Cole’s words hung in the air, thick and heavy with unspoken meaning.
“If I divorce her, are you going to marry me?“>
I laughed. Sharp. Bitter. “And why the hell would I do that?”
His lips curled into a smirk. “Because it makes sense.“}
I scoffed. “There’s no sense in any of this, Cole. What’s the use of getting married again? If it’s just for business, if it’s just another deal, I’m not letting it happen. Not again.” I shook my head. “I’m done being betrayed.“>
He studied me, his gaze unreadable. Then, he took a step closer, lowering his voice. “What if it’s not just for business?“}
I stilled.
“What if it’s because…” he exhaled, tilting his head slightly, eyes locking onto mine. “Even after all these years, I still want you.
My breath caught.”
But I shoved that feeling down. I wouldn’t fall for this. Not again.”
Cole didn’t stop. “And don’t you think it would be the perfect revenge?” He leaned in slightly, his voice smooth as silk. “Dominic and Julienne destroyed us. They thought they won. But imagine how much it would destroy them to see us together. To see us rebuild what they ruined.”
I clenched my fists.
It would drive them insane.}
Dominic, who thought I was broken beyond repair.
Julienne, who took everything from me and expected me to disappear.”
I wanted them to suffer. To feel the same betrayal, the same devastation they had inflicted on me.”
But Cole–he was dangerous in his own way.”
I met his gaze, voice steady. “Then prove it.”
His brows lifted slightly.
“If you really want to take revenge, then deal with it,” I said. “Divorce Julienne. Destroy their lives. Make sure they pay for everything they’ve done.” I held my chin high. “And then I’ll consider your offer.“}
Cole smirked, like he had expected my answer. “Fair enough.”
I returned to my hotel, exhaustion weighing on my shoulders, but my mind refused to rest. Revenge wasn’t something that came quickly–it had to be built, crafted piece by piece until it crushed the enemy completely.”
Just as I sat on the edge of the bed, my phone buzzed.
A call.
From the man I had hired to watch them.
I answered immediately. “What did you find?“”
A few seconds of silence, then a low chuckle. “You’re not going to like it.”
He sent me a video. I opened the file, my hands tightening around the phone as the screen lit up with the image of them.”
Julienne and Dominic.
like
Smiling. Laughing. Sitting at the dinner table with their son, a warm, happy family–like nothing had ever happened.§
Like they hadn’t ruined me.”
Julienne leaned into Dominic’s side, whispering something in his ear before pressing a kiss to his cheek. He chuckled, resting a hand on hers. Their son giggled, waving a spoon in the air.”
They were happy.”
They had moved on.
I felt something crack inside me.
After everything they did–after betraying me, after killing my daughter, after stealing everything I had-
They got to be happy?!
A slow, cold rage spread through me.”
No.
I wouldn’t let them win.
I wouldn’t let them live happily ever after while I suffered.”
They were going to pay.
And I was going to make sure of it.”
Days later, the world woke up to chaos.”
“BREAKING NEWS: Billionaire Cole Laurent Files for Divorce from Julienne Laurent!“}
I smirked as I sipped my coffee, flipping through the headlines on my phone. Julienne must have been losing her mind. The media had shredded her apart.
The perfect, elegant wife discarded overnight.”
But it was the second headline that caught my breath.
“Cole Laurent Confesses: “I Married the Wrong Twin–I Was Always in Love with Evelyne.”
My fingers tightened around the phone.
So this was his next move.
And suddenly, the game had changed.”
Meanwhile, Julienne had been mindlessly strolling through the luxury shopping mall, a designer bag in one hand, her phone in the other. Dominic had given her his black card before leaving for work, and she had taken full advantage of it- just as she deserved.
She had spent the entire morning slipping into expensive dresses, trying on diamonds that sparkled under the store lights, feeling like she had finally secured the life she was meant to have.
She never thought about Cole.
Not really.
He was just there–a shadow in her past, a convenience her parents had forced upon her. She had played the role of the perfect wife, obedient and graceful, because that was what was expected of her. Because staying married to Cole meant security.
But in reality, she had already moved on long ago.
She had Dominic now.
She had their son.
Cole didn’t matter.
At least, that was what she thought.”
Until she saw the headline.}
The large LED screen above the mall’s main plaza flickered with flashing red text, followed by the crisp voice of a news anchor.
“BREAKING NEWS: Billionaire Cole Laurent Files for Divorce from Julienne Laurent!“–
Julienne froze mid–step, her breath catching in her throat.”
The next words sent a chill down her spine.
“Cole Laurent Confesses: ‘I Married the Wrong Twin–I Was Always in Love with Evelyne.”
Her heart stopped.
What?
