LOGINThe words settled between us.Heavy.Sharp.Mirabel didn’t answer immediately.She simply stared at me.Then, slowly, irritation replaced the hesitation on her face.A short, humorless laugh escaped her.“You’re still stuck on something that happened over ten years ago?”Before I could answer, her phone vibrated against the table.She glanced at the screen.Whoever it was…She declined the call.I smiled faintly.“Well… someone else brought it back.”I reached for my coffee.“Someone decided to post a story about it.”I took a slow sip before setting the glass back down.“An incorrect story.”My fingers traced the cold glass absentmindedly.“To be honest… I had forgotten most of it.”I looked at her.“I’d buried it.”“I forgot those things ever happened.”I let out a soft breath.“But after reading that story…”“The memories started coming back.”“One after another.”I tilted my head slightly.“Especially the one where you returned to New York after your divorce…”My eyes never left h
Slowly…She looked back.I calmly picked up one of the pastries.“I thought you were bold.”I took a bite.Chewed slowly.“But you’ve proven…”I swallowed.“…time and time again…”“…how you’re just a scaredy-cat.”The change in her expression was immediate.Anger.Her jaw tightened.Her eyes narrowed.She looked like she wanted to throw something at me.I didn’t even look back at her.Instead, I calmly reached for my coffee.The silence stretched.One second.Two.Five.Then—The chair scraped softly against the floor.She sat back down.Exactly where she’d started.I took another sip.“I’m not scared of you.” Her voice was steady. “I’m not scared of anyone, Aurelia. You know that.”A smirk tugged at my lips.Only then did I finally meet her eyes again.“Yes. I know Mirabel Murphy isn’t scared of anyone.”I nodded slowly.“But… I have a question.”She didn’t answer.She simply waited.I leaned forward just enough to rest my forearms on the table.“Did I ever bully you in school?”For
Mirabel stepped into the café.Elegant.Perfectly styled.Every strand of her hair sat exactly where it was supposed to.A cream-colored dress hugged her figure effortlessly, paired with matching heels that clicked softly against the tiled floor as she walked inside.She looked expensive.Confident.Untouchable.At least…That was the image she had always wanted the world to see.The moment her eyes landed on me, she stopped for the briefest second.Almost too subtle for anyone else to notice.Her gaze swept across the café.Suspicious.Checking.Making sure this wasn’t a trap.Then, just as quickly, the expression disappeared.A practiced smile settled onto her face.She walked toward me with measured steps.“You wanted to see me.”She didn’t wait for an invitation.She pulled out the chair opposite mine, sat down gracefully, and placed her designer handbag on the table.Her chin lifted slightly.Like she still believed she was in control.I smiled.“Need to order anything?”“I have
Security plans.Photography angles.Run-of-show timing.One meeting blurred into another.At one point, Mia walked in carrying three different fabric samples.“The silver or the champagne?”I studied both.“The champagne.”She nodded immediately.“I thought so too.”An hour later, Camille’s rehearsal footage landed on my desk.I watched quietly.She looked nervous at first, then it changed.Confidence found her halfway down the runway.A small smile tugged at my lips.She was going to be good.Really good.Another knock interrupted my thoughts.“The floral installation team is here.”“Send them in.”By the time they left, another department was already waiting outside.Time dissolved.I barely noticed it passing.It wasn’t until I reached for another document that I caught sight of the clock in the corner of my monitor.2:30.I slowly closed the file in front of me.Then shut down my computer.The monitor faded to black.Silence settled inside my office for the first time all day.I r
The driver pulled up in front of AURELIA headquarters.I stepped out of the car, adjusted the sleeve of my blazer, and walked through the revolving doors.The lobby was alive.Assistants hurried across the marble floor carrying garment bags.Design interns wheeled racks of clothing toward the elevators.Phones rang almost nonstop behind the reception desk.The entire building was in chaos.When I stepped onto the executive floor, Mia was already waiting outside my office.“I’ve rearranged today’s schedule,” she said, falling into step beside me.“You have two design approvals, one logistics meeting, a sponsorship call, and final model fittings this afternoon.”I pushed my office door open.“Anything urgent?”She handed me a tablet.“The Milan shipment arrived.”I skimmed the report.“No damages?”“None.”“Good.”“And the embroidery team finished the final couture pieces this morning.”A small smile tugged at my lips.“Finally.”She smiled too.“They’ve been working almost around the c
Morning light slipped through the curtains long before I was ready to open my eyes.For a few quiet seconds, I simply lay there, listening.The house hadn’t fully come alive yet.Somewhere downstairs, I could faintly hear dishes clinking together.I stared at the ceiling.Then remembered.My phone.I reached across the nightstand, picked it up, and unlocked the screen before my eyes had fully adjusted to the brightness.Instagram.One notification.My heartbeat remained steady as I opened it.Mirabel.Of course, she had replied.> What a surprise. I will get back to you when I’m ready to meet up.A small smile tugged at one corner of my mouth.Not because of the message.Because it was exactly what I’d expected.Mirabel Murphy.Still trying to make every conversation revolve around her.Still trying to convince herself she was the one holding the power.I could almost picture her expression as she typed it.That tiny, satisfied smile.Thinking she’d made me wait.The truth?She was dy
Morning came easier than expected.Perhaps because I forced myself not to think too much before going to sleep.Maybe because exhaustion had finally won.Either way, by the time sunlight slipped through the curtains, my mind felt quieter than it had in the past few days.Routine helped.Routine alw
Monday came too quickly. Sunday had passed quietly. I stayed home the entire day, barely doing anything productive. Leo forced me to sit through one of his cartoons, Pierce complained about work for almost an hour, Ford argued with me over a few petty things like he always did, and Hayes disappear
The car door shut, and the noise disappeared instantly.Silence filled the space.I leaned back against the seat, my fingers resting loosely in my lap, my expression still perfectly in place, as if nothing had happened.Mia kept glancing at me.Once.Twice.Then again.She didn’t say anything at fi
I clicked on her profile.She’s all grown.I scrolled slowly, my thumb dragging across the screen. Different pictures. Different places. Then I saw it.Wedding pictures from three years ago.Then I noticed the message icon. She had already texted me.I tapped it open.Grace Mercer: Hi… Aurelia. I







