LOGINI looked down at Mia’s iPad.The first post I saw wasn’t about me.It was about Mirabel.MIRABEL MURPHY EXPOSED LIVE.The next one.THE WOMAN WHO DESTROYED HER OWN BEST FRIEND.Another.WE OWE AURELIA STERLING AN APOLOGY.My thumb slowly scrolled.The numbers were climbing so quickly they almost looked unreal.Hundreds of thousands of reposts.Thousands of views in just a few minutes.Thousands of new comments were appearing every second.The entire internet had shifted overnight.No…Within minutes.I opened the replies.>I judged Aurelia without hearing her side. I genuinely feel terrible.>I can’t imagine what this woman went through.>Mirabel literally admitted she posted the fake story herself.>I defended Mirabel all week. I feel so stupid now.>I hope Aurelia sues her.>I hope she wins every lawsuit possible.I continued scrolling.People weren’t only defending me anymore.They were furious.Mirabel stole her friend’s crush.Then stole her husband years later.Then tried to des
The 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
The moment we stepped fully inside, I understood why people talked about Royal Tides all year.The yacht was ridiculous.Not in a flashy, tasteless way.In a way that made you realize somebody had spent an obscene amount of money making sure every single detail looked perfect.Golden light spilled
For the first time in weeks, the atmosphere inside the mansion felt lighter.Not peaceful.Not yet.But lighter.Like everyone was holding their breath a little less.The trial had consumed everything.Every conversation.Every headline.Every day brought another article.Another report.Another pi
Serena laughed.My fingers curled against my palm.“You’ve become bold.”The smirk on Serena’s face made my stomach turn.“And that’s good.”Her voice became colder.“You know your place.”The room felt suffocating.“You’re nothing without us.”I glanced at Camille.Her face remained calm.Too calm
Oh.So that was what this was.“I was parking outside when the doctor arrived,” Hayes added.The room became even quieter.I looked toward Camille.And my chest tightened.Because she looked terrified.Her hands were clasped together so tightly her knuckles had gone pale.She kept rubbing her thumb