The screen shifted, displaying a picture of Cole in his office, looking as composed as ever, a subtle smirk on his lips as he confirmed the statement to reporters.”
Julienne’s entire body stiffened, her hands tightening around the shopping bag until her nails nearly tore through it.” Divorce?
He never said anything about divorce.”
Her mind raced. How? When? They had spoken just last week about a charity event, and he had said nothing.”
Her pulse pounded in her ears.”
This had to be Evelyne’s doing.”
Before she could react, a murmur rippled through the crowd around her.”
Then–0
2499
Then-
Click.
Click.
Click.
People turned, their phones raised, capturing every second of her shock.”
Their whispers reached her ears.
“Isn’t that Julienne Laurent?”
“Oh my God, did she just see the news?”
“She looks like she’s about to pass out.”
Julienne’s breath hitched.
No.0
She needed to leave.
She spun on her heel, ready to bolt-
But it was too late.
The world had already seen her fall.”
<
M
…
Chapter 90
The messages started pouring in that night.” You did this, didn’t you?!
You’re such a jealous bitch, Evelyne.}
I swear to God, you’ll regret this.
You just couldn’t let me be happy, could you?”
You took my husband. You ruined my life. I’ll make you pay.}
I scrolled through them, expression blank. She was furious, just as I expected.”
I didn’t bother responding. I didn’t need to. She was already unraveling.”
I blocked her number, tossing my phone onto the bedside table. But the silence didn’t bring me peace. Instead, it brought something worse.
Memories. Of her. Of us.
Julienne and I used to be inseparable. When we were little, we were each other’s world. We wore matching dresses, held hands wherever we went, spoke in our own little twin language that no one else could understand.”
“We’ll always be together,” she used to say. “No matter what.”
We built forts under the dining table, hid inside our closet whispering secrets, and made up stories about how we would grow up, marry princes, and live next door to each other.”
Our mother would smile, watching us from the doorway. “You girls are lucky to have each other,” she would say. “Sisters
are forever.“8
And for a while, I believed her. But then–our parents changed everything.
They never wanted us to be together. They wanted us to compete.}
It started small.
“Who got the higher grade?“”
“Who danced better at the recital?”
“Who deserved the bigger birthday gift?”
At first, we laughed it off. But the older we got, the harsher the comparisons became. Julienne started pulling away first. She didn’t want to share clothes anymore. She didn’t want to sit next to me at the dinner table. She started calling me her rival instead of her sister.}
It only got worse when we reached high school. By then, we weren’t just competing for our parents‘ approval.”
We were competing for everything. Who was more popular. Who had the better grades. Who was the better twin. And the final blow came with our baby brother. His name was Ethan. He was the only one who never saw us as two halves of a competition.”
To him, we were just his big sisters. I still remember that day so clearly–the day it all changed forever.
We had taken Ethan to the pool. He was only four, still learning how to swim. Julienne had been in charge of watching him while I went inside to get towels.
I was gone for three minutes. Three minutes. And when I came back, I heard the screaming. Julienne was at the edge of the pool, her face pale, her hands shaking.”
Ethan’s small body floated motionless in the water. I didn’t think. I just jumped in. I pulled him out, screaming for help, performing CPR with shaking hands, sobbing as I begged him to wake up. But it was too late.
And when our parents arrived–0
Julienne’s hands were still trembling. Her lips parted, and the words that came out of her mouth would haunt me for the rest of my life.}
“I told Evelyne to watch him.”
My blood turned to ice.
I turned to her in horror. “Julienne, no-”
But it was too late. Our parents‘ furious, grief–stricken eyes locked onto me.
“Evelyne, how could you?” my mother had screamed.
“You let him die.”
212
I shook my head frantically. “No! I wasn’t even-”
“Enough!” my father roared. “I don’t want to hear excuses.“>
No matter how much I pleaded, how much I swore it wasn’t me, they wouldn’t listen.
Julienne stayed quiet. She let them blame me. She let me become the bad twin. And from that day forward, I was.
The disappointment. The problem. The girl who let her baby brother dié.
I hadn’t realized I was crying until a tear slid down my cheek. I wiped it away quickly, forcing myself to breathe. Julienne had stolen everything from me. But what hurt the most wasn’t Dominic.}
It wasn’t even Cole. It was the fact that once upon a time, we were
And now–We were nothing.”
A movement caught my eye, and I turned, startled.”
Cole stood in the doorway. He didn’t say anything. He just looked at me. And before I could stop myself–before I could pretend I was fine–he stepped forward and pulled me into his arms.
I stiffened. But only for a second.
Then, against all logic, all reason–I sank into him.
And for the first time in years, I felt warm. Felt safe.
And
And maybe, just maybe–Felt like I wasn’t alone
