"Hey Julie, it’s been forever," Silas Olson greets her with that familiar, lazy grin.

Julie Morgan blinks, caught off guard for a beat. "Yeah, Silas. It really has."

She’d thought he was still overseas. After all, he’d made it clear he wasn’t sticking around to let Cameron Taylor keep misreading their relationship, that he’d stay out of both their lives. She never expected him to sneak back to New York and show up at Horizon Media out of nowhere. Wait a second… her last-minute interview, getting hired on the spot… that probably wasn’t just luck, was it?

He falls into step beside her. "Heading back to the desk? Did he even okay this?"

Julie grabs her finalized HR paperwork, hesitates for half a second, then answers steady and sure: "We’re not together anymore."

Silas stops short, surprise flaring in his dark eyes. "Did the Taylors agree to that?"

Julie shakes her head. "The Taylors don’t know. Cameron was the one who called it off. I’m not going to beg them to accept me."

Why drag everyone through the mess? Laura Taylor would probably just kick up a fuss anyway. Who wants to stay in a relationship out of threats and coercion, anyway?

Silas pauses, then shifts gears smoothly. "Sticking you on entertainment beat might not be the best move. If you don’t want it…"

"It’s fine. Being a reporter sounds great," Julie answers with a small smile.

He’d already done so much for her. She didn’t want to owe him any more than she already did.

The entertainment department is split into a handful of teams.

Julie gets assigned to a team run by Khloe Boyd, their middle-aged editor-in-chief. Sharp, slim, glasses perched on her nose, she’s sipping cold coffee and grumbling under her breath: "Sophie Chavez is going public with her relationship now? Does she even care if we ever get to clock out of here tonight?"

Julie’s heart skips a sickening beat.

That soon?

She’d just moved out of their old apartment that morning. By the afternoon, Cameron and Sophie were already announcing they were together. They really couldn’t even wait, could they?

"Hell yeah! The guy’s Cameron Taylor from Taylor Industries, and he’s just handed us our next front page… Hey, new girl! You take this announcement write-up, yeah?"

Speed is everything in entertainment news. Sophie Chavez is A-list — the second she drops the news, every outlet has to rush out a story before the competition beats them to it.

"Got some exclusive shots here for you. Can you knock out the copy?" A young coworker named Ryan Dunn asks, polite and warm. "Just need it in a couple minutes, that’s all."

Everyone knows Julie’s here because of Silas.

He’d moved back to the States earlier this year and stepped into the role of Horizon’s chief editor, and it sent the whole office into a tizzy. Once everyone dug around, they found out not only did he have a killer resume from his years abroad, he was also the actual heir to the whole company…

So anyone he brought in gets a little extra courtesy — especially Julie, who’s way more stunning than anyone expected. Even the entertainment crew, who see glamorous celebrities every single day, did a double-take when she walked in.

Julie glances over the photos quick, and has the draft done in under a minute.

Good, she thinks to herself. My skills haven’t gone rusty. My instincts are still sharp. I can even look at photos of Cameron and Sophie together and not break.

Not that long ago, just hearing they were together would’ve left her gasping for air.

She once thought she couldn’t survive without Cameron.

Funny enough, she’s handling the breakup better than she ever imagined.

Time and distance really do wear away even the deepest, most passionate love a woman can feel, she realizes. She once thought her feelings for him were as endless as the ocean. Thirteen years later, they’re completely dried up.

Letting go isn’t half as hard as she thought it’d be. She just never tried before.

...

The photos were taken in the early hours of that same morning.

Cameron and Sophie are standing side by side outside a fancy downtown club. Streetlight glows over them, night breeze tangling their hair, and Cameron is gently draping his coat over her shoulders.

That’s the exact same night Julie showed up at that club, desperate just to see him.

Because Cameron wouldn’t answer her calls, wouldn’t meet her, she’d driven all the way out to the airport just to catch him before he left…

She never guessed that the second she walked away, he went straight to Sophie.

A single extra second with her was a waste of his time, but he’d spend endless hours on the woman he actually wanted.

Sophie’s the oldest daughter of the Chavez family, a performing arts grad from Empire State University. Between her family’s money and Cameron’s backing, her career’s blowing up nonstop.

