•Juliet POV•Edward was standing next to Eric, who had a laptop open in front of him. He was holding a piece of paper in his hand. They were deep in conversation when Vera and I walked into the conference room.“I’m thinking we add an obvious print to the perfume bottles,” Edward said, pointing at the paper. “Something unique. So customers can immediately recognize the original, no matter where they see it.”Eric leaned away from his laptop, placing a hand on his chin as he considered the idea. “That isn’t a bad idea, Mr. Miles,” he said, nodding slightly before turning back to the screen.I stepped further into the room, catching their attention. Edward turned and smiled when he saw me. I settled into the chair at the head of the table while Vera took the seat beside me.“Seems like you guys already started without us?” Vera said with a chuckle.“Not really,” Edward replied, pulling out a chair next to Eric and sitting down. He glanced at me briefly before looking back at the paper h
•Juliet POV•I stared at my reflection in the mirror and adjusted my blazer top, thinking of what to do. It’s been weeks since Dora’s death, which came as a shock to everyone. After I returned from London, I spent most of my time at home, trying to recover from the pain and guilt of everything, while Vera went to the company with Eric and Edward.But today, I decided to go to the company and finally hold the meeting I’d been wanting to have for a long time. I was still standing by the vanity when Edward walked into the room and made his way to me. He wrapped his arms around me from behind and kissed me on the cheek.“How are you doing, my love?” he asked, staring at me.“I’m fine,” I replied with a smile as I turned, placing my hand on his chest. He lowered his hand to my waist, pulling me close to him.“I’m glad that the phase of you worrying and feeling guilt is over,” he muttered, before pressing his lips softly against mine.I chuckled when we pulled out of the kiss. Edward let go
•Juliet POV•When we got back to the hotel, Vera sighed as she collapsed onto the bed."What a day," she muttered, kicking off her shoe. "I feel so bad for Dora’s mom. Now I feel like punching the life out of James."I didn't offer a word. I didn’t know what to say. My mind was filled with so much that if I eventually opened my mouth to say anything, I might break down in tears again.I pulled off my dress and changed into nightwear, then sat on the couch in the room, my head resting on the armrest, gaze fixed on the ceiling. I tried to get past my emotions and calm myself when my phone started ringing.I stood up and walked over to grab it. Seeing that it was Edward calling, I picked up. It immediately switched to video call, and a sweet smile spread across my lips when I saw Jace’s chubby cheeks covering the camera."Mommy, are you there?" he asked, the camera now showing only his little mouth."Yes, baby," I said softly. "Put the camera away from you a little bit so I can see your
•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,