step. When I reache
Note: This POV was only written to tell this part of the story.•Vera POV•Eric drove further up the road until we reached the front of Dora's apartment building. He parked the car, and I quickly stepped out, my heart racing in my chest. Eric followed closely behind me as we made our way past a few people gathered outside. Something didn’t feel right, the air was tense.When we got closer to the front entrance, yellow tape was stretched around the perimeter, flapping slightly in the wind. Several police officers stood near the entrance, blocking anyone from going in. I tried to move closer, but one of them raised his hand, stopping us.“Excuse me,” Eric said, his voice firm. “We know the lady who lives here. Her name is Dora.”“I’m sorry, sir,” the officer replied. “You can’t go beyond this line. It’s an active crime scene.”My eyes darted around, searching for anything, any sign that Dora was okay. But deep inside, my heart was already starting to break.I moved to the side, trying t
Note: This POV was only written to tell this part of the story.•Vera POV•I stared at my reflection in the mirror, then turned slightly to check out the back of my dress. A sweet smile spread across my lips. The dress showed a little bit of my back, but the thin straps looked so much better, and the way it hugged my features felt perfect.My slender figure didn’t look bad in the dress, not compared to the bodycon one I wore on a date in London. I ran my hand through my golden-brown hair, brushing it back and tucking the loose strands that had fallen across my face, nearly blocking my view.With one last glance at my reflection, I walked over to the bed, grabbed my purse, and walked out of the room.It had been a while since I’d been on a date, and I just couldn’t keep the excitement in. With everything that had been going on lately, I wanted to tell Juliet about it, but I figured it would be off with her current state.I made my way down the stairs, the soft click of my heels echoing