Yeah. They’re perfect for each other.

...

Julie’s buried neck-deep in work when Cameron’s call pops up on her screen, and her brain goes completely blank for a second. She answers before she can think better of it.

"You’re not home. Where are you?"

Cameron’s voice comes through cold, sharp, demanding.

"I…" Julie fumbles, no words coming out.

"I’m giving you half an hour to get back here."

Before Julie can even say a word, he hangs up.

Julie stares at her screen for a full thirty seconds, stunned.

Then she huffs a disbelieving laugh.

Right in front of her lies the half-finished draft of Cameron and Sophie’s big new relationship story.

If she hadn’t jumped back into journalism, she probably never would’ve stumbled on all these exclusive details. She never would’ve guessed their relationship started this early…

She glances at the clock. It’s 1:30 AM.

Cameron’s out all night every other night, rolling in at 4 AM, but he still expects her to follow all his stupid old-fashioned rules.

Well, from now on? Anybody else who wants to be his perfect little housewife can have the spot. She’s not playing that game anymore.

Julie turns back to her work and keeps drafting her article.

Sophie’s big announcement is just one vague, cryptic line: "From today, we officially belong to each other."

And a selfie of her hand, a huge diamond ring glinting on her finger.

It’s either a tease, or a full-on engagement announcement to her one true love.

And that true love, every single source says, is Cameron Taylor…

To get the full scoop before anyone else, the whole team’s probably pulling an all-nighter.

"Got it!" Ryan suddenly yells, excited out of his mind. "I got the security cam footage of Cameron and Sophie picking out that diamond ring!"

The whole team crowds around his screen in seconds.

"This afternoon, they went to Truelove Jewelry, spent the whole damn afternoon picking out the ring!" Ryan brags. "It’s internal store footage — I got a buddy who works there that hooked me up."

Amidst all the whooping and cheers, Julie leans in to get a good look at the clip.

Yep. That’s definitely Cameron, right there beside Sophie.

Their heads are almost touching as they lean in to look at the trays of jewelry spread out in front of them.

The whole time, staff keep bringing more and more pieces over for them to try.

What a… perfect, enviable little moment.

Cameron’s warning from that same morning echoes in her head: "I’ve got a huge important meeting later, don’t waste my time."

Turns out his "important meeting" was spending the whole afternoon picking out a diamond ring with Sophie.

TrueLove isn’t just any jewelry store—it’s the prestigious spot everyone knows for engagement rings and wedding pieces. Julie Morgan still remembered vividly when she’d visited its flagship downtown Manhattan store as a kid, right after she’d moved in with the Taylor family. Back then, she’d pressed her nose flat to the storefront glass, completely mesmerized by the glittering diamond sets glowing inside.

Cameron Taylor, who was a few years older than her, had wandered over, laced his fingers through hers, and tugged her away. “What’s so interesting about that anyway?” he’d asked, thick with impatience.

"You’re gonna buy all of it for me someday!" Back then, she’d been young, bold, and didn’t hold anything back.

"Fine." He never even turned to look at her, but the tips of his ears had flushed soft pink.

For years after that, every time Julie passed TrueLove’s flagship store, she couldn’t stop a smile from tugging at her lips. She’d think of his promise, and that faint pink blush on his ears. Even when Cameron grew colder and more distant, even when he barely acknowledged her anymore, she’d clung to that memory like a lifeline.

She never once imagined that the woman walking into the store with him wouldn’t be her.

The sharp trill of her phone cut through the quiet. Julie fumbled it out, mumbled a quick apology to anyone nearby, and answered.

"You’ve been gone half an hour," Cameron’s voice came out ice-cold.

"Oh," Julie answered, totally unbothered.

"What the hell are you doing?" Cameron nearly growled the words.

Julie stepped into a quiet, out-of-the-way corner to make sure no one could overhear. "Just reminiscing about your very sweet romantic history."

Dead silence stretched over the line. "Julie, do you even hear what you’re saying?"

Julie knew she’d gotten under his skin. A day ago, this would’ve had her scared, twisting with anxiety. But now her chest felt empty, like a snow-covered wilderness—frozen, but holding the quiet promise of sunshine once the snow melts.

