Divorced, Now Watch Me Rise! のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 191 - チャプター 200

CLAIREI unzipped the portfolio carefully. Inside were photographs, dozens of them, all of Julian's mother, Elena, some I recognized from the painting, younger versions of the woman in the landscape.Others were new to me, Eena laughing at a dinner table, Elena covered in paint, holding a brush, Elena with a young Julian, both of them smiling. "Where did these come from?" I asked, my voice soft."I found them last week," Julian explained. "In storage, Victor had them boxed up after she died."I looked through them slowly, seeing Elena in moments Julian had described, her joy, her creativity, her love for her son. "Julian, these are yours," I said. "Why are you giving them to me?""Look at the back of the portfolio," he instructed.I turned it over, embossed in gold on the leather were two words.*Our Family*I looked up at him, confused. "I don't understand," I said.Julian sat beside me on the bed. "My mother's gone," he said quietly. "And for a long time, I felt like I had no family

CLAIREJulian kissed me carefully, mindful of my lipstick. "Ready?" he asked."Yes" I confirmed.The gala was held at the Plaza Hotel, the ballroom transformed into something magical. Crystal chandeliers, white flowers everywhere, tables set with gold accents.We checked in at the entrance, receiving name tags and table assignments. "Table twelve," the attendant said. "Near the front."Julian's jaw tightened slightly but he said nothing. We made our way through the crowd, heads turning as we passed. I couldn't tell if they were looking at the dress or recognizing Julian, probably both.At our table, several people were already seated. I recognized two faces from business magazines. "Julian Cross," one man said, standing to shake hands. "Robert Willow, Willow Industries.""Robert," Julian replied smoothly. "This is my wife, Claire.""Mrs. Cross," Robert said, nodding to me. "That dress is spectacular.""Thank you," I replied.We took our seats, Julian's hand finding mine under the tabl

CLAIREONE HOUR LATERJulian found me in the parking garage, running my hand along the Range Rover's smooth exterior. "Still admiring your car?" he asked, appearing beside me."It's mine," I said, marveling at the words. "I still can't believe it's actually mine.""Believe it," Julian replied. "You earned it."I turned to face him. "What are you thinking about?" I asked, noting the slight smile playing at his lips."About how we should celebrate properly," Julian said."We already celebrated," I pointed out. "We got cars.""That's not celebrating," Julian corrected. "That's practical."He took my hand, leading me back upstairs. "Go change into comfortable clothes," he instructed. "We're going out.""Where?" I asked."You'll see," Julian replied mysteriously.Forty minutes later, Marcus was driving us to an address I didn't recognize, the car pulled up to an elegant building, all glass and modern architecture.A sign read: Serenity Spa & Wellness Center"Julian," I said, turning to

JULIANThe afternoon light streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of my office, casting long shadows across the desk.I'd been reviewing quarterly reports for three hours straight, numbers and projections, employee performance metrics, vendor contracts.The usual weight of running a company. Thomas Greene had left an hour ago after discussing expansion plans for the manufacturing division.Everything was moving forward, stabilizing. Cross Industries was becoming what it should have been all along. I was deep into a vendor analysis when my assistant knocked on the doorframe."Mr. Cross, the board meeting files you requested," she said, entering with a folder."Thank you," I replied, setting down my pen.She placed the folder on my desk carefully. "Is there anything else you need before I leave?" she asked, glancing at her watch.It was four thirty, most of the office had already cleared out. "No, that's everything," I assured her. "Have a good evening.""You too, sir," She said.

JULIANThe morning after the board meeting, I was deep in financial analysis when an email arrived from Adrian Vaughn. I almost didn't open it, almost deleted it immediately, but I needed to know what he had to say.The email was brief.*Julian,We should talk. Privately, no lawyers or board members, just us. My hotel suite, tonight at seven. The Plaza, penthouse.*I think you'll find our conversation worth your time.Adrian*I read it three times, the audacity was classic Adrian, summon me like I was supposed to jump at his command.I should ignore it and send a response declining, making it clear that I had nothing to discuss with him, but I knew Adrian well enough to understand that he wouldn't give up.That he'd keep pushing until he got what he wanted, better to face him now, on his terms, than have him continue making moves against Cross Industries.I forwarded the email to David with a note: *He wants to meet tonight. I'm going.*David called immediately. "This is a bad idea,"