LOGINGemmaJulian rushed towards me and pulled me into his arms. I gasped, caught off guard by the sudden hug. I didn’t know what to do, but I hugged him back, still wondering what was going on.He held me so tightly that I could barely move.“Julian?” I called softly.He didn’t answer. Instead, he buried his face in my hair and held me even closer. I pulled back a little to look at him, but he wouldn’t let me go.His eyes were red. His cheeks were wet, and he looked nothing like the Julian Ferguson I knew.“Why are you crying?” I asked.He stared at me as if he still couldn’t believe I was standing in front of him. His hands moved to my face, touching my cheeks as if he needed to make sure I was real.I glanced at Gigi, hoping she could explain what was happening, but she looked just as confused as I was.Chloe was still sitting on the sofa. She looked pale, and her fingers moved restlessly over her phone.Still trying to figure out what was going on, James rushed inside. He stopped when
GemmaJulian rushed towards me and pulled me into his arms. I gasped, caught off guard by the sudden hug. I didn’t know what to do, but I hugged him back, still wondering what was going on.He held me so tightly that I could barely move.“Julian?” I called softly.He didn’t answer. Instead, he buried his face in my hair and held me even closer. I pulled back a little to look at him, but he wouldn’t let me go.His eyes were red. His cheeks were wet, and he looked nothing like the Julian Ferguson I knew.“Why are you crying?” I asked.He stared at me as if he still couldn’t believe I was standing in front of him. His hands moved to my face, touching my cheeks as if he needed to make sure I was real.I glanced at Gigi, hoping she could explain what was happening, but she looked just as confused as I was.Chloe was still sitting on the sofa. She looked pale, and her fingers moved restlessly over her phone.Still trying to figure out what was going on, James rushed inside. He stopped when
JulianI got a call informing me that my company was on fire. The fire had burned half of my office by the time I arrived.Thick smoke covered the upper floors, and firefighters rushed through the entrance with their equipment. People crowded outside the building, watching as flames burned through the broken windows. My security team tried to keep everyone back while I stood there, staring up at the destruction.My office.Years of work, important documents, confidential files, and everything I built inside that building were going up in flames.“Sir, you need to stay back,” one of the firefighters warned.I turned to him. “Do I look like someone who needs to be told what to do?”He said nothing.I pulled out my phone and called the head of security. “Tell me what happened.”“We’re still investigating, sir. The fire alarm went off, and the staff were evacuated. The fire department arrived shortly after.”“That’s not what I asked you. How did the fire start?”“We don’t know yet.”“Then
GemmaChloe stopped in front of me. “Gemma, I’m sorry about last time,” she said.Gigi cleared her throat. The sound was so deliberate that James turned away to hide his laughter. Julian lowered his head briefly, and even Katia let out a small chuckle.Chloe took a breath and looked at me again.“I feel like I owe you a proper apology. I didn’t handle things the way I should have, and I know I hurt you. I can’t change that now, but I want you to know that I’m genuinely sorry.”I already had enough to deal with and the last thing I wanted was to carry old resentment. “It’s okay, Chloe, I genuinely hold nothing against you.”“Thank you, Gemma.”“You don’t have to thank me.” Anne clapped her hands in excitement. “Oh, I’m so happy to see this!”Chloe then turned to Julian.“I’m sorry too, Julian. I know I’ve apologised before, but I just wanted to say it again. I know I made mistakes, and I regret the hurt I caused.”Julian just nodded.After thanking him, she stepped away to join the ot
GemmaDays later, I was sitting on the couch in the living room, going through some things on my phone, when Gigi walked in with Katia behind her.“Gemma, go and get dressed. We’re going out.”I looked up. “Where?”“Somewhere.”“And that means what exactly?”“It means get up and dress.”I returned my attention to my phone. “You two can go. I’m not interested.”Gigi snatched the phone from my hand.“Hey!” I reached for it, but she held it behind her back.“You’ve been working every day, coming home tired, eating, and going straight to bed. When was the last time you went somewhere just to have fun?”Katia sat beside me and took my hand. “Please come with us. I want us to spend some time together.”I looked between them. Gigi was clearly prepared to stand there all day if that was what it took to get me moving.“You both planned this, didn’t you?”“Maybe,” Gigi replied. “But we’re beautiful, and we’re going out. Get moving.”They refused to leave me alone until I finally gave in. Gigi f
GemmaAnne and I hugged warmly before she turned to Sam, who was still seated at the table.“Good afternoon, ma’am,” he greeted her politely.Anne smiled. “Oh, you must be Sam.”He nodded, a nervous smile on his face.“You look just like your mother.” She reached out and gently touched his cheek.Sam laughed shyly, and they spoke briefly. Then Anne leaned towards me, her smile softening as she glanced at the office at the back of the restaurant.“Gemma, we need to talk.”I turned to Sam. “I’ll be right back, okay?”He nodded and reached for his glass of water while Anne followed me to my office. Once we stepped inside, she closed the door behind us.“Julian told me everything.”I stopped beside my desk, unsure how to respond. My mind returned to Julian standing in my living room, revealing the truth about himself. I remembered how angry I was and how I had ordered him to leave and never come back into my life.Folding my arms, I tried to steady myself.Anne seemed to understand my sil