"If that’s all, I’m hanging up. Oh… congratulations on finding your new love today, Cameron."

After she ended the call, Julie blocked his number. That still didn’t feel like enough, so she turned her phone completely off.

When she stepped out of Khloe Boyd’s office building, the sky stretched overhead pale and soft blue.

"Make sure you rest when you get home, but keep your phone on—we need to be able to reach you," Khloe Boyd advised. After pulling an all-nighter working side-by-side with Julie, the whole team had grown to respect how sharp she was.

Khloe leaned into that familiar mentoring tone she used. "Sophie Chavez’s position probably isn’t gonna shift much anytime soon, but we need to be ready for anything that pops up."

Julie doubted there would be any surprises. As long as the Taylor family gave their blessing, Cameron and Sophie could walk down the aisle tomorrow. She was actually grateful for everything she’d learned the night before—it had cut through the last frayed threads of attachment and resentment she’d still been holding onto.

A sleek silver-gray Maserati purred to a stop at the curb. The window rolled down, and Silas Olson’s handsome face came into view.

"Where you staying now?" he asked.

"I’m… at a hotel temporarily," Julie answered.

"Hop in. I’ll give you a ride," Silas said, his voice gentle but unarguable.

Julie hesitated for just a second. A stream of her colleagues poured out of the building, still buzzing from the all-nighter. Worried one of them would spot her, she slipped into the passenger seat fast.

"This job’s brutal, huh? Swapping days for nights nonstop," Silas remarked, handing her a warm paper cup.

To her surprise, it was hot coffee—her go-to. Julie smiled. "I’m used to it."

"You’re the most talented journalist I’ve ever worked with," Silas said, grinning. "Remember seven years ago, when we were stateside together…"

"Silas!" Julie cut him off quickly.

Silas’s expression dimmed a little, turning somber.

"He never found out, did he?" Silas’s grip on the steering wheel tightened. "All you gave up, everything you invested…"

"It’s all in the past," Julie said softly. "Thanks for keeping my secret."

From the time she was little, she’d told herself love wasn’t about favors, or charity, and it was never coercion. Pure feelings don’t need outside pressure to grow.

She couldn’t blame anyone for how things ended with Cameron.

The car fell quiet. Julie turned her phone back on, and was flooded with dozens of missed calls—all from numbers she’d already blocked. There was one unlabeled text, but Julie recognized the number instantly.

*Julie Morgan, you better never pick up that phone for me again.*

That was all Cameron wrote. Julie added his number to her blocked list for good measure.

Silas didn’t press her for her address, just dropped her off at a five-star hotel downtown.

Julie glanced up at the glittering facade and laughed softly. "Silas, this place is way too fancy. Can we go somewhere cheaper?"

She couldn’t afford a place like this right now, not after leaving the way she did.

"The firm’s covering it, just go on in," Silas assured her. He’d already checked her in, and handed her the key card. "I’ll leave you to rest. Take two days off, yeah?"

As he pulled away, his smile faded, his expression tightening just a little.

Julie didn’t have any luggage with her. She’d left the Taylor house completely empty-handed—didn’t even take any of her own money when she walked out.

Cameron certainly knew how to end things cold. No loose ends, no mercy.

Julie swiped into her room, and found Silas had booked her a deluxe river-view suite. Sunlight glinted off the water, pouring through the window and warming the toes of her shoes.

When she pressed the button to close the curtains, the last sliver of sunlight faded from view. Finally, she could let her guard down, and let the last of that old sadness melt away.

A few days back, Julie had gone to visit Maryam in the hospital. While she was gone, Sophie had snuck into Julie’s villa and swiped the most expensive butterfly brooch right out of her jewelry box, no permission asked.

Sophie had been too arrogant to cover her tracks, and Julie noticed the second she got home.

She heard Sophie was at Cameron’s office, so Julie hurried straight over.

Outside his office door, they’d screamed at each other. Julie slapped Sophie hard, sending her tumbling to the ground.

That was when Cameron walked out.

