All Chapters of He Chose my Cousin, so I Chose Revenge: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

The morning light arrived softly in the boutique, warm and forgiving. I moved slowly, deliberately, as I stepped across the wooden floor and let my eyes travel across the room I had come to know in a new way. There was no grand entrance. No ribbon to cut. I was simply Juliana Cross again, showing up. That was new enough.I paused just inside the doorway while the early team moved around me. Stylists arranged racks. Assistants placed delicate floral arrangements with care. The scent of white lilies mingled with the earthier notes of linen and fresh cotton. It smelled like steadiness. Like something quietly stitched back together.Claudia was already near a rack of folded garments. She looked up when I entered and offered me a quiet smile. There was no hesitation in her voice when she spoke.“I’m glad you came,” she said, even before I’d reached her.I nodded and stepped closer. My shawl slipped from my shoulders, and I let it rest over one arm. I cleared my throat gently.“I’m glad to

The morning arrived wrapped in a kind of muted anticipation, the air holding its breath like the city itself was waiting to exhale. I stood by the long window that stretched across the east wall of the loft, watching as light crept up the steel frames of high-rises and softened their edges. Below, delivery trucks eased along the curb, and the occasional pedestrian moved with a kind of brisk solitude. But up here, everything remained still. The loft held its quiet like a sealed room, the kind where a single truth might land and shift the air forever.Julian sat across the studio, his silhouette angled toward his laptop. His back was slightly hunched, jaw clenched just enough to register tension. The screen illuminated the lower half of his face, casting a bluish halo over his collar. His fingers hovered above the keyboard, unmoving. He had not spoken in several minutes, which was unusual. Julian rarely fell into silence without cause. Silence from him meant something had arrived. Somet

The morning after the proposal felt different, not because anything had visibly changed, but because I had. The loft was quiet, but no longer still in the way it had been. Stillness had once been silence, almost numb. Now it was choice. There was movement beneath every moment, the kind that came from knowing too much to remain where you were. I moved slowly across the studio floor, letting my fingers trail along the edge of the materials table. The light filtering through the tall windows was muted, but warm. Outside, the city was waking with its usual tempo, indifferent and relentless. Inside, I needed to move at my own pace. Julian was seated by the far wall, a mug of coffee resting between both hands, his thumb tapping softly along the rim. He had not spoken yet, but I could feel him watching me with that same kind of patience that had never demanded an answer, only waited for one to arrive. There was no tension in the room, only awareness. He knew, the way Simone knew, the way

The air inside the loft was still, but not silent. It carried the weight of anticipation, the kind that moved beneath every breath, every glance, every unspoken word. Today was the day. The board was convening. I stood in front of the mirror in the back office, fastening the cuff of my shirt with slow, precise movements. I wasn’t dressing for confrontation. I was dressing for clarity. There would be no loud declarations. No public defense. Only presence. Grounded. Unapologetic. Unmoving. Julian’s voice came from the doorway, low and steady. “You don’t have to do this alone.” I turned slowly. He was leaning against the frame, not casual, but composed. His jacket was unbuttoned, sleeves rolled up just enough to reveal the quiet strength in his forearms. There was something different in his expression this morning. Not just focus, but something softer beneat

I arrived early, stepping into the studio just as the morning light poured in through the tall windows. The scent of fabric, steam, and polished wood greeted me, familiar and grounding. The entire space felt suspended, holding its breath just like I was.Today was about more than a presentation. It was about all of us.The team trickled in slowly. Designers, stylists, assistants, junior production leads. Some carried coffees, others tucked tablets beneath their arms. But each one moved with a quiet awareness, like they knew this moment mattered. Julian stood to my left, Simone just behind, Marcus reviewing a printout near the supply cabinet. Our formation had become instinctive.I waited until everyone was settled before stepping forward.“Thank you for coming,” I began, voice steady but warm. “These last few weeks have tested what we stand for. We’ve faced more than friction. We’ve faced silence. We’ve faced manipulation. And yet, we’re still here. Not because we shouted. But because