Chapter 2 Comeback

Five Years Later.

Juliette stepped in front of the mirror, stood still, letting the assistant finish clasping the diamond choker around her neck. Her reflection was a stranger-elegant, poised, terrifyingly beautiful. Her dark hair had been swept into a low twist, baring her throat and jawline. Her lips, painted crimson, curled slightly-not from amusement, but from memory.

Her fingers touched the edge of a thick envelope resting on the table beside her. Inside were documents she knew by memory: financial records, stock transfers, charity holdings... and a black-and-white photo of a little boy in a hospital mask, eyes wide and hollow.

Julian.

He was alive.

He had grown.

And tonight, Juliette would stand in the same room as the man who took everything from her-and never knew what he'd been given.

"Miss Brooks," her assistant called from the hall, "the car's ready. You'll be fashionably late by the time we arrive."

"Perfect," Juliette replied. Her voice was low, calm, and precise. Each word carried the weight of a woman who had waited five years for a moment like this.

She turned from the window and walked toward the wardrobe where her gown awaited-a custom piece made of midnight velvet, sleeveless with a dramatic train, its neckline edged with starlight crystals. It was the kind of dress that announced power without a word, the kind of dress worn by a queen arriving at a battlefield.

As she slipped into the gown, her mind wandered-to Jace and Callie, tucked safely into their beds after a warm bath and bedtime

stories. Callie had kissed her cheek and said, "Win the party, Mommy," while Jace simply reminded her, "Watch for cameras."

Her children didn't yet know why they'd returned to the capital. They didn't know about the brother who waited just miles

away.

But they would.

Soon.

...

The Cross Group Annual Gala had always been an affair of ice and diamonds.

Held in the grand hall of the family's private estate, the event pulsed with prestige. Celebrities, politicians, CEOs, and socialites gathered under gold chandeliers, sipping champagne and exchanging smiles sharpened like blades.

Tonight, however, their words faltered. The crowd began to shift. Cameras turned.

A hush rippled across the marble floor as the main entrance opened.

Juliette Brooks-once discarded like scandalous trash, now CEO of a global company-walked into the

gala as if she owned it.

And in a way, she did.

Her black heels clicked like a countdown. Her lips were red, her skin pale and perfect under the lights. Whispers broke out in her

wake.

"Is that...?"

"No, it can't be-"

"She disappeared for years!"

"Juliette Brooks? Isn't she the one who-?"

The rumors came faster than the camera shutters. Within seconds, her name was trending. Not as a scandal. Not as a joke. But as a

warning.

She didn't stop to greet anyone. She didn't smile. She made her way to the center of the ballroom, where the executives stood basking in attention.

The silence didn't last long.

Celeste Brooks-the Brooks family's favored daughter, Logan's former admirer, and Juliette's long-standing rival-swept forward with a false smile stitched across her lips.

"Well, well," she said loudly. "We were wondering when the circus would arrive."

Juliette turned to her slowly. "And here I thought the clowns were already performing."

A low gasp rippled through the crowd.

Celeste's face flushed, but she laughed sharply. "How generous of you to grace us with your presence. We didn't know fallen women could rise again."

Juliette's smile didn't waver. "Don't worry. You'll get used to looking up."

"Hah! What a joke," Celeste scoffed, tossing her hair back."Juliette, weren't you the one who drugged Mr. Bennet a few years ago, trying to sleep your way into money? What-some fat old sugar daddy fund your designer dress tonight? Still selling yourself, huh?"

She barely finished the sentence when-smack!

A sharp slap echoed through the ballroom.

Celeste staggered, stunned. "You... you hit me?!" she shrieked, eyes wide.

Juliette's lips curled into a cool, calm smirk. "Do I need to pick a special day to slap trash like you?"

She turned to the bodyguard, her voice like ice. "Get her out of here-and make sure she doesn't forget it."

Without hesitation, Juliette's bodyguards stepped forward and pinned Celeste to the floor like it was routine.

"Juliette! What the hell?!" Celeste screamed as they yanked down the side of her dress.

Gasps filled the room.

The lights hit her bare shoulder-revealing raw, messy love bites. The kind no amount of makeup could cover.

"Oh my god. She's been busy," someone whispered.

"She just called Juliette a slut?" another scoffed. "Girl, look in a mirror."

"She's been acting classy all night and now-yikes. Hypocrisy much?"

Celeste's face drained of color. She scrambled to cover herself, panic rising. "Stop looking! Don't look at me!"

"You planned this! You ruined my reputation!" she screamed."I'll sue you!"

"Then sue me," Juliette said flatly, dusting her hands like she'd just taken out the trash. "And while you're at it, call

the press. I want her on every front page tomorrow. Full exposure."

The ballroom manager nearly tripped over himself. "Y-yes! Right away, Miss Brooks!"

"What?!" Celeste gasped. She'd just been dismissed? By Juliette?

"You think a few sugar daddies made you a queen?" she spat, desperate. "You're just a cheap little-"

Before she could finish, the manager took off his shoe and shoved it straight into her mouth.

"Do you even know who you're messing with?" he barked. "Miss Brooks owns this entire venue. If she wants you gone, you're gone."

Celeste froze, her eyes shaking.

Juliette owned this place?!

The room fell silent. No one dared speak. No one dared move.

Juliette smiled sweetly at the stunned crowd. "Please. Enjoy the rest of your evening."

Then she turned and walked away-calm, elegant, untouchable.

She had only one thing on her mind: finding her son, Julian.

***