Sophie clung to him, sobbing hard. "Cameron, Julie says I stole her jewelry, but I didn’t. She won’t believe me… you saw it, she hit me for no reason…"

Julie bit her lip until it stung. "Cameron, it’s the butterfly brooch—she took it—"

"I don’t care about your stupid brooch," Cameron cut her off cooly, glowering at her. "Even if someone took your stuff, that’s no excuse to hit anyone. Julie Morgan, you’re far too spoiled."

Looking back, Julie guessed he was right. She had been spoiled. The Taylor family had spoiled her rotten, given her endless confidence that made her act like she could have anything she wanted. And that brooch mattered more to her than anything, so she’d lashed out.

In the heat of the moment, she’d shot back at him: "I already hit her. What are you gonna do about it?"

If Sophie didn’t give that brooch back, Julie would call her out every single time she saw her.

They stared each other down for a long moment, then Cameron’s face went frosty. "Apologize, and I’ll give you one last chance. If you don’t, you’ll never be a Taylor, never be my wife."

Suddenly, ice washed right through Julie’s veins. She heard herself ask him, calm as anything: "If I refuse to apologize, then what?"

"We call off the engagement," Cameron answered, his eyes completely empty of any warmth.

"Apologize, or we break up. Your choice."

A single tear slipped down Julie Morgan's cheek before disappearing into the pillow under her head. Cameron Taylor had forgotten. He'd forgotten the story behind the butterfly brooch… or maybe he'd never really cared at all.

When she was thirteen, Julie had scraped together every penny of her allowance for years just to go to that auction alone. She'd been dead set on bidding on that stunning diamond butterfly brooch. But she never even got a chance to raise her paddle—her savings fell short. Back home that night, she locked herself away and cried for a whole week. Her eyes swelled shut so bad she had to ice them, lying to Laura Taylor that she just hadn't slept well.

One evening, a week later, Cameron barged right into her room and tossed the brooch straight down in front of her. "Take it," he said. When he saw how stunned she was, he kept going in that signature impatient tone of his: "Being part of the Taylor family means you fight for what you want. And if you can't win it yourself, why the hell wouldn't you just say something? You think we're all invisible around here?"

Julie held that brooch tight, her eyes shining so bright with gratitude she could barely speak. "Thank you… thank you, Cam…"

Cameron stared at her for a minute, then flicked her forehead soft and easy. "No more crying from now on, got it?"

When her parents died, she was so little she barely even understood what happened. But the second she moved in with the Taylors, they wrapped her in love. Still—all the hard lessons about how life works? Those came from Cameron. He once told her to fight for whatever she wanted, and if she couldn't win the fight alone? He'd fight it for her.

But now? She fought, and he called her arrogant. He wants to break off their engagement. It's fucking ridiculous.

Julie was jolted awake by her phone blaring from the nightstand. It was Khloe Boyd on the line.

"Get down here now! Cameron Taylor just sent a cease-and-desist!"

Julie threw on clothes and rushed to check out of her hotel room. The receptionist smiled all sweet at her: "Miss, your room's already been paid for the whole month. You can stay as long as you'd like."

Julie insisted on checking out anyway, and transferred the leftover balance to Silas Olson, texting him: Brother, put today's room on my tab. I'll pay you back after payday.

When she pushed through the doors of Exposé Entertainment's office, Khloe's voice was already echoing all the way down the hall. "He was the one who picked out the engagement ring! He draped his coat over her at that gala last winter! We have proof of their seven-year secret relationship! And now he's suing us for defamation? This is complete bullshit!"

The second Julie ran in, Khloe shoved the legal notice straight into her arms. "Here—this is your hot mess to hold."

Julie glanced it over and almost cursed out loud. "Why the hell am I the main defendant?"

"Because they go after the person who looks weaker!" Khloe shrugged. "The whole company's getting sued, but you're getting special treatment."

"It's 'cause of Julie's article—views and shares are through the roof, girl. Your bonus is locked in this month," Ryan Dunn joked with a grin.

The rest of the team nodded in agreement. "My bet? She hit a nerve. Cam's definitely feeling the heat now."

Julie sighed, turning back to Khloe. "You said this morning it wouldn't blow up this far."

Khloe spit her lollipop out into the trash can beside her, fist clenching in frustration. "I'm this close to cursing his entire family tree back eighteen generations!"

