Chapter 5
1283 Words
Julian Manchineel stepped inside, his violet eyes fixed on Eidelweiss Quinzel, who sat frozen on the floor, holding the worn photo album. His composure instantly vanished, replaced by an expression of deep shame and sadness.
Without a word, Julian gently approached and took the album from Eidelweiss's hands. His movement was polite, but there was an urgency to it. He closed the album as if sealing away a long-kept secret.
"Why...?" Eidelweiss began, her voice hoarse and confused. "Why are there photos of you with Arinra Olyxton? Why?"
Julian only stared at the floor, avoiding eye contact. He tried to ignore the question, hoping Eidelweiss would let it go. But Eidelweiss did not yield. After six months of imprisonment, her business instinct was reignited, demanding answers to every puzzle.
"Answer me, Julian," Eidelweiss pressed, rising to her feet. "She was my ex-husband's future wife moments ago. Now I find her in your photo album. What is this all about? Who exactly is Arinra to you?"
Julian let out a long sigh, his defeat evident on his face. He raised his head, looking at Eidelweiss with violet eyes filled with pain.
"She... she was my fiancée," Julian replied, his voice barely a whisper. "We were together for four years. We were about to get married. We had plans, dreams... everything."
"Then why?" Eidelweiss asked, her confusion deepening. "What happened? Why is she on my husband's side?"
"It's because she chose him," Julian continued, his voice gaining strength, edged with anger. "She chose his money."
Julian sat back down on the bed, holding the album in his lap. "I loved her, and I believed in her. But throughout the four years we dated, I often found Arin... cheating," he confessed with painful honesty. "With wealthy men she thought could give her a better future. But every time it happened, she would come back to me, crying and promising to change. And I... I always forgave her."
Eidelweiss let Julian finish his story. She looked at the man, realizing that he carried not only the burden of betrayal but also a grief he had hidden for years.
"This time was different, though," Julian went on. "This time she didn't come back. She left for good. She abandoned me and chose that man. Joy."
Eidelweiss was stunned. She lowered her head, her mind spinning rapidly.
"When did that happen, Julian?" Eidelweiss asked, her voice trembling. "When did Arin leave with him?"
Julian shifted his gaze, as if answering this question was the hardest thing for him. "About a year and a half ago," he replied. "They both vanished, and I never saw her again, until she appeared on the news just now."
A year and a half ago.
Eidelweiss felt as if the entire world was spinning. Her marriage to Joy was only two months old when she was arrested. That meant... Joy and Arinra Olyxton had been together since six months before Joy even met and married Eidelweiss.
A chilling silence hung in the air between Eidelweiss Quinzel and Julian Manchineel. Eidelweiss no longer saw a kind veterinarian, but a man who harbored the same secret and pain as she did. Julian no longer saw a desperate former CEO, but a woman with a sharp gaze who was back in the game.
Eidelweiss's mind raced, concocting an intricate scheme. She saw not ruin, but an opportunity. She stared at Julian.
"We are not going to lose," Eidelweiss stated, her voice calm, breaking the long silence. "They may have stolen everything from me, but there is one thing they don't have: honesty. And that will be our weapon."
Julian averted his eyes from Eidelweiss, as if the conversation was too much for him. He looked back at the photo album on his lap. "I don't know what you're planning, Ms. Quinzel, but I'm not interested. I just want to forget everything."
Eidelweiss knelt in front of him, demanding Julian's full attention. "This isn't about forgetting. It's about taking back what's ours. I want my life back, my company back, and my assets back. And I want them to regret it."
Julian shook his head. "I don't care about Arin anymore. I just want her to be happy, even if it's not with me."
"Are you sure?" Eidelweiss asked, her voice piercing. "A woman who belittled you, who chose money over love. A woman who collaborated with my ex-husband to destroy everything. Wouldn't it be better to make her regret leaving you? Not just for you, Julian. But for her. To make her see how foolish a decision she made."
Eidelweiss saw Julian tense up. She knew she had found his weak point.
"We can make her regret it. That's the least we owe ourselves," Eidelweiss continued, her voice full of determination. "Make her look at you from afar, with her career ruined and her reputation damaged, seeing you succeed, and realizing she left a perfect man. Make Joy realize he hasn't truly won. Let them know we're coming to take everything back, and they won't be able to do a thing to stop us."
Julian stared at Eidelweiss with glittering violet eyes. Silence descended once more, but this time it felt different—calculating, not despairing.
"Alright," Julian answered, his voice low and resolute. "What's your plan?"
Eidelweiss smiled, a smile that was cold and strategic. She stood up, stepped aside, then turned back to face Julian.
"It's a simple plan, but highly effective. I will make them jealous, and I will make them afraid. We will work together."
"As what?" Julian asked.
"As a contractual couple," Eidelweiss replied, her tone ringing with absolute conviction.
Julian Manchineel raised an eyebrow, an expression of disbelief mixed with curiosity visible in his violet eyes. Eidelweiss Quinzel’s request was utterly unexpected, a proposition that bound a broken heart to cold, business logic.
"A contractual couple?" Julian repeated, his voice carrying a deliberate note of skepticism. "What is your definition of this 'contractual' arrangement, Ms. Quinzel? I'm not a skilled actor in a romantic farce."
Eidelweiss met Julian's gaze with a sharp stare, as though evaluating a new director candidate. "This isn't a farce, Julian. This is a strategic alliance designed to manipulate public perception and, more importantly, to provoke Joy El Nostraand Arinra Olyxton."
She laid out her plan concisely and precisely, as if presenting a PowerPoint to a board of directors. "You and I will cultivate a perfect fake relationship. We will appear in public as devoted lovers who support each other, especially after I was 'betrayed' and you were 'abandoned.' This will prove to Arin that you’ve moved on to a higher level, and it will make Joy lose face in front of society."
Julian crossed his arms over his chest, processing every word. Logically, the plan was indeed perfect—a devastating blow aimed at the emotional and public image of their enemies.
"Alright. Strategically, I can understand it," Julian conceded. "However, every contract requires a clear duration, Ms. Quinzel. How long will we be bound in this elegant lie?"
Eidelweiss momentarily averted her gaze, her hazel eyes calculating the estimated time needed to dismantle Joy and Arinra's business network, factoring in complicated legal processes, investigation, and reputation recovery.
"One year," Eidelweiss answered firmly, "or precisely three hundred and sixty-five days. That is enough time for me to regain control of CuraMedica and expose their tax fraud. And it's also enough time for you to ensure Arin truly regrets her decision."
Julian offered a faint smile, a genuine one this time, filled with anticipation. He rose, extending his right hand toward Eidelweiss.
"Three hundred and sixty-five days. Bound in a fake relationship by contract. Intriguing," Julian accepted.
- Writer