While they were still hashing it out, the legal team walked over, asking for Julie's ID info. Cameron was specifically gunning for the Exposé article and its author. The piece dug into his hidden romance with Sophie Chavez—an all-nighter Julie pulled to get it right, and he's calling it fake news.

Julie had published it under a pen name, but the legal team needed to confirm her identity to prep for court. Judging by how hard Cameron was coming after them, a court showdown was inevitable.

Just as Julie pulled her ID out of her wallet, a hand reached over, pushed it back, snatched the legal notice, and ripped it straight to shreds right in front of everyone.

"Let him sue," Silas Olson's voice was ice cold. "If Cameron Taylor is bold enough to act, he shouldn't flinch when people call him out on it."

No one had more right to call out Cameron's coldness than Julie Morgan.

"But…" the legal rep hesitated, thrown off. Silas was always so level-headed—seeing him this visibly angry threw everyone off.

"If he dares sue, the company will handle the response. You don't have to worry about a single thing," Silas said flatly.

"But…" the lawyer tried again.

"Is Exposé Entertainment really such a big company that it can't even protect one of its own writers?" Silas's tone left no room for argument.

He wouldn't make Julie stand against Cameron alone in court. Cameron wasn't worth it.

"Mr. Taylor, we still haven't found her." Jeremiah Hoffman reported anxiously from the executive suite atop the Cloud-Taylor Group building. Cameron's temper had been absolute garbage since he got back to his estate last night.

Julie Morgan was missing.

Cameron closed his eyes, rubbing hard at his temples. "Pull her spending records."

On the desk in front of him sat a shattered phone screen and a bank card snapped clean in half.

Jeremiah still remembered how Cameron had smashed his phone in a fit of frustration last night when all his calls went straight to voicemail. The way he'd reacted when he found the half-broken bank card on her nightstand? It was enough to make anyone's blood run cold.

"I checked… Miss Morgan hasn't made any transactions at all."

Still with his eyes closed, Cameron pinched the bridge of his nose. "Hotel check-ins?"

"Checked all the local ones, no records under her name."

A dead, heavy silence filled the room.

Jeremiah didn't even dare breathe. After what felt like an eternity, Cameron opened his eyes—they were streaked red with exhaustion and rage. "What's Exposé saying?"

Jeremiah wanted to cry right then and there. "Exposé's standing firm. They won't pull the article, and they say they're ready for court whenever he is, sir…"

Bang!

Cameron kicked the solid oak coffee table right over. Shards of glass went flying, clattering and skittering across the marble floor.

Jeremiah nearly jumped out of his skin, heart hammering so hard he thought it would burst out of his chest.

This was the second straight day Cameron hadn't slept. If this kept up, Jeremiah was half-convinced he'd be the one to collapse from stress first.

"Mr. Taylor," assistant Zach Harper walked in, throwing Jeremiah a sympathetic look, "the flight's all arranged."

Cameron stood, adjusted his cufflinks, and strode straight for the door, his whole demeanor dark as a thunderstorm.

Jeremiah wanted to beg him to stay and sort this out first, but Zach subtly shook his head. Not even a family tragedy would make Cameron change his itinerary, let alone Julie Morgan—who he supposedly loathed with every fiber of his being.

Cameron's obsession with work was practically fanatical.

"Alert the police, pull all traffic cam footage in the area," he ordered Jeremiah right before he walked out.

Jeremiah hurried to scoop up the broken phone and snapped bank card out of the glass shards. Cameron didn't have to say it out loud—he knew. The phone's SIM card wasn't to be thrown out, and the broken bank card needed to be reissued immediately.

"Mr. Taylor, Mrs. Taylor just called," Jeremiah reported nervously as they boarded the plane, "she asked about you and Miss Chavez…"

Cameron tore his gaze away from his computer screen and looked up. His eyes were as cold as Arctic ice.

Jeremiah wisely handed over the new phone and the reissued bank card instead of pushing further. "We've got the police on it; we should have a lead soon."

Cameron said nothing else. He just reclined back into the plush leather couch of his private jet, watching the runway blur past as they took off.

Julie Morgan, he thought, was just as always—full of tricks, greedy for everything she could get.